{"id":1848899,"date":"2026-03-26T11:28:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T08:28:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1848899"},"modified":"2026-03-26T11:28:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T08:28:52","slug":"german-made-test-rocket-crashes-after-takeoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1848899","title":{"rendered":"German-made test rocket crashes after takeoff"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76539796_6.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"s1sfzv1a sk6xmai\">\n<div class=\"content-area sa7l9jt s9mg977\">\n<section data-tracking-name=\"sharing-icons-inline\" class=\"c75t7t0 hh5424a in-line closed\">\n<div class=\"copy-button-wrapper closed\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5B9QJ<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"s4bcs45\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76539796_800.webp 50w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76539796_801.webp 129w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76539796_802.webp 352w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76539796_803.webp 575w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 575px)\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" \/><figcaption class=\"c1oedowi lofg86o m4xla6a s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">Diesel and petrol or gasoline prices have risen markedly in the past month amid the war in Iran and the wider Gulf region<small class=\"copyright c19ed66t ihwmx5 idu7i8u lxmvniw icns9en rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">Image: Rene Traut\/Rene Traut Fotografie\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-live-blog-rich-text-overview\" id=\"live-blog-rich-text-overview\" class=\"c1800ln sq3xutt atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-live-blog-rich-text-overview\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section What you need to know<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"c2fyhwl ctymiyf content-block i1if36d6 i1ytahzz\">\n<h2 class=\"cp7bjxx h1du6kc5 lt5vbch pohyj9x s16w0xvi m1u0isv1 b1fzgn0z\">What you need to know<\/h2>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<ul>\n<li>The lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, has approved a new law barring gas stations from raising prices more than once a day<\/li>\n<li>German chemical giant BASF opens massive \u20ac8.7 billion (roughly $10 billion) production complex in Zhanjiang, China<\/li>\n<li>It is BASF&#8217;s largest ever investment and comes as the company outsources German jobs to India and China<\/li>\n<li>The top civil court rules that advertising medicinal marijuana is not legal as it contravenes a ban on advertising prescription medications to patients<\/li>\n<li>A special floating excavator is deployed in continuing efforts to save a stranded humpback whale in the Baltic Sea<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>These updates have been closed. Thank you for reading. We&#8217;ll be back on Friday with Germany&#8217;s\u00a0top headlines, backgrounders and analysis.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Below, you can review news from <\/em><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany\/t-17871182\">Germany<\/a><em>\u00a0from\u00a0\u00a0Thursday, March 26:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"s1ogwy7c ev9ivjh\">\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76544694\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76544694\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section Building sector warns of spiralling costs<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Building sector warns of spiralling costs<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"74718297\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/74718297_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Construction of high rise building at Berlin, Steiglitzer Kreisel\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Germany&#8217;s demand for new housing remains high and a boost to the building sector is urgently needed<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Joko\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Germany has a desperate shortage of affordable housing.<\/p>\n<p>The government&#8217;s modernization of the construction law seems to be failing to get more homes built at &#8220;turbo&#8221; speed.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-building-sector-warns-of-spiralling-costs\/a-76541631\">Read DW&#8217;s full report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BAlq<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76550444\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76550444\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section Fire casuses major damage to 12th century Runnenburg castle<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Fire casuses major damage to 12th century Runnenburg castle<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76550187\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76550187_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Firefighters battle a blaze at the Runnenburg castle in Weissensee, Germany. March 26, 2026. \"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Around 80 firefighters helped douse the blaze overnight<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Silvio Dietzel\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A fire in the central state of Thuringia has caused major damage to parts of the 12th-century Runnenburg castle in the town of Weissensee.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The fire broke out late on Wednesday and had to be fought through the night.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It started in a corner building, next to a wall watchtower.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There were no reports of any injuries, and the cause of the fire was not immediately clear.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Photos taken the following day showed several wooden beams and pillars charred and collapsed inside the structure, but did not suggest major damage to the stone skeleton of the site.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76550239\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76550239_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Burned wooden beams and pillars collapsed inside the structure of part of the Runneburg castle in Weissensee, Germany after a large fire. March 26, 2026.\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">A kitchen area bore the brunt of the damage, according to the foundation that preserves the site<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Jacob Schr\u00f6ter\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The castle was built around 1170 and is an example of Romanesque architecture in Germany. The Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation says that it preserves a rare amount\u00a0of original building fabric from the High Middle Ages, when it was first built.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some 80 firefighters were dispatched to the scene overnight.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They managed to prevent the recently renovated palace tower from catching fire at the very last minute,&#8221; foundation spokesperson Franz Nagel said. &#8220;It was touch and go.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Nagel said the building that caught fire was the old kitchen, and that the wooden structure inside had been destroyed, with only the outer walls still intact.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Even though it was just an outbuilding, the loss is painful,&#8221; he said, explaining that the kitchen had been important for the architectural history of the complex and for explaining the castle&#8217;s functions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Experts were still taking stock of the damage and what could be done to preserve the remaining sections of the walls on Thursday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BCGa<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76549620\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76549620\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section Norwegian fisherman halts German rocket launch<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Norwegian fisherman halts German rocket launch<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76550269\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76550269_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"The 'Spectrum' rocket launching from the Andoya Space Center in Norway on March 30, 2025.\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">An earlier launch in 2025 (pictured here) also had its share of problems, when the rocket blew up after takeoff<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Isar Aerospace\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A German rocket launch planned from a Norwegian island on Wednesday night had to be abandoned when a local fisherman strayed into the safety exclusion zone offshore.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Olafur Einarsson told the <em>Kyst og Fjord<\/em>\u00a0(&#8220;Coast and Fjord&#8221;) local paper that he had veered into the exclusion zone near the Andoya Space Center and failed to leave before the launch at 9:21 p.m. local time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We had an attempted launch that was fundamentally running perfectly,&#8221; the chairman of Daniel Isar Aerospace, Daniel Metzler, told the DPA news agency. &#8220;Shortly before the launch an unauthorized boat moved into the safety zone, meaning that we had to stop the countdown.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Metzler said they only had a 15-minute window for a viable launch.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a great shame for us and our customers,&#8221; he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Einarsson told the local paper he had not intended to interfere.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We really wanted to be finished a little earlier, but we had problems with the current and a mix-up with the netting,&#8221; he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The launch was quite highly anticipated within the industry because the &#8220;Spectrum&#8221; rocket is designed to bring civilian and military satellites into near-Earth orbits. Europe is currently broadly reliant on companies on other continents to put satellites into orbit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In a sign of the importance attached to the project, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-merz-visits-spaceport-and-nato-drill-in-norway\/live-76346652\">German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store visited the Andoya launch site together earlier this month<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 German-made test rocket crashes after takeoff\" class=\"headline\">German-made test rocket crashes after takeoff<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-72091595\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"72091595\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/72090036_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:13\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je20250330_spectrum23g_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BC3I<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76549654\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76549654\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section Germany must prepare for war economy, armed forces group says<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Germany must prepare for war economy, armed forces group says<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany\/t-17871182\">Germany<\/a>&#8216;s domestic arms industry must expand capacity to accelerate the country&#8217;s military rebuild in response to a growing threat posed by <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/russia\/t-19065060\">Russia<\/a>, according to the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/bundeswehr\/t-17430904\">Bundeswehr<\/a> Association, a lobby group for the German armed forces.