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Ukrainian cargo aircraft used for military suppliesImage: Hendrik Schmidt/dpa/picture alliance
What you need to know
Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Tuesday, August 25, 2026:
- German media say investigators found a third drone near Leipzig/Halle Airport, along with suspected explosives
- Merz says Germany will identify the suspected attackers soon
- Security sources reportedly suspect Russian intelligence involvement, which Moscow denies
- German economy grows for third straight quarter
- Crisis talks between management and workers start at VW
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Reporters Without Borders blasts Russia putting FAZ correspondent on wanted list
Journalists’ NGO Reporters Without Borders has spoken out against Russia putting a correspondent for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) on its Interior Ministry wanted list.
“The [German] federal government and the European Union must make it clear that Russian repression of independent media cannot be extended beyond its borders,” Christian Mihr, the director of the German arm of Reporters Without Borders, said.
FAZ and Russian media including Tass reported last week that the paper’s Balkans correspondent Michael Martens had been put on the Russian Interior Ministry’s wanted list for fugitives at large. It wasn’t clear whether Russia had also sought an international arrest warrant.
Martens is wanted in connection with a question he had put to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Belgrade, when he asked what European countries could do to help Ukraine “kill more Russian soldiers.” The FAZ has apologized for the framing of the question but said that seeking to arrest Martens over unfortunate phrasing was an attempt at “intimidation” of the free press.
“Whether this question was put forward in a clever manner could be disputed. But that’s not the issue here,” Reporters Without Borders’ Mihr said on Monday. “A journalist’s question does not justify a prosecution, a manhunt or the threat of international pursuit.”
Mihr argued that case showed how the Kremlin sought to take comments out of context in order to better use them for political intimidation.
Baker €15,000 out of pocket after half loaf was 10 grams light
A Bavarian baker is paying a high price for a half loaf that was 10 grams light.
The master baker in Pfaffenhofen has not been fined, as such, or forced to pay compensation — but he was ordered to bring in precision weighing equipment to prevent such complaints in the future.
A customer purchased a half loaf in one of his stores last September, and seemingly was having a bad day when he brought it home, put it on the scales and realized his ratios for his recipe were off.
“He came into the store and he was really tremendously upset: He wanted the right quantity for his money,” Matthias Breitner told the German DPA news agency.
Breitner too might not have been in his best form. He told the man, “you win some, you lose some,” only for the dissatisfied customer to leave, warning that it was not the end of the matter.
“That was my mistake,” Breitner conceded, speculating that he could have headed off trouble at the pass. “I should have just given him a free loaf.”
An official from the weights and measurements authority arrived a few weeks later. He said that Breitner would have to purchase precision weighing equipment to guarantee an exact replication of the stated per-kilo price, or cease all sales of half loaves in future.
Breitner said he had not realized that he was in fact already obliged to do this. He estimated the costs of buying the equipment and training staff across six branches at around €15,000 (roughly $17,500) — or several thousand half loaves.
VDA carmakers’ association bemoans latest US-Canada tariff spat
The German Association of Carmakers, or VDA, has issued a critical statement amid the latest potential tariff exchange between Canada and the US.
Trump has threatened to impose 50% tariffs on steel, cars, and car parts imported from Canada; and Canada is expected to issue some form of response shortly.
The US tariffs are only set to come into force at the start of next year, and could prove to be one of Donald Trump’s ever-volatile negotiating gambits rather than a serious plan.
Nevertheless, the VDA said that such erratic trade policy via social media post made planning and budgeting a serious challenge.
“Constantly changes in tariffs and trade rules as well as ever more threats create uncertainty and put a strain on investments,” the VDA warned.
Several German carmakers have factories in Canada, and even more have facilities in the US — mostly they are designed to cater for the entire North American market, or even a wider catchment area.
German carmakers are also wrestling with Trump’s ever-changing tariff threats and positions for cars exported from the EU. The rates or proposed rates have changed multiple times during his second term.
Trump’s most recent threats in May were to increase tariffs on EU cars from 15% to 25%, although a VDA official said last week that this latest pronouncement had not been implemented in most cases. Still, he said the raised rate of 15% represented a considerable impediment, as did the uncertainty about the 80-year-old’s next moves.
Plane takes 23 men to Kabul in latest Afghan repatriation flight
Germany deported 23 men to Kabul in Afghanistan on a charter flight early on Tuesday.
It’s the latest set of repatriations by the government that have gone ahead despite criticisms from opposition lawmakers and rights groups, not least because of the renewed Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
The Federal Interior Ministry said that of those deported, “the vast majority were criminals convicted of serious crimes, such as sexual offenses and crimes involving bodily harm.” It didn’t specify how many of them were convicted criminals.
The flight left Leipzig/Halle airport early Tuesday.
The government has emphasized its efforts to deport people convicted of serious crimes while seeking or after being rejected asylum, which was a campaign pledge from the Christian Democrats.
However, amid criticism in July, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also confirmed that the repatriation policy would no longer apply exclusively to criminals and people deemed to pose a threat.
