UPI transactions above ₹2,000: 0.40% MDR pushed until after Diwali, says NPCI: Merchant Discount Rate of 0.4 pc on UPI transactions over ₹2,000 deferred; to ...
livemint.com/money/upi-transactions-above-2-000-0-4-mdr-deferred-until-after-diwali-says-npci-11791878899700.html
UPI transactions above ₹2,000: 0.40% MDR pushed until after Diwali ...
There is continued unrest within the CDU parliamentary group in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament. A split is potentially looming ... Show more
MDR rollout likely to be deferred to January 1: The rollout of the new MDR framework for UPI transactions may be delayed to January 1, 2027 ...
financialexpress.com/money/mdr-rollout-likely-to-be-deferred-to-january-1-4356009/
MDR rollout likely to be deferred to January 1
Freiberg student on "Elephant, Tiger & Kids": "I had a lemur on my arm": The fourth season of the popular MDR documentary series has started ...
freiepresse.de/mittelsachsen/freiberg/freiberger-schueler-bei-elefant-tiger-kids-ich-hatte-einen-lemur-auf-dem-arm-artikel14439046
Freiberg student on
Saxony-Anhalt: CDU parliamentary group potentially threatened with split: After the election debacle at the beginning of September, the CDU parliamentary group ...
mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen-anhalt/landespolitik/fraktion-droht-spaltung,cdu-landtag-mifri-100.html
Saxony-Anhalt: CDU parliamentary group potentially threatened with split
Key FactsSaxony-Anhalt CDU Faction Faces Possible Split
Oct 7, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: n-tv.de
  • Sven Schulze was elected faction leader by eight votes to seven over incumbent Guido Heuer.

  • According to MDR, some CDU lawmakers are reportedly considering leaving and forming a separate parliamentary group.

  • Tullner cited insufficient trust, saying he would consider all options at year-end if conflicts remained unresolved.

  • The faction’s future is expected to become clearer after December’s CDU conference; a split might let AfD find majorities without BSW.
  • If these conflicts don't improve, by the end of the year I would step back and consider how to respond. And all options are open.
    — Marco Tullner, long-serving CDU member of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament; said this to MDR ahead of the election of the state parliament's president, indicating that all options would be open in response to the fray within the faction.
Under the motto "Unity? Staying on the ball together!", the city of Halle (Saale) invited everyone to the "Singing, playing ... Show more
UPI charges: SC refuses stay on 0.4% MDR; issues notice to govt, RBI, NPCI: During the hearing, the Centre informed the court that 96 per cent of people using ...
financialexpress.com/india-news/upi-charges-sc-refuses-stay-on-0-4-mdr-issues-notice-to-govt-rbi-npci/4348676/
UPI charges: SC refuses stay on 0.4% MDR; issues notice to govt, RBI, NPCI
Merz government wants citizens' bank account numbers - | "I've heard absolutely nothing about it"
derwesten.de/politik/merz-entlastungen-spritpreise-kontonummer-steuer-id-id302171818.html
Merz government wants citizens' bank account numbers - |
SC questions legal basis for new UPI charges, declines plea to stay levy: Additional Solicitor General N. Venkataraman, appearing for the Centre ...
livemint.com/news/supreme-court-upi-charges-mdr-fee-rs-2000-transactions-centre-rbi-npci-11790582209217.html
SC questions legal basis for new UPI charges, declines plea to stay levy
Mobile phone retailers to protest against UPI MDR charges on October 2: Mobile retailers across India protest 0.4% UPI MDR on Gandhi Jayanti ...
thehindu.com/news/national/mobile-phone-retailers-to-protest-against-upi-mdr-charges-on-october-2/article71515807.ece
Mobile phone retailers to protest against UPI MDR charges on October 2
UPI charges: What remains free and what could cost more from Oct 15?: From October 15, select UPI merchant transactions above Rs 2,000 will attract MDR ...
financialexpress.com/money/upi-charges-what-remains-free-and-what-could-cost-more-from-oct-15-4341362/
UPI charges: What remains free and what could cost more from Oct 15?
UPI MDR charges will not burden consumers, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said She clarified that transactions up to ₹2,000 remain free ... Show more
Saxony Mom: "If you can't speak Saxon, you simply shouldn't try it": When a non-Saxon talks about Saxony, you can really make a lot of mistakes ...
freiepresse.de/zwickau/werdau/sachsen-muddi-wer-kein-saechsisch-kann-sollte-es-auch-einfach-nicht-nachmachen-artikel14410548
Saxony Mom:
UPI Tax | FM Sitharaman Clarifies UPI MDR: Customers Will Not Bear The Cost Directly
MDR withdrawal: AfD names timetable, director general announces lawsuit: The AfD in Saxony-Anhalt specifies plans for broadcasting treaties. MDR opposes this ...
telepolis.de/article/MDR-Ausstieg-AfD-nennt-Zeitplan-Intendant-kuendigt-Klage-an-11425092.html
MDR withdrawal: AfD names timetable, director general announces lawsuit
Key FactsMDR warns of possible effects of AfD win in Saxony-Anhalt
Aug 25, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: fr.de
  • During “MDR Sachsen-Anhalt heute” on Monday evening, the picture flickered, turned black and white and disappeared, while the radio briefly fell silent and online images became black tiles.

