Daily Briefing 23.01.2026, 16:28 (CET)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosts North Sea summit

Six European leaders have confirmed their attendance at a North Sea summit hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Hamburg on Monday, the third meeting of its kind.

Merz and Meloni sign agreement to boost defence cooperation

Germany and Italy are set to expand defence and economic cooperation, including by ramping up collaboration on arms production and conducting more joint military exercises, according to an ...

Germany keeping expectations low on Ukraine-Russia talks

Germany remains cautious regarding the outcome of three-way talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States set to start in the United Arab Emirates later on Friday.

Some 1,200 fans attend Dzeko's first training session at Schalke

Some 1,200 Schalke fans attended the team's public training to watch newcomer Edin Dzeko have his first session on Friday.

Eight on trial accused of seeking to establish Nazi state

Eight young men accused of being part of a German extremist group seeking to establish an independent state based on Nazi ideology went on trial in the eastern city of Dresden on Friday.

Kompany not worried about line-up after latest defensive blow

Dayot Upamecano became the latest addition to Bayern Munich's list of defensive players who won't be available for the Bundesliga match against Augsburg on Saturday.

Greenland 'circus' undermines Ukraine peace efforts, MSC chief says

The German chair of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) has described the ongoing dispute over US President Donald Trump's bid to acquire Greenland as a "circus," arguing that the energy s...

SPD blasts Merz over claim Germans take too many sick days

Chancellor Friedrich Merz's assertion that Germans take too much time off due to illness is "wrong" and disregards the struggles people face in their daily lives, according to his coalition...

Victoria's Secret to open first high-street shop in Germany

US lingerie brand Victoria's Secret is set to open its first shop in Germany later this year as it seeks to gain a foothold in the country, the company and its local franchise partner PTH G...

Retail giant Aldi to cut hundreds of jobs in Germany

German supermarket chain Aldi is set to cut hundreds of jobs at its headquarters over the coming years, the retail giant told dpa on Friday.