
Germany updates: Railroad operator seeks modernization delay – DW – 07/10/2025
The refurbishment of more than 40 high-use railroad lines nationwide is now to take at least five years longer than was originally planned.
German carmaker Volkswagen has put a temporary stop to deliveries of its electric van model ID.Buzz to the US, a newspaper says, quoting sources at the firm as saying US tariffs were one factor in the move.
Meanwhile, spot checks put in place by Poland are causing difficulties to people living on both sides of the German-Polish border.
Germany's Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM) has ordered a block on the website "Kalifat" for spreading Islamist propaganda and violating democratic principles.
The German-language site threatens Germany's free democratic order, the KJM said Thursday in Berlin. The action was initiated by the state media authority in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Despite a ban on the group behind the site since 2003, the site remained accessible in Germany. Regional media regulators have now ordered the country's five biggest telecom companies to block it, and the orders have already been enforced.
"We oppose anyone who spreads hate and agitates against our free democracy," said Tobias Schmid, director of the North Rhine-Westphalia state media authority, which launched the case.
KJM chair Marc Jan Eumann added: "Anyone who incites hatred against people of other faiths stands against all of us and will be stopped with every legal tool we have."
The KJM, part of Germany's network of state media authorities, is responsible for tackling illegal hate and extremist content online.
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The German Football Association (DFB) has surpassed eight million members for the first time, posting a 3.86% increase over the past year.
Youngsters in general — and girls in particular — have been the driving force.
"It's a strong sign that football in Germany continues to grow in our 125th anniversary year," DFB President Bernd Neuendorf said on Thursday in Frankfurt.
The biggest boost came among girls under 16, where membership rose by 9%. Compared to 2021, the DFB has gained nearly a million new memberships overall.
"Our clubs provide a great service to society and our communities. That's more important than ever in these turbulent times," Neuendorf said.
The number of referees is also on the rise: for the first time in nearly a decade, more than 60,000 officials are active. While the share of female referees remains steady at 4.5%, the overall share of girls and women in DFB membership continues to grow.
Members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the largest opposition party in the German federal parliament, will not be allowed to take on jobs within the public service in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the state government has said.
Anyone applying for a position in public service will have to declare that they are not a member of an extremist organization and have not been one for the past five years, said state Interior Minister Michael Ebling.
He said the state's domestic intelligence agency has found enough evidence of extremist activities by the local AfD branch for the party to be put on a list of anti-constitutional bodies whose members will be banned from public service jobs.
The move by the state comes after Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, classified the AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist group in early May, a classification that is currently suspended during an appeal by the party.
The move has sparked a renewed debate about banning the AfD.
State-owned German national railroad operator Deutsche Bahn has said it wants to delay modernization plans for key routes by another year to 2036 after it previously suggested a four-year delay to 2035 in late June.
The refurbishment of more than 40 high-use railroad lines nationwide is now to take at least five years longer than was originally planned.
The modernization of German railroads is seen as urgently needed to prevent the frequent delays and malfunctions currently suffered by passengers and freight companies.
The Association of Freight Railways has said it approves of the planned further postponement of the modernization projects, saying it will allow them to be better prepared.
Last year, Deutsche Bahn successfully refurbished the line between Frankfurt and Mannheim, the first such project to be completed.
From August, the key line between Berlin and Hamburg is to be closed off for months while modernization is carried out.
Authorities in eastern Germany have arrested two people, a 53-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman, who are suspected of holding a 19-year-old woman hostage in a barn.
Police freed the woman from the barn in the town of Vogelsberg in the state of Thuringia on Tuesday after being alerted by her calls for help during a search of a property, according to broadcaster MDR.
She was reportedly trapped in a box.
The young woman had been reported missing in Vogelsberg on Sunday, with police launching an immediate search operation, as she was reported to be on medication.
Germany's Federal Statistical Office on Wednesday confirmed that the country's inflation rate was at 2% in June, the lowest monthly figure since October 2024.
The figure is down 0.1 of a percentage point from May.
The European Central Bank (ECB) has set a target of precisely 2% inflation for the eurozone.
In recent years, consumer prices have stabilized in Germany after the high of 8.8% inflation in late 2022 driven by the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, has forecast inflation to remain around 2% in the coming months.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called on Israel to save "hundreds of thousands" of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from dying of starvation and to give them the aid they need.
"That is Israel's obligation. International aid organizations must immediately be granted comprehensive access to be able to bring humanitarian aid to the people," he said on Thursday before traveling to Vienna, Austria, where he was to meet his Israeli counterpart.
Wadephul also called on the Palestinian militant group Hamas to lay down its arms and to release any hostages it is still holding in the Gaza Strip.
