Daily Briefing 26.02.2026, 12:44 (CET)

Report: Climate protection drops as a priority for German firms

Climate protection and sustainability are losing momentum among companies in Germany, with many citing political uncertainty and weak market incentives as obstacles, a report published by t...

Merz tours Forbidden City, attends robot boxing match on China visit

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday concluded his two-day visit to China with a tour of the Forbidden City in Beijing and a boxing match between robots in the eastern high-tech met...

Recalls in many shops in Germany after asbestos alert in sand toys

More products have been recalled from the market in Germany due to possible traces of asbestos in toys filled with sand.

Atalanta eliminate Dortmund with controversial late penalty

A debatable penalty in stoppage time helped Atalanta dramatically dump Borussia Dortmund out of the Champions League as the Italians overturned a first-leg deficit to march into the last 16...

Merz pressures Xi on Ukraine in Beijing trip focused on business ties

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday called on the Chinese government to use its influence in Moscow to end Russia's war in Ukraine, as he began a two-day visit to China with discu...

German parliament backs purchase of drones for military

The German parliament's budgetary committee has approved an initial €540 million ($640 million) for the purchase of kamikaze drones from German manufacturers Helsing and Stark Defence, dpa ...

Far-right AfD climbs to second in Berlin poll ahead of state election

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has reached second place in a poll in Berlin, months before elections in the German capital.

Survey: German customers open to AI in banking, but fear data leaks

Many bank customers in Germany are broadly open to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in financial services, but concerns about data leaks remain high, a survey showed.

German police and customs enhance cooperation against organized crime

Germany will permit closer cooperation between the federal police and the federal customs office in its fight against organized crime, with a view to seizing illegal profits and combining r...

Zverev starts Mexico Open with dominant win over Moutet

Alexander Zverev beat Corentin Moutet on Tuesday night to start his campaign at the Mexican Open, his first competitive action since his defeat in the Australian Open semi-final against Car...