AfD and Democracy: A far-right AfD lawmaker was kept out of a Halle synagogue memorial for victims of the 2019 attack after attendees formed a human chain. The incident follows the party’s landmark win of a state-parliament speakership. Berlin and Moscow: Chancellor Friedrich Merz called former chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s appearance at Vladimir Putin’s birthday celebration “deeply outrageous” and “immoral.” Espionage Probe: Former BND chief August Hanning remains in custody over allegations he obtained thousands of classified documents and passed secrets abroad; investigators are also examining possible contacts with a senior Chinese military figure. Security: Britain and Germany are expanding cooperation against Russian cyberattacks and sabotage. Germany’s parliament also approved four more anti-submarine frigates, bringing its planned fleet to eight. Economy and Energy: German business insolvencies rose 6.9% in the first seven months of 2026, while renewable-energy workers protested proposed subsidy cuts. Transport and Tech: Tesla has replaced “Full Self-Driving” with “Tesla Assisted Driving” in Europe after German objections; Berlin says the system must stay within 10% of speed limits. Franco-German Defence: Both countries insist their joint tank project is alive, though its original plan for a single shared tank remains uncertain.