Daily Briefing 12.01.2026, 15:14 (CET)

Merz expects US to participate in tighter NATO security for Greenland

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he expects the United States to take part in a stronger NATO presence to improve Greenland's security, as a transatlantic row looms over control of the...

Germany and India agree on closer defence cooperation

Germany and India aim to expand their cooperation in the defence sector, with a corresponding declaration of intent signed by their defence ministries during Chancellor Friedrich Merz's vis...

Mercedes-Benz vehicle sales down 10% last year

Sluggish business in China and US tariffs weighed on Mercedes-Benz's sales last year, as car sales dropped 9% and van sales fell 11%, the Stuttgart-based company announced on Monday.

Germany plans to deploy more manpower to combat left-wing extremism

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt plans to deploy more domestic intelligence officers to combat left-wing extremism, he told the annual conference of the civil servants' associati...

Hamburg confirm split from Kuntz was due to misconduct allegations

SV Hamburg confirmed on Monday that the departure of sporting director Stefan Kuntz is linked to allegations of serious misconduct.

German bankruptcies up 15.2% in December, sharp rise from November

German insolvencies, as measured by filings in the country's district courts, rose by an annual 15.2% in December, according to preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office released...

Merz condemns 'brutal' violence against demonstrators in Iran

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, on a state visit to India on Monday, condemned the violence directed by Iranian security forces against peaceful demonstrators as "disproportionate" and "b...

Moritz Wagner makes comeback in time for Berlin game, Franz doubtful

Orlando Magic star Moritz Wagner made his comeback on Sunday in perfect time to feature in Thursday's first NBA regular season game in his native Germany.

Snow and ice force flight cancellations at Frankfurt airport

Frankfurt airport cancelled dozens of flights on Monday morning after snowfall and icy conditions disrupted operations, airport operator Fraport said.

Bayern hit eight against Wolfsburg, Gladbach four against Augsburg

Bayern Munich were on fire on Sunday as they returned out of the Bundesliga winter break with a statement 8-1 thrashing of Wolfsburg and went 11 points clear at the top of the table.