Author: DW

The Verdi services trade union has sharply criticized the government’s reform package, viewing the planned requirement for workers to provide a doctor’s certificate from the first day of illness as an expression of a culture of mistrust. “Mistrust toward employees and the expansion of the madness of fixed-term employment contracts do not create growth,” said Frank Werneke, head of Verdi, which is Germany’s second-largest trade union. IG Metall, Germany’s largest trade union, was more mixed in its response than Verdi, describing the package as a “mixed bag of light and shadow.” Christiane Benner, the union’s chair, welcomed planned tax relief for…

The United States on Wednesday decided not to renew the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), in its current form, US trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement “The United States will continue to engage with Mexico and Canada to address the agreement’s shortcomings and our trade deficits with these countries,” Greer said. Although it wasn’t extended by the Wednesday deadline, the deal remains in force for another 10 years and will now be reviewed annually, which sets up the possibility of protracted and complicated negotiations over everything from tariffs to trade rules governing specific sectors. The on-again, off-again negotiations are likely to…

Hamburg introduced Kathleen Krüger as the football club’s new board member in charge of sport at a press conference at their home ground, the Volksparkstadion, on Wednesday.  Krüger, who officially took up the post on July 1st, said that following Hamburg’s survival in the Bundesliga after their first season in the top flight in seven years, the focus would now be on “further establishing ourselves in the first division. But we are bold, ambitious, and passionate. We don’t want to merely maintain the status quo; we want to develop.”  The press conference came several weeks after her appointment was announced in mid-May. “By…

Canada will take part in the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Bulgaria in 2027, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and CBC/Radio-Canada confirmed on Wednesday. The announcement on the country’s national Canada Day comes one week after CBC/Radio-Canada became the newest member of the EBU, making it eligible to compete in the popular pop event. “On this Canada Day, as we celebrate with Canadians across the country and around the world the richness and diversity of Canadian culture, we’re so excited to confirm that we’re bringing the world’s largest live music event to Canadians,” said Marie-Philippe Bouchard, President and…

Digital, or cryptocurrencies, were supposed to revolutionize the way we pay for goods and services. Yet in 2026, when you walk into a store or buy something online, you still reach for cash or your card. Bitcoin’s volatility and complexity have kept it from becoming everyday money. That is where the European Central Bank (ECB) steps in with plans for a stable digital currency. For consumers, the digital euro promises a simple way to make secure payments — in shops, online or peer‑to‑peer — backed directly by Europe’s central bank. Yet the push for a digital euro isn’t just a digital upgrade. It’s increasingly become…

Despite everything that US government bodies have faced under the Trump administration, from budget cuts to blocked websites, NASA’s still good for innovation.   Not only is it aiming to rescue a two-decade-old space-based telescope with an emergency mission designed and developed in about a year, but it will also launch that mission from the belly of an airplane.  Packed into a Pegasus XL rocket — the world’s only airborne-launched rocket — a robotic spacecraft called LINK is supposed to boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory back into its orbit.   The Swift Observatory is a “unique telescope that has…

What happened? For the third straight World Cup, Germany have not made it to the round of 16. They lost 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, after the game finished 1-1 following extra time. Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah missed penalties in the shootout, and even Manuel Neuer’s heroics weren’t enough to save Germany this time. “Yes, it seems so for sure,” Havertz said after the loss, when asked if Germany had become a second-tier team. It was Germany’s first ever loss on penalties at a World Cup. Germany had won…

Angela Merkel officially completed her 16-year tenure as chancellor of Germany on December 8, 2021. But she waited several years after leaving office before commissioning an artist to paint a portrait of her for the official gallery of former German leaders. Merkel presented the painting on Tuesday evening. The portrait shows her in front of a golden background, gazing off into the distance in one of her signature blazers, this one a vibrant blue.  Before being added to the Federal Chancellery gallery, where all former postwar German heads of government are immortalized, Merkel’s new portrait will be displayed at the…

Can a non-European simply buy their way into the Schengen Area? Or even pay to become a citizen of an EU country?  That’s exactly what so-called golden visas are for — and Portugal is one of the countries that offers them. Anyone who invests at least €250,000 ($285,000) can first obtain a residence permit and, later, if they choose, even apply for a Portuguese passport. The catch is that the government has recently changed the rules, and many people who have been waiting years for the residence permits they were promised are now planning to take legal action. Golden visas…

Another World Cup, another moment of unwanted history for Germany. Even though this Germany team got out of the group, unlike in Qatar and Russia, the disappointment of this exit in the USA, Canada and Mexico sits just as deep. For the first time in their history, Germany lost a World Cup game on penalties. For the second time in a week, Germany played the game their opponents wanted rather than taking control themselves. And, for the third straight World Cup, Germany failed to meet expectations. “Only thing I can say is I’m sorry. To disappoint again is not a…