Daily Briefing 26.10.2026, 11:37 (CET)

German chancellor, president embark on parallel Asia trips

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier are set to depart on separate trips to Asia on Monday, with both seeking to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties ac...

Germany's Helsing unveils in-house air defence system Contra

German defence technology company Helsing unveiled its Contra air defence system along with new guided missiles at an event in Berlin on Monday.

VW works council slams Audi chief's appearance at rally with Trump

Volkswagen works council chief Daniela Cavallo has sharply criticized Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner after the boss of the VW subsidiary appeared at a campaign event alongside US Presi...

German police: Strong wind pushed cruise liner into container ships

A strong gust of wind caused a cruise ship carrying more than 3,300 passengers and crew to collide with two container vessels while leaving the German North Sea port of Bremerhaven, police ...

'Best remedy': Bayern win 3-1 in Freiburg after Kompany shock

Bayern Munich overcame the collapse of coach Vincent Kompany and the additional absence of key players with a 3-1 triumph at Freiburg on Sunday and returned to the top of the Bundesliga.

German president urges rethink of lifestyles to protect the climate

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged policymakers not to lose sight of climate protection amid the pressures of day-to-day politics as he presented the German Environmental Prize in the western city of Aachen on Sunday.

Battle over Berlin housing expropriation plans escalates

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative-led government is seeking to block plans by a possible left-wing administration in Berlin to expropriate tens of thousands of flats from commercial landlords in a bid to curb soaring rents in the capital.

Some 5,000 caught drinking at German train stations despite new ban

German national rail operator Deutsche Bahn caught around 5,000 people drinking alcohol at its stations in the first week after a nationwide ban came into force, the company said on Sunday.

Majority of Germans predict early end to Merz government

Only around one in four Germans believe Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition government will survive until the next federal election due in early 2029, according to a YouGov poll released on Sunday.

German author Christine Wunnicke awarded €50,000 Georg Büchner Prize

German author Christine Wunnicke has been awarded the 2026 Georg Büchner Prize, one of the most prestigious literary honours in the German-speaking world, at a ceremony in the western city of Darmstadt.