Two day transit strike begins in Berlin
As of 3 am on Wednesday morning, a two-day strike by Berlin's transportation company workers has begun.
"Subways, trams and most bus lines are affected," the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) announced. "Only a few buses operated by subcontractors on behalf of the BVG continue to run."
For passengers who rely on public transport, only the S-Bahn and regional trains are running as usual on Wednesday and Thursday.
EXPLAINED: How Berlin's two-day BVG strike will impact passengers
The strike has been called by the Verdi trade union, which is demanding significant salary increases for affected workers of at least €750 per month. In its latest counter-offer, BVG offered €240 more per month this year, with an additional increase of €135 per month next year - a pay rise of over 13 percent.
Merz' massive spending bill passed in Bundestag
German lawmakers on Tuesday passed a giant defence and infrastructure investment package proposed by chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz to strengthen the country amid geopolitical upheaval.
Local media have labelled the plans -- which could pave the way for more than one trillion euros in spending over the next decade -- as a fiscal "bazooka" for Europe's top economy.
The hastily drawn plans, which represent a radical departure for a country traditionally reluctant to take on large amounts of debt or to spend heavily on the military, were passed with 513 votes in favour and 207 against.
According to the proposal military spending, as well as spending for civil protections, will no longer be limited by the debt brake, which has limited government borrowing to no more than 0.35 percent of Germany's GDP each year.
Additionally it allows the government to set up a 500 billion euro pot for infrastructure investments with at least 100 billion set aside for climate protections and energy transition projects.
READ ALSO: German MPs give green light to 'bazooka' spending package
Scholz, Macron vow to continue military support to Ukraine
Germany accused President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday of "playing a game" after Kyiv reported Russian strikes on Ukranian civilian infrastructure hours after Moscow agreed to temporarily pause attacks on energy facilities.
"We've seen that attacks on civilian infrastructure have not eased at all in the first night after this supposedly ground-breaking, great phone call" between Putin and US President Donald Trump, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in a TV interview.
Yesterday Putin joined a highly anticipated phone call with President Donald Trump, telling the US leader that the conflict in Ukraine could only be resolved if the West halts military and intelligence support for Ukraine.
The Russian and US Presidents agreed that Russia would halt attacks against Ukrainian energy targets - but fell far short of securing a full ceasefire.
In response the German and French leaders had vowed on Tuesday to keep providing military aid to Ukraine.
"We both agree that Ukraine can count on us, that Ukraine can count on Europe and that we will not let (Kyiv) down," said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
He spoke alongside visiting French President Emmanuel Macron, who said: "We will continue to support the Ukrainian army in its war of resistance against Russian aggression."
Siemens plans to cut around 6,000 jobs
Siemens plans to cut around 6,000 jobs worldwide, 2,850 of them in Germany, DPA reported on Tuesday.
The company announced that its Digital Industries (DI) division, which has been weakening recently, is particularly affected.
Group CEO Roland Busch had already announced job cuts in the low to mid four-digit range in the fall, and now there are concrete figures.
5,600 jobs - 2,600 of them in Germany - are to be eliminated by the end of September 2027 in the automation business, which is part of the Digital Industries division.
In the automation business, sales had fallen significantly.
However, so far in 2025 the group has seen improvements: In the first quarter, the company reported a profit of €2.1 billion.
Apple lost appeal to federal court
Apple lost an appeal on Tuesday as Germany's top court sided with competition regulators, opening the door for the US tech giant to face stricter controls in the country.
The Federal Court of Justice ruled that the regulator, the Federal Cartel Office, was correct when it decided in 2023 that Apple should be considered of "paramount significance for competition across markets".
The classification opens the company's operations in Germany up to closer surveillance for possible abuse of its market position, and has also been applied to Amazon, Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet.
Apple had appealed against being given the label but, in siding with regulators, the court found that the tech giant "is one of the largest, most profitable companies in the world".
"It has extraordinary financial and other resources at its disposal," reads the ruling from the court in Karlsruhe.
Apple said it disagreed with the ruling, noting that it faced tough competition in Germany.
Germany voices 'great concern' after Israeli strikes on Gaza
Germany's outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday voiced "great concern" following the most intense Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since a fragile ceasefire took effect.
"We are greatly concerned about the civilian casualties in Gaza now that fighting has resumed there," said Scholz.
"Our particular concern in Germany is, of course, for the remaining hostages," he added, pointing out that several of them are German-Israeli dual citizens.
Earlier Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had said that "the end of the ceasefire in Gaza due to heavy Israeli attacks is cause for great concern".
"The images of burning tents in refugee camps are shocking. Fleeing children and internally displaced persons must never be used as leverage in negotiations."
Baerbock stressed that "international law includes the principle of proportionality even in self-defence".
Germany's top diplomat said she was appealing "in particular to the USA to use its regional influence ... now, because the security of the wider Middle East is affected by this".
Baerbock is scheduled to visit Lebanon on Wednesday.
With reporting by DPA and AFP.
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