  • The AfD has announced that it would terminate the broadcasting treaties if it took over government and, according to Volksstimme, plans a long-term “basic broadcasting service” with one-tenth of the current budget.

  • The MDR treaty links Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, and termination on December 31, 2026, would mean Saxony-Anhalt left the MDR at the end of 2028.

  • According to Director-General Ralf Ludwig, MDR services for Saxony-Anhalt would cease from 2029, although the broadcasting fee would still have to be paid, and the broadcaster intends to challenge any termination in court.
  • From 2029 onward, MDR's offerings for Saxony-Anhalt would no longer exist, because we would then simply have no mandate.
    — Ralf Ludwig, MDR Intendant, in a program interview
Anger, fear, 40 percent: Signs point to doom at MDR: Problems in the cityscape, queer people sent to concentration camps, and naked fear of the AfD? MDR lets ...
focus.de/kultur/kino-tv/wut-angst-40-prozent-im-mdr-stehen-zeichen-auf-untergang_ea65b634-9150-4cb9-bf19-bc2a16305bff.html
Anger, fear, 40 percent: Signs point to doom at MDR
The Jewellery Market In Chandni Chowk, which deals with high value & high volume UPI transactions, is extremely unhappy with the UPI MDR decision ... Show more
UPI is no longer free for all, as conditions apply: The National Payments Council of India has announced merchant discount rate (MDR) on a host of UPI ...
livemint.com/money/personal-finance/mdr-on-upi-transactions-npci-announces-0-4-on-payments-above-rs-2-000-check-details-11789476853142.html
UPI is no longer free for all, as conditions apply
AfD promises major change before the Saxony-Anhalt election - | experts make it clear where the limits lie
fr.de/politik/sachsen-anhalt-was-die-afd-mit-absoluter-merheit-wirklich-umsetzen-koennte-zr-94472402.html
AfD promises major change before the Saxony-Anhalt election - | experts ...
UPI MDR to attract 18% GST: The newly introduced merchant discount rate (MDR) on select UPI transactions will attract 18% GST, generating around Rs 2 ...
financialexpress.com/money/upi-mdr-to-attract-18-gst-4340712/
UPI MDR to attract 18% GST
Key FactsTen Thuringian BSW lawmakers plan to leave party
Sep 4, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: n-tv.de
  • The group includes Deputy Minister-President and Finance Minister Katja Wolf, Digital Minister Steffen Schütz, and Environment Minister Tilo Kummer.

  • The lawmakers initially intend to retain their membership in the Thuringian BSW parliamentary group.

  • Katja Wolf said the federal party had moved away from BSW’s founding consensus; she said lawmakers remained committed to the coalition agreement.

