In 2019, shortly after finishing her master's at Nanjing University in China, Xinyi Zhao opened an e-mail to learn that she had been offered a PhD position at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany. "When I told my parents, they asked me to double-check whether the offer was real, as they weren't familiar with the institute." But Zhao knew of its glowing scientific reputation.
A majority of people in Germany don't think Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition government will last until the next election in 2029. According to a survey published by Bild newspaper and conducted by INSA, 54% of respondents said they thought the coalition government, comprised of Merz's conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), would collapse before the end of its legislative term. Of those polled, 29% said they believed the coalition government would last, while 11% of respondents provided no answer.
"That means that 15 women are affected by intimate partner violence every hour in Germany," said Family Minister Karin Prien. Suspects in domestic violence last year were 75.6 percent male and 24.4 percent female, according to the BKA. Prien noted that the official statistics do not include unreported cases, which may dwarf the official figures. Ongoing research involving victims has shown that as few as five percent of all incidents of intimate partner violence are reported to authorities, according to the BKA.
Anyone visiting farmer Henning Voigt's operation near Germany's Baltic Sea coast stands a good chance of getting their feet wet. About 25 years ago, his father began rewetting a once-drained peatland. "We've been an organic farm since 1996 and currently manage 350 hectares (864 acres) of grassland. Most of it is very wet," Voigt says. Speaking with DW, Voigt explains that the hay they harvest from these wet fields is burned in a power plant to produce district heating.
Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil is the first major figure from the current coalition government to visit China after previous plans were cancelled. The trip comes amid trade tensions with the US and concerns over Germany's industrial sector. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is continuing his tour of the Balkans, visiting possible future EU members. He is set to hold talks in Montenegro, Albania and Serbia on Monday. Follow along for the latest stories from Germany on Monday, November 17:
Global employment specialist Agility EOR is urging international companies to take a fresh look at Germany, as forecasts point to 1.3% GDP growth next year, underpinned by €500 billion in government infrastructure investment and more than €630 billion in private-sector funding. The scale of this combined spending - over €1 trillion - is set to inject new momentum into sectors ranging from technology and manufacturing to energy and digital infrastructure.
Bundestag President Julia Klockner has restarted debate on Germany's prostitution laws, which are seen as relatively lax. Klockner and federal Health Minister Nina Warken both said that Germany has a reputation for being the "brothel of Europe," something they both want to change. Both the buying and selling of sex are legal in Germany in regulated brothels. Both women have suggested Germany instead follow the "Nordic model",
Commander of the brigade, Brig. Gen. Christoph Huber, told Business Insider that "this brigade has top priority in Germany" and will see the most modern German military equipment. Huber said that it was "crucial" for the brigade to have heavy armor. "This brigade at the core is a heavy armored commitment." That means bringing the "most modern German main battle tank."
Germany plans to begin a scheme to slash energy costs for power-hungry manufacturers in January, the economy minister said Monday, part of efforts to revive Europe's struggling industrial powerhouse. Sectors like chemicals and steel production have long been complaining that high electricity prices in Germany are adding to their burdens. The conservative-led government, which took power in May, has promised to bring them down as it seeks to turn around Europe's biggest economy following two years of recession.
Women remain markedly underrepresented in executive positions across Germany, with only 29.1% of leadership roles held by women in 2024, according to figures published by the Federal Statistical Office. About 1.32 million men and 540,000 women occupied management positions in 2024, leaving Germany well below the EU average of 35.2% leadership roles filled by women. Sweden led the bloc with 44.4% female representation, followed by Latvia (43.4%) and Poland (41.8%).
The decision to turn off nuclear reactors before closing coal plants has sullied the country's climate credentials among clean energy advocates. The diligent recycling culture has lost its shine, as separate waste bins have sprung up across Europe and public faith in recycling has taken a hit. Even Germany's once-punctual trains and expertly engineered vehicles have become cause for embarrassment.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he is is optimistic about the future of the Middle East peace plan following a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar on Saturday. Wadephul is in Israel at the end of a Middle East tour which also saw him stop in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Bahrain. The German foreign minister expressed growing confidence in the peace process "to such an extent" that he believed Berlin could revise its travel advice to Israel.
Spain finish the job against Sweden, ahead of big test in final There were positive signs on and off the pitch as new Spain coach Sonia Bermúdez oversaw an impressive 5-0 aggregate win against Sweden in her first games in charge. The damage was done in the first leg, when Spain produced an outstanding performance in Malaga. Alexia Putellas and Clàudia Pina both helped themselves to braces as the Bermúdez era kicked off in style with a four-goal victory.
In recent years, more and more professionals have decided to work remotely online. Working online allows us to work from anywhere and enjoy a more flexible lifestyle. Many countries have started offering digital nomad visas to keep up with this trend and entice more visitors. A digital nomad visa permits a digital nomad to work remotely in a foreign country.
High street drugstore chain DM expects to launch an online pharmacy in the coming weeks, according to a report by business publication Handelsblatt. Rossmann and supermarket giant Lidl are reportedly preparing to follow suit, with plans to offer non-prescription (over-the-counter, OTC) medicines via their websites. To comply with German law, which restricts pharmacy operations to licensed pharmacists, the companies plan to ship medicines from neighbouring countries DM from the Czech Republic and Rossmann from the Netherlands.
Earlier this week, the 2025 Happiness Atlas found that people in Germany are once again more satisfied with their lives than they were in the past few years. The mood has noticeably brightened since the coronavirus pandemic begun. One in two people now describe themselves as very satisfied. Satisfaction has grown more markedly in eastern Germany than in western states. People in Hamburg are the happiest.
Germany plans to pay some 11,000 local employees at US military bases in the country who might not receive salaries in October because of the government shutdown in Washington, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday. "The [German] federal government will initiate an unscheduled expenditure to ensure that October salaries are paid on time," a ministry spokeswoman said. A ministry spokeswoman told AFP news agency on Wednesday that it was still unclear whether the US government would send through the money
"The federal government will initiate an unscheduled expenditure to ensure that October salaries are paid on time," the ministry spokeswoman said. "Repayment will then be made after payment by the US side."
The joint Dutch-German venture, which received the green light from regional authorities last month, seeks to extract 13bn cubic metres of gas from just outside a protected area at the marine border between the two countries. Campaigners have criticised the project because it will mean drill for gas more than four years after the International Energy Agency warned that new oil and gas development was incompatible with its roadmap to stop the planet heating by 1.5C (2.7F).
Germany will develop a 'comprehensive action plan' to counter what it sees as low-level hybrid warfare waged by Russia, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday. The newly formed National Security Council would "in the coming days" hold its inaugural meeting to work on the plan, Merz told parliament. Referencing mysterious drone flights that have caused chaos at European airports, Merz charged that Russian President Vladimir Putin was subjecting Europe to "hybrid attacks".
Although the World Cup is still a little while away, the German Football Association (DFB) is busy with pre-tournament preparations. According to Bild (via @iMiaSanMia), the final friendly opponents ahead of the World Cup have been finalized. The last opponent before the tournament will be none other than one of the co-hosts, the United States of America. The dress rehearsal will be held in early June.
Germans who continue in the labour market beyond retirement age will be able to earn up to 1,750 (2,000) a month tax-free on top of their pension under a scheme aimed at boosting economic growth and labour force participation rates. The Aktivrente, or active pension scheme, due to come into force in January, was promised on the campaign trail by the chancellor, Friedrich Merz, before he came into office five months ago.
