Day: February 18, 2026
51 posts
Frei Warns Against Foreign Policy Naïveté After Munich Security Conference
Thorsten Frei, Germany’s Minister for the Federal Chancellery, warned at the Munich Security Conference that the country could…
Leverkusen Secure Playoff Win Over Olympiakos 2-0 to Advance to Champions League Round of 16
In the first leg of the Champions League round‑of‑16, Bayer 04 Le Vereins secured a 2-0 win over Olympiacos…
Laumann Blasts Black‑Green Coalition Over Surge of One‑Off Demands
Ahead of the CDU federal convention in Stuttgart, North Rhine‑Westphalia’s Minister for Labour and Health Karl‑Josef Laumann (CDU)…
US Stock Markets Gain as Fed Divides Over Rate Path
U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing at 49,663 points, a gain of…
BSW Finds New Evidence of Voting Count Errors in Bundestag Election
In its bid for a recount of the federal election, the BSW points to fresh evidence suggesting possible…
German Mid‑Size Union Pushes Tax Reform to Ease Middle and Upper Income Burden Ahead of CDU Party Conference
The Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsunion (MIT) has submitted a motion for the CDU party congress that begins this Friday…
Alice Schwarzer Hopes Weidel’s Chancellorship Would Encourage Women
Schwarzer said that, if the AfD’s leader Alice Weidel were to become chancellor, it could have a positive…
Reiche Defends Renewable Energy Cuts Amid Rising Energy Prices
Katherina Reiche, the federal minister of economics, has defended her proposals to curb subsidies and the expansion of renewable…
Black‑Red Coalition Sets January 30 2027 for Presidential Election
The black‑red governing coalition has agreed on a date for the next Federal President election. The Federal Assembly…
German Minister Unveils Crisis Tool to Secure Gas Supply
Germany’s federal economy minister, Katharina Reiche of the CDU, announced plans to secure gas supplies in case of…
Germany Approves 238,500 New Apartment Permits in 2025 — First Rise Since 2021
In 2025, Germany approved 238,500 apartments for construction. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced a provisional 10.8 % rise…
CDU Faces Declining Female Membership As Goals for Gender Equality Slip
The latest equality report published by the CDU shows that the party is far from reaching its goal…
Top US Historian Warns Trump’s Bid to Undermine Congressional Elections
Renowned U.S. historian and political scientist Robert Kagan warns that Donald Trump is actively undermining American democracy. “Under…
German Lotto Wednesday 18 February 2026 Draw Numbers Released
In the Wednesday evening draw of the German Lotto and Toto, the winning numbers were 10, 15, 19,…
DAX Soars On Wednesday While Chemical Shares Take a Setback
On Wednesday the DAX posted a clear gain. By the close of Xetra trading the index stood at…
Cocaine Cartels Shift Focus to Small North Sea Ports to Evade Smuggling Crackdown
Cocaine cartels are apparently shifting their focus toward smaller North‑Sea ports to smuggle drugs into Europe.Because Lower Saxony lies…
Steel Industry Blasts EU’s Softening of Buy European Rules
The steel industry has voiced strong opposition to the European Commission’s proposal to relax the “Buy European” rules…
EU Commission Removes Green Steel Origin Rules Easing Public Procurement
The European Commission plans to relax its upcoming rules for using green steel in public procurement, according to…
BSI declares German railway cyberattack unusually massive scale
Claudia Plattner, the director of Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), characterises the current cyberattack on Deutsche Bahn as…
Germany Records Nearly 130,000 Digital Building Permits Filed Nationwide in 2025
Across Germany, almost 130,000 building permit applications were filed electronically last year, covering not only housing but also…
Deutsche Bahn Hits Major IT Outage Again Wednesday
On Wednesday, Deutsche Bahn suffered a major IT outage. The company said the incident could affect its information and…
German Chancellor Merz Calls Nigeria’s President Tinubu Wednesday
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) talked on Wednesday with President Bola Tinubu of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, spokesperson Stefan Kornelius…
Merz Pushes Social Media Ban for Minors Ahead Of Elections
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has voiced support for a social‑media ban for minors. “If 14‑year‑olds already spend five…
Kretschmann Urges Greens to Reject Cooperation with Left Party
Baden-Württemberg’s outgoing Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann warned his party against working with the Left.“I am firmly against a partnership” the…
AfD Baden‑Württemberg Candidate Marks Frohnmaier Plans Washington Trip Three Days Before March 8 Vote
Markus Frohnmaier, the front‑runner for the AfD in Baden‑Württemberg, has arranged a trip to Washington that will take place…
Left Party Voices Concern Over Removing Study Years From Pension Credits
