State elections in Baden-Württemberg, Germany's third-most populous state, ended with a win by the center-left Greens in contrast with Berlin's coalition government, that downplayed the defeat

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