VBB to raise fares by an average of 3.72% next year
The Berlin-Brandenburg transport association (VBB) will raise fares by an average of 3.72% next year. The single ticket for the city area will remain €4, while the four-ride tic…
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By publication timeGerman parliament to vote on camera requirement at large slaughterhouses
The Bundestag is due to vote this evening on changes to the Animal Welfare Act. The proposal would require large slaughterhouses to install cameras. Smaller slaughterhouses and …
Bundestag to vote on bill to cut driving licence costs
The Bundestag is voting today on a bill to lower driving licence costs and modernize driver training. A Class B licence currently costs about €3,400 on average, according to the…
Bosch plans to cut another 750 jobs at its Abstatt site
Bosch plans to cut another 750 jobs in its mobility division at its Abstatt site in the Heilbronn district. The cuts are due to be completed by the end of 2029, with the company…
Thuringia’s forests have lost around 20 million trees since 2018
Thüringenforst head Corinna Geißler attributed the losses over eight years to drought, storms and bark beetle infestations. Spruce die-off was mainly responsible, but other tree…
Ilse Aigner gains support as a candidate for German president
Support for Ilse Aigner as a candidate for German president is growing. Brandenburg premier Dietmar Woidke (SPD) called her a perfect candidate and said he would be pleased if s…
Restraints on prisoner freed in Essen could be opened with a universal key
A prisoner was forcibly freed during a doctor’s visit in Essen. According to dpa, North Rhine-Westphalia’s justice minister, Benjamin Limbach, confidentially told the state parl…
German parliament debates first care reform; broader overhaul planned for next year
The care-insurance contribution for people without children is to rise to 0.9 percent. The income ceiling used to calculate contributions is also set to rise by 300 euros. For p…
Merz says he will nominate a woman for Germany’s presidency
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has committed to nominating a woman for Germany’s presidency. The CDU executive is due to discuss a joint candidate on Monday. Merz must consult the SP…
More than one in four companies plan job cuts, IHK says
In an IHK Köln survey, three in five companies named weak domestic demand as one of their biggest problems; nearly as many cited high energy prices. More than one in four compan…
Dresden puts new sewer for chip factories into operation
Dresden’s new “Industriesammler Nord” sewer went into operation on Wednesday. The roughly 10-kilometre channel carries wastewater from Infineon, GlobalFoundries, Bosch and ESMC …
More young people in Saxony are left without apprenticeships
As of September 30, 18,733 young people in Saxony were registered as apprenticeship applicants, compared with 19,922 reported training positions. 1,643 young people were still w…
Federal program puts €20 million toward teaching children to swim
A new federal funding program worth €20 million over four years aims to help more children in Germany learn to swim. It can fund bus trips to more distant pools and help clubs o…
Berlin suspends cash limit on asylum seekers’ payment cards
Card users can now withdraw more than €50 a month from ATMs. Integration Senator Cancel Kiziltepe said the previous limit was suspended until further notice. Kiziltepe said the …
Baden-Württemberg Registers More New Electric Cars Than Petrol and Diesel Cars Combined for the First Time
From January to September 2026, 90,905 battery-electric cars were newly registered, up 53.2% from the same period a year earlier. For the first time, their registrations exceede…
Metal industry dispute: strikes continue as more talks are planned
IG Metall continued its warning strikes on Wednesday, with actions also due to continue on Thursday. In Baden-Württemberg, a third round was due to take place on Thursday to ass…
Eva von Angern considers a run against Siegmund
Eva von Angern could challenge AfD politician Ulrich Siegmund in December's state premier election. Von Angern said her faction was considering its own candidate; a faction spok…
Court officers at several NRW courts to receive batons and pepper spray
About 240 court officers at several courts in North Rhine-Westphalia will receive batons and pepper-spray devices for one year. The equipment will be tested at justice centers i…
Housing benefit reform could cut support for a third of current recipients
The Federal Ministry for Housing estimates that one third of households currently receiving housing benefit will lose the support after the reform. Plans include suspending the …
Families of NSU victims still face pain and unanswered questions
When the NSU’s crimes came to light in November 2011, years of uncertainty ended for the murder victims’ families. But their pain continues because the investigation files still…
Germany practices responding to heat and drought
In LÜKEX 26, nearly 180 organizations are practicing for a fictional scenario involving five years of drought and a heatwave of up to 45 degrees. The exercise runs until Novembe…
Baden-Württemberg expects fewer deportations but a higher share of offenders
By the end of September, 2,111 people had been deported from Baden-Württemberg; fewer deportations are expected this year than in 2025, when 3,397 people were deported. The shar…
AfD and BSW seek fee-free childcare from 2029
A joint draft motion calls for a phased plan and bill for fee-free childcare from 2029. The existing sibling discount is to continue until then. The change would cost an additio…
Men’s life expectancy rises in Hesse, while women’s remains unchanged
In Hesse, men’s life expectancy rose by 0.3 percent to 79.6 years in 2025 compared with 2024; women’s remained unchanged at 83.6 years. Scientists cite men’s historically higher…
DVR backs phone-detection cameras and calls for higher fines
The German Road Safety Council (DVR) backs phone-detection cameras and calls for fines for phone use at the wheel to rise to at least €500. Monocams can detect whether drivers a…