Angela Merkel’s government wants to restrict the size of parties to suppress the spread of the coronavirus in Germany, a draft resolution seen by Reuters ahead of a meeting between the chancellor and state premiers showed.

Under a “hot spot strategy”, the government wants to tighten restrictions to limit parties to 25 people in private and 50 in public places in areas where the infection rate hits 35 per 100,000 over a seven day rolling period, the draft showed.

Temporary bans on serving alcohol would also be enforced.

Opinion

Editorial

Exit strategy
18 Mar, 2026

Exit strategy

MOST members of the international community, particularly states in the greater Middle East, are gravely concerned...
Unsafe trains
18 Mar, 2026

Unsafe trains

SUNDAY’S accident involving the Shalimar Express has once again brought into sharp focus the deep structural and...
Disappointment in Dhaka
18 Mar, 2026

Disappointment in Dhaka

FOR a side looking for lift-off after a disappointing T20 World Cup, it was despair for Shaheen Shah Afridi’s ...
Missing in action
17 Mar, 2026

Missing in action

NOT exactly known for playing a proactive role in protecting the interests of Muslim nations and populations...
Risk to stability
Updated 17 Mar, 2026

Risk to stability

THE risks to Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery from the US-Israel war on Iran cannot be dismissed. Yet the...
Enrolment push
17 Mar, 2026

Enrolment push

THE federal government has embarked upon the welcome initiative to enrol 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad...