Who throttled Starlink for Ukraine’s drones?
Since 14 October, Starshield for Ukrainian drones has been capped at 160 km/h. Musk points to Washington, Washington to a glitch, Reuters to the White House.
Day 16. October 2026
Cheaper-building law Gebäudetyp E is stuck in government
In July the draft was declared finished; now ministries talk of “very different views”. What the delay means for builders and renters in Germany.
Russian drone strikes cut power to 370,000 in western Ukraine
After new Russian drone attacks, 370,000 people in western Ukraine are without power. According to the governor, Volyn region on the border with Poland is mainly affected.
Zusatzbeitrag 2027: average stays at 2.9 per cent
The official forecast keeps the average supplementary health contribution unchanged for 2027, but what you actually pay still depends on your own fund’s rate.
Bamf defends deportation threat against three-month-old baby
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is standing by its deportation threat against a three-month-old girl. The Wiesbaden Administrative Court had temporarily suspended the notice and sharply criticised the approach.
Bundestag passes early-start pension for children
The Bundestag on Friday approved state-subsidised retirement provision from childhood. Children born from 2020 onwards receive ten euros a month, invested on the capital market.
EU summit: sanctions stay, Kyiv’s money postponed
Backing for Zelensky but no funding decision: what the EU summit settled on sanctions, frozen Russian assets and the 2027 gap – and what it left open.
Russia builds drone launch base near Ukraine in six weeks
Satellite images show a new facility for jet-powered attack drones in the Rostov region, only 3.5 kilometres from Millerovo military airfield. More than 100 drones could launch from there every day.
Drone attack on energy grid: power cuts in Kyiv and eight regions
After a massive Russian drone attack on energy facilities, grid operator Ukrenerho reported new power cuts in Kyiv and eight regions on Friday morning. In some areas, emergency plans for industry apply until the end of the day.
Ukraine plans drone offensive on Moscow airports
According to The Atlantic, Operation M&Ms with AI-guided drones is to directly attack Russian airports. So far Kyiv has only blocked the airspace without bombarding the airports themselves.
669 attacks on Zaporizhzhia region in one day
Russian forces attacked the Zaporizhzhia region 669 times in one day, reports the co-chair of the regional defence council, Ivan Fedorov. There are 78 reports of damage.
Bundestag approves digital wallet from 2027
The Bundestag on Thursday passed the legal basis for the digital wallet "d-you". It is due to launch on 2 January 2027 – older people will then no longer have to renew their identity cards.
Bundestag to vote on state-funded ‘early start’ pension
The Bundestag will decide on Friday on the introduction of a state-subsidised early start pension for children from the age of six. Ten euros per month per child are to go into a retirement savings account.