Germany's coalition government has finalised the 2026 federal budget after a marathon meeting on Thursday night. The more than €500 billion package promises targeted relief for individuals and selected industries but also record new borrowing. A draft of Germany's federal budget for 2026 was agreed on in the early hours of Thursday by the government's budget committee. The total planned expenditure stands at €524.5 billion, which is €4 billion more than initially anticipated.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.
UK public sector borrowing dropped to £1.1bn in July, the lowest July borrowing for three years, as stronger tax revenues slowed the increase in public borrowing. The uplift in receipts was largely driven by a better-than-expected economic performance in the first half of the year. Despite this improvement, borrowing for the financial year to date remains £6.7bn higher than the same period last year.