German News Service | 18.01.2018, 18:00 UTC

German News Service 18.01.2018 | 18:00 UTC

Germany expands anti-terror squad GSG 9

	The German federal police are expanding their anti-terrorism unit GSG 9 and installing a special squad in Berlin. The move is a reaction to ongoing terrorist threats in the capital.

Report: Far-right Reichsbürger movement is growing, building army

	German media have reported that the anti-government group has grown by 56 percent to 15,600 members. Security services are concerned that propaganda about a 'Reichsbürger army' will inspire attacks.

Refugee numbers in Germany dropped dramatically in 2017

	186,644 asylum seekers were registered last year. That's down more than 100,000 from 2016 - the Germany Interior Ministry says the massive numbers from the height of the crisis have been "overcome."

In Berlin, Salafist extremist scene nears 1,000 members: report

	Berlin's Salafist extremist scene has tripled since 2011, according to a report from Germany's domestic intelligence agency. Russians comprise the largest foreign national group in the scene.

Politics as a beauty contest: Do good looks win votes?

	A political candidate's attractiveness can prove decisive in an election, a study shows. Academics in Düsseldorf found that "attractive" candidates could expect a lead of more than five percent over "uglier" rivals.

Rethinking evolution: Butterflies came first, flowers came second

	Researchers have unearthed the earliest known fossil evidence of an insect of the butterfly order. It reveals that these animals fluttered about 200 million years ago – even before flowering plants came along.

German patient is immune to highly poisonous ricin

	Ricin is one of the strongest poisons in the world. But not for this 20-year old man in a hospital in Münster. Doctors have found out that an inherited metabolic defect protects him from the deadly compound.

Largest Roman city gate north of the Alps finally dated

	Archaeologists have determined the exact date of construction of the Porta Nigra in Trier — it was built 1,848 years ago. It's the oldest monument of its kind in Germany.

Baden-Württemberg Quiz

	What color is in the name of Baden-Württemberg's best known mountain range? What is the "Swabian Sea" and what reputation do the Swabians have? Test your knowledge of Germany's third largest federal state.

Animals with funny names in German

	In German, a flying dog is not a dog and a washing bear is not a bear. Meet the Germans host Kate Müser explores some of the cutest - and most curious - German animal names (with the help of some stuffed friends).

© Deutsche Welle 2018