The Left sharply criticized Jens Spahn’s proposal to stop counting university years toward pension contributions. In a statement to…
German Fuel Prices Flat Mid‑February as Week‑over‑Week Stagnates
Fuel prices in Germany have remained largely unchanged compared with the previous week. According to the latest ADAC…
German Government Keeps Its Head in the Sand Over Potential VAT Increase Debate
The federal government is in the debate that several economists have launched about a potential VAT increase. When…
22% of Restaurant Owners Seek Price Hikes Despite Lower VAT
A recent Dehoga survey of nearly 700 restaurants shows that 22 percent of owners intend to raise their prices,…
Culture Minister Defends Berlinale Jury Chair Wim Wenders Against Pali Activist Criticism
German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer defended this year’s Berlinale jury president, Wim Wenders, against criticism from so‑called “Pali activists”.Wenders…
Midday DAX Clings to Green Amid Bayer Roller Coaster
By Wednesday afternoon the DAX remained in the green after a friendly start to the day. At about…
Voigt Calls for Empathy Over Policy in Social Reform Debate Ahead of CDU Party Congress
Shortly before the CDU’s annual party conference, Thuringian Minister President Mario Voigt urged his party to adopt a more…
German Railways Blames Cyberattack for IT Outage After DDoS Strike
According to Deutsche Bahn, the recent disruptions of its information‑ and booking systems stem from a cyber‑attack. The company…
Söder Fires Back at Arrogant Campaign Against Expanded Maternity Pension
CSU leader Markus Söder sharply rejected criticism of the mother‑pension extension he pushed forward at his party’s political Ash…
Melnyk Skeptical of Russia’s Willingness to Pursue Peace in Ukraine
Despite the Ukraine talks in Geneva, the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Andriy Melnyk, believes that Russia…
Warken Announces E-Patient Record Improvements Amid Criticism
Bundesgesundheitsministerin Nina Warken (CDU) defended the electronic patient record (ePA) amid criticism over low usage numbers and announced…
SPD Pressure CDU to Reconsider Relationship with Left Party Ahead of Stuttgart Congress
Shortly before the CDU federal party conference at the end of the week in Stuttgart, SPD politicians are…
New Legal Requirement for Electronic Patient Record Lacks Enforcement Despite Effective Date
Since the legal duty that went into force on October 1 , 2025 requires doctors to fill the electronic patient record…
DAX Starts Higher Amid Lingering Nervousness
The DAX began Wednesday morning on a positive note. Around 9:30 a.m. local time, the main index was…
Germany Employment Slightly Down in Q4 2025 With 46.1 Million Working Individuals
Around 46.1 million people were employed in Germany in the fourth quarter of 2025. According to provisional data from…
Germany SPD Rejects Chancellor Merz Criticism of New Tax Plans
The SPD has rejected criticism from Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) regarding its tax plans. Parliamentary manager Dirk Wiese told the…
Streeck Skeptical of Wide Social Media Ban Questions Its Effectiveness
Hendrik Streeck, the German federal drug‑policy commissioner and a member of the Bundestag for the CDU, expressed doubts that…
Germany Sees Easing Skilled Worker Shortage as Hiring Gap Slows Down
The difficulty of finding skilled workers has eased slightly for German companies, according to the latest Ifo Institute…
Employers Demand Merz Rapidly Deliver Reform Package with Tax Cuts, Lower Social Spending and Bureaucracy Reduction
Employers are losing patience with the black‑red government and are urging Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) to promptly deliver a…
German GPs Slam e-Patient Record as Practically Unusable
Markus Beier, the national chairman of the German General Practitioners Association, offered a stark assessment of the electronic…
Serbia Open to Giving Up Veto Rights for EU Membership
Serbia has indicated that it would consider giving up the right to veto on the condition that it…
CCC Rejects Age Verification as Teen Social Media Ban Sparks Debate
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) has taken a clear stand against setting an age limit for using social‑media…
Germany Allocates Nearly One Billion Euros for Flood and Coastal Protection by 2040
Germany’s federal government will make almost a billion euros available to the states for flood and coastal protection…
Influenza Vaccine Uptake Among Those Over 60 Falls Drastically Below WHO Target, Setting New Low Post‑Pandemic
In 2023, only 40.8 % of people aged over 60 who are insured by the German health fund Barmer…
Federal Government Lacks Data on Overdue Child Support Payments as States Pour Billions into Subsidy
The federal government and the states are injecting billions of euros into the child‑support advance scheme, but the…
German Red Cross Urges Boosted Funding for Youth Volunteering as Low Stipends Block Participation
The German Red Cross (DRK) warns that the current plans by the federal government to overhaul the voluntary…