- 15h ago
47% of over-50s in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern want early retirement, DAK health report finds across northern Germany
A DAK-Gesundheit study of five federal states finds 42% to 53% of employees over 50 plan to leave work before the statutory retirement age, with poor health sharply increasing the likelihood.
- 15h ago
Germany to join French nuclear exercise for first time as Merz and Macron deepen defence and tech ties
At a Franco-German ministerial council in Brühl, Chancellor Merz announced the Bundeswehr will take part in a French nuclear exercise this year, a first. The two leaders also pledged closer cooperation on AI, space and fusion energy, while acknowledging strains in the bilateral relationship.
- yesterday
CHE survey: 27.9% of German students live with parents, but regional gaps are wide
A nationwide CHE survey of over 87,000 students finds 27.9% still live with their parents, while private flats and shared apartments are nearly as common. Regional differences are stark, from Saarland's 42.8% at home to Saxony's preference for solo renting.
- 2d ago
German EV registrations hit 24.8% in first half of 2026, led by Rhineland-Palatinate at nearly 30%
Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 24.8% of new car registrations in Germany in the first half of 2026, up from 19.1% for all of 2025, according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). Rhineland-Palatinate led all states at nearly 30%, while Hamburg trailed at 16%.
- 3d ago
Hamburg rail artery closes for six weeks from Friday as three bridges are replaced
The Verbindungsbahn between Hauptbahnhof and Altona will close from 18 July until 30 August, severing the city's central rail corridor during the summer holidays. S-Bahn lines S2, S5 and S7 will be replaced by buses on part of the route, and long-distance trains will start or terminate at Harburg, Pinneberg or Bergedorf instead.
- 3d ago
Berlin electrician charged with 22 rapes after drugging and filming 58 women via dating apps
A 68-year-old electrician in Berlin has been formally charged with 22 counts of aggravated rape and grievous bodily harm after investigators discovered video recordings of unconscious women, with prosecutors identifying 58 potential victims over a six-year period.
- 3d ago
Tennis ball-sized hail pummels northern Germany, causing millions in damage and closing Hannover airport
Hailstones as large as tennis balls struck Niedersachsen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on Monday evening, smashing car windows, piercing roofs and triggering over 1,600 fire brigade deployments. Hannover airport suspended operations for an hour.
- 4d ago
German care home costs hit €3,364 a month as Berlin readies reform that may push bills even higher
The average monthly out-of-pocket payment for a care home place in Germany reached €3,364 on 1 July, up €256 year-on-year, while Health Minister Nina Warken prepares a reform package that could stretch relief timelines and raise contributions for childless workers.
- 4d ago
HSV signs French playmaker Martin Adeline from ESTAC Troyes on long-term deal
The 22-year-old French youth international arrives from Ligue 1 side ESTAC Troyes for a reported fee of 4–6 million euros, bolstering a Hamburg squad that lost several key creators this summer.
- 5d ago
15-year-old found dead in Hamburg apartment; mother arrested, homicide unit investigating
Police discovered the body of a 15-year-old girl in her mother's apartment in Hamburg-Bramfeld early Sunday after she was reported missing Saturday evening.
- 5d ago
Paris–Berlin night train arrives in Hamburg for the first time as European Sleeper extends its cross-border route
The overnight rail link between the French and German capitals added its first and only German intermediate stop in Hamburg on Sunday morning, strengthening cross-border sleeper connections through Belgium.
- 5d ago
Hamburg U1 subway section closes for three months from July 13 as 110-year-old bridge replaced
Replacement buses will serve the affected segment while the Hamburger Hochbahn renews Ohlsdorf station and installs a new bridge over Alsterdorfer Straße. The 23 million euro project also allows U5 construction work at Sengelmannstraße.
- 5d ago
Oswald Mathias Ungers at 100: Cologne exhibition reveals the architect behind the 'Quadrat-Tyrann' moniker
On what would have been his 100th birthday, Oswald Mathias Ungers is celebrated with a major exhibition at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln. The show, curated by his daughter and a former assistant, traces his influence on German architecture and beyond.
- Jul 11
Lower Saxony vows 5,600 new teacher posts, job guarantee for Haupt- and Realschule teachers
Education Minister Julia Willie Hamburg said the state will create 5,600 additional teacher positions this legislative period, with a job guarantee for graduates targeting the most understaffed school types. Teaching supply has already risen from 96.3% to 97.2%, she told DIE WELT and N-tv.
- Jul 11
Deutsche Bahn halts regional lines, diverts ICEs as Fulda junction upgrade adds 60 minutes to journeys
Regional trains cancelled, long-distance ICEs on 60-minute detours, and multiple stations skipped as the Fulda junction upgrade collides with other major works.
- Jul 10
Police rescue injured greylag goose from railway tracks near Hamburg's Dammtor station
Federal police responding to a report of people on the tracks near Hamburg's Dammtor station instead found a severely injured greylag goose early Wednesday morning.
- Jul 9
German couple sentenced to prison for years-long cemetery bronze thefts
A Berlin court handed down multi-year prison terms to a couple from Demmin who stole bronze artworks from cemeteries and parks over several years, with a third man receiving a suspended sentence for handling the stolen goods.
- Jul 9
Volkswagen CEO reveals up to 100,000 job cuts and four plant closures as costs run 20% above rivals
Oliver Blume confirms a second wave of layoffs may be needed, adding to 50,000 positions already agreed, in a leaked internal interview that puts four German plants at risk.
- Jul 9
Germany delays Bafög housing allowance increase by six months
The planned increase of the Bafög housing allowance for students not living with parents will now take effect in summer 2027, not winter 2026/27, as coalition partners agree to postpone amid budget pressures.
- Jul 9
Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht faces retrial in Austria after court overturns diversion over unpaid hotel bill
An Austrian appeals court has ordered a retrial for actor Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht, ruling that a previous settlement over a nearly €14,000 hotel bill did not reflect sufficient acceptance of responsibility.