Like the EU, Germany does not formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan — but it has been working with Taliban representatives on migrant returns.
WATCH — Is Germany’s civil defense prepared for crisis?
War? Blackouts? Attacks on critical infrastructure? For a long time, such scenarios felt distant. Germany lived in relative peace and stability. But following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this is shifting. How serious are the risks facing Germany today? What lessons have been learned from recent threats and emergencies? And is Germany and its people truly prepared for a worst-case scenario?
Germans swap friends for screens in their free time
Germans are spending less of their free time socializing with friends and more on individually planned and digital activities, according to a new representative survey.
The Hamburg Foundation for Future Studies found that just 19% of 3,000 respondents said they regularly went out with friends, down from 37% when its first “Leisure Monitor” was conducted 40 years ago.
Meeting friends remains the most important social leisure activity, but its role has weakened significantly over time.
“Traditional sociability is losing reach, while social contacts are increasingly shifting toward individually planned and digital forms,” said Ulrich Reinhardt, the foundation’s scientific director.
He said everyday leisure was increasingly dominated by internet use, television, music and smartphones. Digital activities have grown sharply:
- 82% listen to music digitally at least weekly, up from 52% in 2016.
- 71% use social media weekly, up from 48%.
- 33% play video games weekly, up from 9%.
Artificial intelligence is now used at least once a week by 42% of respondents, rising to 62% among 18- to 24-year-olds.
Reinhardt said younger users were turning to AI not just for information, but also for advice, reassurance and, in some cases, as a substitute for friendship.
Zelenskyy thanks Germany for support for Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Germany for their support for Ukraine’s defence and independence.
“Countless lives have been saved thanks to German aid,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, praising both Berlin’s bilateral assistance and its role in rallying wider international support.
Zelenskyy was responding to a message from Merz marking Ukraine’s Independence Day.
The German chancellor wrote simply: “Slawa Ukrajini!” — “Glory to Ukraine!”
Zelenskyy ended his reply with “Heroyam Slava!” — “Glory to the heroes!”
Germany has been one of Ukraine’s biggest military and financial supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Suspected sabotage disrupts trains and communications near Stuttgart
German police are investigating suspected sabotage after several cables were cut along a railway line near the town of Backnang, northeast of Stuttgart.
The damage disrupted train services as well as internet and telephone connections in the town of around 38,000 people.
Police said unknown perpetrators gained access to a concrete shaft beside the railway tracks between Backnang and the Maubach district on Sunday afternoon.
Several cables were then cut using tools.
It was not immediately clear how many trains were affected or how long the disruption lasted.
The state security division has taken over the investigation on suspicion of sabotage.
Police said they could not completely rule out the possibility that legitimate work had been taking place at the site, but added that rail operator Deutsche Bahn would normally have been informed of such work.
Investigators are appealing for witnesses who noticed suspicious activity on nearby paths or hiking trails.
German construction sector posts strong June growth
Germany’s construction sector has recorded a sharp increase in orders, sales and employment, official data has shown.
New orders in the main construction industry rose 11.3% year on year in June after adjusting for prices and calendar effects, while inflation-adjusted sales increased 6.6%, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Large orders helped boost activity in both building construction, which includes housing, as well as civil engineering projects such as roads and bridges.
Orders also rose strongly over the broader April-to-June period.
Employment increased by 1.5% from a year earlier to around 545,000 people in June.
“The month of June was a good one for the construction industry,” said Felix Pakleppa of the ZDB construction association.
However, he cautioned that after a volatile first half of the year it was too early to speak of a sustained turnaround.
The industry is benefiting from billions of euros in federal spending on roads, railways and other infrastructure.
Housing construction remains weaker, partly because higher interest rates have made building more expensive for households and investors.
Merz says Germany will soon identify Leipzig drone attackers
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said the German government will “shortly” set out who it believes was behind the August 4 drone attack at Leipzig/Halle airport.
“They will pay for it,” Merz said Tuesday before a Cabinet retreat in the state of Brandenburg, adding that authorities were working intensively to establish responsibility.
Merz said the incident showed Germany was increasingly becoming a target for hybrid attacks.
“Attackers are increasingly prepared to accept serious property damage, and even injuries and deaths, without scruple,” he said.
He said the government was strengthening its response, including through a new drone defense center in Magdeburg.
Investigators believe an explosives-laden drone was deliberately directed toward a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle airport on August 4.
One in 12 long-distance trains canceled in Germany
Almost one in 12 long-distance trains operated by Deutsche Bahn was canceled entirely or for part of its route in the first half of 2026, according to government figures.
The cancellation rate reached 8%, up three percentage points from the same period last year and the second-highest level since 2019.
The figures come from a Transport Ministry response to a parliamentary question from the Greens.
Only the first half of 2024 saw a higher cancellation rate, at 12%, largely because of strikes by the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL).
Deutsche Bahn said only 3.6% of affected ICE (Intercity Express) and IC (Intercity) services were canceled without replacement.
The state-owned rail operator said most passengers were able to use alternative connections, including when trains failed to reach their final destination.
