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Green electricity levy falls to 3.7 cents per kilowatt hour

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

The surcharge on the price of electricity to promote green power will be significantly reduced for consumers next year. The levy will fall to a good 3.7 cents per kilowatt hour in 2022 from the current 6.5 cents, government and industry representatives said on Thursday, according to agency reports. The reduction is also made possible by a federal subsidy of a good three billion euros. Without the billion subsidy, the levy would be around 4.66 cents in 2022. In 2021, the levy is 6.5 cents - but...

Leading economists significantly lower economic forecast for 2021

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

Strong growth, falling unemployment, lower government deficit: According to the leading economic institutes, the future German government can get going in its first year with an economic tailwind. Gross domestic product is expected to grow by 4.8 percent in 2022, twice as fast as this year's 2.4 percent, the researchers said on Thursday in their fall forecast, confirming a Reuters report on Wednesday. In the spring, the institutes had only predicted growth of 3.9 percent for the coming year in...

Financial assets rise to 200 trillion euros

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

The stock market boom and slump in consumption have made many people richer in the Corona crisis year 2020. According to calculations by insurer Allianz, the gross financial assets of private households worldwide climbed to a record 200 trillion euros - an increase of 9.7 percent on the previous year. "While the economy is riding a roller coaster, global financial assets know only one direction," said Allianz chief economist Ludovic Subran at the presentation of the wealth study on Thursday....

What was behind the Facebook outage

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp were offline for more than six hours on Monday evening. In the meantime, the services are running again. But other problems of the company still exist: Today, Tuesday, the whistleblower Frances Haugen will testify in the U.S. Senate and repeat her serious accusations. At least Facebook was able to get the technical outage under control during the night, and it is now clear what was behind it. Answers to the most important questions: Why are Facebook services...

Many banks charge negative interest even on medium balances

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

Lower allowances and higher penalty interest rates on call money or checking accounts: According to the comparison portal Verivox, credit institutions are increasingly tightening existing negative interest conditions for private customers. At the same time, the number of banks and savings banks that charge the so-called custody fee is increasing. 392 institutes counted Verivox at the end of the third quarter (conditions 29.9.). Since the beginning of the year, 214 financial institutions have...

More price transparency at the gas station

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

Anyone who regularly takes their car to the gas station is familiar with this: the spontaneous glance at the signs when driving in, the quick comparison between gasoline and diesel, the noticeable price shifts, even between morning, noon and evening - and the eternal question: When is actually the best time to fill up? And in the meantime, some are probably also wondering how much it might cost to drive an electric car now? Or would these even be the right days for hydrogen? Often these were not...

Berlin Airport may run out of money in 2022

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

BER Airport in Schönefeld will soon need the next financial aid from the state owners. The liquidity is still secured until February 2022, "until then we need fresh money," said Aletta von Massenbach, the designated BER CEO, on Friday after a meeting of the supervisory board of the airport company of Berlin, Brandenburg and the Federal Government (FBB) in Schönefeld. The current FBB chief financial officer will succeed Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, the previous head of FBB, on Oct. 1. He had...

Europe's Largest Economy Election Looms: What Europeans Should Expect Post German Election 2021

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

September 26, 2021, will mark the 20th postwar era election of the German parliament. Ordinarily, people do not turn to German elections for fun and excitement. But this year's elections are set to have wide-ranging and novel impacts on the German citizens, the German economy, and the country's European neighbours. The primary effect of the upcoming elections is that Chancellor Angela Merkel will be stepping down after spending 16 years at the epicenter of European politics. It is difficult for...

How soccer clubs fleece their fans with ever new jerseys

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

For years, soccer fans have grumbled at the increasingly absurd excesses in the jersey trade. But now the wheel seems to have turned too far. Now there is a dispute over the material. A home jersey, an away jersey, an away jersey, a European Cup jersey, even warm-up jerseys are offered in the fan store. All completely overpriced and in colors that sometimes disregard tradition - that's too much of a good thing for many fans. Where they once indulged in a passion for collecting, many now feel...

Evergrande announces millions in on-time interest payment

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

Heavily indebted Chinese real estate group Evergrande has promised to pay millions in interest on time, betting it will calm financial markets. In a statement to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Wednesday, the company said it had agreed on a plan to pay interest on a domestic bond that matures in 2025. The payments are worth 232 million yuan (30.5 million euros), according to Bloomberg news agency. The interest payment, promised for Thursday, could prevent Evergrande's imminent bankruptcy for the...

Brandenburg to fund battery factory with 120 million euros

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

The government in Brandenburg, led by Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD), wants to give the green light for a state subsidy for the battery factory that Tesla plans to build next to its nearly completed e-car plant, according to Daily Mirror reports, with a total investment volume of around 5 billion euros and at least 2,000 jobs. Brandenburg's Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach (SPD) informed the cabinet on Tuesday about an "administrative agreement planned with the federal government," the...

Despite support from Mikhail Fridman's structures Viktor Baturin loses a case against his sister Elena Baturina in Austrian Court

April 20, 2026 • 12:00 AM

In the city of Kitzbuhel, Austrian court has refused Victor Baturin the claim against his sister Elena Baturina, a billionairess, Forbes-listed entrepreneur and philanthropist. The two of them co-established Russian company INTECO in 1991 with each holding a 50% stake in the company for the first decade of its operation. Viktor Baturin filed an anti-defamation claim against his sister to Austrian court in 2017, shortly after his release from Russian prison in 2016. According to the claimant,...

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German Private Health Insurance

Health Insurance in Germany is compulsory and sometimes complicated, not to mention expensive. As an expat, you are required to navigate this landscape within weeks of arriving, so check our FAQ on PKV. For our guide on resources and access to agents who can give you a competitive quote, try our PKV Cost comparison tool.

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Hospital and Clinic Directory

Germany is famous for its medical expertise and extensive number of hospitals and clinics. See this comprehensive directory of hospitals and clinics across the country, complete with links to their websites, addresses, contact info, and specializations/services.

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Join us at the Kunstraum in der Au for the exhibition titled ,,Ereignis: Erzählung" by Christoph Scheuerecker, focusing on the captivating world of bees. This exhibition invites visitors to explore the intricate relationship between bees and their environment through various artistic expressions,...

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