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is not only the Eastern Europeans who are already speaking of a pre-war phase and rapidly strengthening their defense capabilities,&#8221; association chief Andre\u00a0W\u00fcstner told the <em>Rheinische Post<\/em> newspaper. &#8220;We must do the same now.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/nato\/t-19016346\">NATO<\/a> countries have previously estimated that Russia, which has already been waging a <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/russias-war-in-ukraine\/t-60931789\">full-scale war in Ukraine<\/a> for over four years, could be ready for a confrontation with Western European countries by 2029.<\/p>\n<p>But W\u00fcstner believes the political distraction and boost in oil revenues caused by the start of the\u00a0\u00a0<a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">US-Israeli war on Iran<\/a> three weeks ago could offer the Kremlin\u00a0a favorable opportunity to bring that date forward.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The danger already exists now \u2014\u00a0and it is growing every day,&#8221; he said, adding that the erratic behavior of US President <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-president-donald-trump-russia-ukraine-israel-gaza-tariffs-trade-war\/t-19434433\">Donald Trump<\/a>, combined with Europe&#8217;s military weakness, had created a &#8220;deterrence gap&#8221; that needed to be closed as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Strengthened by fresh revenues from oil sales and encouraged by the declining supply of air defense systems to <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/ukraine\/t-17295382\">Ukraine<\/a>, [Russian President Vladimir Putin] can further intensify his brutal attacks on infrastructure and the civilian population,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BC3q<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76544548\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76544548\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section Consumer confidence in Germany&#8217;s anemic economy fades as Iran war drags on<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Consumer confidence in Germany&#8217;s anemic economy fades as Iran war drags on<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>German consumer confidence has fallen yet again as a <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/german-economy\/t-19112011\">weak economic recovery<\/a>, rising energy prices and <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-inflation-rises-21-at-start-of-2026\/a-76002335\">inflation<\/a> \u2014 all of which have been compounded by wars in Ukraine and now <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran\/t-18996175\">Iran<\/a> \u2014 collide.<\/p>\n<p>That fading consumer confidence mirrors the dim economic prospects given to Germany by analysts who put overall growth expectations at their <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-inflation-hits-30-year-high-at-73-growth-outlook-dims\/a-61301850\">lowest rate since March 2022<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Already suffering from disruptions brought on by Russian President Vladimir <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/russias-war-in-ukraine\/t-60931789\">Putin&#8217;s ongoing invasion of Ukraine<\/a>, economic experts say the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">US-Israeli war against Iran<\/a> could bring growth to a halt.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In February, \u200bwe were \u200cstill thinking about raising our 2026 forecast because the signals were becoming increasingly positive,&#8221; said Sebastian Dullien, director of Germany&#8217;s Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK). &#8220;The economic effects of the war are now \u200cat \u200bleast partly spoiling that and, in the worst case, could intensify the risk of deindustrialisation in Germany.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Consumer confidence as documented by a new forward-looking survey conducted by the GfK polling institute and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) tracked a decline of 3.2 points in March \u2014 dragging consumer confidence to -28 points overall heading into April.<\/p>\n<p>Pollsters say they saw little change in consumer saving and spending habits but noted respondents&#8217; concerns about rising inflation and weak economic performance overall.<\/p>\n<p>Among the many concerns Germans have for the economy, one of the biggest remains <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/how-oil-price-hikes-threaten-germanys-economy\/a-76330530\">price spikes resulting from ever-higher energy costs<\/a>. These have of course been compounded by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the best way to boost the economy would be &#8220;to end the war in Iran.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BAjU<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76543642\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76543642\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section Humpback whale rescue: Marine biologist and specialist equipment deployed<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Humpback whale rescue: Marine biologist and specialist equipment deployed<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76544089\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76544089_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"A floating excavator digging at sea off the Timmendorfer Strand in northern Germany, as part of efforts to free a stranded humpback whale. March 26, 2026. \"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Excavators were deployed on land and at sea on Thursday in the latest bid to free the marine mammal<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Daniel Bockwoldt\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Rescuers are trying a new approach in their bid to free <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-race-against-time-for-stranded-humpback-whale\/live-76517488\">a humpback whale stranded on Germany&#8217;s Baltic Sea coast<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A large suction dredger is being used to remove sand from around the animal, which has been stuck in shallow waters at the Timmendorfer Strand beach since early on Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Two excavators, one of which is on a mobile floating platform and can operate at sea, were digging a trench in an attempt to free the 12-to-15-meter-long marine mammal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The aim is to dig a 50-meter long, 6-meter wide and 1.2-meter deep trench in a path ahead of the whale to ease its way out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76544061\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76544061_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Excavators on the Timmendorfer Strand beach and another one on a floating platform in the water on March 26, 2026, amid efforts to free a stranded humpback whale.\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">The heavy machinery was trying to approach the stranded whale gradually, hoping it would get used to the noise and the activity<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Daniel Bockwoldt\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mayor Sven Partheil-H\u00f6hnke said that the excavators were approaching the trapped creature slowly, in hopes that it would start to become acclimatized to the noise. He said that wind and currents would also pose a challenge for the operation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Before the rescue efforts began, marine biologist Robert Marc Lehmann waded out and approached the stranded animal to check on it. The diver&#8217;s assessment found the animal to be in relatively good condition, according to Stephanie Gross from the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW).\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76543935\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76543935_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Marine biologist Robert Marc Lehmann approaches a stranded humpback whale off the Timmendorfer Strand beach in diving gear to examine it. March 26, 2026. \"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Robert Marc Lehmann waded out to get a closer look at the animal, stranded for several days at this point<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Daniel Bockwoldt\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even if the efforts to free the animal succeed, it will still need to find its way out of the Baltic Sea and back into North Sea and then the Atlantic Ocean, navigating a natural bottleneck of shallower waters.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It has to find the way out again, and it is not entirely certain that the humpback whales&#8217; navigation system is designed for that,&#8221; vet and whale expert Jan Herrmann told the DPA news agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BAUs<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76542808\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76542808\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section Top court rules against medicinal marijuana advertisements<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Top court rules against medicinal marijuana advertisements<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>Germany&#8217;s top civil and criminal court has ruled that advertisements for medical marijuana as a form of treatment are not permitted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The court found that such adverts would constitute a breach of a ban on advertising any form of medication that requires a prescription directly to patients.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The presiding judge at the Federal Court of Justice\u00a0(the\u00a0<em>Bundesgerichtshof <\/em>or BGH) said that it did not matter whether the advert in question mentioned a specific product or producer and that any advertisement of prescription medication was not permitted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Bloomwell Group company\u00a0based in Frankfurt had taken the challenge to the highest court, arguing that it did not perceive its advert as the specific endorsement of a given product, but rather as a bid to raise public awareness about a type of potential treatment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A German competition watchdog, the <em>Wettbewerbszentrale<\/em>, had challenged the proposal as a breach of the prescription advertisement rules, and it welcomed Thursday&#8217;s decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The rules on prescriptions serve a protective purpose,&#8221; the group said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bloomwell CEO Niklas Kouparanis meanwhile said he believed the decision infringed on consumers&#8217; rights to information, given the limitations on what can be published pertaining to medicinal marijuana. Nevertheless he welcomed the clarity the decision provided.<\/p>\n<p>Medical professionals in Germany have been allowed to prescribe medicinal marijuana\u00a0in some cases since 2017. This is separate to <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germanys-budding-cannabis-industry-set-to-flourish\/a-69374389\">the partial legalization of cannabis for recreational use instituted in recent years<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Germany's first year of legalized cannabis: Has it worked?\" class=\"headline\">Germany&#8217;s first year of legalized cannabis: Has it worked?<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-72138544\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"72138544\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/68641128_605.webp\" data-duration=\"03:01\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je2025DopeInsFinal_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BAHQ<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76541506\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76541506\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section Almost two-thirds of Iranian asylum applications in lead-up to war were rejected<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">Published 03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">Published March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><span class=\"last-update icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">last updated 03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">last updated March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Almost two-thirds of Iranian asylum applications in lead-up to war were rejected<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>Interior Ministry data released on Thursday after an inquiry from a lawmaker shows that just 35% of asylum applications by <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran\/t-18996175\">Iranian<\/a> nationals processed by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in January and February of this year were successful.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This data excludes applications that were rejected for procedural reasons, such as responsibility for the asylum claim lying with another EU member state.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The period in question pre-dates <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">the US-Israeli attacks on Iran launched on February 28<\/a>, with March&#8217;s data still incomplete, but nevertheless coincided\u00a0with <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/2026-iran-protests\/t-75407674\">a major\u00a0crackdown on public protests by the regime in Tehran<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Clara B\u00fcnger, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/left-party\/t-17439669\">Left Party<\/a> politician who filed the information request, told the DPA news agency that the figures were evidence that the BAMF was too strict in its decisions on Iranian applications.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Even 61% of female asylum seekers from Iran are rejected, despite the misogynistic regime and systematically discriminatory laws,&#8221; B\u00fcnger said. &#8220;Solidarity with the people of Iran looks different.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She called on Interior Minister <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/alexander-dobrindt\/t-72493833\">Alexander Dobrindt<\/a> to recalibrate the decision-making process where Iranian applications were concerned.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The ministry&#8217;s figures also showed a relatively high success rate for Iranians appealing their asylum verdicts. In 2025, more than one in three rejected asylum seekers successfully appealed the verdict.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 The hopes and fears of Iranians in Germany \" class=\"headline\">The hopes and fears of Iranians in Germany <\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-76307874\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"76307874\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76309206_605.webp\" data-duration=\"10:08\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/vps\/webvideos\/ENG\/2026\/DWVG\/DWVGENG260311_ExilesInsNew_01SMW_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5B9wQ<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76539542\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76539542\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section Bundestag lower house clears expedited petrol price bill<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Bundestag lower house clears expedited petrol price bill<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76539796\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76539796_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"A fuel filling station price board in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia, pictured early on March 26, 2026.\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Fuel prices have risen by 30 to 40 cents per liter, more for diesel than for petroleum, in the past month<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Rene Traut\/Rene Traut Fotografie\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The lower house of parliament, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/bundestag-germanys-lower-house-of-parliament\/t-19153330\">Bundestag<\/a>, has approved a hurried bill aiming to <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-fuel-prices-spike-amid-iran-conflict\/a-76212495\">prevent filling stations from price gouging<\/a> amid the unstable oil prices during the war in Iran and the wider Gulf.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The law will in future limit gas or petrol station operators to just one price increase per day. There will be no limit on how often they can reduce the price.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The package still requires approval from the upper house, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/bundesrat\/t-38207746\">Bundesrat<\/a>, with a vote expected on Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Critics warn that the measure does nothing to limit how much filling stations can charge, or to peg their changes to developments in oil prices,\u00a0it only prevents them from repeatedly changing prices throughout the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The law is an attempt to respond to what the Federal Cartel Agency described as the &#8220;rocket and feather&#8221; phenomenon, whereby gas stations respond to rising oil prices like a rocket taking off, but react to falling prices more like a feather floating back down to the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Businesses found in breach could face fines of up to \u20ac100,000 (roughly $115,000) based on the current draft law.<\/p>\n<p>According to the ADAC motorists&#8217; club on Thursday, the average cost of a liter of diesel nationwide had cleared \u20ac2.28, while the cheapest variant of petroleum or gasoline stood at \u20ac2.07 per liter. That equates to roughly $8.60 for a US gallon of diesel, or $7.83 for gasoline.<\/p>\n<p>A month ago, prior to the attacks on Iran, both prices were lower than \u20ac1.80 per liter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Smuggling, hoarding, no cars: World reacts to war fuel shock\" class=\"headline\">Smuggling, hoarding, no cars: World reacts to war fuel shock<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-76493927\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"76493927\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76445549_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:03\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je20260323_FUEL16A_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5B9Qk<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76542334\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76542334\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section German chemical giant BASF opens massive production facility in China<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">German chemical giant BASF opens massive production facility in China<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>Germany&#8217;s <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/basf\/t-17449651\">BASF<\/a>, the world&#8217;s largest chemical producer, on Thursday opened a brand new \u20ac8.7 billion ($10 billion) production complex in Zhanjiang, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/china\/t-18480887\">China<\/a>, in what is the company&#8217;s biggest ever investment.<\/p>\n<p>The move is controversial on two fronts.<\/p>\n<p>First, it comes as the company outsources German jobs to India and China. Secondly, it <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/china-puts-pressure-on-german-car-chemicals-engineering-industry\/a-71919309\">raises concerns about supporting China&#8217;s Communist Party<\/a> at a time when <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-china-relations\/t-66159650\">Berlin urges companies to &#8220;de-risk.&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>At home, BASF has enacted rigorous cost-cutting measures, resulting in firings in Ludwigshafen, where the company is headquartered, as well as its Berlin offices. BASF has long contended that expanding in China, the world&#8217;s biggest chemical market, is necessary for its future profitability.<\/p>\n<p>The new facility in southern Guandong province brings together numerous chemical producing units and covers an area of roughly four square kilometers (1.5 square miles).<\/p>\n<p>Speaking with Germany&#8217;s financial daily <em>Handelsblatt <\/em>this week, BASF CEO Markus Kamieth said, &#8220;China remains the market offering the greatest growth for our industry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The strong focus on new industries, renewables, and the green transition is a huge opportunity for an innovative chemical company like BASF.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Germany&#8217;s chemicals industry has struggled to remain competitive alongside China, with BASF citing high energy and labor costs as well as regulatory burdens as the big reasons for this.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the move is controversial in that BASF&#8217;s investment comes at a time when Berlin has urged companies to &#8220;de-risk&#8221; through diversification.<\/p>\n<p>Thus far, German companies \u2014\u00a0<a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/volkswagen-to-exit-chinas-xinjiang-sell-factory\/a-70899762\">such as VW, for instance<\/a> \u2014 have tended to choose potential short-term profit opportunity in China over concern about Chinese business practices and the Communist-led economy.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond far more lax environmental rules, labor laws in China help big companies&#8217; bottom lines as well.<\/p>\n<p>The situation is not without risk however.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Last year BASF bailed out of two joint ventures in Xinjiang region after its local partner was accused of engaging in rights abuses against local <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/uyghur-community\/t-62994165\">Uyghurs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>BASF says more than 2,000 people are employed at the Zhanjiang site.<\/p>\n<p>They will produce a range of chemicals for sectors ranging from transport to consumer goods and electronics, with most products manufactured at the site intended for the Chinese market.<\/p>\n<p>Zhanjiang is BASF&#8217;s third-biggest complex worldwide, after Ludwigshafen and Antwerp, Belgium.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BA9m<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76539907\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76539907\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section Defense Minister Pistorius calls Iran &#8216;catastrophe&#8217; for world economies<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Defense Minister Pistorius calls Iran &#8216;catastrophe&#8217; for world economies<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>Boris Pistorius said during a visit to Australia on Thursday that Germany was ready to help broker a ceasefire in the Iran war.