ZDF Fires New York Correspondent Over Fake Video Use
After the discovery that fake videos were used in a segment of the “Heute‑Journal” the ZDF announced personnel action. An internal review found that the violations of the network’s guidelines and journalistic standards were grave enough to warrant the immediate dismissal of New York correspondent Nicola Albrecht, the broadcaster said Friday. Albrecht had…
February 20, 2026
Spahn and Röttgen Say Time of Illusions Is Over Europe Must Cut US Dependence Boost Its Own Security and Economy
According to leading CDU politicians, Europe must reduce its dependence on the United States and strengthen its own security and economic power. In a guest piece for the “Handelsblatt”, Union faction leader Jens Spahn and CDU foreign‑policy spokesman Norbert Röttgen write: “We must act….The aim should be to gradually reduce our dependence on U.S.…
February 20, 2026
Merz Hopes Breakthrough Decisions at CDU Party Congress in Stuttgart
The CDU began its two‑day federal party congress in Stuttgart on Friday morning. Chief of the party and Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, opened the meeting by saying that the next two days would be devoted to debate and to making “landmark decisions” for the party. Merz described the situation in Germany as one of “big tasks” amid “deep‑going…
February 20, 2026
Customs Cracks Down on Black Labor Filing 52,000 Violations and 98,000 Criminal Cases In 2025
The Customs Financial Control Unit for Undocumented Labour (FKS) launched more than 52,100 administrative infringement procedures and about 98,200 criminal cases nationwide in 2025, the German Federal Customs Office announced. In 2024 the numbers were 49,700 infringements and roughly 96,800 criminal cases, so both categories rose year over year. The unit also closed more…
February 20, 2026
One In Every Four Germans Under 30 Ends Relationships Over Messenger
Nearly one in four Germans under 30 has already ended a relationship by text or messenger, according to a survey released this Friday by the IT‑industry association Bitkom. Of the 16‑to‑29‑year‑olds surveyed, 25 percent said they had broken up that way, compared with an overall figure of 13 percent across all age groups. Despite the many digital options, face‑to‑face…
February 20, 2026
Municipalities Push for Bureaucracy Cuts as Finance Officials Demand Improved Grant Distribution
Germany’s municipal finance officers find room for improvement in how state grant programs are administered. A recent Ifo institute report, released on Friday, analysed data from the KfW Communal Panel and highlights that many treasurers call for a simpler application process and fewer reporting duties. “In particular, municipal treasurers in Germany are…
February 20, 2026
DAX Flat as Iran Tensions Shadow Morning Trade
The German stock market index, the DAX, opened on Friday morning almost unchanged. By 9:30 a.m. local time the main index was calculated at about 25,040 points, slightly below the previous day’s closing level. At the top of the price list were FMC, Airbus and Porsche Holding, while Bayer, Zalando and Infineon were last. “The readiness for immediate profit‑taking…
February 20, 2026
Spahn Revives Upward Promise at CDU Party Conference
Jens Spahn, chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, highlighted the special significance of the CDU federal convention that began on Friday morning. “It’s the first chancellor party conference in five years – that in itself is noteworthy” he told the “Bild”. Pointing to the conference’s main resolution on housing,…
February 20, 2026
Producer Prices in January Drop 3 Percent From Same Month Last Year
Producer prices for industrial goods fell 3.0 % in January 2026 compared with the same month a year earlier. Destatis also reported a 0.6 % drop relative to the previous month. The main reason for the year‑on‑year decline was lower energy prices; consumer goods were cheaper than a year ago, while investment goods, durable goods and intermediate goods were more expensive.…
February 20, 2026
China Reigns as Germany’s Top Trade Partner with €251.8 Billion Trade Volume in 2025
Germany’s foreign‑trade turnover with China reached €251.8 billion in 2025, making China the country’s top trading partner for the second time since 2016. The German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced that China has once again overtaken the United States in this ranking. The United States remained second, with a total trade value of €240.5 billion.…
February 20, 2026
Eichwede Urges Strengthened Anti-Nepotism Rules in Bundestag
SPD Bundestag member Sonja Eichwede has called for stricter rules against nepotism in the federal parliament. She argues that relatives of members should not be employed in the offices of other members from the same faction. “I do not think that is acceptable” Eichwede told the news magazine Politico. Eichwede stresses that the issue is about trust in…
February 20, 2026
Greens Pitch Broad Social-State Reform Partnership to Merz
The chairpersons of the Greens’ parliamentary group, Katharina Dröge and Britta Haßelmann, are offering the federal government a broad partnership for a comprehensive reform of the welfare state. In a position paper that the “Spiegel” reported, they argue that “now, in times of crises and uncertainty, a wider consensus on major reforms is urgently…