  • Parliamentary group leader Sigrid Hupach announced discussions about the group’s future for the coming week.
  • We were not elected for 'flirts with right-wing radicals'.
    — Katja Wolf, Thüringen's Finance Minister and BSW state party leader, describing the reason for leaving Wagenknecht's party (as reported by ntv.de)
“Exempt from this mandatory fee”: AfD attacks MDR after the election - | Experts see crucial flaw
fr.de/politik/afd-plaene-fuer-mdr-zur-wahl-in-sachsen-anhalt-was-die-partei-plant-zr-94462686.html
“Exempt from this mandatory fee”: AfD attacks MDR after the election - | ...
MDR broadcasts silence - | as a warning against the AfD government: Central German Broadcasting (MDR) examines in its programming what a termination of the ...
focus.de/politik/deutschland/mdr-sendet-stille-als-warnung-vor-afd-regierung_8cdd2dcf-e28c-417d-a2b2-c8a84bdba7ac.html
MDR broadcasts silence - | as a warning against the AfD government
MDR blacks out screens because of AfD - | Is the broadcaster even allowed to do that?
derwesten.de/aktuelles/mdr-afd-schwarzer-bildschirm-grund-recht-id302145553.html
MDR blacks out screens because of AfD - | Is the broadcaster even allowed ...
Saxony-Anhalt: Switching to the AfD? What the 15 CDU MPs say: CDU defectors could help the AfD achieve a parliamentary majority in Saxony-Anhalt ...
mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen-anhalt/landespolitik/ueberlaeufer-cdu-afd,landtagswahl-akt-130.html
Saxony-Anhalt: Switching to the AfD? What the 15 CDU MPs say
AfD promises major change before Saxony-Anhalt election - | Experts clarify where the limits lie
fnp.de/politik/koennte-sachsen-anhalt-was-die-afd-mit-absoluter-merheit-wirklich-umsetzen-zr-94472402.html
AfD promises major change before Saxony-Anhalt election - | Experts ...
Election in Saxony-Anhalt: Screens Remain Black as a Warning Against an AfD Government
rp-online.de/panorama/fernsehen/wahl-in-sachsen-anhalt-bildschirm-bleibt-schwarz-als-warnung-vor-afd-regierung_aid-153698379
Election in Saxony-Anhalt: Screens Remain Black as a Warning Against an ...
Key FactsMDR warns with black screen about possible AfD government
Aug 25, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: rp-online.de
  • During Monday’s edition of “MDR Sachsen-Anhalt heute,” the picture briefly turned black, while on-screen text and a voice-over presented a possible loss of the broadcaster in Saxony-Anhalt.

  • The state election is scheduled for Sunday, 6 September 2026, while polls currently place the AfD well ahead of the governing CDU.

  • If it takes over the government, the AfD, classified by the state constitutional protection agency as definitively extremist right-wing, plans among other measures to terminate the broadcasting treaties as its first official act.

  • Because the treaties have a two-year notice period, their termination taking effect at the end of 2028 could end “Sachsen-Anhalt heute,” MDR radio programming and online coverage for Saxony-Anhalt from 1 January 2029.
  • A termination would concretely mean that MDR's offerings for Saxony-Anhalt, produced in Saxony-Anhalt, would no longer exist from 2029 because we would then simply have no mandate left.
    — Ralf Ludwig, MDR Director, in the program 'MDR Sachsen-Anhalt heute' on Monday evening
The topic of teacher shortages becomes heated: AfD member Ulrich Siegmund dodges an answer for several minutes.
fr.de/panorama/lehrermangel-mdr-afd-mann-ulrich-siegmund-laviert-beim-thema-zr-94461803.html
The topic of teacher shortages becomes heated: AfD member Ulrich Siegmund ...
Key FactsUlrich Siegmund gives no concrete answer on teacher shortages
Aug 27, 2026 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: fr.de
  • During the MDR election debate, moderators asked Ulrich Siegmund to propose solutions for teacher shortages in Saxony-Anhalt.

  • Green party politician Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz repeatedly pressed him; Siegmund insisted on examining causes rather than symptoms alone.

  • In Saxony-Anhalt, approximately one in every 16 school lessons is cancelled, particularly at primary and special-needs schools.

