Sections
News in perspective
tafs uz
News

Germany

News about Germany: events, facts and developments on tafs uz.

107 stories

Economy

Bundestag approves phased tobacco tax increase: a pack of cigarettes could cost almost €12 by 2030

Germany's lower house of parliament voted for a phased increase in the tobacco tax from 2027 to 2030. The average price of a pack of 20 cigarettes will rise from about €8.05 to €11.36, with some premium brands costing up to €14. The government expects to receive an additional around €12 billion over four years, citing the budget and healthcare. The opposition and the tobacco industry criticize the reform, warning of a growing black market.

Nilufar Karimova
3 min read
World

Thousands of German players may reclaim their losses: courts have sided with them

A series of rulings by German and EU courts gives players the right to demand the return of losses incurred at online casinos during the period when online gambling was banned in Germany (2008–2021). The starting point was the case against Tipico. A final ruling by Germany's Federal Court of Justice is expected in January 2027, and lawyers are preparing mass class actions.

Otabek Yusupov
3 min read
World

German Labour Minister Bärbel Bas resigns, citing personal tragedy and coalition criticism

Germany's Federal Minister of Labour and SPD co-leader Bärbel Bas announced her departure from all government and party posts after the death of her stepdaughter. She said the decision was also influenced by intensified public attacks from the CDU/CSU. According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized her work pace while knowing about her personal tragedy; his chancellery neither confirmed nor denied this.

Aziz Karimov
3 min read
Economy

EU summit fails to agree on budget of nearly 2 trillion euros

EU leaders at the summit failed to reach agreement on the draft budget for 2028–2034 worth nearly 2 trillion euros. Austerity advocates led by Germany are demanding spending cuts, Ireland proposed trimming the draft by 140 billion euros, while France insists on new Europe-wide levies. Many countries want the budget approved by the end of 2026.

Dilnoza Rahimova
2 min read
World

Merz advocates flexible schedule: three 12-hour days and the rest days off

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking at Employers' Day in Berlin, backed a flexible organization of working hours: 12-hour shifts three times a week with a weekly rather than daily limit on hours. The government is preparing a corresponding bill. Its refinement will be entrusted to the new labor minister Alexander Schweitzer, appointed on October 13 after Bärbel Bas's resignation.

Aziz Karimov
2 min read
World

Applications open for the Ausbildung program in Germany in floristry and horticulture

The Migration Agency together with the Federal Employment Agency of Germany announced the opening of applications for the APAL (Ausbildung) program starting in February 2027. Participants will be offered three-year dual vocational training in floristry and horticulture with a monthly stipend of 724 to 1,100 euros depending on the year of study. Applications are accepted until October 20.

Otabek Yusupov
2 min read
World

Russians are mass-acquiring German citizenship: the number of Russian passport holders in Germany's register is shrinking

According to Germany's Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the number of Russian citizens in the Central Register of Foreigners (AZR) fell from a peak of 308,015 in 2023 to 284,225 by the end of 2025. The main reason is not mass departure but the acquisition of German citizenship after the 2024 reform: in 2024, 12,980 Russians received passports, and in 2025 — 19,736.

Aziz Karimov
3 min read
Economy

German cabinet approves draft law on sugary drinks tax from July 1, 2027

The German government approved a draft law on a tax on drinks with a sugar content of 5 g per 100 ml. Rates will be 0.26–0.32 euros per litre, with expected revenues of 690 million euros in 2027 and 925 million in 2028. The law must be approved by the Bundestag; critics, including Boris Rhein (CDU) and the Tax Foundation, doubt the measure's effectiveness.

Nilufar Karimova
3 min read
World

Saxony-Anhalt Parliament Calls for Ending Aid to Ukraine: AfD and BSW Unite

At an extraordinary session of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, with the support of AfD and BSW, an appeal was adopted demanding the immediate cessation of financial and military aid to Ukraine and calling for peace talks with Russia. All other parties criticized the initiative. Observers see the joint move as a sign of the two parties growing closer amid government formation talks following AfD's victory in the September 2026 elections.

Aziz Karimov
3 min read
World

New Hamburg–Munich Night Train to Launch on 23 March 2027

Berlin-based company Nox Mobility has announced the launch of a night train between Hamburg and Munich from 23 March 2027. The route will run three times a week in each direction with stops in Bremen and Augsburg. Passengers will be offered individual Nox Suites modules with reclining seats; private Nox Rooms compartments will only appear from 2029. Tickets start from 65 euros.

Otabek Yusupov
2 min read
World

358 child marriages recorded in Baden-Württemberg since 2012, only eight annulled

The government of Baden-Württemberg, in a response to a query from AfD members of the state parliament, reported 358 child marriages since 2012. Only eight have been legally annulled — between 2018 and 2024, including the marriage of an 11-year-old girl from Iraq. The remaining 350 cases ended without judicial annulment. No data on the impact on schoolchildren is collected.

Otabek Yusupov
3 min read