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This war\u00a0is a catastrophe for the world&#8217;s economies. The effects are already clear after just a little more than two weeks,&#8221; Pisotirus said in Canberra alongside his fellow Defense Minister Richard Marles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Pistorius said\u00a0that a diplomatic solution was needed &#8220;as quickly as possible.&#8221; He said this message was directed primarily at Iran but also at the US, and reiterated that Germany was only ready to help bring the fighting to an end, not join in.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We were not consulted beforehand. It is not our war, and, therefore, we don&#8217;t want to get sucked into this war, to make this crystal clear,&#8221; he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For all the latest on Pistorius&#8217; comments and developments in Iran and the Gulf, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran-war-trump-says-hes-unsure-about-a-deal-with-tehran\/live-76535412\">you can check on our live updates here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5B9Wd<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-tracking-name=\"section-liveblog-post\" id=\"liveblog-post-76541225\" class=\"liveblog-post sh8w7rk atfzu66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515#post-liveblog-post-76541225\" class=\"q1knotlb b14agbwd quick-item\"><span class=\"h1du6kc5 l1ozsu87 p1s74fjj s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Skip next section Welcome to our coverage<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"l3vczb5\"><span class=\"time-area s1i8qhb9 icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><span class=\"publication icns9en lofg86o m1u0isv1 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"><time aria-hidden=\"true\">03\/26\/2026<\/time><span class=\"s28j2rd\">March 26, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pmcvy6l h1du6kc5 l1evdo4u p1y8x1v s16w0xvi sngcpkw b1fzgn0z\">Welcome to our coverage<\/h2>\n<div class=\"a9wq4ao author-details\"><span><span class=\"separator lxmvniw m4xla6a s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"> | <\/span><\/span><span><span class=\"separator lxmvniw m4xla6a s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"> | <\/span><span class=\"extra-info lxmvniw m4xla6a s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\"> Editor<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p><em>Guten Tag<\/em> from the DW Newsroom in Bonn. Before we get running with today&#8217;s blog, here, an overview of topics covered yesterday:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>German business confidence dropped in March as a result of the Iran war<\/li>\n<li>Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the &#8216;best way to combat high prices is to end the war in Iran&#8217;<\/li>\n<li>A Berlin court jailed four\u00a0members of the Islamist terror group Hamas who were operating and planning possible attacks in Europe<\/li>\n<li>Along with food and gas prices, German housing prices also rose again in 2025<\/li>\n<li>In Berlin, Greenpeace staged a climate protest to criticize fossil fuel dependence over green alternatives<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Stay tuned to DW for the latest news on Thursday, March 26, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bp605kw start\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5B9rt<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"h4zlaoh bp605kw center\">\n<div role=\"button\" data-tracking-name=\"show-more\" class=\"show-more-button s1va3u11 t1y9040i m7i2pic e3w9kkf b19vsmfu cx4rgdt ih9bob8 disabled sngcpkw w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">Show more posts<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<ul>\n<li>The lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, has approved a new law barring gas stations from raising prices more than once a day<\/li>\n<li>German chemical giant BASF opens massive \u20ac8.7 billion (roughly $10 billion) production complex in Zhanjiang, China<\/li>\n<li>It is BASF&#8217;s largest ever investment and comes as the company outsources German jobs to India and China<\/li>\n<li>The top civil court rules that advertising medicinal marijuana is not legal as it contravenes a ban on advertising prescription medications to patients<\/li>\n<li>A special floating excavator is deployed in continuing efforts to save a stranded humpback whale in the Baltic Sea<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>These updates have been closed. Thank you for reading. We&#8217;ll be back on Friday with Germany&#8217;s\u00a0top headlines, backgrounders and analysis.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Below, you can review news from <\/em><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany\/t-17871182\">Germany<\/a><em>\u00a0from\u00a0\u00a0Thursday, March 26:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>These updates have been closed. Thank you for reading. We&#8217;ll be back on Friday with Germany&#8217;s\u00a0top headlines, backgrounders and analysis.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Below, you can review news from <\/em><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany\/t-17871182\">Germany<\/a><em>\u00a0from\u00a0\u00a0Thursday, March 26:<\/em><\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"74718297\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/74718297_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Construction of high rise building at Berlin, Steiglitzer Kreisel\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Germany&#8217;s demand for new housing remains high and a boost to the building sector is urgently needed<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Joko\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Germany has a desperate shortage of affordable housing.<\/p>\n<p>The government&#8217;s modernization of the construction law seems to be failing to get more homes built at &#8220;turbo&#8221; speed.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-building-sector-warns-of-spiralling-costs\/a-76541631\">Read DW&#8217;s full report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Germany has a desperate shortage of affordable housing.<\/p>\n<p>The government&#8217;s modernization of the construction law seems to be failing to get more homes built at &#8220;turbo&#8221; speed.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-building-sector-warns-of-spiralling-costs\/a-76541631\">Read DW&#8217;s full report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76550187\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76550187_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Firefighters battle a blaze at the Runnenburg castle in Weissensee, Germany. March 26, 2026. \"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Around 80 firefighters helped douse the blaze overnight<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Silvio Dietzel\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A fire in the central state of Thuringia has caused major damage to parts of the 12th-century Runnenburg castle in the town of Weissensee.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The fire broke out late on Wednesday and had to be fought through the night.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It started in a corner building, next to a wall watchtower.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There were no reports of any injuries, and the cause of the fire was not immediately clear.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Photos taken the following day showed several wooden beams and pillars charred and collapsed inside the structure, but did not suggest major damage to the stone skeleton of the site.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76550239\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76550239_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Burned wooden beams and pillars collapsed inside the structure of part of the Runneburg castle in Weissensee, Germany after a large fire. March 26, 2026.\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">A kitchen area bore the brunt of the damage, according to the foundation that preserves the site<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Jacob Schr\u00f6ter\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The castle was built around 1170 and is an example of Romanesque architecture in Germany. The Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation says that it preserves a rare amount\u00a0of original building fabric from the High Middle Ages, when it was first built.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some 80 firefighters were dispatched to the scene overnight.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They managed to prevent the recently renovated palace tower from catching fire at the very last minute,&#8221; foundation spokesperson Franz Nagel said. &#8220;It was touch and go.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Nagel said the building that caught fire was the old kitchen, and that the wooden structure inside had been destroyed, with only the outer walls still intact.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Even though it was just an outbuilding, the loss is painful,&#8221; he said, explaining that the kitchen had been important for the architectural history of the complex and for explaining the castle&#8217;s functions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Experts were still taking stock of the damage and what could be done to preserve the remaining sections of the walls on Thursday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>A fire in the central state of Thuringia has caused major damage to parts of the 12th-century Runnenburg castle in the town of Weissensee.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The fire broke out late on Wednesday and had to be fought through the night.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It started in a corner building, next to a wall watchtower.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There were no reports of any injuries, and the cause of the fire was not immediately clear.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Photos taken the following day showed several wooden beams and pillars charred and collapsed inside the structure, but did not suggest major damage to the stone skeleton of the site.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The castle was built around 1170 and is an example of Romanesque architecture in Germany. The Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation says that it preserves a rare amount\u00a0of original building fabric from the High Middle Ages, when it was first built.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some 80 firefighters were dispatched to the scene overnight.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They managed to prevent the recently renovated palace tower from catching fire at the very last minute,&#8221; foundation spokesperson Franz Nagel said. &#8220;It was touch and go.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Nagel said the building that caught fire was the old kitchen, and that the wooden structure inside had been destroyed, with only the outer walls still intact.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Even though it was just an outbuilding, the loss is painful,&#8221; he said, explaining that the kitchen had been important for the architectural history of the complex and for explaining the castle&#8217;s functions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Experts were still taking stock of the damage and what could be done to preserve the remaining sections of the walls on Thursday.