  • The Education Ministry advertised hundreds of positions; whether they will resolve the teacher shortage remains uncertain.
AfD extends a hand, CDU General Secretary responds tersely: AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund expressed his openness to coalitions with "all parties" on MDR ...
focus.de/politik/deutschland/afd-streckt-die-hand-aus-cdu-general-reagiert-schmallippig_7fc7c166-9a52-4c87-aa9e-954c787ea4de.html
AfD extends a hand, CDU General Secretary responds tersely
“Doesn’t want to hear anyone”: Florian Silbereisen falls asleep before live shows – | what that has to do with his mom
fnp.de/boulevard/florian-silbereisen-verraet-sein-kurioses-ritual-vor-live-shows-zr-94472426.html
“Doesn’t want to hear anyone”: Florian Silbereisen falls asleep before ...
Peter Kloeppel warns against AfD plans: "Show what kind of party it is": With an eye on the upcoming state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Peter Kloeppel has ...
fnp.de/boulevard/peter-kloeppel-warnt-vor-plaenen-der-afd-zeigen-wessen-geistes-kind-die-partei-ist-zr-94470761.html
Peter Kloeppel warns against AfD plans:
Bis zu 200 Millionen Euro in Teakholz investiert: Warum Anleger jetzt um ihr Geld bangen
mdr.de/nachrichten/deutschland/gesellschaft/life-forestry-konkurs,teak-anlage-betrug-100.html
Bis zu 200 Millionen Euro in Teakholz investiert: Warum Anleger jetzt um ...
21.7 billion euros in citizen's allowance for foreigners: What's behind Siegmund's vehement accusation
tz.de/politik/afd-21-milliarden-euro-buergergeld-an-auslaender-was-ist-dran-zr-94438529.html
21.7 billion euros in citizen's allowance for foreigners: What's ...
Key FactsMDR broadly validates Siegmund’s welfare-benefit calculation
Aug 11, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: fr.de
  • For 2025, the MDR calculates that 47.6 percent of recipients were foreign nationals, corresponding to about €21.7 billion out of €46.65 billion in total payments; nearly the same amount went to German nationals.

  • Siegmund’s figure of €20,000 per minute for Ukraine is also mathematically plausible, but the MDR says redirecting the money to the states would first require political decisions and inclusion in the federal budget.

  • Saxony-Anhalt spent about €1.2 billion on benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act from 2016 to 2025, while the interior ministry and the MDR rejected the claim that billions had been spent on asylum and integration.

  • According to Labour and Social Affairs Minister Petra Grimm-Benne (SPD), nearly 70,000 foreign nationals in Saxony-Anhalt have jobs covered by social insurance, representing nine percent of all employees.
  • We are giving money away to the whole world. Over 20 billion euros just for Bürgergeld payments to non-German citizens. Every minute, 20,000 euros go to Ukraine.
    — Ulrich Siegmund, AfD lead candidate for Saxony-Anhalt, in an MDR interview (MDR Aktuell).
The Chemnitz police's strange pursuit of the ZPS protest bus: The Chemnitz police are acting with conspicuous zeal against the protest bus of the "Center for ...
mdr.de/nachrichten/deutschland/politik/polizei-chemnitz-verfolgt-adenauer-srp-bus-bundesweit,zps-mifri-100.html
The Chemnitz police's strange pursuit of the ZPS protest bus
Arendsee Monastery participates in the MDR Music Summer for the first time: Arendsee Monastery is participating in the MDR Music Summer for the first time this ...
az-online.de/altmark/arendsee/kloster-arendsee-erstmals-beim-mdr-musiksommer-dabei-94467738.html
Arendsee Monastery participates in the MDR Music Summer for the first time
OpinionSummer interview with Chrupalla and Weidel: Double demagoguery in the information channel
taz.de/Sommerinterview-mit-Chrupalla-und-Weidel/!6206742/
Summer interview with Chrupalla and Weidel: Double demagoguery in the ...
"Election Arena" in Saxony-Anhalt: The AfD's plans are "the best recipe for dictatorship," the Syrian tells Ulrich Siegmund.
tagesspiegel.de/politik/wahlarena-in-sachsen-anhalt-die-plane-der-afd-seien-das-beste-rezept-von-diktatur-sagt-der-syrer-zu-ulrich-siegmund-15938544.html
Key FactsSchulze Rejects Cooperation with the AfD
Aug 13, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: merkur.de
  • Saxony-Anhalt’s state parliament election is scheduled for September 6.