It cited severe winter weather in January and extreme heat in June among the reasons for disruption.
Volkswagen workers demand answers over sweeping cuts
Volkswagen workers have begun a series of extraordinary staff meetings as pressure mounts on management over planned cost-cutting measures that could put thousands of jobs and four plants at risk.
The first meeting is taking place at the carmaker’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, where employee representatives are demanding greater clarity from the board.
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume has said the savings announced so far will not be enough.
“We are oversized. That often makes us too slow and too complicated,” Blume said, describing the company’s situation as “more than critical.”
He argued that Volkswagen’s problems reflected a wider crisis across the auto industry rather than a crisis at VW alone.
Blume cited US tariffs, a sharp downturn and falling prices in China, geopolitical tensions, tougher competition in Europe and extensive regulation as major challenges.
Employee representatives say the board has failed to explain clearly how it plans to make the company competitive under those conditions.
An internal survey cited in a company intranet article found strong dissatisfaction with management communication, saying workers and their families had been left “uncertain and afraid.”
Germany to choose its Oscar contender
Germany is set to choose which film will represent the country in the race for the 2027 Academy Awards.
A jury is meeting in Munich over two days to select one of 11 films, with the decision due to be announced Tuesday evening.
The contenders include Simon Verhoeven’s literary adaptation “Oh, This Unspeakable Void” (“Ach, diese Lücke, diese entsetzliche Lücke”) and veteran director Volker Schlöndorff’s historical drama “Visitation” (“Heimsuchung”).
More explicitly political entries include Faraz Shariat’s courtroom drama “Prosecution” (“Staatsschutz”), about far-right violence, and Markus Goller’s “23,000 Lives” (“23 000 Leben”), about migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean.
Other candidates include Valeska Grisebach’s “The Dreamed Adventure” (“Das geträumte Abenteuer”), Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaur” (“Minotaurus”) and Sandra Wollner’s “Everytime.”
Germany last won the international feature Oscar in 2023 with Edward Berger’s anti-war drama “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
The film won four Academy Awards in total.
German Cabinet meets after reshuffle
Germany’s government has begun a two-day Cabinet retreat in its new line-up, with efforts to strengthen the country’s economic competitiveness at the top of the agenda.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his ministers are meeting at Neuhardenberg Palace in Brandenburg, where they will also discuss the consequences of this summer’s extreme heat.
The main focus is expected to be Germany’s struggling competitiveness and measures to strengthen the economy.
At the retreat, ministers from the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the junior partner in Merz’s coalition, are expected to push for a constitutional change to strengthen climate action. The move is opposed by Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Merz reshuffled his government in July after the resignation of parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn.
Former Health Minister Nina Warken became head of the Chancellery, while former CDU Secretary-General Carsten Linnemann took over the Health Ministry.
Steffen Bilger, previously a senior parliamentary manager for the conservative CDU/CSU group, replaced Patrick Schnieder as transport minister.
The way Schnieder was removed prompted considerable criticism within the CDU, making the retreat an early test of how smoothly the newly assembled Cabinet can work together.
Neuhardenberg Palace last hosted a Cabinet retreat in 2004, when Germany was governed by the SPD-Green coalition of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Vice Chancellor Joschka Fischer.
German economy records better-than-expected growth in second quarter
Germany’s economy grew by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2026, slightly more strongly than initially estimated, official data shows.
The Federal Statistical Office, known as Destatis, revised its preliminary estimate up from 0.2%, saying exports and stronger-than-expected retail and wholesale activity helped drive the improvement.
Exports of goods and services rose by 2.0% from the previous quarter, with goods exports up 2.6%.
Imports increased by 1.5% overall. GDP was 1% higher than in the second quarter of 2025.
“The growth momentum in the German economy from the start of the year is continuing,” Destatis President Ruth Brand said, adding that exports were again the main driver.
Despite the good news, investment remained subdued:
- Equipment investment fell 1.4%
- Overall fixed investment declined 0.2%
- Construction investment edged up just 0.1%
- Private and government consumption each increased 0.1%
Europe’s largest economy has now grown for three consecutive quarters.
Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Tuesday, August 25, 2026:
- German media say investigators found a third drone near Leipzig/Halle Airport, along with suspected explosives
- Merz says Germany will identify the suspected attackers soon
- Security sources reportedly suspect Russian intelligence involvement, which Moscow denies
- German economy grows for third straight quarter
- Crisis talks between management and workers start at VW
Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add DW as a Preferred Source on Google.
Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Tuesday, August 25, 2026:
Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add DW as a Preferred Source on Google.
Journalists’ NGO Reporters Without Borders has spoken out against Russia putting a correspondent for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) on its Interior Ministry wanted list.
“The [German] federal government and the European Union must make it clear that Russian repression of independent media cannot be extended beyond its borders,” Christian Mihr, the director of the German arm of Reporters Without Borders, said.
