Germany

• Various new measures and support schemes are coming into force throughout August 2026 across Luxembourg, Belgium, France, and Germany. • Key updates focus on critical sectors including artificial intelligence, energy regulations, labor laws, and the commencement of the new school year. • The changes are significant as they impact regional governance and public services within the Greater Region, coinciding with local events like the Schueberfouer.

• Amazon will shut down its "Prime" free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel in Germany and Austria on August 1, just 15 months after its launch. • Simultaneously, the company is expanding its Prime Video Channels service to include third-party add-on subscriptions in Denmark, Norway, and Switzerland. • This strategic shift allows customers in the new markets to access a broader portfolio of series and movies alongside Amazon's own Originals and Exclusives.

• Germany's top court is currently deliberating whether the national parliament requires a legislative "speed limit" to regulate the pace of lawmaking. • Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock concluded a two-day visit to Nigeria on Wednesday, aiming to strengthen trade ties and business opportunities across Africa. • This diplomatic push comes as Germany seeks to counter geopolitical influence from Russia and China while navigating a more isolationist U.S. foreign policy.

Irish politicians concerned about Daniel Tatlow-Devally’s treatment in jail want Micheál Martin to send observers to Ulm 5 trialA cross-party delegation of Irish politicians has urged Dublin to send observers to a high-security trial of pro-Palestinian activists in Germany and to raise concerns about the Irish defendant’s detention when the German chancellor visits next week.Mairéad Farrell of Sinn Féin, a member of the seven-member delegation, said she and her colleagues had attended the hearing in Stuttgart on Wednesday of the so-called Ulm 5 activists, who are facing charges over an attack on an Israeli arms company. Continue reading...

• German coalition leaders are calling on Deutsche Bahn to use its own staff to enforce the railway's alcohol ban rather than relying on external authorities. • Alexander Thro, domestic policy spokesman for the Union, stated to Die Welt that the company must take full responsibility for the security measures it implements. • Other reports from Wednesday, July 22nd, highlight a rise in child sexual abuse cases reported by federal police and a continuing decline in national beer consumption.

• A cross-party delegation of seven Irish politicians, including People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett, attended a high-profile court hearing in Stuttgart, Germany. • The politicians are supporting an Irish activist and others known as the “Ulm5,” who are currently on trial in the German legal system. • Richard Boyd Barrett condemned the proceedings as a “show trial,” alleging that the court process is being staged to make an example of political activists.

George Foster tells royal commission Australia’s democratic institutions fundamentally different ‘but I can’t ignore certain disturbing parallels in the social atmosphere’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA rise in antisemitism across Australia has “disturbing parallels” with the social climate of Nazi Germany, the president of the Australian Holocaust survivors association says.George Foster, the president of Australian Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants, told the antisemitism royal commission that he did not believe Australia was “becoming another Germany in the 1930s”. Continue reading...

• Germany finished last (eighth place) in the Men’s Rugby European Championship, trailing behind nations including Georgia, Portugal, and the Netherlands. • The article features a reader-led discussion exploring the systemic reasons why Germany has failed to develop a major rugby culture compared to its European neighbors. • This lack of growth is highlighted by Germany's poor standing in the top tier of European rugby below the prestigious Six Nations tournament.

• Alice Weidel, co-chair of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, called for a complete cessation of all German support for Ukraine during a speech in the Bundestag. • Weidel specifically demanded that Berlin stop providing financial funding and arms supplies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. • The proposal reflects a broader push by the AfD to review Germany's foreign policy and block Ukraine's potential accession to both the European Union and NATO.

Jens Spahn had criticised ‘rented wombs’ and his party is strongly opposed to surrogacy, which is banned in GermanyA senior German politician and key ally of chancellor Friedrich Merz has resigned as chair of the Christian Democrat (CDU) party after he and his husband used a surrogate mother to become parents, a practice he has criticised in the past and his party is vehemently opposed to.Surrogacy is banned in Germany, a policy Jens Spahn refused to relax when he was health minister in 2020, so he and his husband, Daniel Funke, used a surrogate mother in the US. Continue reading...

• Munich-based startup Microagi has raised $55 million in a seed funding round, marking the largest seed round ever recorded in Germany. • The company intends to use the capital to scale the deployment of humanoid robots by integrating its proprietary software with Chinese hardware and training data from New York. • This cross-border collaboration highlights the continued global integration of physical AI development despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and calls for tech decoupling.

Agreement combines Uber Eats with food delivery brands in 99 countries and expands taxi service reachBusiness live – latest updatesUber has reached an agreement to take over the German takeaway company Delivery Hero in a $14.8bn (£11bn, or €12.9bn) deal that would create a global food delivery giant.The US tech firm said it had offered to pay €41.50 a share to Delivery Hero’s shareholders, valuing the business at $14.8bn. Uber will pay $13.7bn after accounting for its previous purchases of a quarter of Delivery Hero’s shares, most recently in May. Continue reading...

New state department scheme will provide grants to ‘address sovereignty, migration, censorship and lawfare’Friedrich Merz has warned Donald Trump’s administration against interfering in German elections after the US state department announced a scheme to fund Maga-aligned causes in Europe.The German chancellor was responding to a new US initiative offering grants of up to $3m (£2.2m) for European charities, thinktanks and individuals. Continue reading...

Aid worker flown to Berlin as Trump administration bars Americans from traveling to US on commercial flightsA US national who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has arrived in Germany for treatment, the health ministry in Berlin said on Monday, weeks after another American infected with Ebola in the DRC was treated in Berlin.Meanwhile, the Trump administration on Monday said it was blocking American citizens in ⁠the DRC from traveling to the US on commercial flights, Reuters reported, citing a White House official. Continue reading...

