The winter season in Germany can be notoriously brutal for foreigners and locals alike. We'd like to hear your tips for making the most of the colder months. Sometimes people who live in Germany joke that it's a great place to live for about six months of the year. But during the other six months? Cold weather, darkness and suffering.
Factory orders in long-struggling Germany unexpectedly posted a sharp jump in November, boosted by higher demand for defence equipment as Europe rushes to rearm, official data showed Thursday. New orders increased 5.6 percent month-on-month, according to preliminary figures from statistics agency Destatis, the third straight monthly increase. Analysts surveyed by the financial data firm FactSet had expected a decline of 1.3 percent. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted Germany and other European countries to start re-arming, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowing to unleash hundreds of billions of euros on defence.
The share of renewables in German power production almost stagnated in 2025, data showed Monday, as concerns grow about a shift away from green policies under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The figure had increased strongly in previous years as Europe's biggest economy aims to reach a goal of green power accounting for 80 percent of its energy mix by 2030.
The number of Indians working in MINT professions mathematics, IT, natural sciences, and technology including engineering has risen by nearly ninefold since 2012 to more than 32,800, the study found. About one-third of full-time Indian workers aged 25 to 44 are employed in MINT occupations. The trend has also been fueled by a sharp rise in Indian students in Germany.
17% - According to the Opta Predictor, reigning UEFA European Championship winners Spain are the favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2026 (17%) - they could become the first nation to hold both simultaneously for a second time (2008, 2010, 2012 previously). Elect. #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/tjCZKsEuj8 - OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 5, 2025
The deportation just before Christmas capped months of talks with Syria's government, which mirrored similar efforts by Berlin to strike a deportation deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Human rights groups have criticised efforts to send immigrants back to either country, citing continued instability and evidence of rights abuses. But Germany's conservative-led government has made the resumption of deportations to Syria a diplomatic priority since former president Bashar al-Assad fled the country just over a year ago.
If Germany could choose a well-trained teacher from abroad, it would probably be someone like Inge Pizarro Krause. With her eight years of study and two years of classroom experience in Vina del Mar, the 33-year-old from Chile is highly qualified and is now preparing to tackle Germany's desperate teacher shortage. Pizarro Krause has been studying German, didactics and pedagogy under the special program since August. And she has already had a taste of teaching at a vocational school.
The European Commission on Tuesday proposed changes to regulations banning new internal combustion engines starting in 2035, after pressure from governments and ailing automakers. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has led arguments against the ban, citing weak demand for electric vehicles in Europe and the dominance of Chinese automakers in the EV sector. Merz said the U-turn in Brussels came after a "clear signal" from Berlin.
From the glitzy slopes of St. Moritz to Chamonix's dramatic views of Mont Blanc, Europe has no shortage of experiences on the top of every self-respecting skiers' to-ski list. But while these legendary resorts command the spotlight, there are plenty of off-the-radar options offering uncrowded slopes, cross-border lift tickets, and charming après scenes to those willing to take the less-trodden path.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, United States envoys and European leaders are set to hold high-level talks in Germany as diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine increase. After five hours of talks on Sunday, Zelenskyy will again meet US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, with other European leaders also holding meetings in the German capital throughout the day.
Housing is a basic existential need and affects everything from a person's career chances to physical and mental health. At the same time, finding a suitable place to live can be hard in Germany and even harder for people who are not white Germans. That's according to a new study by the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM). It is the first comprehensive analysis of how racialized people people from ethnic and racial minorities are discriminated against in the housing market.
The German government has accused Russia of carrying out repeated hostile actions against Germany, including acts of sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. A spokesperson for the German Foreign Office said Friday that the Russian ambassador has been summoned to Berlin over allegations of repeated hybrid attacks on Germany. The move followed what officials described as mounting evidence of coordinated Russian activity aimed at undermining Germany's internal stability. The spokesperson said there were also indications of Russian attempts to influence elections.
Many people in Germany have had little or no access to medical care, according to a report released by the aid group Doctors of the World. Christian Stegmuller, who heads the organization's domestic programs, said Germany was failing to guarantee the right to medical care for everyone living in the country, pointing to a rising number of uninsured people and gaps in care for those with health insurance debt.
Germany's BKA federal investigative police force published its data on migrant crime statistics for 2024. It said that of 1.967 million known criminal suspects in 2024, 172,203 were temporary migrants like asylum seekers, people granted asylum or other temporary rights to reside, or people in the country illegally. That equates to 8.8% of the total, an almost identical share to the 8.9% recorded in 2023.