FAZ and Russian media including Tass reported last week that the paper’s Balkans correspondent Michael Martens had been put on the Russian Interior Ministry’s wanted list for fugitives at large. It wasn’t clear whether Russia had also sought an international arrest warrant.
Martens is wanted in connection with a question he had put to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Belgrade, when he asked what European countries could do to help Ukraine “kill more Russian soldiers.” The FAZ has apologized for the framing of the question but said that seeking to arrest Martens over unfortunate phrasing was an attempt at “intimidation” of the free press.
“Whether this question was put forward in a clever manner could be disputed. But that’s not the issue here,” Reporters Without Borders’ Mihr said on Monday. “A journalist’s question does not justify a prosecution, a manhunt or the threat of international pursuit.”
Mihr argued that case showed how the Kremlin sought to take comments out of context in order to better use them for political intimidation.
Journalists’ NGO Reporters Without Borders has spoken out against Russia putting a correspondent for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) on its Interior Ministry wanted list.
“The [German] federal government and the European Union must make it clear that Russian repression of independent media cannot be extended beyond its borders,” Christian Mihr, the director of the German arm of Reporters Without Borders, said.
FAZ and Russian media including Tass reported last week that the paper’s Balkans correspondent Michael Martens had been put on the Russian Interior Ministry’s wanted list for fugitives at large. It wasn’t clear whether Russia had also sought an international arrest warrant.
Martens is wanted in connection with a question he had put to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Belgrade, when he asked what European countries could do to help Ukraine “kill more Russian soldiers.” The FAZ has apologized for the framing of the question but said that seeking to arrest Martens over unfortunate phrasing was an attempt at “intimidation” of the free press.
“Whether this question was put forward in a clever manner could be disputed. But that’s not the issue here,” Reporters Without Borders’ Mihr said on Monday. “A journalist’s question does not justify a prosecution, a manhunt or the threat of international pursuit.”
Mihr argued that case showed how the Kremlin sought to take comments out of context in order to better use them for political intimidation.
A Bavarian baker is paying a high price for a half loaf that was 10 grams light.
The master baker in Pfaffenhofen has not been fined, as such, or forced to pay compensation — but he was ordered to bring in precision weighing equipment to prevent such complaints in the future.
A customer purchased a half loaf in one of his stores last September, and seemingly was having a bad day when he brought it home, put it on the scales and realized his ratios for his recipe were off.
“He came into the store and he was really tremendously upset: He wanted the right quantity for his money,” Matthias Breitner told the German DPA news agency.
Breitner too might not have been in his best form. He told the man, “you win some, you lose some,” only for the dissatisfied customer to leave, warning that it was not the end of the matter.
“That was my mistake,” Breitner conceded, speculating that he could have headed off trouble at the pass. “I should have just given him a free loaf.”
An official from the weights and measurements authority arrived a few weeks later. He said that Breitner would have to purchase precision weighing equipment to guarantee an exact replication of the stated per-kilo price, or cease all sales of half loaves in future.
Breitner said he had not realized that he was in fact already obliged to do this. He estimated the costs of buying the equipment and training staff across six branches at around €15,000 (roughly $17,500) — or several thousand half loaves.
A Bavarian baker is paying a high price for a half loaf that was 10 grams light.
The master baker in Pfaffenhofen has not been fined, as such, or forced to pay compensation — but he was ordered to bring in precision weighing equipment to prevent such complaints in the future.
A customer purchased a half loaf in one of his stores last September, and seemingly was having a bad day when he brought it home, put it on the scales and realized his ratios for his recipe were off.
“He came into the store and he was really tremendously upset: He wanted the right quantity for his money,” Matthias Breitner told the German DPA news agency.
Breitner too might not have been in his best form. He told the man, “you win some, you lose some,” only for the dissatisfied customer to leave, warning that it was not the end of the matter.
“That was my mistake,” Breitner conceded, speculating that he could have headed off trouble at the pass. “I should have just given him a free loaf.”
An official from the weights and measurements authority arrived a few weeks later. He said that Breitner would have to purchase precision weighing equipment to guarantee an exact replication of the stated per-kilo price, or cease all sales of half loaves in future.
Breitner said he had not realized that he was in fact already obliged to do this. He estimated the costs of buying the equipment and training staff across six branches at around €15,000 (roughly $17,500) — or several thousand half loaves.
The German Association of Carmakers, or VDA, has issued a critical statement amid the latest potential tariff exchange between Canada and the US.
Trump has threatened to impose 50% tariffs on steel, cars, and car parts imported from Canada; and Canada is expected to issue some form of response shortly.
The US tariffs are only set to come into force at the start of next year, and could prove to be one of Donald Trump’s ever-volatile negotiating gambits rather than a serious plan.
Nevertheless, the VDA said that such erratic trade policy via social media post made planning and budgeting a serious challenge.
“Constantly changes in tariffs and trade rules as well as ever more threats create uncertainty and put a strain on investments,” the VDA warned.
Several German carmakers have factories in Canada, and even more have facilities in the US — mostly they are designed to cater for the entire North American market, or even a wider catchment area.
