Germany’s top court has ruled that stricter labor protections in the meat industry are constitutional.

The Federal Constitutional Court rejected a complaint by a company challenging rules that ban the use of contract workers to avoid social security obligations.

Judges said the restrictions interfere with professional freedom but are justified by higher-ranking concerns, including worker protection and health standards.

The law was introduced in 2021 after widespread abuses in slaughterhouses came to light. It was tightened in 2024 under the coalition government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, extending the rules to fully ban the use of temporary agency workers in the sector.

The war in Sudan is entering its fourth year with international attention focused on other conflicts.

A conference in Berlin is aiming to bring back some attention to help fund urgent projects.

Read more about the story here.

Most people in Germany do not believe the government is playing a meaningful role in easing tensions in Iran, the Gulf and the wider Middle East.

A YouGov survey for the German news agency DPA found 42% see Berlin’s influence on peace efforts as “not strong at all,” while 35% rate it as “rather not strong.”

Only 7% believe the government led by Friedrich Merz has a “rather strong” influence, and just 2% see it as “very strong.” Another 14% said they could not assess the situation.

Military backers of Ukraine are meeting in Berlin for a new round of talks on continued support.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is hosting the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, with his Ukrainian opposite number Mykhailo Fedorow, UK counterpart John Healey, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attending in person.

The talks focus on further military assistance following recent German-Ukrainian agreements on new bilateral projects.

Germany and the United Kingdom have been jointly leading the contact group since April 2025, coordinating international support efforts for Ukraine.

Berlin and Kyiv agreed on Tuesday to deepen their military and political cooperation as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Berlin.

Officials in western Germany have said two people died when a small plane crashed near the city of Düren.

Mayor of the  Hürtgenwald municipality Stephan Cranen said the aircraft had taken off from Aachen-Merzbrück Airfield before it went down in a forested area.

Hikers discovered the wreckage near a reservoir, prompting a large emergency response. Authorities said no other people were injured.

The cause of the crash remains unclear, police said, with investigations ongoing. The Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation has been deployed to examine the site in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has become the strongest force in a new national poll, reflecting growing dissatisfaction with Germany’s centrist coalition government.

The survey by YouGov put the AfD at 27%, up one point from the previous month, ahead of all other parties.

The conservative bloc CDU/CSU fell three points to 23%, its lowest level in this poll since late 2021. The center-left Social Democrats dropped to 13%, while the Greens and the socialist Left Party each gained one point, reaching 14% and 10% respectively.

The business-focused Free Democrats and populist-left BSW both stood at 4%, below the threshold to enter parliament.

The poll also showed rising frustration with the government, with 79% of respondents saying they are dissatisfied with the current coalition. That figure is up sharply from 55% in mid-2025.

Other recent surveys show a tighter race. Polling by Insa and Infratest dimap has also placed the AfD narrowly ahead or close behind the CDU/CSU, underscoring volatility in voter sentiment.

Cabin crew at Lufthansa have begun a two-day strike following a pilot walkout, disrupting flights across Germany.

The Independent Flight Attendants’ Organization (UFO) said departures from major hubs including Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport were affected, with further cancellations expected through Thursday night.

The union cited a lack of progress in negotiations over a new collective agreement as the reason for the strike. A rally is also planned in Frankfurt during celebrations marking Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary, where Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to attend.

A one-day cabin crew walkout last week forced hundreds of cancellations at Germany’s flagship carrier.

Meanwhile, the pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit has announced additional strikes on Thursday and Friday, citing a deadlock in talks. Union chief Andreas Pinheiro said there had been no movement from the employer.

The planned pilot strikes will affect most Lufthansa departures from German airports, as well as flights by subsidiaries, including Lufthansa Cargo and CityLine, with limited exemptions for routes to parts of the Middle East.

Guten Tag from DW’s newsroom in Bonn, where the city’s famous cherry blossoms are now falling for another year.

You join us as a two-day walkout by Lufthansa cabin crew begins, hot on the heels of two days of strikes by pilots.

The airline, Germany’s national carrier, has faced recurring strike action since the start of the year.

For this and more news coming out of Germany, stick with us here.