Germany is not planning to recognise a Palestinian state in the short term and said its priority now is to make "long-overdue progress" towards a two-state solution, a German government spokesperson said on Friday.

Germany and France sought to defuse tensions over a planned joint fighter jet program, asking their defense ministers to present a solution in August as one of the region’s most ambitious weapons systems remains mired in conflict.

The countries' two defense ministers offered political backing at a "moment of truth" to a program rocked by industrial infighting.

Vodafone said it is close to returning to growth in Germany, its biggest market, as the mobile operator reported a tick up in first-quarter group organic service revenue growth.

A group of dozens of companies is pledging to invest at least 631 billion euros ($733 billion) in Germany over the next three years.

The German National Tourist Board is promoting Germany's lesser-known islands in the North and Baltic seas as alternatives to typical overcrowded tourist spots.

HAMBURG (Reuters) -Rain has sharply raised water levels on the river Rhine in Germany, allowing ships to take on bigger loads and only northern sections of the river are still too shallow for cargo vessels to sail at full capacity,

“Germany’s phase-out of nuclear power is a historic event and an overdue step in energy terms,” Simone Peter, president of the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), told CNN.

The world's first hybrid solar cargo ship has just launched in Germany, marking a major milestone for sustainable shipping.