Stories from Germany

VfL Wolfsburg lost 1-3 against Frankfurt in a Women's Bundesliga match. The defeat leaves Wolfsburg's second-place standing and direct Champions League qualification uncertain. The team has failed to win in three consecutive matches. Frankfurt currently holds the third-place position in the table. Eintracht Frankfurt suffered a setback in the race for Europa League qualification after losing 1-2 to HSV in the Bundesliga. Other recent Bundesliga results include Bayern Munich drawing 3-3 with Heidenheim, Hoffenheim drawing 3-3 with Stuttgart, and Union Berlin drawing 2-2 with Köln. Bremen also played Augsburg, according to the report.

Mayor Köhne of the CDU has secured re-election in Drebka. He won with 73 percent of the vote, defeating AfD challenger Serb, who received 27 percent. The election result was described as a narrow margin in Fürstenwalde but a clear victory in Drebka.

The German state of Brandenburg has implemented changes to the public procurement process to facilitate easier bidding for municipalities. The threshold for procurement procedures has been increased from 10,000 Euros to 100,000 Euros. The new system follows the 'best bidder' principle, requiring winners to submit all necessary plans and documents only upon the award of the contract. Brandenburg's Economy Minister, Marlene Clement, is scheduled to discuss the state of craftsmanship in the region.

The number of approved school assistants in Bavaria reached approximately 20,000 in 2024. This represents an increase from roughly 16,000 approved assistants six years prior, a growth of 25 percent. Approvals for these assistants are processed by the Youth Welfare Office or the district within the framework of integration assistance.

A runoff election to determine the next mayor of Kreuzburg in the Wartburg district will take place in two weeks. In the first round of voting, independent candidate Toni Nikoll led with 36 percent of the vote. CDU candidate Ronny Schwanz followed with 27 percent. Candidates from the AfD and SPD parties also participated in the initial round.

Customers are seeking approximately 440 euros in claims against the online retailer OrthoBack. The company has received roughly 4,000 negative reviews on the TrustPilot platform. A Facebook group with hundreds of members has formed to address issues with the shop. Lawyer Nico Schemling is supporting customers against the company. Experts warn that blocking servers for such shops can be difficult even with evidence. Consumers are advised to be suspicious of shops that switch to advance payment only during the final checkout process. Consumers are advised to use tools like the Fake-Shop-Finder to verify the legitimacy of online stores.

The Ruhr Museum in Essen is hosting a photography exhibition titled 'Gesichter des Reviers' (Faces of the Region). The exhibition features works by actor Armin Rode. The collection focuses on the life and work paths of individuals with migration histories who established lives in the Ruhr area. The exhibition is scheduled to run until June 7.

Twenty-five young entrepreneurs have founded the Zukunftswiesen Summit in the Heilbronn region. The summit aims to facilitate collaboration between medium-sized companies and startups to address the future of the German economy. The third edition of the event is scheduled to begin today. The initiative focuses on driving economic innovation through joint projects. The Zukunftswiesen summit has launched in Heilbronn to facilitate interaction between medium-sized enterprises (Mittelstand) and startups. Founder Laura Weber is participating in the event. The summit aims to encourage knowledge exchange between different generations of business owners. The location is approximately 130 kilometers northwest of the reporting station.

Energy companies BP and Total Energies have slowed plans to expand wind power installations in the North Sea. The companies previously won bids for North Sea areas three years ago for 12 billion euros. Experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems are investigating shading effects that reduce wind speed and energy yield. The companies initially offered high prices but are now hesitating on the expansion projects. The companies have purchased large areas for wind farms but are now pressing the brakes on development. This decision has drawn criticism from scientific communities and regulatory authorities. The German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has received requests from both companies to present studies regarding this shift. No specific date for a meeting between the ministry and the energy firms has been set.

The city of Nuremberg is spending approximately 200,000 Euros to monitor the deteriorating Franken-Schnellweg bridge. This figure represents the highest level of worldwide military spending on record. Global military expenditures reached approximately 2.47 trillion euros in the past year, according to new data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). This figure represents a 2.9 percent increase when adjusted for inflation. Total defense spending has risen by 41 percent over the last decade. New reports from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute indicate spending reached $2.9 trillion in 2025, a 2.9% increase from the prior year. Brazil's military spending rose by 13%, reaching nearly $24 billion. Brazil is the largest spender in South America, having increased its military spending by 13%, totaling nearly $24 billion during the period.