Stories from Cologne · Germany

The fire department responded with multiple vehicles and 16 emergency personnel to a case involving a highly contagious disease. The patient was transported to the University Hospital in the state capital, which specializes in highly infectious diseases.

Approximately 1,000 customs officials began nationwide inspections of parcel delivery services early Wednesday morning.

The German federal government under Chancellor Merz has completed its first year in office. Stoffelt, President of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) for North Rhine-Westphalia, provided a mid-term assessment during a WDR interview.

Lufthansa has reported a reduction in its seasonal losses. Specific figures for the reduced losses were not disclosed. The airline's financial performance shows improvement compared to previous periods.

Deutsche Bahn has increased its security personnel from 4,500 to 5,000 over the past twelve months. The company has launched a pilot project in regional trains using two-person teams to determine when double staffing with conductors or security is necessary.

Users across Germany are experiencing widespread internet connectivity problems. Many websites and applications hosted on.de domains are currently unreachable from mobile devices and computers. The report indicates the issue is affecting the entire country.

Court spokesperson Thomas Linsen stated this is the first opportunity for the court to define specific requirements for such funds. While the state constitution explicitly recognizes special funds, it does not outline the detailed prerequisites for their creation.

Card payments are expected to exceed cash payments for the first time in Germany this year, according to research from the Cologne-based EHI Retail Institute. The use of cards has doubled within a five-year period. This trend indicates a continuing decline in the importance of cash for shopping transactions. Jörg Marksteiner reported the findings for WDR Wirtschaft. Research from the Cologne-based institute indicates that nearly every second purchase is now made using a debit or credit card. Much of this transaction volume is processed through payment services originating from the United States. A study by the EHI Retail Institute in Cologne indicates that for the first time in 2026, card and mobile payments will exceed cash transactions in Germany. Traditionally, cash has been the preferred payment method in the country.

Neura Robotics has grown to over 1,400 employees, according to reports. Investors are reportedly treating the company as a unicorn. A new funding round is currently underway and may exceed $1 billion.

Military historian Sönke Neitzel stated in an ARD interview that Europeans face difficulties replacing weapons that are not ITAR-free. The German Ministry of Defense is currently modernizing Taurus cruise missiles to help address capability gaps.