The heat wave in Germany is reaching its peak today with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius. To kick off this hot day, I recommend our overview, which provides information on the current heat regulations in the workplace. You can find it here .
In addition, these five topics from Germany and the world will keep you well informed for your Wednesday.
This is what happened: Former Chancellor Angela Merkel (70) was a guest at the stage talk show “RND vor Ort” in Schwerin last night – and not only defended her policies, but also commented on the world situation and the work of her successor Friedrich Merz (69, CDU). That's why it's important: Whenever Merkel gives an interview like this, Chancellor Merz probably gets nervous. His former rival hardly minces her words – and has repeatedly made him look bad with more or less subtle criticism. This damages his authority.
Background: This time there were reprimands for Merz's intra-European border policy, the poor representation of women in the CDU and for his occasionally overly coarse language.
This is what it's about: The CDU, CSU, and SPD are meeting today for their second coalition committee meeting. A key point of discussion: Chancellor Merz and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil (47, SPD) may not want to reduce the electricity tax for consumers after all.
That's why it's important: One of the promises of prosperity made by the conservative-red coalition was that not only businesses but also private households would receive rapid relief. The CDU/CSU faction, in particular, is angry and fears a loss of public trust.
Here's how it continues: Merz and Klingbeil, who are both party leaders, will be called upon to act as mediators on Wednesday evening.
The issue: The taxi industry sees its existence threatened because low-cost ride-hailing services like Uber and Bolt are rapidly expanding their market share. On Tuesday, nationwide protests by the industry began in Frankfurt am Main, right in front of City Hall.
Background: The taxi industry has already lost about a quarter of its market share to rivals like Bolt and especially Uber. Taxi fares are set by local authorities. There are no price restrictions for rental car and chauffeur-driven services, even though both provide the same service.
Here's what's next: Today, the taxi industry's protests continue – with demonstrations and car convoys in more than a dozen other cities.
This is what happened: A new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows that an estimated 22 million people in Germany, or 26 percent of the population, are regularly exposed to unhealthily high noise levels above 55 decibels.
That's why it's important: The EEA warns, among other things, of the negative health consequences. Especially high noise levels cause irreversible hearing damage. But even everyday traffic noise can increase the risk of physical and mental illnesses – such as sleep disorders, cardiovascular disease, and depression.
The next steps: The European Commission's target is to reduce the number of people suffering from chronic traffic noise exposure by 30 percent by 2030. However, the EAA is making far too slow progress so far, and the target will likely be missed.
What it's about: The Women's European Football Championship kicks off today in Switzerland. 16 teams will compete in a total of 31 matches for the European title – and prize money of up to 5.1 million euros for the winners.
Why it's important: For women's football, the tournament in Switzerland is the next step in the fight for equality – and that inevitably means more funding for support. With a total of €41 million, UEFA is distributing more money than ever before for a Women's European Championship – which means the association is consciously expecting a loss of €20 to €25 million.
Here's what's next: The tournament runs until July 27. The German team begins its tournament on Friday evening (July 4, 9 p.m.) against Poland.
Take care, it will be cooler again tomorrow. Until then,
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