- 12h ago
Deutsche Umwelthilfe to challenge Germany's new heating law at Constitutional Court
The complaint, to be filed in September, argues the Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz violates Article 20a by allowing new oil and gas heaters beyond 2044 and failing to ensure climate neutrality by 2045.
- 5d ago
Rhine water levels hit July record low, threatening water supply and German GDP growth
Persistently low water on Europe's busiest inland waterway forces cargo ships to run at a fraction of capacity, driving up freight costs, and could erase Germany's already weak summer growth, economists warn.
- Jul 26
Cannabis driving incidents rise to nearly 7,000 in Baden-Württemberg after partial legalization, interior ministry says
Folgenlose Cannabisfahrten, or cannabis-influenced drives without accidents, reached almost 7,000 in the state in the year to March 2026, and accidents under cannabis influence rose 8.4% to 488 in the same period.
- Jul 24
German court rules mass cancellation of Afghan admission promises unconstitutional, orders case-by-case review
The Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the Interior Ministry's December 2025 order voiding about 640 promises without individual review breached the ban on arbitrariness. The case of an Afghan mother and her two sons will now be reexamined.
- Jul 23
Germany's top court: No constitutional speed limit for legislation, Heizungsgesetz challenge fails
The Federal Constitutional Court dismissed a complaint by former CDU MP Thomas Heilmann over the hasty passage of the 2023 Building Energy Act, ruling that the constitution does not impose a specific speed limit on legislative procedures.
- Jul 22
Rhine water level at Kaub drops to 80 cm, ships forced to carry only one-third of usual load, raising transport costs
Persistent low water on the Rhine has reduced cargo capacity to about one-third, pushing up freight costs and potentially hitting consumer prices, according to shipping company MSG.
- Jul 21
Forged fishing licenses increase in Baden-Württemberg as exam costs and language hurdles drive fraud
State fishing association reports around 50 detected forgeries per year, but believes the true figure is far higher. A Schwäbisch Hall court recently convicted a man for selling 46 fake licenses.
- Jul 20
Fraunhofer study: EV list prices fell 18% inflation-adjusted since 2020, combustion cars up 2%
A Fraunhofer/ICCT study of over 100,000 ADAC data points finds inflation-adjusted EV list prices dropped 18% from 2020 to 2025, while combustion cars rose 2%, shifting per-kilometer costs.
- Jul 18
German rail security worker critically injured after falling from moving train during ticket check; suspect released by court
A 26-year-old DB Sicherheit employee was punched and kicked by a passenger during a ticket inspection on a regional train near Karlsruhe, then fell through a damaged door at 120 km/h. The 36-year-old suspect, on probation for prior violent offences, was arrested but released after a judge denied the arrest warrant.
- Jul 17
German top court rules apartment owners can install air conditioning against majority vote
The Bundesgerichtshof ruled on Friday that condominium owners may demand permission to install split-system air conditioning units on their balconies, even when the owners' association votes against it, provided the rights of other residents are not excessively impaired.
- Jul 13
North American oak lace bug surges across German forests as heatwave weakens drought-stressed trees
The invasive pest, originating in North America, is appearing in masses as a heatwave grips the region, compounding stress on trees already weakened by drought.
- Jul 12
Oswald Mathias Ungers at 100: Cologne exhibition reveals the architect behind the 'Quadrat-Tyrann' moniker
On what would have been his 100th birthday, Oswald Mathias Ungers is celebrated with a major exhibition at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln. The show, curated by his daughter and a former assistant, traces his influence on German architecture and beyond.
- Jul 10
German parliament passes health insurance savings package, GPs warn of 'massive cuts' and 'pitch-black' care
Bundestag and Bundesrat approved the savings package on Friday. The head of the GP association says practices will now run 'massive cutting programmes' and predicts severe supply problems in rural areas.
- Jul 9
Germany delays Bafög housing allowance increase by six months
The planned increase of the Bafög housing allowance for students not living with parents will now take effect in summer 2027, not winter 2026/27, as coalition partners agree to postpone amid budget pressures.
- Jul 8
Green MP petitions constitutional court to halt health insurance reform vote in Bundestag
Janosch Dahmen's emergency application to Karlsruhe targets the coalition's plan to pass the GKV stabilization law before the summer break, arguing that last‑minute 278‑page amendments deny MPs proper scrutiny.
- Jul 4
German rents climb 51% in a decade, DGB demands six-year nationwide freeze
Rents in Germany's 40 largest cities have risen by an average of 51 percent over the past decade, with Rostock and Berlin seeing the steepest increases, according to a DGB study. The trade union federation is calling for a six-year nationwide rent cap and more social housing.
- Jul 1
German prosecutors charge Ukrainian ex-officer over Nord Stream blasts, say Kyiv state ordered sabotage
German federal prosecutors have formally charged a Ukrainian former army officer with war crimes and sabotage, alleging the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions were carried out on orders from Ukrainian state authorities.
- Jun 30
Half a Year After Berlin Power Grid Attack, Investigation Stalls Despite €1 Million Reward
Six months after arson on a cable bridge plunged southwest Berlin into a days-long blackout, authorities have yet to identify suspects. A €1 million reward yielded leads but no breakthrough.
- 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 29
Baden-Württemberg cities spend up to six figures on free menstrual products
Dozens of municipalities in Baden-Württemberg now offer free menstrual products in schools and public buildings, with annual costs ranging from a few thousand to over 100,000 euros.
