German tourism minister demands FIFA security guarantees amid violence in Mexico before World Cup
In the wake of a massive surge of violence in the World‑Cup host nation Mexico, Christoph Ploß, the German federal government’s tourism coordinator, has urged FIFA to take decisive action. Ploß told the “Handelsblatt” that FIFA must collaborate with the governments of Canada, the United States and Mexico to guarantee that fans are not exposed to danger and…
February 24, 2026
Verdi Calls for Nationwide Public Transport Strikes on Friday and Saturday
On Tuesday, the service‑sector union Verdi announced that it is calling for nationwide strikes in public transport on Friday and possibly Saturday. The union said that many municipal transport companies will have no buses or trains operating on Friday, and that in a number of wage groups the strike is set to extend into Saturday. The action will involve around 150 public…
February 24, 2026
DAX Kicks Off Tuesday with Losses as Caution Dominates
On Tuesday morning the DAX slipped into trading. At about 9:30 a.m. the index was around 24,935 points, roughly 0.2 percent below the previous day’s close. “And investors are struggling to get a clear picture of the overall market environment” said Andreas Lipkow, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. “This uncertainty is driving cautious, defensive…
February 24, 2026
Ukrainian Ambassador Rejects Return of Draft‑Eligible Men to Ukraine
The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, says he opposes sending fit‑bodied Ukrainian men back to their homeland.During a Tuesday interview with RTL and ntv, he noted that there are no legal grounds or mechanisms to facilitate such a return. According to Makeiev, most Ukrainian men in Germany have left their country legally and therefore have committed no crime.…
February 24, 2026
Linken Leader Urges Merz to Rally China for Ukraine Peace Talks
Linken leader Jan van Aken has urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) to persuade China to join peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Speaking to the T‑Online portal, van Aken said, “If Xi Jinping calls, Putin would come” and added that the special relationship between China and Russia is an asset for achieving a settlement in Ukraine, not a liability; he claims…
February 24, 2026
Germany Ramps Up Electronic Waste Recycling 1.5 Percent Surge to 758,000 Tons in 2024
In 2024, Germany processed nearly 758 000 tonnes of electronic and electrical waste as recycled material-an increase of 1.5 % (11 100 tonnes) over the previous year. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), an additional 17 600 tonnes of old devices were set aside for reuse, which is 6.3 % (1 200 tonnes) less than in 2023. Another 127 000 tonnes (13.8 %) were…
February 24, 2026
German Export Sentiment Rises to Plus 2.6 as Ifo Confidence Surges
The mood in Germany’s export business has improved again.In February the Ifo export expectations index rose to +2.6 points, up from -0.8 in January. Timo Wollmershäuser, the Ifo institute’s chief economist, said the sector is gaining a bit of momentum heading into the new year. “A broadly based, dynamic recovery is still not to be expected” he…
February 24, 2026
Deutsche Telekom Set to Embed AI Assistants Into Phone Calls Offering Chatbots and Live Translation
Deutsche Telekom plans to embed artificial intelligence directly into its mobile network, aiming to make services such as AI chatbots and real‑time translation more accessible to a broad user base. Board member Abdu Mudesir, who heads the company’s technology strategy, announced this in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. The AI assistant will be formally…
February 24, 2026
China Revenue Share for DAX Companies Falls From 18.6% to 14.9% in Four Years
For many publicly listed German companies, the former boom market of China has turned into a problem. The share of revenue coming from China among the 15 DAX firms that regularly report Chinese sales, plus an additional 12 MDAX and SDAX companies with significant China exposure, fell by almost one fifth over a four‑year period-from 18.6 % to 14.9 %, according to calculations…
February 24, 2026
Weimar Triangle Reaffirms Resolve for Durable Ukraine Peace on Fourth Anniversary of Russian Invasion
On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Poland-Johann Wadephul, Jean‑Noël Barrot, and Radosław Sikorski-stated in a joint editorial for the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (FAZ) that they will not change course. “We must forge a peace that is lasting and just. Ukraine can only achieve…
February 24, 2026
SPD Eastern German Ministers Push for Long‑Term Kitas Funding Beyond 2026
SPD education politicians from the five eastern German states are urging the federal government to secure kindergarten financing beyond 2026. Matthias Hey, the Thuringian SPD spokesperson, warned that cutting the funds could trigger a “structural collapse the East has never experienced”. The urgency stems from a sharp decline in the child population in East…
February 24, 2026
German Industry Group Demands Transparency From Chinese Export Controls and Calls to Cut Dependence
The chief executive of the BDI, Tanja Gönner, called for increased transparency and reliability in China’s export‑control regime and urged a reduction of German dependence on the country. “We must cut our dependencies” she said in the Berlin‑Playbook podcast on Tuesday. Gönner described China as “a competitor, a systemic rival and also a…
