Daily Briefing 26.06.2026, 16:00 (CEST)

VW confirms it is working on a future restructuring plan

Volkswagen confirmed on Friday that it is working on a future restructuring plan but said it does not wish to comment in detail on reports of stricter cost-cutting measures at this stage. 

Researcher: German labour market is shrinking

The German labour market is shrinking, facing pressure on all sides, researchers said on Friday. 

German soul-searching ahead of knock-outs after Ecuador setback

Germany still don't know who they will face in the last 32 of the World Cup. But first and foremost they have to look at themselves after a concern-raising 2-1 defeat against Ecuador.

Violent protesters expected at AfD rally in Germany's Erfurt

The interior minister of the central German state of Thuringia, Georg Maier, said on Friday he anticipates up to 50,000 people taking part in protests against the federal party conference o...

Delayed Stuttgart rail project to cost nearly €15bn

The troubled redevelopment of the underground railway station in the south-western German city of Stuttgart, which has already faced delays and cost overruns, will now cost an extra €3 bill...

Small German town of Achim celebrates local hero Deniz Undav

The first cheers erupted on the small pitch behind the TSV Achim clubhouse long before kick-off on Wednesday.

Divorces in Germany edge up in 2025 but remain near historic lows

The number of divorces in Germany rose slightly in 2025, with around 130,100 marriages dissolved by court order, up 0.6% on the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office said on Friday....

Germany becomes key European hub for ketamine trade, UN says

Germany has become one of Europe's main transit hubs for illegal ketamine, second only to the Netherlands, according to a United Nations report that highlighted rising use of the drug acros...

Magdeburg Christmas market attacker receives maximum life sentence

A German court has handed down the maximum sentence to the man who drove into a Christmas market in Magdeburg in 2024, killing six people, convicting the Saudi defendant of murder and sente...

Study: Majority of German hospitals lack air conditioning for patients

Air conditioning in patients' rooms is still far from being the norm in German hospitals, a leading medical association said on Friday.