Daily Briefing 17.08.2026, 16:15 (CEST)

Switch to mixed forests 'urgent' as wildfires spread to wetter regions

The head of the German Forestry Council has called for an urgent shift towards mixed forests in response to the severe wildfires burning in Germany and Belgium.

People in Germany take more domestic trips, as foreign travel dips

Travellers in Germany took 169 million domestic trips in 2025, a 3.9% rise over 2024 and 5% higher than in 2019, which was before the coronavirus started, the Federal Statistics Office repo...

Key link under the Elbe in Germany's north-south power line completed

Politicians from the northern German states of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony on Monday marked the symbolic breakthrough of a tunnel under the Elbe that will provide a key link in an e...

Aviation expert: Botched Munich takeoff narrowly avoided disaster

A Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for Hanoi made a faulty take-off from Munich Airport over the weekend that could have resulted in a devastating accident, aviation expert Hein...

Apple alters anti-tracking device after pressure from Germany, EU

Apple is making changes to its iPhone app-tracking prompt in European countries following criticism from competition regulators and pushback from the advertising industry, bringing an inves...

German military on track to achieve increased recruitment figures

German military strength reached 186,700 at the end of July, the highest number of active soldiers in 13 years, putting it on track to meet government targets, the Defence Ministry announce...

Germany's low rivers threaten construction supplies

Record-low water levels on the Rhine and other German rivers are increasingly putting pressure on the construction industry, as ships can carry less cargo, delaying deliveries and pushing u...

Kane returns to Bayern Munich team training after holidays

Star forward Harry Kane trained with Bayern Munich during the official team presentation on Monday for the first time since returning from his holidays.

US Madison Air buys German ventilation specialist emb-papst

US company Madison Air Solutions has bought German family-owned ventilation company ebm-pabst based in the German state of Baden-Württemberg for $5.4 billion, the two companies announced on...

Berlin government seeks 'new era of entrepreneurship' in east Germany

The German government wants to improve conditions for new business start-ups in eastern Germany, with the stated aim of seeing one of the next DAX-listed companies emerge from the region, t...