<\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76550269\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76550269_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"The 'Spectrum' rocket launching from the Andoya Space Center in Norway on March 30, 2025.\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">An earlier launch in 2025 (pictured here) also had its share of problems, when the rocket blew up after takeoff<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Isar Aerospace\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A German rocket launch planned from a Norwegian island on Wednesday night had to be abandoned when a local fisherman strayed into the safety exclusion zone offshore.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Olafur Einarsson told the <em>Kyst og Fjord<\/em>\u00a0(&#8220;Coast and Fjord&#8221;) local paper that he had veered into the exclusion zone near the Andoya Space Center and failed to leave before the launch at 9:21 p.m. local time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We had an attempted launch that was fundamentally running perfectly,&#8221; the chairman of Daniel Isar Aerospace, Daniel Metzler, told the DPA news agency. &#8220;Shortly before the launch an unauthorized boat moved into the safety zone, meaning that we had to stop the countdown.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Metzler said they only had a 15-minute window for a viable launch.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a great shame for us and our customers,&#8221; he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Einarsson told the local paper he had not intended to interfere.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We really wanted to be finished a little earlier, but we had problems with the current and a mix-up with the netting,&#8221; he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The launch was quite highly anticipated within the industry because the &#8220;Spectrum&#8221; rocket is designed to bring civilian and military satellites into near-Earth orbits. Europe is currently broadly reliant on companies on other continents to put satellites into orbit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In a sign of the importance attached to the project, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-merz-visits-spaceport-and-nato-drill-in-norway\/live-76346652\">German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store visited the Andoya launch site together earlier this month<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 German-made test rocket crashes after takeoff\" class=\"headline\">German-made test rocket crashes after takeoff<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-72091595\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"72091595\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/72090036_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:13\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je20250330_spectrum23g_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A German rocket launch planned from a Norwegian island on Wednesday night had to be abandoned when a local fisherman strayed into the safety exclusion zone offshore.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Olafur Einarsson told the <em>Kyst og Fjord<\/em>\u00a0(&#8220;Coast and Fjord&#8221;) local paper that he had veered into the exclusion zone near the Andoya Space Center and failed to leave before the launch at 9:21 p.m. local time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We had an attempted launch that was fundamentally running perfectly,&#8221; the chairman of Daniel Isar Aerospace, Daniel Metzler, told the DPA news agency. &#8220;Shortly before the launch an unauthorized boat moved into the safety zone, meaning that we had to stop the countdown.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Metzler said they only had a 15-minute window for a viable launch.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a great shame for us and our customers,&#8221; he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Einarsson told the local paper he had not intended to interfere.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We really wanted to be finished a little earlier, but we had problems with the current and a mix-up with the netting,&#8221; he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The launch was quite highly anticipated within the industry because the &#8220;Spectrum&#8221; rocket is designed to bring civilian and military satellites into near-Earth orbits. Europe is currently broadly reliant on companies on other continents to put satellites into orbit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In a sign of the importance attached to the project, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-merz-visits-spaceport-and-nato-drill-in-norway\/live-76346652\">German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store visited the Andoya launch site together earlier this month<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\">supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany\/t-17871182\">Germany<\/a>&#8216;s domestic arms industry must expand capacity to accelerate the country&#8217;s military rebuild in response to a growing threat posed by <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/russia\/t-19065060\">Russia<\/a>, according to the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/bundeswehr\/t-17430904\">Bundeswehr<\/a> Association, a lobby group for the German armed forces.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is not only the Eastern Europeans who are already speaking of a pre-war phase and rapidly strengthening their defense capabilities,&#8221; association chief Andre\u00a0W\u00fcstner told the <em>Rheinische Post<\/em> newspaper. &#8220;We must do the same now.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/nato\/t-19016346\">NATO<\/a> countries have previously estimated that Russia, which has already been waging a <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/russias-war-in-ukraine\/t-60931789\">full-scale war in Ukraine<\/a> for over four years, could be ready for a confrontation with Western European countries by 2029.<\/p>\n<p>But W\u00fcstner believes the political distraction and boost in oil revenues caused by the start of the\u00a0\u00a0<a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">US-Israeli war on Iran<\/a> three weeks ago could offer the Kremlin\u00a0a favorable opportunity to bring that date forward.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The danger already exists now \u2014\u00a0and it is growing every day,&#8221; he said, adding that the erratic behavior of US President <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-president-donald-trump-russia-ukraine-israel-gaza-tariffs-trade-war\/t-19434433\">Donald Trump<\/a>, combined with Europe&#8217;s military weakness, had created a &#8220;deterrence gap&#8221; that needed to be closed as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Strengthened by fresh revenues from oil sales and encouraged by the declining supply of air defense systems to <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/ukraine\/t-17295382\">Ukraine<\/a>, [Russian President Vladimir Putin] can further intensify his brutal attacks on infrastructure and the civilian population,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany\/t-17871182\">Germany<\/a>&#8216;s domestic arms industry must expand capacity to accelerate the country&#8217;s military rebuild in response to a growing threat posed by <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/russia\/t-19065060\">Russia<\/a>, according to the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/bundeswehr\/t-17430904\">Bundeswehr<\/a> Association, a lobby group for the German armed forces.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is not only the Eastern Europeans who are already speaking of a pre-war phase and rapidly strengthening their defense capabilities,&#8221; association chief Andre\u00a0W\u00fcstner told the <em>Rheinische Post<\/em> newspaper. &#8220;We must do the same now.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/nato\/t-19016346\">NATO<\/a> countries have previously estimated that Russia, which has already been waging a <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/russias-war-in-ukraine\/t-60931789\">full-scale war in Ukraine<\/a> for over four years, could be ready for a confrontation with Western European countries by 2029.<\/p>\n<p>But W\u00fcstner believes the political distraction and boost in oil revenues caused by the start of the\u00a0\u00a0<a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">US-Israeli war on Iran<\/a> three weeks ago could offer the Kremlin\u00a0a favorable opportunity to bring that date forward.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The danger already exists now \u2014\u00a0and it is growing every day,&#8221; he said, adding that the erratic behavior of US President <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-president-donald-trump-russia-ukraine-israel-gaza-tariffs-trade-war\/t-19434433\">Donald Trump<\/a>, combined with Europe&#8217;s military weakness, had created a &#8220;deterrence gap&#8221; that needed to be closed as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Strengthened by fresh revenues from oil sales and encouraged by the declining supply of air defense systems to <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/ukraine\/t-17295382\">Ukraine<\/a>, [Russian President Vladimir Putin] can further intensify his brutal attacks on infrastructure and the civilian population,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>German consumer confidence has fallen yet again as a <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/german-economy\/t-19112011\">weak economic recovery<\/a>, rising energy prices and <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-inflation-rises-21-at-start-of-2026\/a-76002335\">inflation<\/a> \u2014 all of which have been compounded by wars in Ukraine and now <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran\/t-18996175\">Iran<\/a> \u2014 collide.<\/p>\n<p>That fading consumer confidence mirrors the dim economic prospects given to Germany by analysts who put overall growth expectations at their <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-inflation-hits-30-year-high-at-73-growth-outlook-dims\/a-61301850\">lowest rate since March 2022<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Already suffering from disruptions brought on by Russian President Vladimir <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/russias-war-in-ukraine\/t-60931789\">Putin&#8217;s ongoing invasion of Ukraine<\/a>, economic experts say the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">US-Israeli war against Iran<\/a> could bring growth to a halt.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In February, \u200bwe were \u200cstill thinking about raising our 2026 forecast because the signals were becoming increasingly positive,&#8221; said Sebastian Dullien, director of Germany&#8217;s Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK). &#8220;The economic effects of the war are now \u200cat \u200bleast partly spoiling that and, in the worst case, could intensify the risk of deindustrialisation in Germany.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Consumer confidence as documented by a new forward-looking survey conducted by the GfK polling institute and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) tracked a decline of 3.2 points in March \u2014 dragging consumer confidence to -28 points overall heading into April.<\/p>\n<p>Pollsters say they saw little change in consumer saving and spending habits but noted respondents&#8217; concerns about rising inflation and weak economic performance overall.