Today: Bauernpräsident warnt vor Hitzefolgen

Deutsche landwirtschaftsminister warnen vor den Folgen von Hitze und Dürre für die Ernteerträge in diesem Jahr. The German Farmers' Association estimates a yield of 41.9 million tonnes of grain, a seven percent decrease compared to last year. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are expected to suffer the most, with losses of up to 20 percent in grain production.

Bauernpräsident Joachim Rukwied describes the economic situation as strained and a liquidity crisis in many farms. "The death of these businesses occurs quietly," he warns in a podcast. Rukwied calls on the federal government for immediate aid: increasing EU fertilizer subsidies from 60 to 180 million Euros, early payment of 80 percent of EU direct payments starting in October, and a reduction in taxes on agricultural diesel.

The president understands that "the best defense is useless without food security." Furthermore, Apple is adapting its business model to comply with EU digital laws to avoid heavy fines from Brussels. For years, Brussels seemed unable or unwilling to regulate major US tech companies. Brussels correspondent Olga Scheer explains what is changing and whether a new trade dispute with the US is looming after the already imposed billion-euro fine against Google.