Daily Briefing 25.06.2026, 16:42 (CEST)

'Russia won't win this war': Merz urges start of Ukraine peace talks

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday called for negotiations on an end to the war in Ukraine to begin immediately, saying the time was ripe to "end the killing."

Tesla to hire 1,000 more workers at only European plant as demand up

Tesla plans to hire an additional 1,000 workers for its plant outside Berlin, the US carmaker said on Thursday as it seeks to ramp up production at its only European facility.

German pharma giant Merck to buy US firm Bio-Techne for $11.3 billion

German pharma giant Merck has inked a deal to acquire US life sciences company Bio-Techne for $11.3 billion to expand its business in the laboratory equipment sector, the German firm said i...

Germany wants ultra-fast fashion companies to pay for textile waste

Germany, alongside France and the Netherlands, is calling for stricter measures to tackle the environmental damage caused by ultra-fast fashion companies.

ICJ lawyer Philippe Sands to receive Peace Prize of German Book Trade

French-British author and human rights lawyer Philippe Sands will be awarded the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade for his "unwavering defence of international law," the German Publisher...

German doctor admits to killing 12 patients in high-profile trial

A German doctor admitted to having killed 12 patients nearly a year since the start of his high-profile at the Berlin Regional Court on Thursday.

Germany sees hottest night in seven years as heatwave intensifies

Germany has sweltered through its hottest night on record in nearly seven years, the country's meteorological service said on Thursday, citing preliminary data, as much of Europe continues ...

Germany offers support to Venezuela after devastating earthquakes

The German government on Thursday offered to supply support to Venezuela after the South American country was hit by two major earthquakes, leaving scores of people dead.

Commerzbank says shareholder structure unchanged amid UniCredit bid

The shareholder structure of Frankfurt-based Commerzbank has remained "largely unchanged" despite a takeover bid launched by Italian banking giant UniCredit, the German bank said on Thursda...

Survey: German export outlook improves, but not across all sectors

Expectations for Germany's export businesses have improved slightly, with a much-watched indicator rising from -5.6 to -3.7 points in June for the first time since three consecutive decline...