<\/p>\n<p>Among the many concerns Germans have for the economy, one of the biggest remains <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/how-oil-price-hikes-threaten-germanys-economy\/a-76330530\">price spikes resulting from ever-higher energy costs<\/a>. These have of course been compounded by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the best way to boost the economy would be &#8220;to end the war in Iran.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>German consumer confidence has fallen yet again as a <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/german-economy\/t-19112011\">weak economic recovery<\/a>, rising energy prices and <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-inflation-rises-21-at-start-of-2026\/a-76002335\">inflation<\/a> \u2014 all of which have been compounded by wars in Ukraine and now <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran\/t-18996175\">Iran<\/a> \u2014 collide.<\/p>\n<p>That fading consumer confidence mirrors the dim economic prospects given to Germany by analysts who put overall growth expectations at their <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-inflation-hits-30-year-high-at-73-growth-outlook-dims\/a-61301850\">lowest rate since March 2022<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Already suffering from disruptions brought on by Russian President Vladimir <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/russias-war-in-ukraine\/t-60931789\">Putin&#8217;s ongoing invasion of Ukraine<\/a>, economic experts say the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">US-Israeli war against Iran<\/a> could bring growth to a halt.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In February, \u200bwe were \u200cstill thinking about raising our 2026 forecast because the signals were becoming increasingly positive,&#8221; said Sebastian Dullien, director of Germany&#8217;s Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK). &#8220;The economic effects of the war are now \u200cat \u200bleast partly spoiling that and, in the worst case, could intensify the risk of deindustrialisation in Germany.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Consumer confidence as documented by a new forward-looking survey conducted by the GfK polling institute and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) tracked a decline of 3.2 points in March \u2014 dragging consumer confidence to -28 points overall heading into April.<\/p>\n<p>Pollsters say they saw little change in consumer saving and spending habits but noted respondents&#8217; concerns about rising inflation and weak economic performance overall.<\/p>\n<p>Among the many concerns Germans have for the economy, one of the biggest remains <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/how-oil-price-hikes-threaten-germanys-economy\/a-76330530\">price spikes resulting from ever-higher energy costs<\/a>. These have of course been compounded by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the best way to boost the economy would be &#8220;to end the war in Iran.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76544089\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76544089_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"A floating excavator digging at sea off the Timmendorfer Strand in northern Germany, as part of efforts to free a stranded humpback whale. March 26, 2026. \"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Excavators were deployed on land and at sea on Thursday in the latest bid to free the marine mammal<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Daniel Bockwoldt\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Rescuers are trying a new approach in their bid to free <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-race-against-time-for-stranded-humpback-whale\/live-76517488\">a humpback whale stranded on Germany&#8217;s Baltic Sea coast<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A large suction dredger is being used to remove sand from around the animal, which has been stuck in shallow waters at the Timmendorfer Strand beach since early on Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Two excavators, one of which is on a mobile floating platform and can operate at sea, were digging a trench in an attempt to free the 12-to-15-meter-long marine mammal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The aim is to dig a 50-meter long, 6-meter wide and 1.2-meter deep trench in a path ahead of the whale to ease its way out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76544061\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76544061_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Excavators on the Timmendorfer Strand beach and another one on a floating platform in the water on March 26, 2026, amid efforts to free a stranded humpback whale.\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">The heavy machinery was trying to approach the stranded whale gradually, hoping it would get used to the noise and the activity<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Daniel Bockwoldt\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mayor Sven Partheil-H\u00f6hnke said that the excavators were approaching the trapped creature slowly, in hopes that it would start to become acclimatized to the noise. He said that wind and currents would also pose a challenge for the operation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Before the rescue efforts began, marine biologist Robert Marc Lehmann waded out and approached the stranded animal to check on it. The diver&#8217;s assessment found the animal to be in relatively good condition, according to Stephanie Gross from the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW).\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76543935\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76543935_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Marine biologist Robert Marc Lehmann approaches a stranded humpback whale off the Timmendorfer Strand beach in diving gear to examine it. March 26, 2026. \"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Robert Marc Lehmann waded out to get a closer look at the animal, stranded for several days at this point<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Daniel Bockwoldt\/dpa\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even if the efforts to free the animal succeed, it will still need to find its way out of the Baltic Sea and back into North Sea and then the Atlantic Ocean, navigating a natural bottleneck of shallower waters.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It has to find the way out again, and it is not entirely certain that the humpback whales&#8217; navigation system is designed for that,&#8221; vet and whale expert Jan Herrmann told the DPA news agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Rescuers are trying a new approach in their bid to free <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-race-against-time-for-stranded-humpback-whale\/live-76517488\">a humpback whale stranded on Germany&#8217;s Baltic Sea coast<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A large suction dredger is being used to remove sand from around the animal, which has been stuck in shallow waters at the Timmendorfer Strand beach since early on Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Two excavators, one of which is on a mobile floating platform and can operate at sea, were digging a trench in an attempt to free the 12-to-15-meter-long marine mammal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The aim is to dig a 50-meter long, 6-meter wide and 1.2-meter deep trench in a path ahead of the whale to ease its way out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mayor Sven Partheil-H\u00f6hnke said that the excavators were approaching the trapped creature slowly, in hopes that it would start to become acclimatized to the noise. He said that wind and currents would also pose a challenge for the operation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Before the rescue efforts began, marine biologist Robert Marc Lehmann waded out and approached the stranded animal to check on it. The diver&#8217;s assessment found the animal to be in relatively good condition, according to Stephanie Gross from the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even if the efforts to free the animal succeed, it will still need to find its way out of the Baltic Sea and back into North Sea and then the Atlantic Ocean, navigating a natural bottleneck of shallower waters.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It has to find the way out again, and it is not entirely certain that the humpback whales&#8217; navigation system is designed for that,&#8221; vet and whale expert Jan Herrmann told the DPA news agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>Germany&#8217;s top civil and criminal court has ruled that advertisements for medical marijuana as a form of treatment are not permitted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The court found that such adverts would constitute a breach of a ban on advertising any form of medication that requires a prescription directly to patients.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The presiding judge at the Federal Court of Justice\u00a0(the\u00a0<em>Bundesgerichtshof <\/em>or BGH) said that it did not matter whether the advert in question mentioned a specific product or producer and that any advertisement of prescription medication was not permitted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Bloomwell Group company\u00a0based in Frankfurt had taken the challenge to the highest court, arguing that it did not perceive its advert as the specific endorsement of a given product, but rather as a bid to raise public awareness about a type of potential treatment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A German competition watchdog, the <em>Wettbewerbszentrale<\/em>, had challenged the proposal as a breach of the prescription advertisement rules, and it welcomed Thursday&#8217;s decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The rules on prescriptions serve a protective purpose,&#8221; the group said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bloomwell CEO Niklas Kouparanis meanwhile said he believed the decision infringed on consumers&#8217; rights to information, given the limitations on what can be published pertaining to medicinal marijuana. Nevertheless he welcomed the clarity the decision provided.<\/p>\n<p>Medical professionals in Germany have been allowed to prescribe medicinal marijuana\u00a0in some cases since 2017. This is separate to <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germanys-budding-cannabis-industry-set-to-flourish\/a-69374389\">the partial legalization of cannabis for recreational use instituted in recent years<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Germany's first year of legalized cannabis: Has it worked?\" class=\"headline\">Germany&#8217;s first year of legalized cannabis: Has it worked?<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-72138544\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"72138544\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/68641128_605.webp\" data-duration=\"03:01\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je2025DopeInsFinal_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Germany&#8217;s top civil and criminal court has ruled that advertisements for medical marijuana as a form of treatment are not permitted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The court found that such adverts would constitute a breach of a ban on advertising any form of medication that requires a prescription directly to patients.