White House border official Tom Homan announced on Thursday that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency would end its controversial deployment in Minnesota after a wave of massive protests. During the peak of the operation, roughly 3,000 ICE officers had been sent to the state. Homan first took command on January 26, following pressure on the Trump…
February 12, 2026
Health Insurers Warn Against Funding Pharma Industry At Taxpayer’s Expense
The German Statutory Health Insurance Federation has formally rejected a proposal that would fund industry policy aimed at strengthening the pharmaceutical sector through contributions paid by the public. Politico reports that the rejection is based on a letter sent to Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) on 6 February. The Health Ministry is currently negotiating with the…
February 12, 2026
German Government Closes Schloss Meseberg Guest House
The federal government announced that it will discontinue using Schloss Meseberg as a guest house. After 20 years of service it has agreed with the Messerschmitt Foundation to let the lease expire in February 2027. Though the foundation rented the castle for a symbolic €1, the government paid for its maintenance, and since 2007 the chancellors had hosted heads of state and…
February 12, 2026
German Federal Government Pays Up To €3,500 Per Participant For Integration Course
The total cost the German federal government bears for one person who enrolls in a general integration course can reach €3,503.87, according to the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (Bamf). A Bamf spokesperson broke the figure down: for each lesson the ministry pays €4.58, then adds a €45 fee for the mandatory placement test and separate fees for the final…
February 12, 2026
Reza Pahlavi Urges Quick US Military Strike on Iranian Regime at Munich Security Conference
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled eldest son of the deposed Shah of Iran, has announced that he will call for a swift U.S. military strike against the regime in Tehran during the Munich Security Conference, according to an article in “Der Spiegel”. He says he intends to return to Iran himself to lead the uprising on the ground. Before leaving for Munich, Pahlavi described…
February 12, 2026
German Social Association Calls for Gender Parity in All Parliaments
The German Social Association (Sozialverband Deutschland) is calling for an equal number of women and men in all German parliaments. In a statement to the newspapers of the media group Bayern, chairperson Michaela Engelmeier said that although gender equality is repeatedly highlighted in political discourse and even in the current coalition agreement, this claim is not…
February 12, 2026
Bundeswehr Struggles to Recruit Volunteers for Lithuania Brigade on NATO East Front
According to confidential military statistics, the Bundeswehr has received far fewer volunteer applications than needed to form the brigade that will station at NATO’s eastern flank in Lithuania. The figures, which focus on soldiers who have signed up for a two‑year deployment, show a particularly low uptake in the enlisted ranks that constitute the bulk of the unit.…
February 12, 2026
German Bundestag Speaker Klöckner Visits Gaza’s Yellow Zone Amid Green Party Backlash
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) flew into the Israel‑controlled portion of the Gaza Strip on Thursday. While there she was escorted by soldiers of the Israeli army and visited a site located in the so‑called “yellow zone”. Klöckner had travelled to Israel the day before, where she addressed the Knesset, toured a Holocaust memorial and visited the grounds…
February 12, 2026
German Marshall Fund Takes Aim at Macron Over Russia Push
The president of the trans‑Atlantic think‑tank German Marshall Fund (GMF), Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, delivered sharp criticism of French President Emmanuel Macron. “France’s contacts with Moscow are diplomatic theatre” she told Handelsblatt in its Friday edition. Macron has already admitted that Russia shows no real willingness to engage in serious…
February 12, 2026
DAX Gains as Siemens Outpaces SAP in StocksWe already gave a suitable headline. Ensure it’s only that. No period. Done.DAX Gains as Siemens Outpaces SAP in Stocks
The DAX widened its gains on Thursday after a steady start through midday. At about 12:30 p.m. German time, the benchmark index stood near 24,194 points, a 1.4 % rise above the previous day’s close. Siemens topped the list of movers, followed by Commerzbank and Deutsche Telekom, while RWE, Mercedes‑Benz, Heidelberg Materials and Symrise were at the bottom. CMC…
February 12, 2026
Ischinger Urges EU Reforms to Strengthen European Self‑Confidence Ahead of MSC
Before the Munich Security Conference began, its chair Wolfgang Ischinger urged a stronger sense of European confidence. Speaking to T‑Online on Thursday, he said Europe must speak with one voice, consolidate its armaments efforts and eventually do away with the unanimity principle in the EU so that it can act more decisively. “The Europeans have heard the shot. They…
February 12, 2026
Merz and Macron Display Unity at EU Summit in Belgium
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and French President Emmanuel Macron displayed a united front at an informal EU summit in Belgium on Thursday. “We want to accelerate the European Union, improve it, and above all make sure we have a competitive industry in Europe” Merz said, adding that he was “in agreement with France’s Prime Minister Emmanuel…
