German students say Australia’s social-media ban for under-16s is not the answer Europe’s biggest tour operator TUI reports its best annual earnings on record SPD general secretary urges expansion of pension contributors

Below are the latest headlines, analysis and background from Germany on Wednesday, December 12

German travel giant TUI reports highest annual earnings in history

Germany’s holiday firm TUI, which is Europe’s biggest tour operator, has posted record annual earnings, though it expects slower growth next year.

Here’s a look at TUI’s numbers for the year ending September 30:

Annual earnings: €1.46 billion ($1.7 billion), up 12.6% compared with last year

Revenue: up 4.4%

Pre-tax profit: €1.03 billion, up 20%

Next year forecast: earnings to grow 7-10%, revenue to rise 2-4%

The guidance is given “acknowledging the current trading environment as well as prevailing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties,” said TUI.

The travel operator noted that early signs were “positive” for summer 2026, “with booked revenue well ahead in what remains a challenging operating environment.”

“In a highly competitive market environment, we achieved the best result in the company’s history and exceeded the EBIT [earnings before interest and tax] forecast for the full year 2025,” said Sebastian Ebel, chief executive of TUI Group.

German students oppose Australia’s social media ban

German students have condemnedAustralia’s new law banning social media use for under‑16s, calling it the wrong approach.

“The first step should always be to teach young people skills,” Quentin Gärtner of the German National Students’ Conference.

He added that minors need to learn how to behave responsibly online, rather than simply being blocked.

Australia’s new law, which came into effect on Wednesday, requires major platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook to block accounts of users under 16 or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (€30 million).

Gärtner argued that simple age restrictions won’t solve the problems.

“If we talk about social media regulations or bans, we need a society‑wide approach,” Gärtner, who served as secretary general of the National Students’ Conference until November, told the dpa news agency.

“Then we have to say that society as a whole cannot cope with this. But then we need other formats,” the 18-year-old added.

He suggested that schools should provide trained professionals who can teach students about healthy sleep habits, the mechanics of social media and how to handle misinformation.

“It’s not that we are unaware our screen time is harmful,” said Gärtner, adding that millions of children and teenagers are looking for help, hence the demand for guidance is high.

Welcome to our coverage

Guten Tag from the newsroom in Bonn.

The German National Students’ Conference has criticized Australia’s social media ban for young people under 16, which came into effect on Wednesday. Its former secretary general said age restrictions would not solve the problem.

German holiday giant TUI, Europe’s biggest tour operator, has recorded its highest annual earnings.

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