Three men go on trial in Germany on Tuesday, accused of tailing a former Ukrainian soldier on behalf of Russian intelligence services for a possible assassination plot. The alleged ringleader, an Armenian partially identified as Vardges I., recruited another Ukrainian, Robert A., and a Russian, Arman S., prosecutors charge. The trio allegedly tried to lure the former Ukrainian soldier to a Frankfurt café last year, but the alleged target became suspicious and contacted police.
Following the World Cup draw at the Kennedy Centre in D.C., Germany's opponents were revealed to be the Caribbean island nation Curaçao, the African powerhouse Côte D'Ivoire and South America's Ecuador. Having placed in what can be considered a fairly easy draw, Germany must begin their preparations at the soonest. By June, the DFB must not just finalize a squad but find reliable options to give their best at the World Cup.
Germany's opponents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be Ecuador, Ivory Coast, and Curaçao. Germany have only played Ecuador once, in the 2006 World Cup that they hosted. The hosts won 3-0 in Berlin, with Bayern alumni Miroslav Klose (twice) and Lukas Podolski scoring the goals. As for Ivory Coast, Germany have also only faced them once, a 2-2 friendly draw in 2009.
"The state is giving up revenue, but passengers will not see any of the tax reduction," Wissel predicted in an interview with DW. Although airlines would save around 15 ($17.5) per ticket potentially up to 50 in certain fare classes dynamic pricing systems mean those savings are unlikely to show up on customers' bills, he said.
Germany has officially inaugurated the initial components of its advanced Arrow 3 missile defence system, acquired from Israel. The strategic move aims to bolster the nation's aerial protection following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This sophisticated system, engineered to intercept long-range ballistic missiles, saw its first operational elements unveiled on Wednesday at the Schonewalde base, south of Berlin. Further installations are planned across the country.
Germany, the record eight-time winners of the Euros, beat off competition from Poland and a joint Sweden-Denmark bid, and will host the tournament for the third time, just five years after doing so for the men's Euros. It is a measure of compensation for Germany, who missed out on hosting the 2027 women's World Cup when FIFA picked Brazil instead. In its bid, Germany had vowed to help women's football realise it's "enormous potential".
Imagine you do karate for fun, but are being trained by a 10-time European champion and it only costs you around 20 ($23) a month. Sound unlikely? In Germany, it is possible. At the Dojo Ochi karate club in the western city of Bonn, Melissa Rathmann volunteers as part of an eight-person team of coaches. In addition to her 10 European Championship titles, the 33-year-old has won numerous German championships and was twice runner-up in the World Championships.
Germany now have an indication of who they might play at next year's FIFA World Cup. FIFA have confirmed the official draw pots ahead of next week's draw on December 5th. Luckily for Germany, their last November window's string of wins was enough to put Germany up to 9th in the FIFA World Rankings, which was just enough to seal the last spot in Pot 1.
This is according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on the 100 most important arms manufacturers worldwide. Their revenues from the sale of weapons and military services amounted to $679 billion (582 billion) last year. This represents an inflation-adjusted increase of 5.9% compared to 2023. Even then, increasing geopolitical tensions and, above all, the war in Ukraine had led to increased demand for arms. In 2024, this trend accelerated even further.
Homelessness in Germany has reached alarming levels, with over half a million people lacking permanent accommodation as of early 2025. The crisis affects men and women of all ages, with families and young people increasingly at risk. As winter intensifies the dangers faced by those without shelter, we look at how residents in Germany can support some of the social welfare organisations working to alleviate homelessness.
While many countries are seeing a slowdown in international academic mobility, Germany is bucking the trend - attracting record numbers of foreign students and researchers year after year. Germany's reputation as an open and welcoming destination for international students continues to grow, even as global trends point towards increased renationalisation and reduced cross-border movement. The latest figures from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) confirm that student bodies at German universities are more international than ever before.
When I was growing up, the most German sentence imaginable was: We've lost two world wars and we're proud of it. We were so anti-military, we even gave our policemen green uniforms, to make them look more like foresters than soldiers. Now, the chancellor, Friedrich Merz, wants our army to become the strongest in Europe. I mean, what could go wrong?
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.
If we play like we did [against Slovakia], we are a very, very good team. If the guys who are currently injured also come back, then I believe we will have a very good World Cup. The first step has been taken. The next steps will then follow at the World Cup. I believe that if we play a World Cup like the European Championship last time, with a little more luck, with a little more performance from us, then I believe that we can really achieve something at the World Cup.