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The presiding judge at the Federal Court of Justice\u00a0(the\u00a0<em>Bundesgerichtshof <\/em>or BGH) said that it did not matter whether the advert in question mentioned a specific product or producer and that any advertisement of prescription medication was not permitted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Bloomwell Group company\u00a0based in Frankfurt had taken the challenge to the highest court, arguing that it did not perceive its advert as the specific endorsement of a given product, but rather as a bid to raise public awareness about a type of potential treatment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A German competition watchdog, the <em>Wettbewerbszentrale<\/em>, had challenged the proposal as a breach of the prescription advertisement rules, and it welcomed Thursday&#8217;s decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The rules on prescriptions serve a protective purpose,&#8221; the group said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bloomwell CEO Niklas Kouparanis meanwhile said he believed the decision infringed on consumers&#8217; rights to information, given the limitations on what can be published pertaining to medicinal marijuana. Nevertheless he welcomed the clarity the decision provided.<\/p>\n<p>Medical professionals in Germany have been allowed to prescribe medicinal marijuana\u00a0in some cases since 2017. This is separate to <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germanys-budding-cannabis-industry-set-to-flourish\/a-69374389\">the partial legalization of cannabis for recreational use instituted in recent years<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\">supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>Interior Ministry data released on Thursday after an inquiry from a lawmaker shows that just 35% of asylum applications by <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran\/t-18996175\">Iranian<\/a> nationals processed by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in January and February of this year were successful.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This data excludes applications that were rejected for procedural reasons, such as responsibility for the asylum claim lying with another EU member state.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The period in question pre-dates <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">the US-Israeli attacks on Iran launched on February 28<\/a>, with March&#8217;s data still incomplete, but nevertheless coincided\u00a0with <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/2026-iran-protests\/t-75407674\">a major\u00a0crackdown on public protests by the regime in Tehran<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Clara B\u00fcnger, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/left-party\/t-17439669\">Left Party<\/a> politician who filed the information request, told the DPA news agency that the figures were evidence that the BAMF was too strict in its decisions on Iranian applications.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Even 61% of female asylum seekers from Iran are rejected, despite the misogynistic regime and systematically discriminatory laws,&#8221; B\u00fcnger said. &#8220;Solidarity with the people of Iran looks different.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She called on Interior Minister <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/alexander-dobrindt\/t-72493833\">Alexander Dobrindt<\/a> to recalibrate the decision-making process where Iranian applications were concerned.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The ministry&#8217;s figures also showed a relatively high success rate for Iranians appealing their asylum verdicts. In 2025, more than one in three rejected asylum seekers successfully appealed the verdict.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 The hopes and fears of Iranians in Germany \" class=\"headline\">The hopes and fears of Iranians in Germany <\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-76307874\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"76307874\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76309206_605.webp\" data-duration=\"10:08\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/vps\/webvideos\/ENG\/2026\/DWVG\/DWVGENG260311_ExilesInsNew_01SMW_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Interior Ministry data released on Thursday after an inquiry from a lawmaker shows that just 35% of asylum applications by <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran\/t-18996175\">Iranian<\/a> nationals processed by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in January and February of this year were successful.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This data excludes applications that were rejected for procedural reasons, such as responsibility for the asylum claim lying with another EU member state.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The period in question pre-dates <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/us-israel-war-with-iran\/t-76168615\">the US-Israeli attacks on Iran launched on February 28<\/a>, with March&#8217;s data still incomplete, but nevertheless coincided\u00a0with <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/2026-iran-protests\/t-75407674\">a major\u00a0crackdown on public protests by the regime in Tehran<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Clara B\u00fcnger, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/left-party\/t-17439669\">Left Party<\/a> politician who filed the information request, told the DPA news agency that the figures were evidence that the BAMF was too strict in its decisions on Iranian applications.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Even 61% of female asylum seekers from Iran are rejected, despite the misogynistic regime and systematically discriminatory laws,&#8221; B\u00fcnger said. &#8220;Solidarity with the people of Iran looks different.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She called on Interior Minister <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/alexander-dobrindt\/t-72493833\">Alexander Dobrindt<\/a> to recalibrate the decision-making process where Iranian applications were concerned.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The ministry&#8217;s figures also showed a relatively high success rate for Iranians appealing their asylum verdicts. In 2025, more than one in three rejected asylum seekers successfully appealed the verdict.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\">supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76539796\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76539796_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"A fuel filling station price board in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia, pictured early on March 26, 2026.\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Fuel prices have risen by 30 to 40 cents per liter, more for diesel than for petroleum, in the past month<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Rene Traut\/Rene Traut Fotografie\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The lower house of parliament, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/bundestag-germanys-lower-house-of-parliament\/t-19153330\">Bundestag<\/a>, has approved a hurried bill aiming to <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-fuel-prices-spike-amid-iran-conflict\/a-76212495\">prevent filling stations from price gouging<\/a> amid the unstable oil prices during the war in Iran and the wider Gulf.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The law will in future limit gas or petrol station operators to just one price increase per day. There will be no limit on how often they can reduce the price.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The package still requires approval from the upper house, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/bundesrat\/t-38207746\">Bundesrat<\/a>, with a vote expected on Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Critics warn that the measure does nothing to limit how much filling stations can charge, or to peg their changes to developments in oil prices,\u00a0it only prevents them from repeatedly changing prices throughout the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The law is an attempt to respond to what the Federal Cartel Agency described as the &#8220;rocket and feather&#8221; phenomenon, whereby gas stations respond to rising oil prices like a rocket taking off, but react to falling prices more like a feather floating back down to the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Businesses found in breach could face fines of up to \u20ac100,000 (roughly $115,000) based on the current draft law.<\/p>\n<p>According to the ADAC motorists&#8217; club on Thursday, the average cost of a liter of diesel nationwide had cleared \u20ac2.28, while the cheapest variant of petroleum or gasoline stood at \u20ac2.07 per liter. That equates to roughly $8.60 for a US gallon of diesel, or $7.83 for gasoline.<\/p>\n<p>A month ago, prior to the attacks on Iran, both prices were lower than \u20ac1.80 per liter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Smuggling, hoarding, no cars: World reacts to war fuel shock\" class=\"headline\">Smuggling, hoarding, no cars: World reacts to war fuel shock<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-76493927\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"76493927\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76445549_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:03\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/dwtv_video\/flv\/je\/je20260323_FUEL16A_,AVC_480x270,AVC_512x288,AVC_640x360,AVC_960x540,AVC_1280x720,AVC_1920x1080,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The lower house of parliament, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/bundestag-germanys-lower-house-of-parliament\/t-19153330\">Bundestag<\/a>, has approved a hurried bill aiming to <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-fuel-prices-spike-amid-iran-conflict\/a-76212495\">prevent filling stations from price gouging<\/a> amid the unstable oil prices during the war in Iran and the wider Gulf.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The law will in future limit gas or petrol station operators to just one price increase per day. There will be no limit on how often they can reduce the price.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The package still requires approval from the upper house, the <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/bundesrat\/t-38207746\">Bundesrat<\/a>, with a vote expected on Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Critics warn that the measure does nothing to limit how much filling stations can charge, or to peg their changes to developments in oil prices,\u00a0it only prevents them from repeatedly changing prices throughout the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The law is an attempt to respond to what the Federal Cartel Agency described as the &#8220;rocket and feather&#8221; phenomenon, whereby gas stations respond to rising oil prices like a rocket taking off, but react to falling prices more like a feather floating back down to the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Businesses found in breach could face fines of up to \u20ac100,000 (roughly $115,000) based on the current draft law.<\/p>\n<p>According to the ADAC motorists&#8217; club on Thursday, the average cost of a liter of diesel nationwide had cleared \u20ac2.28, while the cheapest variant of petroleum or gasoline stood at \u20ac2.07 per liter. That equates to roughly $8.60 for a US gallon of diesel, or $7.83 for gasoline.