Daily Briefing 22.07.2026, 16:51 (CEST)

German conservatives pick new parliamentary leader after surrogacy row

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has moved swiftly to fill the vacancy left by Jens Spahn's resignation over a surrogacy controversy that rocked Germany's conservative bloc.

Germany's Intersnack to buy 50% stake in US snack maker Utz Brands

German snack maker Intersnack, known for brands including funny-frisch, Chio and Tyrrells, is moving into the US market with a plan to acquire a 50% stake in US snack company Utz Brands.

German foreign minister in Nigeria for ECOWAS and bilateral talks

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is continuing his Africa tour in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Wednesday, with international security and stability topping the agenda.

Hitler's birthplace turned into a police station to deter neo-Nazis

Adolf Hitler's birthplace in the Austrian town of Braunau am Inn opened as a police station on Wednesday following several years of renovation, in a move intended to prevent the building from continuing to attract neo-Nazis.

German army sends combat engineers to help fortify Poland's border

German army combat engineers are helping Poland fortify its border with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the Bundeswehr said on Wednesday, adding that the troops from a reinforced armoured engineer platoon had already arrived in early July.

Volkswagen steps up autonomous driving push in China with 2027 launch

Volkswagen plans to launch its first vehicles in China capable of Level 3 autonomous driving next year, as Europe's largest carmaker seeks to catch up in the fast-moving market for self-driving technology.

Report: Sven Bender poised to be among Klopp assistants

Former Germany international Sven Bender is set to be named one of Jürgen Klopp's assistants when he is appointed German national team coach, the Bild newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Lidl owner Schwarz expands tech push with cloud growth ambitions

The technology division of German retail group Schwarz is aiming for strong growth in the coming years as it expands its cloud computing and cybersecurity business beyond its traditional supermarket operations.

Lipowitz suffers broken collarbone in Tour crash as season at risk

Top German rider Florian Lipowitz broke his collarbone in a crash on the 16th stage of the Tour de France and his season could now be compromised.

German rents rise fastest in Cologne and Hamburg, fall in Berlin

Rental rates in Germany's largest cities developed very differently over the past year, with sharp increases in Cologne, Hamburg and Dusseldorf but a decline in Berlin, according to the Greix rental price index published by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW).