Overview
- A new rule letting stations raise prices only once daily at 12:00 led to an immediate jump of about four cents per liter on its first day, with the antitrust watchdog’s chair warning prices will stay high as long as oil stays high.
- Germany’s leading economic institutes lowered their 2026 growth forecast because of the Iran war’s impact on energy costs, while Lufthansa prepared contingency plans that include temporarily parking aircraft and considering short‑time work.
- Market coverage highlights the Iran war as the main driver of weak investor sentiment, with energy‑importing countries under pressure, major stock indexes in correction, and expected U.S. rate cuts pushed out to late 2027.
- New BAMF data show a sharp rise since autumn 2025 in registered Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22, following Kyiv’s loosening of exit rules for that group, a shift that is straining local capacity and fueling policy debate.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s target for 80% of Syrians in Germany to return within three years drew cross‑party criticism and was publicly disputed by Syria’s Ahmed al‑Sharaa, who said he did not make that request.