<\/p>\n<p>A month ago, prior to the attacks on Iran, both prices were lower than \u20ac1.80 per liter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\">supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>Germany&#8217;s <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/basf\/t-17449651\">BASF<\/a>, the world&#8217;s largest chemical producer, on Thursday opened a brand new \u20ac8.7 billion ($10 billion) production complex in Zhanjiang, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/china\/t-18480887\">China<\/a>, in what is the company&#8217;s biggest ever investment.<\/p>\n<p>The move is controversial on two fronts.<\/p>\n<p>First, it comes as the company outsources German jobs to India and China. Secondly, it <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/china-puts-pressure-on-german-car-chemicals-engineering-industry\/a-71919309\">raises concerns about supporting China&#8217;s Communist Party<\/a> at a time when <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-china-relations\/t-66159650\">Berlin urges companies to &#8220;de-risk.&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>At home, BASF has enacted rigorous cost-cutting measures, resulting in firings in Ludwigshafen, where the company is headquartered, as well as its Berlin offices. BASF has long contended that expanding in China, the world&#8217;s biggest chemical market, is necessary for its future profitability.<\/p>\n<p>The new facility in southern Guandong province brings together numerous chemical producing units and covers an area of roughly four square kilometers (1.5 square miles).<\/p>\n<p>Speaking with Germany&#8217;s financial daily <em>Handelsblatt <\/em>this week, BASF CEO Markus Kamieth said, &#8220;China remains the market offering the greatest growth for our industry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The strong focus on new industries, renewables, and the green transition is a huge opportunity for an innovative chemical company like BASF.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Germany&#8217;s chemicals industry has struggled to remain competitive alongside China, with BASF citing high energy and labor costs as well as regulatory burdens as the big reasons for this.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the move is controversial in that BASF&#8217;s investment comes at a time when Berlin has urged companies to &#8220;de-risk&#8221; through diversification.<\/p>\n<p>Thus far, German companies \u2014\u00a0<a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/volkswagen-to-exit-chinas-xinjiang-sell-factory\/a-70899762\">such as VW, for instance<\/a> \u2014 have tended to choose potential short-term profit opportunity in China over concern about Chinese business practices and the Communist-led economy.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond far more lax environmental rules, labor laws in China help big companies&#8217; bottom lines as well.<\/p>\n<p>The situation is not without risk however.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Last year BASF bailed out of two joint ventures in Xinjiang region after its local partner was accused of engaging in rights abuses against local <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/uyghur-community\/t-62994165\">Uyghurs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>BASF says more than 2,000 people are employed at the Zhanjiang site.<\/p>\n<p>They will produce a range of chemicals for sectors ranging from transport to consumer goods and electronics, with most products manufactured at the site intended for the Chinese market.<\/p>\n<p>Zhanjiang is BASF&#8217;s third-biggest complex worldwide, after Ludwigshafen and Antwerp, Belgium.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Germany&#8217;s <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/basf\/t-17449651\">BASF<\/a>, the world&#8217;s largest chemical producer, on Thursday opened a brand new \u20ac8.7 billion ($10 billion) production complex in Zhanjiang, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/china\/t-18480887\">China<\/a>, in what is the company&#8217;s biggest ever investment.<\/p>\n<p>The move is controversial on two fronts.<\/p>\n<p>First, it comes as the company outsources German jobs to India and China. Secondly, it <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/china-puts-pressure-on-german-car-chemicals-engineering-industry\/a-71919309\">raises concerns about supporting China&#8217;s Communist Party<\/a> at a time when <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-china-relations\/t-66159650\">Berlin urges companies to &#8220;de-risk.&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>At home, BASF has enacted rigorous cost-cutting measures, resulting in firings in Ludwigshafen, where the company is headquartered, as well as its Berlin offices. BASF has long contended that expanding in China, the world&#8217;s biggest chemical market, is necessary for its future profitability.<\/p>\n<p>The new facility in southern Guandong province brings together numerous chemical producing units and covers an area of roughly four square kilometers (1.5 square miles).<\/p>\n<p>Speaking with Germany&#8217;s financial daily <em>Handelsblatt <\/em>this week, BASF CEO Markus Kamieth said, &#8220;China remains the market offering the greatest growth for our industry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The strong focus on new industries, renewables, and the green transition is a huge opportunity for an innovative chemical company like BASF.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Germany&#8217;s chemicals industry has struggled to remain competitive alongside China, with BASF citing high energy and labor costs as well as regulatory burdens as the big reasons for this.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the move is controversial in that BASF&#8217;s investment comes at a time when Berlin has urged companies to &#8220;de-risk&#8221; through diversification.<\/p>\n<p>Thus far, German companies \u2014\u00a0<a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/volkswagen-to-exit-chinas-xinjiang-sell-factory\/a-70899762\">such as VW, for instance<\/a> \u2014 have tended to choose potential short-term profit opportunity in China over concern about Chinese business practices and the Communist-led economy.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond far more lax environmental rules, labor laws in China help big companies&#8217; bottom lines as well.<\/p>\n<p>The situation is not without risk however.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Last year BASF bailed out of two joint ventures in Xinjiang region after its local partner was accused of engaging in rights abuses against local <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/uyghur-community\/t-62994165\">Uyghurs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>BASF says more than 2,000 people are employed at the Zhanjiang site.<\/p>\n<p>They will produce a range of chemicals for sectors ranging from transport to consumer goods and electronics, with most products manufactured at the site intended for the Chinese market.<\/p>\n<p>Zhanjiang is BASF&#8217;s third-biggest complex worldwide, after Ludwigshafen and Antwerp, Belgium.<\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>Boris Pistorius said during a visit to Australia on Thursday that Germany was ready to help broker a ceasefire in the Iran war.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This war\u00a0is a catastrophe for the world&#8217;s economies. The effects are already clear after just a little more than two weeks,&#8221; Pisotirus said in Canberra alongside his fellow Defense Minister Richard Marles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Pistorius said\u00a0that a diplomatic solution was needed &#8220;as quickly as possible.&#8221; He said this message was directed primarily at Iran but also at the US, and reiterated that Germany was only ready to help bring the fighting to an end, not join in.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We were not consulted beforehand. It is not our war, and, therefore, we don&#8217;t want to get sucked into this war, to make this crystal clear,&#8221; he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For all the latest on Pistorius&#8217; comments and developments in Iran and the Gulf, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran-war-trump-says-hes-unsure-about-a-deal-with-tehran\/live-76535412\">you can check on our live updates here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Boris Pistorius said during a visit to Australia on Thursday that Germany was ready to help broker a ceasefire in the Iran war.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This war\u00a0is a catastrophe for the world&#8217;s economies. The effects are already clear after just a little more than two weeks,&#8221; Pisotirus said in Canberra alongside his fellow Defense Minister Richard Marles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Pistorius said\u00a0that a diplomatic solution was needed &#8220;as quickly as possible.&#8221; He said this message was directed primarily at Iran but also at the US, and reiterated that Germany was only ready to help bring the fighting to an end, not join in.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We were not consulted beforehand. It is not our war, and, therefore, we don&#8217;t want to get sucked into this war, to make this crystal clear,&#8221; he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For all the latest on Pistorius&#8217; comments and developments in Iran and the Gulf, <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/iran-war-trump-says-hes-unsure-about-a-deal-with-tehran\/live-76535412\">you can check on our live updates here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"post-rich-text c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p><em>Guten Tag<\/em> from the DW Newsroom in Bonn. Before we get running with today&#8217;s blog, here, an overview of topics covered yesterday:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>German business confidence dropped in March as a result of the Iran war<\/li>\n<li>Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the &#8216;best way to combat high prices is to end the war in Iran&#8217;<\/li>\n<li>A Berlin court jailed four\u00a0members of the Islamist terror group Hamas who were operating and planning possible attacks in Europe<\/li>\n<li>Along with food and gas prices, German housing prices also rose again in 2025<\/li>\n<li>In Berlin, Greenpeace staged a climate protest to criticize fossil fuel dependence over green alternatives<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Stay tuned to DW for the latest news on Thursday, March 26, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Guten Tag<\/em> from the DW Newsroom in Bonn. Before we get running with today&#8217;s blog, here, an overview of topics covered yesterday:<\/p>\n<p>Stay tuned to DW for the latest news on Thursday, March 26, 2026<\/p>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-news-bundestag-approves-fuel-station-price-brake-amid-iran-war-and-rising-oil-costs\/live-76539515&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76539796_6.jpg&#8221;] https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5B9QJ Diesel and petrol or gasoline prices have risen markedly in the past month amid the war in Iran and the wider Gulf regionImage: Rene Traut\/Rene Traut Fotografie\/picture alliance Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know The lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, has approved a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,74],"class_list":["post-1848899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dw-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1848899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1848899"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1848899\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1848899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1848899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1848899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}