Germany

Director Ilker Catak, German with Turkish origins, won the Golden Bear in Berlin's film festival for his "Yellow Letters", a drama set in Turkey about creeping authoritarianism, in an event overshadowed by a row over politics in cinema

Germany defied Schengen spirit with the extension of random checks at the border with Belgium, that will continue until September 2026 if latest decisions aren't revised

Siemens Energy is planning to invest $1 billion (€850 million) in the US energy production sector amid a surge in electricity demand driven by AI data centers; It will also build a new factory in Mississippi and recruit over 1500 highly skilled workers

A record 1,4 million affordable apartments are currently lacking in Germany, according to latest study by the Pestel Institute; to correct this deficit by 2030, 400.000 units are needed to be built per year while 200.000 are likely to be built annually

Regional rail traffic was heavily disrupted in northern Germany and long-distance rail services fully suspended due to severe weather; services resumed about 24 hours later after trains were repositioned to their operating locations

Local wine industry is facing its worst crisis in decades with -41% of domestic market share, even as growers say 2025 vintage is a harvest of exceptional quality: bulk wine prices are far below production costs and vineyards could be lost as a result

Churches are being decommissioned and repurposed as the number of church members in Germany is falling rapidly; in Berlin growing Orthodox Christian congregations have taken over buildings, but they are more often sold

Black and Muslim people are highly discriminated against on the real estate market in Germany; according to a new study, even having a foreign-sounding name can lead to fewer apartment viewings

75% of respondents to a survey are in favor of a ban on individuals' use of fireworks, a habit that spikes onNew Year's Eve; Germans had already voiced discontent with the practice and fireworks-free zones have been established in densely populated areas

A 300 kilograms bronze bell of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Bremen was recovered; it was stolen from inside the church overnight on 18 November, and an earlier attempt of theft was registered two weeks ago when it was still placed on the outside

Düsseldorf museum Kunstpalast is taking guided tours to a new level: artist Karl Brandi has introduced the “Grumpy Guide”: the experience has the goal of insulting visitor in an entertaining way; a 70-minute tour to mock and chastise guests is sold at $8

Interior Minister is considering adding war and disaster scenarios to school curricula; schoolchildren prepared for war and disasters would be a "sensible precaution", while others think it's conservative scaremongering

The Munich Philharmonic will not perform at the Flanders Festival Ghent tomorrow: concert was cancelled citing organizers' concerns over its Israeli conductor's Lahav Shani's attitude to the Israeli government; German said it's a "disgrace for Europe"