- 2d ago
Steinmeier calls German coalition's reforms a move into 'forward play,' defends 1 billion euro palace renovation
In a ZDF summer interview from Villa Hammerschmidt in Bonn, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed the black-red coalition's reform package as ending 'self-blockade' and entering a new phase, while also addressing the upcoming Saxony-Anhalt state election and the renovation costs of Schloss Bellevue.
- 4d ago
Deutsche Bahn starts five-month closure of right-bank Rhine line, night-time restrictions in Rhine-Main
From Friday, Deutsche Bahn closes the right-bank Rhine line between Wiesbaden and Troisdorf for five months of modernisation, while night-time works disrupt S-Bahn and regional services in the Rhine-Main area until late September.
- Jul 1
Germany's birth rate falls to 1.32, lowest level since 1997
The combined birth rate fell 2.7% from 2024 to 1.32 children per woman, the Federal Statistical Office reported. Total births in 2025 dropped to 654,241, the lowest post-war figure.
- Jun 30
Angela Merkel unveils official portrait with a surprising absence: her signature hand gesture
Five years after leaving office, Angela Merkel finally unveiled her official chancellor portrait, painted by a previously unknown 28-year-old artist, and conspicuously missing the 'Merkel-Raute' hand gesture she was famous for.
- Jun 29
Germany's fuel tax rebate expires today, prices to rise Wednesday noon as state premiers demand further relief
The two-month fuel tax rebate in Germany ends today, with pump prices set to rise by 16.7 cents per litre on Wednesday at noon due to the 12-Uhr-Regel. State premiers are calling for additional relief measures.
- Jun 29
German decoration chain Depot to close 66 stores in latest insolvency, leaving roughly 80 sites
The German home decoration chain Depot will close 66 of its remaining stores, shedding about 330 jobs, as the parent company undergoes its second insolvency proceeding since 2024, amid a record-high share of retailers fearing for survival.
- Jun 26
German regulator BaFin opens probe into Zalando's 2025 accounts over About You deal disclosures
Financial watchdog BaFin is scrutinising Zalando's 2025 consolidated statements, citing concrete indications of accounting rule breaches tied to the takeover of rival About You.
- Jun 20
Lightning strike at Rastatt handball festival camp injures nine, one woman seriously, as storms lash southwest Germany
A lightning bolt hit a tent pole during a handball festival camp in Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, on the night of 20 June, injuring nine people, one seriously. The strike was part of a line of severe thunderstorms that also caused festival evacuations, flash flooding, and power outages across southwestern Germany.
- Jun 19
German transport minister orders demolition of Bonn's A565 Rhine bridge after damage proves too severe
The Friedrich-Ebert Bridge, the busiest Rhine crossing in the Bonn region, will remain closed and be partially demolished after inspections found structural damage far worse than earlier assessments, Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder announced on Friday.
