Wednesday's top story: EU weakens 2035 combustion-engine ban to boost car industry
The EU on Tuesday walked back a 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars seen as a milestone in the fight against climate change, as the bloc pivots to bolstering its crisis-hit auto sector.
Under proposals slammed by green groups as an act of "self-sabotage", carmakers will have to cut exhaust emissions from new vehicles by 90 percent from 2021 levels -- down from an envisaged 100 percent.
This means that in practice automakers will still be able to sell a limited number of polluting vehicles -- from plug-in hybrids to diesel cars -- beyond 2035, provided the resulting emissions are "compensated" in various ways.
The combustion-engine ban was hailed as a major win in the climate fight and a key tool to drive investments in electrification when adopted in 2023.
But carmakers and their backers have lobbied hard over the past year for Brussels to relax it, in the face of fierce competition from China and a slower-than-expected shift to electric vehicles (EVs).
Notably, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soder have taken a strong stance in opposition to the EU's previous 2035 targets in recent months.
READ ALSO: Merz demands EU scrap ban on sale of combustion engine cars
Europe's biggest automaker Volkswagen welcomed the move as "pragmatic" and "economically sound", while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said allowing for "more openness to technology and greater flexibility" was the right step.
Germany's leading auto industry group VDA however called the proposals "disastrous".
Germany's federal cabinet set to decide on BĂĽrgergeld reforms
The federal cabinet is set to make final decisions today on a controversial overhaul of the citizen’s income (Bürgergeld) system introduced in 2023. The new draft law, presented by Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD), would roll back some core elements of the reform and replace the name “citizen’s income” with “basic security benefit.”
Under the current proposal, sanctions for job seekers will become significantly stricter. Benefits could be cut by 30 percent for failing to apply for jobs or attend training, and three missed appointments could result in complete aid withdrawal – including housing support.
READ ALSO: 'BĂĽrgergeld is history - How Germany's unemployment benefit is being reformed
Before any reduction, job centres must offer a chance for a personal hearing, in person or by phone. Exceptions are planned for hardship cases such as mental illness.
The reform would also tighten rules on personal assets, abolishing waiting periods and requiring individuals to use their own means first.
While projected savings remain modest, critics within the SPD warn of increased hardship and homelessness.
Amnesty urges halt of forced deportations to Afghanistan
Amnesty International on Tuesday called on countries to stop forcibly returning people to Afghanistan, saying they are being "unlawfully" deported by Pakistan and Iran as well as some European countries.
So far this year around 2.5 million Afghans have returned to the country, the UN's special representative Georgette Gagnon told a Security Council briefing in New York last week.
That represents "a six percent population increase, compounding the deep-rooted economic, climate and humanitarian crises the country already faces," she said.
Amnesty cited media reports that "Germany, Austria, and the European Union are in negotiations with the de facto Taliban authorities to facilitate forced returns".
READ ALSO: Germany close to deal with Taliban on Afghan deportations
Many of the newcomers to Afghanistan are shunned and unable to find jobs, while women and girls face severe restrictions under the Taliban authorities' strict interpretation of Islam.
"This rush to forcibly return people to Afghanistan ignores why they fled in the first place and the serious dangers they face if sent back," said Smriti Singh, Amnesty's South Asia director.
Russia labels German broadcaster Deutsche Welle 'undesirable'
Russia has labelled German broadcaster Deutsche Welle an "undesirable" organisation, a justice ministry register showed Tuesday, amid Russia-Germany tensions over Ukraine and allegations of Moscow's interference in Germany.
Deutsche Welle (DW), which has a Russian-language service but closed its Moscow bureau in 2022, appears on the Russian justice ministry's list of "undesirable organisations" seen by AFP.
The broadcaster had already been declared a "foreign agent", both labels used against critics of President Vladimir Putin and Russia's policies.
Since Russia launched its assault of Ukraine in February 2022, the country's justice ministry has banned dozens of groups critical of the Kremlin or Moscow's conduct in the war.
The "undesirable organisation" label makes anyone who works with a group or donates money to them liable to prosecution in Russia.
"Russia may label us an undesirable organisation but that won't deter us," DW Director General Barbara Massing said in a statement sent to AFP amid reports the move was imminent.
After 24 years, final VW rolls off Dresden production line
Volkswagen ended automobile production at its “Gläserne Manufaktur” in Dresden on Tuesday, marking the conclusion of 24 years and over 165,500 vehicles built at the site.
The last car, a red ID.3 signed by all employees, will remain as an exhibit in the factory.
Opened in 2001 for VW’s luxury Phaeton, the facility later became a showcase for the company’s shift to electric mobility, producing the e-Golf from 2017 and exclusively building the ID.3 since 2021.
READ ALSO:Â Thousands of Volkswagen workers in Germany agree redundancy payouts
Over the years, notable drivers – including musician Udo Lindenberg and even Pope Benedict XVI – collected vehicles from the transparent factory.
Starting in January 2026, the site will be transformed into an innovation campus operated in partnership with Volkswagen, the state of Saxony and TU Dresden. The new focus will be on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and microelectronics, with 230 employees expected to stay on.
With reporting by AFP and DPA.
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