  • On Wednesday evening, MDR brought six lead candidates together with 50 invited viewers.

  • Sven Schulze said he was not seeking cooperation with the AfD and denied that it offered viable plans for Saxony-Anhalt’s future.

  • According to Schulze, neither AfD nor Left Party politicians would hold ministerial posts in a state government led by him.
  • I do not intend to work with the AfD here. But it's all about these issues. I am convinced that the AfD does not have the solutions for the future of Saxony-Anhalt.
    — MDR Wahl Arena, Sven Schulze (CDU), Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt, responding to questions about cooperation with the AfD
OpinionMDR before the state elections: A bumpy downward slope: The AfD in Saxony-Anhalt wants to dismantle public broadcasting. But MDR is already under massive ...
taz.de/MDR-vor-den-Landtagswahlen/!6204657/
MDR before the state elections: A bumpy downward slope
OpinionSaxony-Anhalt: No, MDR doesn't have to stay silent if the AfD wants to abolish it
sueddeutsche.de/meinung/mdr-sachsen-anhalt-afd-wahl-kommentar-li.3537344
Saxony-Anhalt: No, MDR doesn't have to stay silent if the AfD wants to ...
Defectors to the CDU could prevent the AfD from achieving an absolute majority: Defectors to the CDU could jeopardize the AfD's absolute majority in the ...
focus.de/politik/deutschland/ueberlaeufer-zur-cdu-koennten-absolute-afd-mehrheit-verhindern_cd5efa5f-3152-40b1-949d-eaecdf8da357.html
Defectors to the CDU could prevent the AfD from achieving an absolute ...
Siegmund vs. Schulze - | three takeaways from this evening: On MDR, the leading candidates of the CDU and AfD in Saxony-Anhalt engage in a heated exchange ...
focusplus.de/politik/siegmund-gegen-schulze-drei-erkenntnisse-bleiben-von-diesem-abend-16856
Siegmund vs. Schulze - | three takeaways from this evening
No MDR, no stream, no recording: Mystery surrounding Kaisermania 2026: Kaisermania was one of MDR's most successful entertainment formats ...
freiepresse.de/kultur/kein-mdr-kein-stream-keine-aufzeichnung-raetsel-um-kaisermania-2026-artikel14354021
No MDR, no stream, no recording: Mystery surrounding Kaisermania 2026
MDR and AfD in Saxony-Anhalt: Ignoring the fear on election night: MDR employees would be directly threatened by an AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt ...
sueddeutsche.de/medien/mdr-sendepausen-wahl-sachsen-anhalt-mitarbeiter-afd-li.3529807
MDR and AfD in Saxony-Anhalt: Ignoring the fear on election night
What would the termination of the MDR state treaty mean for MDR and the people of Saxony-Anhalt? This podcast episode takes a detailed look at the potential ... Show more

IN BETWEEN: Can the AfD abolish MDR?
Election poster damaged: AfD politician injures 14-year-old boy: Two teenagers destroyed AfD election posters in Stendal on Thursday. An AfD member surprised the ...
mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen-anhalt/stendal/stendal/lka-arno-bausemer-,stendal-auseinandersetzung-afd-plakate-100.html
Election poster damaged: AfD politician injures 14-year-old boy
Leipzig: MDR warnt vor gefälschten Videos und Desinformation: Gefälschte Videos mit dem Logo des Mitteldeutschen Rundfunks und frei erfundene Vorwürfe gegen ...
saechsische.de/politik/regional/mdr-warnt-vor-gefaelschten-videos-und-desinformation-S5DIBXKVCJDHFP2IADUV4VW4ZQ.html
Leipzig: MDR warnt vor gefälschten Videos und Desinformation
Jan Josef Liefers criticizes MDR's "Tatort" budget cuts: "You'd expect something like this from the AfD"
merkur.de/boulevard/jan-josef-liefers-kritisiert-tatort-sparkurs-beim-mdr-wuerde-man-eher-der-afd-zutrauen-zr-94444789.html
Jan Josef Liefers criticizes MDR's
Key FactsLiefers Challenges Alarm Over Possible AfD Government
Aug 15, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: fr.de
  • Saxony-Anhalt has an election scheduled for September 6, in which current surveys indicate that the AfD could become the clear leading party.

  • The Dresden-born actor discussed the prospect of an AfD-led state government on „Lanz + Precht“.

  • Liefers called the AfD’s political agenda relatively authoritarian and rejected the nationalist notion of an allegedly purified people.

  • He sees no threat to democracy, considers Germany more resilient than it is often portrayed, and regards scenarios of collapse as exaggerated.
  • With the national idea of a 'cleansed people,' he has never been able to engage with it.
    — Jan Josef Liefers, during the podcast 'Lanz + Precht' discussing the AfD and democracy
MDR Election Forum on the Saxony-Anhalt Election: Remigration? Firewall? Was there something?
n-tv.de/politik/MDR-Wahlarena-zur-Wahl-in-Sachsen-Anhalt-Remigration-Brandmauer-War-da-was-id31187764.html
MDR Election Forum on the Saxony-Anhalt Election: Remigration? Firewall? ...
A weekend full of summer moments awaits you! ✨ From August 14th to 16th, egapark will be transformed into a stage for unforgettable experiences ... Show more

egapark Erfurt | Homepage
OpinionElection arena in Saxony-Anhalt: And remember the facts: At the MDR election forum, citizens have their say. Nevertheless, there are arguments and interruptions ...
taz.de/Wahlarena-in-Sachsen-Anhalt/!6204009/
Election arena in Saxony-Anhalt: And remember the facts
Staff members of state parliament members: | "This has nothing to do with constituency work"
tagesschau.de/investigativ/fakt/landtagsabgeordnete-mitarbeiter-budget-100.html
Staff members of state parliament members: |
Lok Sabha Passes Bill To Allow Charges On UPI, Other Digital Payments: Real-time payments made through RTGS and NEFT are done by paying a service charge. However ...
ndtv.com/india-news/lok-sabha-passes-bill-to-allow-charges-on-upi-other-digital-payments-11874925
Lok Sabha Passes Bill To Allow Charges On UPI, Other Digital Payments
UPI payments: Finance Ministry says consumers will face no transaction charges, while person-to-person payments remain free; a threshold-based MDR may apply to ... Show more

'It will continue to be free': Government says no charges on UPI for consumers
Explainer: Transaction charges for UPI use – what changes, and what doesn’t: The Taxation and Other Laws Amendment Bill, 2026 paves the way for potential nominal ...
financialexpress.com/money/explainer-transaction-charges-for-upi-use-what-changes-and-what-doesnt-4314133/
Explainer: Transaction charges for UPI use – what changes ...
Could your ₹500 UPI payment soon come with a charge? Not exactly — but the rules around UPI fees could change. The government has introduced a Bill seeking to ... Show more
Nirmala Sitharaman says MDR on UPI applies only to merchants and not customers: The Lok Sabha passed the bill earlier in the day without a debate amid persistent ...
financialexpress.com/business/banking-finance/nirmala-sitharaman-says-mdr-on-upi-applies-only-to-merchants-and-not-customers/4312322/
Nirmala Sitharaman says MDR on UPI applies only to merchants and not ...
Will kirana stores be charged for accepting UPI? Here’s what to know: Consumers and small merchants, including kirana stores, can continue using UPI payments ...
financialexpress.com/business/news/will-kirana-stores-be-charged-for-accepting-upi-heres-what-to-know/4313312/
Will kirana stores be charged for accepting UPI? Here’s what to know