News from Germany on politics, society, regions and everyday issues relevant to readers in Germany and across Europe.
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.
A judge ordered the measure after the defendant allegedly rioted and threatened staff in pre-trial detention.
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Court has declared the rent brake in Hesse inapplicable because the underlying tenant protection regulation is based on outdated data.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.
The underground U5 line in Munich's west is now passable for over a kilometer. Mayor Dominik Krause celebrated the breakthrough under Gotthardstraße.
After a police officer was shot in Göttingen, the suspected perpetrator has turned himself in. According to FAZ, the 16-year-old appeared at a police station with his lawyer on Tuesday evening.
A beer truck lost its load on the Altstadtring in Munich, causing a long traffic jam. According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the crates slid off the loading area onto the road in a curve, leaving puddles of beer and broken glass.
Just days before construction begins on the renovation of Leibstraße in Haar, 48 property owners and businesspeople have handed a protest letter to Mayor Andreas Bukowski (CSU), as reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
The Turkish Community in Germany (TGD) has called on federal and state interior ministers to take threats against people with a migration background more seriously. According to the Tagesspiegel, the group accuses authorities of neglecting security risks for migrants and their descendants.
Google has fixed 22 security vulnerabilities in the first version of Android 17. According to Heise, several of them were rated as "high" severity and could have allowed attackers to remotely execute malicious code.
Frankfurt's mayor Mike Josef (SPD) has announced a 'train station district summit' to address conditions in the area, inviting the state of Hesse to a special meeting to redefine regional drug policy guidelines, as reported by FAZ.
On the anniversary of the East German uprising on June 17, 1953, Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer honored the courage of the insurgents. At the same time, the decisive phase for a new memorial in Berlin begins.
The Arabellahaus in Munich will not be demolished after all. Instead, a comprehensive renovation with a spectacular extension is planned, as Bayerischer Rundfunk reports.
Months before the Oktoberfest, a legal dispute over the allocation of the festival tents is causing uncertainty. As reported by the München, the construction of the famous Schottenhamel tent and the Paulaner festival hall could be at risk.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) considers the Bürgergeld standard rate too high and calls for significantly more savings. He told the magazine "Focus."
Munich's municipal utilities (SWM) have launched their largest housing project to date, aiming to create over 200 company apartments for employees in the Laim district by the end of 2028. Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that the company has not yet disclosed how it will ensure the apartments remain affordable.
Prosecutors have charged the 17-year-old adopted daughter of Iris Stalzer, the SPD mayor of Herdecke. Stalzer was found with life-threatening injuries in her home on October 7.
Bavaria has adopted a state-level action plan to strengthen the rights of LGBTQ* people, just in time for Pride Month in June. The cabinet approved the program developed by the Ministry of Social Affairs, as reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
The number of social housing units in Germany fell again last year, according to government data reported by Deutschlandfunk.
Mayor Dominik Krause (Greens) hosted the reception for Munich's City Foundation Festival on Monday evening in the town hall's Prunkhof. According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, diplomats, honorary citizens, and representatives from culture, social affairs, and sports were in attendance.
Germany's national railway operator has launched a program to improve safety and cleanliness at train stations by deploying mobile repair teams, reports Der Tagesspiegel.
A 250-kilogram World War II bomb was defused in Potsdam on Tuesday. According to Tagesschau, around 6,500 people were affected by evacuations, and the main train station was closed.
Construction of Munich's second S-Bahn trunk line is progressing. According to the Munich, the tunnel boring machine still needs a name.
Schleswig-Holstein is set to become the first German state to ban PFAS-containing pesticides in water protection areas. Minister Tobias Goldschmidt (Greens) has initiated a corresponding regulation, as reported by NDR.
A kiosk operator in Munich sold cocaine and marijuana to customers who knew the code word 'Special Pizza.' The 36-year-old was sentenced to probation by the Munich district court, as reported by FAZ.
Youth officers of the German armed forces can now be invited as guests into Brandenburg classrooms to discuss security policy – but only at the invitation of the schools. This is regulated by a new cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Education and the Bundeswehr, as reported by Tagesspiegel.
The new driverless Skyline train at Frankfurt Airport is back in operation after technical disruptions, but is running slower and less frequently than planned, according to the FAZ.
Illegal firearms from the Czech Republic and Turkey are reaching Berlin, and shootings are on the rise. The Senate is planning a Bundesrat initiative to classify illegal gun possession as a crime.
In Bavaria's smallest municipality, located on the Chiemsee islands, the incumbent mayor failed to secure the necessary majority in March despite being the only candidate. Now, a new sole candidate has won the re-run election: Georg Klampfleuthner, as reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
A wind turbine in Bönen, North Rhine-Westphalia, caught fire on Sunday afternoon. Firefighters cannot extinguish the blaze due to the height, and the Hamm–Dortmund railway line has been closed.
The Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) is appealing to young people to donate blood regularly ahead of World Blood Donor Day. The pool of regular donors is shrinking because many first-time donors do not return.
Schleswig-Holstein is celebrating the second national Veterans Day in Husum on Thursday, moved forward because of Kiel Week, according to NDR.
After a bomb threat in Konstanz on the border with Switzerland, police found a suspicious object during searches. Parts of a 24-hour flea market and the train station were cordoned off.
In Hallbergmoos, two citizen initiatives could decide the fate of the planned drone factory on the Senderwiese. The citizen initiative 'No Drone Factory on the Senderwiese' has submitted 869 signatures for its own referendum, as reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
The heads of government of six eastern German states complain about inadequate rail connections to Poland and the Czech Republic. The Federal Ministry of Transport rejects the criticism, as reported by Tagesspiegel.
The Justice Ministers' Conference plans to tighten the Self-Determination Law following cases of abuse, as reported by Deutschlandfunk.
Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister Gordon Schnieder (CDU) has expressed concern about the future of pharmaceutical research in Germany. According to Deutschlandfunk, he sees the industry endangered by the planned healthcare reform.
Germany's Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger has used artificial intelligence to help write speeches and articles, sparking a debate about transparency. His ministry confirmed the use of AI as a working tool.
After around ten and a half months, Deutsche Bahn has finished the renovation of the line between Berlin and Hamburg. SPD and CDU are now demanding more transparency in future renovations.
The opening of Stuttgart 21 has been postponed to no earlier than 2031. Mayor Frank Nopper (CDU) demands full transparency from Deutsche Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla and calls the delay a 'fiasco.' For passengers and residents, the setback means more years of construction chaos.
The A7 motorway in Hamburg is fully closed from Friday evening until Monday morning, affecting the Elbtunnel and the Köhlbrandbrücke, as reported by NDR.