BERLIN (AP) — The German economy, Europe’s biggest, shrank for the second consecutive year in 2024, according to preliminary official figures released Wednesday weeks before an election in which the economy is the top issue.

Friedrich Merz, the chancellor candidate for the conservative Christian Democratic Union acknowledged the need for a “major effort” to revive the economy as his party pledges to return German growth to 2 percent over the next five years through changes to the welfare and tax systems.

Germany has not found any further cases of foot-and-mouth disease, agriculture minister Cem Oezdemir said on Wednesday, adding that experts were working day and night to establish the source of the country's first outbreak of the disease in decades.

The UK has introduced a ban on pigs, sheep and cattle imports from Germany after a case of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in the country. The government said on Tuesday it will no longer approve health certificates for animals,

German police are investigating an election campaign flier by a far-right party that looks like a plane ticket and calls for the deportation of 'illegal immigrants.'

A local branch of the far-right Alternative for Germany has been distributing controversial fake "airplane tickets" to promote the deportation of people to a "secure home country." Police are investigating.