The DAX opened the trading day on Thursday with a modest decline. By about 9:30 a.m., the index was calculated at roughly 25,115 points, a 0.2 % drop from the previous close. At the top of the daily movers list were FMC, Zalando, and Airbus, while Munich Re, Bayer, and Scout24 finished at the bottom. Thomas Altmann of QC Partners praised Nvidia’s performance, noting…
February 26, 2026
Health Minister Warken Stays Against Ending Phone Sick Notes Despite Party Call
Despite the decision made at the CDU party conference, Health Minister Nina Warken has no current plans to push the coalition toward abolishing the telephonic sickness reporting system. She told RTL and ntv that the coalition agreement focuses on curbing abuse of the online sickness certification process, noting a widespread distrust that this option might be exploited.…
February 26, 2026
Gender Pay Gap Stagnates as 2025 Earnings Equality Persists
The wage inequality between men and women in the labour market stayed unchanged in 2025. The so‑called Market Gender Gap was 37 percent, the same as the year before, announced the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Thursday. The unadjusted gender pay gap for 2025 was 16 percent, meaning women earned 16 percent less per hour than men. About two‑thirds of this gap…
February 26, 2026
Germany’s Vegetable Harvest Hits Record 4.5 Million Tonnes in 2025
In 2025, German farms harvested 4.5 million tonnes of vegetables-an increase of 8.1 % over 2024 and 13.2 % above the 2019‑2024 average-according to Destatis. This marks the highest yield since the series began in 1990. A total of 5,960 vegetable‑producing farms expanded their cultivation area by 3.9 %, reaching 131,700 ha in 2025, which is 3.6 % above the multi‑year mean…
February 26, 2026
Modi Declares AI a Public Good Not a Corporate Asset
The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is calling for artificial intelligence to be treated as a public good rather than a proprietary product of private tech giants. He argues that technology delivers its greatest benefit when it is shared and not hoarded as a strategic asset. Modi believes that open platforms can help make AI safer and more user‑centred. “Collective…
February 26, 2026
Former German Security Chief Calls for Spy Agency to Monitor Children in Terrorism Fight
In his fight against terrorism, former chief of the Brandenburg state intelligence service, Jörg Müller, argues that the agency must be empowered to monitor children when necessary. “Security authorities need the ability to observe individuals under the age of 14 if they commit serious crimes or plan terrorist activities” Müller told “Stern” and RTL,…
February 26, 2026
Deputy Speaker Urges Asset Freezes on Iran Elite and Calls for New Sanctions
Omid Nouripour, the deputy chair of the German Bundestag and a member of the Greens, called for new sanctions against the Iranian regime, insisting that Germany should act now. Speaking to the news magazine Politico, he listed measures that go beyond simply adding the regime to a sanctions list. He urged the freezing of private assets held by regime elites in Europe and said…
February 26, 2026
Germany Gauges AfD Minister President Threat as Hessian Leader Warns of Consequences
Hessian Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) warned that should the Alternative for Germany (AfD) come to power in any of Germany’s sixteen states, the way the states collaborate would have to change. He told the Funke‑Media podcast “Meine schwerste Entscheidung” (Thursday editions) that the exchange of information would no longer function “the way it…
February 26, 2026
SoVD Slams Private Pension Reform, Urges Strengthening of State Pension
Germany’s Social Association (SoVD) criticized the private pension reform bill that the ruling black‑red coalition tabled in the Bundestag on Thursday, arguing that the country should instead strengthen the statutory pension scheme. Chairwoman Michaela Engelmeier said the latest attempt at a state‑guided private pension system has “floundered miserably”.…
February 26, 2026
Berlin Power Grid Fire Attack Still Unresolved Authorities Search for New Suspects After Two Months
Two months after the severe arson attack on Berlin’s power grid, officials still lack a clear lead. A response from the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) to a parliamentary question by the Greens, reported by the Thursday edition of the “Rheinische Post”, underlines this uncertainty. The government’s answers state that, even though a terrorist…
February 26, 2026
Consumer Advocates Fear Private Pension Reform Collapse
Before the new pension law was brought to the Bundestag this Thursday, consumer protection advocates warned that the private pension scheme was likely to fail again. “The story repeats itself” said Niels Nauhauser from the Consumer Advice Center Baden‑Württemberg to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Thursday issue). “With this reform, private pension…
February 26, 2026
Nabu Slams Planned Building Energy Act Reform as Threat to Climate Protection
The Nature Conservation Federation (Nabu) has criticized the draft points presented by the black‑red coalition government for a reform of the Building Energy Act. Steffi Ober, a spokesperson for the Nabu federal association, told the Editorial Network Germany (in the Thursday editions) that the announced reform weakens a key tool for climate protection in the housing sector.…