German carmakers are also wrestling with Trump’s ever-changing tariff threats and positions for cars exported from the EU. The rates or proposed rates have changed multiple times during his second term.
Trump’s most recent threats in May were to increase tariffs on EU cars from 15% to 25%, although a VDA official said last week that this latest pronouncement had not been implemented in most cases. Still, he said the raised rate of 15% represented a considerable impediment, as did the uncertainty about the 80-year-old’s next moves.
The German Association of Carmakers, or VDA, has issued a critical statement amid the latest potential tariff exchange between Canada and the US.
Trump has threatened to impose 50% tariffs on steel, cars, and car parts imported from Canada; and Canada is expected to issue some form of response shortly.
The US tariffs are only set to come into force at the start of next year, and could prove to be one of Donald Trump’s ever-volatile negotiating gambits rather than a serious plan.
Nevertheless, the VDA said that such erratic trade policy via social media post made planning and budgeting a serious challenge.
“Constantly changes in tariffs and trade rules as well as ever more threats create uncertainty and put a strain on investments,” the VDA warned.
Several German carmakers have factories in Canada, and even more have facilities in the US — mostly they are designed to cater for the entire North American market, or even a wider catchment area.
German carmakers are also wrestling with Trump’s ever-changing tariff threats and positions for cars exported from the EU. The rates or proposed rates have changed multiple times during his second term.
Trump’s most recent threats in May were to increase tariffs on EU cars from 15% to 25%, although a VDA official said last week that this latest pronouncement had not been implemented in most cases. Still, he said the raised rate of 15% represented a considerable impediment, as did the uncertainty about the 80-year-old’s next moves.
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Germany deported 23 men to Kabul in Afghanistan on a charter flight early on Tuesday.
It’s the latest set of repatriations by the government that have gone ahead despite criticisms from opposition lawmakers and rights groups, not least because of the renewed Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
The Federal Interior Ministry said that of those deported, “the vast majority were criminals convicted of serious crimes, such as sexual offenses and crimes involving bodily harm.” It didn’t specify how many of them were convicted criminals.
The flight left Leipzig/Halle airport early Tuesday.
The government has emphasized its efforts to deport people convicted of serious crimes while seeking or after being rejected asylum, which was a campaign pledge from the Christian Democrats.
However, amid criticism in July, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also confirmed that the repatriation policy would no longer apply exclusively to criminals and people deemed to pose a threat.
Like the EU, Germany does not formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan — but it has been working with Taliban representatives on migrant returns.
Germany deported 23 men to Kabul in Afghanistan on a charter flight early on Tuesday.
It’s the latest set of repatriations by the government that have gone ahead despite criticisms from opposition lawmakers and rights groups, not least because of the renewed Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
The Federal Interior Ministry said that of those deported, “the vast majority were criminals convicted of serious crimes, such as sexual offenses and crimes involving bodily harm.” It didn’t specify how many of them were convicted criminals.
The flight left Leipzig/Halle airport early Tuesday.
The government has emphasized its efforts to deport people convicted of serious crimes while seeking or after being rejected asylum, which was a campaign pledge from the Christian Democrats.
However, amid criticism in July, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also confirmed that the repatriation policy would no longer apply exclusively to criminals and people deemed to pose a threat.
Like the EU, Germany does not formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan — but it has been working with Taliban representatives on migrant returns.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
War? Blackouts? Attacks on critical infrastructure? For a long time, such scenarios felt distant. Germany lived in relative peace and stability. But following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this is shifting. How serious are the risks facing Germany today? What lessons have been learned from recent threats and emergencies? And is Germany and its people truly prepared for a worst-case scenario?
War? Blackouts? Attacks on critical infrastructure? For a long time, such scenarios felt distant. Germany lived in relative peace and stability. But following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this is shifting. How serious are the risks facing Germany today? What lessons have been learned from recent threats and emergencies? And is Germany and its people truly prepared for a worst-case scenario?
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Germans are spending less of their free time socializing with friends and more on individually planned and digital activities, according to a new representative survey.
The Hamburg Foundation for Future Studies found that just 19% of 3,000 respondents said they regularly went out with friends, down from 37% when its first “Leisure Monitor” was conducted 40 years ago.
Meeting friends remains the most important social leisure activity, but its role has weakened significantly over time.
“Traditional sociability is losing reach, while social contacts are increasingly shifting toward individually planned and digital forms,” said Ulrich Reinhardt, the foundation’s scientific director.
He said everyday leisure was increasingly dominated by internet use, television, music and smartphones. Digital activities have grown sharply:
- 82% listen to music digitally at least weekly, up from 52% in 2016.
- 71% use social media weekly, up from 48%.
- 33% play video games weekly, up from 9%.
Artificial intelligence is now used at least once a week by 42% of respondents, rising to 62% among 18- to 24-year-olds.
Reinhardt said younger users were turning to AI not just for information, but also for advice, reassurance and, in some cases, as a substitute for friendship.
Germans are spending less of their free time socializing with friends and more on individually planned and digital activities, according to a new representative survey.