Authorities confirm worst toll in more than 20 years as new extreme temperatures force early closure of Eiffel TowerNearly 100 people, the largest proportion of whom were young men, died by drowning in Germany last month, authorities have said, as extreme temperatures in western Europe that have been blamed for hundreds of excess deaths geared up again.In Germany’s worst death toll from drowning for more than two decades, 99 people died in June, according to official figures, after temperatures rose as high as 41.7C (107.1F) in some areas. Continue reading...

Measures would make it easier for victims to seek compensation, with companies such as Bolt and Lime held responsible for damageVictims hit by rental e-scooters on German streets will have an easier time gaining compensation from their operators under legislation due to pass parliament that would put the vehicles on a similar legal footing to cars.The draft law by the right-left coalition government, which has been welcomed by consumer rights advocates, says that given the rapid rise in the use of e-scooters in recent years coupled with high accident rates, rental operators such as Lime and Bolt should be held liable. Continue reading...

Demonstrations at 18 sites set up as radical transformation plan put to board of Europe’s biggest carmakerVolkswagen’s proposal to slash up to 100,000 jobs and close factories faces a major test on Thursday as formal proposals are put to the supervisory board at Europe’s biggest carmaker, with protests planned at all plants in Germany.IG Metall, the influential staff union, has organised demonstrations involving shop stewards and union council members at 18 sites, including the company’s headquarters. It warned the chief executive, Oliver Blume, that he cannot “pass the buck for failures of recent years on to the workforce”. Continue reading...

• The European Union has delayed the launch of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) until 2027. • This postponement affects several Schengen nations, including France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, and Portugal, following technical failures with the Entry/Exit System (EES). • The decision stems from biometric system chaos and slow implementation that have already caused significant disruptions for millions of international visitors at airports and land crossings.

• The German Cabinet has approved a draft budget for 2027 that prioritizes increased military spending while reducing funding for other sectors. • Finance Minister Klingbeil noted that "tough decisions" were necessary as national debt continues to grow rapidly. • Germany has emerged as the world's largest donor for international development financing following the withdrawal of the United States.

• Germany has launched the Agentic AI Hub, a new initiative designed to integrate advanced AI agents into public administration. • The program begins with 20 pilot projects focusing on critical government functions, including social benefits processing, transcription, and process modelling. • This effort aims to modernize the state's digital infrastructure by addressing legal, regulatory, and sociocultural barriers to AI adoption.

• The European Parliament has initiated a formal procedure to ban the "Europe of Sovereign Nations," the EU-level party associated with Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). • If the process is successful, the group will be stripped of its official status as a European political party, resulting in the immediate loss of EU funding. • The move reflects growing tensions within the EU as officials seek to curb the influence of far-right movements, though some MEPs from other right-wing groups have opposed the decision.

• British Airways has expanded its customer engagement strategy by securing a significant presence within London’s developing Olympia entertainment district. • The initiative moves beyond traditional sponsorship, aiming to integrate the airline into the cultural and entertainment lives of passengers year-round. • This move aligns the UK carrier with global trends seen in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Australia, where airlines use entertainment partnerships to drive premium loyalty.

• The 2026 Women's Under-19 EURO semi-finals are scheduled for Tuesday, featuring matchups between defending champions Spain and Sweden in Zenica, and Germany against Austria in Sarajevo. • Sweden enters the semi-finals after a strong group stage performance, including a 1-0 win over Poland and a 5-0 victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina, though they suffered a 0-2 loss to Germany. • This marks the first time Sweden has qualified for the tournament in consecutive years since their last title win in 2015, with Filippa Andersson Widén leading as the finals' top scorer.

• The CDU/CSU-SPD coalition has agreed to a comprehensive package of tax, labor, and pension reforms following seven hours of intensive negotiations. • Led by Friedrich Merz, the reforms include significant tax cuts, a pension system overhaul, and updated regulations regarding sick leave. • These measures are designed to revitalize Germany's struggling economy and strategically counter the political rise of far-right parties.

Suspect is said to be a woman who tried to pass off as a man during attack apparently targeting Ukrainian-born oligarchThe main suspect in ⁠a ⁠bomb attack in ​Monaco ⁠this week is a woman ⁠who ​has ‌been spotted ‌in Germany, a ‌judicial source in Monaco told Reuters on Friday.Three ‌people were wounded on ​Monday evening in a parcel ⁠bomb explosion in the ​wealthy ​principality, which ​was ​believed ‌to ​be an attack ​on a Ukrainian-born oligarch. Continue reading...

• Jürgen Klopp has emerged as the overwhelming favorite to replace Julian Nagelsmann as the head coach of the German national team. • A final decision regarding Nagelsmann's tenure is expected by the beginning of next week, according to reports from AFP subsidiary SID and Sky. • This leadership transition occurs during day 22 of the 2026 World Cup, following England's successful effort to set up a last-16 match against Mexico.

• The European Parliament is initiating a procedure to potentially ban the far-right "Europe of Sovereign Nations" party, which is linked to Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD). • Most political groups within the Parliament are expected to approve the process, which would strip the organization of its official status as a European political party. • This move is significant because losing official status would result in the immediate loss of critical EU funding for the group.

• Germany's domestic intelligence agency reports that nearly 60,000 far-right extremists are currently active in the country. • This figure represents an increase of over 8,000 individuals compared to the previous year, with more than 25% believed to be violent. • The agency's annual report also warns that extreme left-wing violence is rising, describing the trend as an "alarm-call" for the nation's rule of law.