He said Palestinians needed to have a future in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem for there to be a long-lasting peace, but that it should be without Hamas as rulers in Gaza.
"Never again must a massacre like that on October 7, 2023, be conducted," he said, referring to Hamas-led raids in southern Israel on that date in which some 1,200 people, most civilians, were killed and around 250 hostages taken.
Israel responded to the attacks with an offensive in Gaza against Hamas in which more than 57,000 Palestinians have so far been killed, according to figures provided by authorities in the Hamas-run enclave.
Police in Australia have issued a public appeal for help as they continue their nationwide search for a 26-year-old German woman who went missing more than a week ago while backpacking in the state of Western Australia.
Carolina Wilga was last seen on June 29 at a general store in the small agricultural town of Beacon, situated to the northeast of the state capital, Perth.
"Carolina departed that area about five minutes later and has not been seen or heard from since," homicide squad detective senior sergeant Katharine Venn told reporters.
Venn said Wilga had planned to travel into remote areas of the state but also to the eastern coast, meaning that the search needed to cover a huge area.
She said there was so far no evidence that a third party was involved in the disappearance, but that all lines of inquiry were being followed.
Police said Wilga has spent two years in Australia backpacking and working at mine sites in Western Australia.
daily later reported that a van belonging to Wilga had been found unattended near Karroun Hill, some 300 km (186 miles) northeast of Perth.
The paper said that the vehicle appeared to have suffered mechanical issues.
Residents living at the border between Germany and Poland have long been used to traveling freely and easily between the two countries.
But now, Poland has introduced spot border checks, following a similar move by Germany in October 2023.
And although authorities promised that EU nationals would not suffer inconvenience, people in the region say otherwise, as this report from DW describes: German-Polish border checks: 'They make our life difficult'
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German carmaker Volkswagen is currently not delivering its ID.Buzz model to the US, according to the daily .
The paper cited sources at the company as saying that the high tariffs imposed by the US Trump administration were one reason for the cessation of deliveries, along with a recall because of the dimensions of the electric van's third-row seat.
Two people at the company said the tariffs of 27.5% imposed by the US in April on imports of new cars constructed in Europe had been a factor in the move. Previously, tariffs of just 2.5% had been in place.
The ID.Buzz has also faced a recall by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) because its third-row seats do not meet US federal safety standards. These require seats of that size to have three seatbelts rather than the two currently fitted.
VW is reportedly responding to the recall by reducing the size of the seats.
On Wednesday, VW said its total vehicle deliveries to North America had fallen almost 7% in the first half of the year, although overall deliveries worldwide had risen by 1.3%.
on this sunny day in Bonn, as DW starts with its roundup of news from Germany.
Germany's car industry is not just one of the country's major economic drivers, but also a source of national pride, so the reports that carmaker Volkswagen is temporarily stopping delivery of a model to the US is likely to make waves.
Germany has also been leading the way in imposing border checks despite the freedom of movement previously guaranteed by the Schengen zone. A reciprocal move by Poland is now making life difficult for residents at the border between the two countries.
Here, DW will bring you reports, explainers and analyses on these and other stories from Europe's strongest economy. We wish you enjoyable reading!
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Int'l Business Times
6 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
European Powers Plan Fresh Nuclear Talks With Iran
European powers plan fresh talks with Iran on its nuclear programme in the coming days, the first since the US attacked Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago, a German diplomatic source told AFP on Sunday. Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, "are in contact with Iran to schedule further talks for the coming week", the source said. The trio had recently warned that international sanctions against Iran could be reactivated if Tehran does not return to the negotiating table. Iran's Tasnim news agency also reported that Tehran had agreed to hold talks with the three European countries, citing an unnamed source. Consultations are ongoing regarding a date and location for the talks, the report said. "Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. That is why Germany, France and the United Kingdom are continuing to work intensively in the E3 format to find a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear programme," the German source said. Israel and Western nations have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied. On June 13, Israel launched a wave of surprise strikes on its regional nemesis, targeting key military and nuclear facilities. The United States launched its own set of strikes against Iran's nuclear programme on June 22, hitting the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, in Qom province south of Tehran, as well as nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz. Iran and the United States had held several rounds of nuclear negotiations through Omani mediators before Israel launched its 12-day war against Iran. However, US President Donald Trump's decision to join Israel in striking Iranian nuclear facilities effectively ended the talks. The E3 countries last met with Iranian representatives in Geneva on June 21 -- just one day before the US strikes. Meanwhile on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a surprise meeting in the Kremlin with Ali Larijani, top adviser to Iran's supreme leader on nuclear issues. Larijani "conveyed assessments of the escalating situation in the Middle East and around the Iranian nuclear programme", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the unannounced meeting. Putin had expressed Russia's "well-known positions on how to stabilise the situation in the region and on the political settlement of the Iranian nuclear programme", he added. Moscow has a cordial relationship with Iran's clerical leadership and provides crucial backing for Tehran but did not swing forcefully behind its partner even after the United States joined Israel's bombing campaign. Iran and world powers struck a deal in 2015 called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which placed significant restrictions on Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. But the hard-won deal began to unravel in 2018, during Trump's first presidency, when the United States walked away from it and reimposed sanctions on Iran. European countries have in recent days threatened to trigger the deal's "snapback" mechanism, which allows the reimposition of sanctions in the event of non-compliance by Iran. After a call with his European counterparts on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Western allies had no grounds for reactivating sanctions. "If EU/E3 want to have a role, they should act responsibly and put aside the worn-out policies of threat and pressure, including the 'snap-back' for which they (have) absolutely no moral (or) legal grounds," Araghchi said on X. However, the German source on Sunday said that "if no solution is reached over the summer, snapback remains an option for the E3". Iran last week said there would be no new nuclear talks with the United States if they were conditioned on Tehran abandoning its uranium enrichment activities. "If the negotiations must be conditioned on stopping enrichment, such negotiations will not take place," Ali Velayati, an adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA.