The Hamburg Foundation for Future Studies found that just 19% of 3,000 respondents said they regularly went out with friends, down from 37% when its first “Leisure Monitor” was conducted 40 years ago.
Meeting friends remains the most important social leisure activity, but its role has weakened significantly over time.
“Traditional sociability is losing reach, while social contacts are increasingly shifting toward individually planned and digital forms,” said Ulrich Reinhardt, the foundation’s scientific director.
He said everyday leisure was increasingly dominated by internet use, television, music and smartphones. Digital activities have grown sharply:
Artificial intelligence is now used at least once a week by 42% of respondents, rising to 62% among 18- to 24-year-olds.
Reinhardt said younger users were turning to AI not just for information, but also for advice, reassurance and, in some cases, as a substitute for friendship.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Germany for their support for Ukraine’s defence and independence.
“Countless lives have been saved thanks to German aid,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, praising both Berlin’s bilateral assistance and its role in rallying wider international support.
Zelenskyy was responding to a message from Merz marking Ukraine’s Independence Day.
The German chancellor wrote simply: “Slawa Ukrajini!” — “Glory to Ukraine!”
Zelenskyy ended his reply with “Heroyam Slava!” — “Glory to the heroes!”
Germany has been one of Ukraine’s biggest military and financial supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Germany for their support for Ukraine’s defence and independence.
“Countless lives have been saved thanks to German aid,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, praising both Berlin’s bilateral assistance and its role in rallying wider international support.
Zelenskyy was responding to a message from Merz marking Ukraine’s Independence Day.
The German chancellor wrote simply: “Slawa Ukrajini!” — “Glory to Ukraine!”
Zelenskyy ended his reply with “Heroyam Slava!” — “Glory to the heroes!”
Germany has been one of Ukraine’s biggest military and financial supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
German police are investigating suspected sabotage after several cables were cut along a railway line near the town of Backnang, northeast of Stuttgart.
The damage disrupted train services as well as internet and telephone connections in the town of around 38,000 people.
Police said unknown perpetrators gained access to a concrete shaft beside the railway tracks between Backnang and the Maubach district on Sunday afternoon.
Several cables were then cut using tools.
It was not immediately clear how many trains were affected or how long the disruption lasted.
The state security division has taken over the investigation on suspicion of sabotage.
Police said they could not completely rule out the possibility that legitimate work had been taking place at the site, but added that rail operator Deutsche Bahn would normally have been informed of such work.
Investigators are appealing for witnesses who noticed suspicious activity on nearby paths or hiking trails.
German police are investigating suspected sabotage after several cables were cut along a railway line near the town of Backnang, northeast of Stuttgart.
The damage disrupted train services as well as internet and telephone connections in the town of around 38,000 people.
Police said unknown perpetrators gained access to a concrete shaft beside the railway tracks between Backnang and the Maubach district on Sunday afternoon.
Several cables were then cut using tools.
It was not immediately clear how many trains were affected or how long the disruption lasted.
The state security division has taken over the investigation on suspicion of sabotage.
Police said they could not completely rule out the possibility that legitimate work had been taking place at the site, but added that rail operator Deutsche Bahn would normally have been informed of such work.
Investigators are appealing for witnesses who noticed suspicious activity on nearby paths or hiking trails.
Germany’s construction sector has recorded a sharp increase in orders, sales and employment, official data has shown.
New orders in the main construction industry rose 11.3% year on year in June after adjusting for prices and calendar effects, while inflation-adjusted sales increased 6.6%, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Large orders helped boost activity in both building construction, which includes housing, as well as civil engineering projects such as roads and bridges.
Orders also rose strongly over the broader April-to-June period.
Employment increased by 1.5% from a year earlier to around 545,000 people in June.
“The month of June was a good one for the construction industry,” said Felix Pakleppa of the ZDB construction association.
However, he cautioned that after a volatile first half of the year it was too early to speak of a sustained turnaround.
The industry is benefiting from billions of euros in federal spending on roads, railways and other infrastructure.
Housing construction remains weaker, partly because higher interest rates have made building more expensive for households and investors.
Germany’s construction sector has recorded a sharp increase in orders, sales and employment, official data has shown.
New orders in the main construction industry rose 11.3% year on year in June after adjusting for prices and calendar effects, while inflation-adjusted sales increased 6.6%, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Large orders helped boost activity in both building construction, which includes housing, as well as civil engineering projects such as roads and bridges.
Orders also rose strongly over the broader April-to-June period.
Employment increased by 1.5% from a year earlier to around 545,000 people in June.
“The month of June was a good one for the construction industry,” said Felix Pakleppa of the ZDB construction association.
However, he cautioned that after a volatile first half of the year it was too early to speak of a sustained turnaround.
The industry is benefiting from billions of euros in federal spending on roads, railways and other infrastructure.
Housing construction remains weaker, partly because higher interest rates have made building more expensive for households and investors.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said the German government will “shortly” set out who it believes was behind the August 4 drone attack at Leipzig/Halle airport.
