NEWS FROM BERLIN
Price of Berlin social ticket to rise to €27.50 from January
Berlin’s Social Affairs Senator Cansel Kiziltepe (SPD) plans to increase the price of the social ticket. From January 2026, it will cost 27.50 euros. The administration justified the move with the tight budget situation, although they mention they would have liked to have kept the current price. Within the coalition, even higher prices for the social ticket had been under discussion. Die Linke’s faction in the House of Representatives described the price increase as a social policy scandal: “neither Christian nor social.” The current coalition in Berlin is thus promoting social division in Berlin. Source: rbb
Nazi messages and slogans in the Charlottenburg youth fire department
Junior members of the Berlin Fire Department in Charlottenburg have come under scrutiny after an internal investigation revealed extremist material circulating among them. The findings include Nazi messages and slogans, images of Adolf Hitler, dehumanising remarks, and repeated use of the N-word. The Berlin Youth Fire Department is among Berlin’s largest youth organisations, with more than 1,000 members aged between 8 and 19. Authorities were alerted after a parent raised concerns, and a spokesperson for the organisation affirmed: “The allegations and the secured materials are currently being thoroughly reviewed by the Extremism Officer and the Human Resources department.” Source: the berliner
Problems at BER not yet solved
The situation at BER Airport has calmed down after a cyberattack, but the IT problems have not yet been resolved. The airport’s check-in systems continue to be affected on 23 September. However, as a spokesperson told rbb, things are much calmer than the day before. On Monday there were many delays and long queues due to a wave of passengers returning from the Berlin Marathon. The spokesperson could not say how long the problems would continue. All available personnel, including the airport fire brigade, were working to sort the suitcases. Source: rbb
NEWS FROM GERMANY
How Europe maneuvers its youth for the military
After the drone incidents in Poland and Romania, the alert level in Europe has risen. This is also bringing about changes for the young population: while the new military service is being discussed in Germany, other European countries are focusing earlier and more broadly on military training for young people. In Poland, for instance, military training is now part of the curriculum. The Czech Republic army has organised voluntary military exercises for young people during the summer vacations for the first time in 2025. The offer was aimed at secondary school students of legal age. Source: bluewin
Is Deutsche Bahn cheating on punctuality?
In an internal communication dated 16 September, which the magazine Der Spiegel had access to, the following was stated about the severely delayed ICE 616 from Munich to Hamburg, which ended prematurely in Cologne: “train cancelled from Cologne to improve statistics.” A similar reason was given for a train cancellation on 11 September. The Deutsche Bahn strongly rejected the accusations of manipulating figures. The internal wording used by an employee was “incorrect”. Whether the allegations about punctuality statistics are true or not, they highlight the conflict between the common good and economic efficiency. Source: zdf
Will a new DB boss help it to emerge from its ongoing crisis?
Delays which often last several hours. Cancelled trains. Add that to that dirty stations, broken signal boxes and ongoing construction sites. Deutsche Bahn (DB) has been in deep crisis for years. Now everything is set to improve—with a new boss and a realistic timetable. Patrick Schnieder (CDU), Transport Minister in the cabinet of Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), introduced the new CEO Evelyn Palla in Berlin on 22 September. Minister Schnieder promised that the new railway management will stick to its plan to completely renovate around 40 important lines by 2036. This was already planned by the previous management. Source: dw
The hesitation from Germany
Even after other Western countries (such as the United Kingdom and Canada) have recognised Palestine as a state, Germany refuses to take such a step. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) affirmed that for Germany the recognition of a Palestinian state is more likely to come at the end of the process towards a two-state solution. The recognition of Palestine as a state is also not part of the list of demands of various organisations calling for a rally in Berlin on 27 September under the slogan “All eyes on Gaza—Stop the genocide!” Source: taz
