Today's top story: Public transportation strikes spread to cities across six German states
In at least six federal states, trains, trams and buses are to remain in their depots on Thursday as the Verdi union is again increasing the pressure on employers with warning strikes.
Massive restrictions are expected in Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony-Anhalt, according to the Verdi trade union. In Bavaria's state capital Munich, buses and trains are also largely cancelled. There has been a strike there since Wednesday.
READ ALSO:
- LATEST: Where in Germany passengers will be affected by public transport strikes this week
- How to get around Munich during the two-day public transport strike
In NRW, it is already the second local transport strike this week. In Saxony-Anhalt, on the other hand, the industrial action will last in many places up to and including Sunday.
As a rule, buses, subways and trams in the affected regions are cancelled due to the warning strikes.
Deutsche Bahn with its regional trains and S-Bahn trains is not affected. Regional trains of other railway companies are also not affected by the strike.
Germany moves up the rankings of World Happiness Report
Northern Europeans occupy the top spot in the world happiness ranking for the ninth year in a row.
According to the World Happiness Report, which is published every year around World Happiness Day (March 20th), the Nordic countries in particular do happiness well.
In addition to Finland which maintains the title of happiest country, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden also make it into the top five. In between, only Costa Rica (4) mixes in the top ranks. Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg and Switzerland follow in sixth to tenth place.Â
Happiness in Germany is on the rise, according to the report. It ranks 17th - and has thus jumped a full five places compared to last year.
Incidentally, there is practically no difference between East and West in terms of happiness, says Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, one of the authors of this year's report.
A recent survey by the market research institute Ipsos seems to confirm this feeling: According to the survey, 72 percent of Germans describe themselves as happy - an increase of eight percentage points compared to last year.
According to the study, the most important happiness factors in Germany are the feeling of being valued and loved (40 percent), family and children (35 percent) and physical health (27 percent).
READ ALSO: 'Dry and apologetic' - What foreigners really think of German humour
Germany sees rise in Bundeswehr applicationsÂ
Applications to the Bundeswehr (German Army) have risen following the introduction of new military service letters.
By the end of February, around 16,100 people had applied for military careers – a 20 percent increase compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Defence said.
The trend is also reflected in recruitment. In February there were more than 5,300 new recruitments, up 14 percent compared to the same time last year.
The increase is particularly strong among volunteers and short-term service personnel.
Under the new rules, 18-year-old men must complete a questionnaire and attend an assessment, while service itself remains voluntary. It is voluntary for women to complete the questionnaire.Â
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED - Germany's new military service letters
Germany currently has about 186,200 active soldiers and aims to expand the force to 260,000 by the mid-2030s.
Officials say the new policy is expected to provide a long-term boost to military staffing.
Germany vows to double data centre capacity by 2030
Germany on Wednesday pledged to double its data centre capacity by 2030 as the country looks on nervously at the power of American tech giants.
"By 2030, we aim to at least double our data centre capacity and quadruple our capacity for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing," said Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger.
"Without a massive increase in capacity, we will not be able to keep pace in the global race for AI," he told a press conference.
"Every new data centre in Germany strengthens our digital sovereignty," he added.
Spooked by a lack of big European tech champions to compete with US giants, EU leaders have scrambled to build out digital infrastructure and pushed "digital sovereignty" as an alternative to reliance on US technology.
The worries have only grown as US President Donald Trump's administration has taken a more confrontational tone with EU leaders on issues from trade to defence.
Record number of migrant deaths in Mediterranean for early 2026
The first two months of 2026 saw a record number of migrant deaths in the Mediterranean, despite fewer crossing attempts towards Europe, according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
At least 655 people died or went missing in January and February -- more than double the 287 recorded for the same period last year.
NGOs and researchers said the reasons were multiple: storms, complications for rescue operations and border closures.
Frontex, the EU's border control agency, last week blamed the high fatality count on "extreme weather conditions" over that period, such as Cyclone Harry, which struck the Mediterranean region in mid-February.
Frontex, which hailed the decrease in irregular crossings over the two months, also pointed the finger at people smugglers it said were putting migrants to sea on flimsy craft.
NGOs also condemn what they say are obstacles put in the way of the rescue operations they mount at sea, from red tape to new rules on where they can dock with rescued migrants.
"Italian authorities are assigning us a port of safety now, immediately after a first rescue, that are sometimes over a thousand kilometres away," explained Giulia Messmer, spokeswoman for Sea-Watch.
Another reason pushing migrants into rickety boats, charities say, is the shrinking opportunities for legal pathways into Europe.
Germany, famously, took in around a million Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi refugees in 2015. But since then, Berlin has tightened its rules around family reunions and on obtaining German citizenship.
With reporting from DPA, AFP and Rachel Loxton.
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