“They will pay for it,” Merz said Tuesday before a Cabinet retreat in the state of Brandenburg, adding that authorities were working intensively to establish responsibility.
Merz said the incident showed Germany was increasingly becoming a target for hybrid attacks.
“Attackers are increasingly prepared to accept serious property damage, and even injuries and deaths, without scruple,” he said.
He said the government was strengthening its response, including through a new drone defense center in Magdeburg.
Investigators believe an explosives-laden drone was deliberately directed toward a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle airport on August 4.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said the German government will “shortly” set out who it believes was behind the August 4 drone attack at Leipzig/Halle airport.
“They will pay for it,” Merz said Tuesday before a Cabinet retreat in the state of Brandenburg, adding that authorities were working intensively to establish responsibility.
Merz said the incident showed Germany was increasingly becoming a target for hybrid attacks.
“Attackers are increasingly prepared to accept serious property damage, and even injuries and deaths, without scruple,” he said.
He said the government was strengthening its response, including through a new drone defense center in Magdeburg.
Investigators believe an explosives-laden drone was deliberately directed toward a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle airport on August 4.
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Almost one in 12 long-distance trains operated by Deutsche Bahn was canceled entirely or for part of its route in the first half of 2026, according to government figures.
The cancellation rate reached 8%, up three percentage points from the same period last year and the second-highest level since 2019.
The figures come from a Transport Ministry response to a parliamentary question from the Greens.
Only the first half of 2024 saw a higher cancellation rate, at 12%, largely because of strikes by the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL).
Deutsche Bahn said only 3.6% of affected ICE (Intercity Express) and IC (Intercity) services were canceled without replacement.
The state-owned rail operator said most passengers were able to use alternative connections, including when trains failed to reach their final destination.
It cited severe winter weather in January and extreme heat in June among the reasons for disruption.
Almost one in 12 long-distance trains operated by Deutsche Bahn was canceled entirely or for part of its route in the first half of 2026, according to government figures.
The cancellation rate reached 8%, up three percentage points from the same period last year and the second-highest level since 2019.
The figures come from a Transport Ministry response to a parliamentary question from the Greens.
Only the first half of 2024 saw a higher cancellation rate, at 12%, largely because of strikes by the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL).
Deutsche Bahn said only 3.6% of affected ICE (Intercity Express) and IC (Intercity) services were canceled without replacement.
The state-owned rail operator said most passengers were able to use alternative connections, including when trains failed to reach their final destination.
It cited severe winter weather in January and extreme heat in June among the reasons for disruption.
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Volkswagen workers have begun a series of extraordinary staff meetings as pressure mounts on management over planned cost-cutting measures that could put thousands of jobs and four plants at risk.
The first meeting is taking place at the carmaker’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, where employee representatives are demanding greater clarity from the board.
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume has said the savings announced so far will not be enough.
“We are oversized. That often makes us too slow and too complicated,” Blume said, describing the company’s situation as “more than critical.”
He argued that Volkswagen’s problems reflected a wider crisis across the auto industry rather than a crisis at VW alone.
Blume cited US tariffs, a sharp downturn and falling prices in China, geopolitical tensions, tougher competition in Europe and extensive regulation as major challenges.
Employee representatives say the board has failed to explain clearly how it plans to make the company competitive under those conditions.
An internal survey cited in a company intranet article found strong dissatisfaction with management communication, saying workers and their families had been left “uncertain and afraid.”
Volkswagen workers have begun a series of extraordinary staff meetings as pressure mounts on management over planned cost-cutting measures that could put thousands of jobs and four plants at risk.
The first meeting is taking place at the carmaker’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, where employee representatives are demanding greater clarity from the board.
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume has said the savings announced so far will not be enough.
“We are oversized. That often makes us too slow and too complicated,” Blume said, describing the company’s situation as “more than critical.”
He argued that Volkswagen’s problems reflected a wider crisis across the auto industry rather than a crisis at VW alone.
Blume cited US tariffs, a sharp downturn and falling prices in China, geopolitical tensions, tougher competition in Europe and extensive regulation as major challenges.
Employee representatives say the board has failed to explain clearly how it plans to make the company competitive under those conditions.
An internal survey cited in a company intranet article found strong dissatisfaction with management communication, saying workers and their families had been left “uncertain and afraid.”
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Germany is set to choose which film will represent the country in the race for the 2027 Academy Awards.
A jury is meeting in Munich over two days to select one of 11 films, with the decision due to be announced Tuesday evening.
The contenders include Simon Verhoeven’s literary adaptation “Oh, This Unspeakable Void” (“Ach, diese Lücke, diese entsetzliche Lücke”) and veteran director Volker Schlöndorff’s historical drama “Visitation” (“Heimsuchung”).
More explicitly political entries include Faraz Shariat’s courtroom drama “Prosecution” (“Staatsschutz”), about far-right violence, and Markus Goller’s “23,000 Lives” (“23 000 Leben”), about migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean.
