News from Germany on politics, society, regions and everyday issues relevant to readers in Germany and across Europe.
The planned increase in the Bafög housing allowance for students living away from their parents has been postponed by six months. Union and SPD education policy experts announced that the rise from 380 to 440 euros will now take effect in the summer semester of 2027.
Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner did not make any phone calls on the morning of January 3, when thousands of households were without power, contrary to his earlier statements, the Senate Chancellery has confirmed.
Athletes of the Munich-based KARS club, Illia Hladiichuk and Filipp Slabchenko, who have joined the German national kickboxing team, paid an official visit to the Bavarian Landtag and met with the Vice President of the Parliament, Markus Rinderspacher, and member of the sports committee, Christiane Feichtmeier, MdL.
In the first five months of the year, 1,630 railway employees and 4,672 federal police officers were threatened or attacked, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior in response to a query by Left Party MP Dietmar Bartsch.
Bavaria has become the first German state to send five of its own small satellites into orbit. Markus Söder (CSU) called it a historic step for the Free State, as Bavarian Broadcasting reports.
This weekend, interested visitors can explore 25 rooftop gardens and terraces in Munich. Not only spectacular views await, but also some unexpected installations.
The regions of Fürstenfeldbruck and Munich-West are the first in the greater Munich area to be selected for a Bavarian funding project aimed at strengthening organic farming.
Nine German states start their summer holidays this weekend, which could lead to traffic jams on the highways. According to ADAC, roadworks and heat damage are expected to cause disruptions, especially on major travel routes.
Karin Angerer, the current president of the Bamberg Higher Regional Court, will take over as head of the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) on September 1, the Bavarian Justice Ministry announced.
Schleswig-Holstein is restructuring its hospital landscape. The state plans six healthcare regions, but patients will still be free to choose their clinic.
After Verena Bentele stepped down as chairwoman of VdK Bavaria, an eight-member committee now leads the largest state association of the social welfare organization, as reported by Abendzeitung München.
On the first day of the partial closure of the Tunnel on Munich's Mittlerer Ring, traffic jammed on alternative routes. The CSU called it a 'total catastrophe.'
The city of Offenbach declared a water emergency over the weekend. According to the FAZ, historically high drinking water consumption pushed the capacities of regional supplier Hessenwasser to their limits.
The emergency shelter at Frankfurt's Eschenheimer Tor subway station was evacuated on Monday after the transport company VGF terminated the lease. The city is now scrambling to find accommodation for 150 homeless people with help from disaster relief services.
Munich has not set up a central fan zone for the ongoing FIFA World Cup. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung reports, several locations are offering public viewing instead.
The Central Office for Combating Money Laundering and Asset Recovery (ZGV) at the Munich Public Prosecutor General's Office seized 9.5 million euros last year, including 57 kilograms of gold, as reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Northern Germany saw historic heat records on Saturday, with temperatures reaching up to 40.2 degrees Celsius, according to the German Weather Service (DWD). A severe weather warning for thunderstorms, heavy rain, and hail is now in effect.
Northern Germany is experiencing extreme heat. The German Weather Service (DWD) warns of temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius on Saturday and Sunday.
The Bavarian state government has sharply criticized the Federal Network Agency's allocation practice for wind power projects. Markus Söder and Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger see a disadvantage for Bavaria.
The Hochtaunus Transport Association (VHT) will expand bus services in the district starting in December. According to the FAZ, new buses will be purchased and timetables adjusted to better connect rural areas.
At the Heinz-Brandt School in Berlin-Weißensee, two students are accused of creating and distributing AI-generated nude images of female classmates. School authorities have been notified, and police are investigating.
Investigators have searched a former subsidiary of the Russian energy giant Gazprom. Germany's Federal Public Prosecutor General's Office announced that there is a suspicion of sabotage – the gas supply in Germany could be at risk.
A radio malfunction brought train traffic across Germany to a halt on Tuesday evening. According to Deutsche Bahn, the disruption was resolved after about two hours, and services resumed on Wednesday morning.
After a nationwide failure of the train radio system, Brandenburg's Transport Minister Robert Crumbach (SPD) has demanded a thorough investigation from Deutsche Bahn. He sees trust in the railway at risk.
A power outage in downtown Kiel brought parts of the Kiel Week festivities to a halt on Tuesday evening.
The entire German rail network collapsed late Tuesday evening. At the center of the disruption is a failure of the digital mobile radio system GSM-R.
The German government's Eastern Commissioner, Elisabeth Kaiser (SPD), has warned of old-age poverty in eastern Germany if the pension level is lowered from 2031. According to Zeit, Kaiser called for maintaining the statutory pension as a central basis of livelihood for many eastern Germans.
The city of Frankfurt has approved a record budget for social housing this year.
After a life-threatening attack on a 23-year-old in Göttingen, hundreds of people protested against right-wing violence again on Monday. Police said around 700 participants attended the rally.
Over the weekend, men sexually harassed children in swimming pools in several German cities. Police reported incidents in Munich, Frankfurt and Neu-Ulm.
Britain is experiencing an intense heatwave. Weather models predict extreme temperatures for some regions, as The Mirror reports.
Hamburg's finance senator Andreas Dressel (SPD) anticipates job cuts in the city's public service ahead of budget deliberations. The reason is slower-growing tax revenues and rising costs, as reported by NDR.
The Bavarian Administrative Court in Munich dismissed the lawsuit filed by the initiators of a citizen initiative aimed at halting the land-use planning for the conversion of the Pullach chemical plant. This marks the third legal defeat for the project's opponents.
The German Weather Service (DWD) has issued official heat warnings for large parts of Germany, valid from Saturday 11 a.m. to Sunday 9 p.m. Temperatures are expected to range between 32 and 39 degrees Celsius until Wednesday, with isolated record values above 40 degrees possible. At the same time, severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail, and hurricane-force gusts are forecast, especially in the eastern regions.
Federal Construction Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD) announced that one-third of current housing benefit households would lose their eligibility, affecting those just above the income threshold.
Hesse's Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) is calling for a correction of the cannabis law. The black market continues to thrive, and the law has failed, reports the FAZ.
Deutsche Bahn has completely closed the line between Hamburg and Hanover from today. Passengers must expect diversions and replacement buses, as reported by the German Press Agency.
Bundeswehr is testing a laser weapon for drone defense at the Wehrtechnische Dienststelle 91 in Meppen. According to NDR, the technology could be deployed by the army, navy, and air force as early as 2028.
Brandenburg wants to be able to appoint excellent scientists more quickly in the future. The state parliament passed an amendment to the Higher Education Act on Wednesday, which goes back to a request from the Hasso Plattner Foundation.
The Frankfurt District Court has declared the rent brake in Hesse inapplicable because the underlying tenant protection regulation is based on outdated data. According to FAZ, the decision affects the entire federal state.