Other candidates include Valeska Grisebach’s “The Dreamed Adventure” (“Das geträumte Abenteuer”), Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaur” (“Minotaurus”) and Sandra Wollner’s “Everytime.”
Germany last won the international feature Oscar in 2023 with Edward Berger’s anti-war drama “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
The film won four Academy Awards in total.
Germany is set to choose which film will represent the country in the race for the 2027 Academy Awards.
A jury is meeting in Munich over two days to select one of 11 films, with the decision due to be announced Tuesday evening.
The contenders include Simon Verhoeven’s literary adaptation “Oh, This Unspeakable Void” (“Ach, diese Lücke, diese entsetzliche Lücke”) and veteran director Volker Schlöndorff’s historical drama “Visitation” (“Heimsuchung”).
More explicitly political entries include Faraz Shariat’s courtroom drama “Prosecution” (“Staatsschutz”), about far-right violence, and Markus Goller’s “23,000 Lives” (“23 000 Leben”), about migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean.
Other candidates include Valeska Grisebach’s “The Dreamed Adventure” (“Das geträumte Abenteuer”), Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaur” (“Minotaurus”) and Sandra Wollner’s “Everytime.”
Germany last won the international feature Oscar in 2023 with Edward Berger’s anti-war drama “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
The film won four Academy Awards in total.
Germany’s government has begun a two-day Cabinet retreat in its new line-up, with efforts to strengthen the country’s economic competitiveness at the top of the agenda.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his ministers are meeting at Neuhardenberg Palace in Brandenburg, where they will also discuss the consequences of this summer’s extreme heat.
The main focus is expected to be Germany’s struggling competitiveness and measures to strengthen the economy.
At the retreat, ministers from the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the junior partner in Merz’s coalition, are expected to push for a constitutional change to strengthen climate action. The move is opposed by Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Merz reshuffled his government in July after the resignation of parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn.
Former Health Minister Nina Warken became head of the Chancellery, while former CDU Secretary-General Carsten Linnemann took over the Health Ministry.
Steffen Bilger, previously a senior parliamentary manager for the conservative CDU/CSU group, replaced Patrick Schnieder as transport minister.
The way Schnieder was removed prompted considerable criticism within the CDU, making the retreat an early test of how smoothly the newly assembled Cabinet can work together.
Neuhardenberg Palace last hosted a Cabinet retreat in 2004, when Germany was governed by the SPD-Green coalition of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Vice Chancellor Joschka Fischer.
Germany’s government has begun a two-day Cabinet retreat in its new line-up, with efforts to strengthen the country’s economic competitiveness at the top of the agenda.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his ministers are meeting at Neuhardenberg Palace in Brandenburg, where they will also discuss the consequences of this summer’s extreme heat.
The main focus is expected to be Germany’s struggling competitiveness and measures to strengthen the economy.
At the retreat, ministers from the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the junior partner in Merz’s coalition, are expected to push for a constitutional change to strengthen climate action. The move is opposed by Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Merz reshuffled his government in July after the resignation of parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn.
Former Health Minister Nina Warken became head of the Chancellery, while former CDU Secretary-General Carsten Linnemann took over the Health Ministry.
Steffen Bilger, previously a senior parliamentary manager for the conservative CDU/CSU group, replaced Patrick Schnieder as transport minister.
The way Schnieder was removed prompted considerable criticism within the CDU, making the retreat an early test of how smoothly the newly assembled Cabinet can work together.
Neuhardenberg Palace last hosted a Cabinet retreat in 2004, when Germany was governed by the SPD-Green coalition of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Vice Chancellor Joschka Fischer.
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Germany’s economy grew by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2026, slightly more strongly than initially estimated, official data shows.
The Federal Statistical Office, known as Destatis, revised its preliminary estimate up from 0.2%, saying exports and stronger-than-expected retail and wholesale activity helped drive the improvement.
Exports of goods and services rose by 2.0% from the previous quarter, with goods exports up 2.6%.
Imports increased by 1.5% overall. GDP was 1% higher than in the second quarter of 2025.
“The growth momentum in the German economy from the start of the year is continuing,” Destatis President Ruth Brand said, adding that exports were again the main driver.
Despite the good news, investment remained subdued:
- Equipment investment fell 1.4%
- Overall fixed investment declined 0.2%
- Construction investment edged up just 0.1%
- Private and government consumption each increased 0.1%
Europe’s largest economy has now grown for three consecutive quarters.
Germany’s economy grew by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2026, slightly more strongly than initially estimated, official data shows.
The Federal Statistical Office, known as Destatis, revised its preliminary estimate up from 0.2%, saying exports and stronger-than-expected retail and wholesale activity helped drive the improvement.
Exports of goods and services rose by 2.0% from the previous quarter, with goods exports up 2.6%.
Imports increased by 1.5% overall. GDP was 1% higher than in the second quarter of 2025.
“The growth momentum in the German economy from the start of the year is continuing,” Destatis President Ruth Brand said, adding that exports were again the main driver.
Despite the good news, investment remained subdued:
Europe’s largest economy has now grown for three consecutive quarters.
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