DW
7 hours ago
- DW
Germany updates: Protestors derail AfD leader's interview – DW – 07/20/2025
Far-right leader Alice Weidel's big "summer interview" was disrupted by raucous demonstrators. Meanwhile, a dispute dividing the country's ruling coalition will not go away. Follow DW for more. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's lower house of parliament is under constant cyberattack. On Sunday, she called for beefed-up cyber defenses as well as expanded rights for parliamentary police when screening visitors. Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil is pushing to revive a postponed Bundestag vote on law professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf's controversial nomination to Germany's top court. Also in Berlin, Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Alice Weidel found herself unable to hear the questions during a prime-time interview when rowdy protestors broke out into song and dance below where they were Weidel, one of the co-chairs of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), was due to give the big "summer interview" that the leaders of the country's main political parties traditionally give to public broadcaster ARD. However, as she was preparing to begin the question and answer session on a terrace in Berlin's government quarter, demonstrators arrived nearby. Breaking out into loud singing, dancing, and chanting, they made it extremely difficult for Weidel to hear the questions she was being asked. She pressed interviewer Markus Preiss to continue despite the difficulty, resulting in what Preiss described as an "acoustically difficult situation." "At points we really couldn't understand each other," he said afterward. The European Commission is preparing to ban combustion engine vehicles for company fleets and rental car providers starting in 2030 — a move that some in the industry say would hit Germany's auto market especially hard. According to , the plan would affect about 60% of all new vehicle sales across the EU, with only 40% of the market made up of private buyers. In 2023, 10.6 million vehicles were sold EU-wide. The Commission intends to present the proposal by late summer and launch the legislative process. Approval by both the EU Council and European Parliament will be required. A Commission spokesperson confirmed work on the regulation but declined to provide details. German voices are already pushing back. European lawmaker Markus Ferber, from Bavaria's conservative Christian Social Union, urged Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to scrap the plan. In a letter seen by Bild, he warned that fleet operators would be forced to buy only electric vehicles to meet quotas. Rental firm Sixt board member Nico Gabriel called the measure unrealistic. "Vacationers will hardly use rental cars anymore, and consumers will barely be able to lease vehicles," he said, pointing to a lack of charging infrastructure across the EU. Other rental firms told Bild they expect prices to rise as a result. Chancellor-designate Lars Klingbeil of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is standing by the nomination of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf to the Federal Constitutional Court and has called for a repeat of the judge election in the Bundestag. Speaking to , Klingbeil said alleged plagiarism concerns raised by the opposition had been addressed, adding: "We can now put the vote back on the Bundestag agenda." The Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) remains cautious. "We are not under time pressure and will discuss this calmly within the coalition," a parliamentary group spokesperson told the newspaper. They added that plagiarism was never the main issue, saying: "There are fundamental, substantive concerns within the parliamentary group." Brosius-Gersdorf has become the focus of a rare political clash over appointments to Germany's highest court. The CDU/CSU initially approved her nomination alongside two other candidates, but last Friday abruptly withdrew its support and urged the SPD to drop her candidacy. Opponents of the nominee, a law professor, have cited her perceived liberal views, with some media portraying her as "ultra-left" views on issues such as abortion. Brosius-Gersdorf insists her opinions have been misrepresented, accusing the media of "inaccurate and incomplete, unobjective and non-transparent" reporting. Klingbeil framed the controversy as a test of principle. "It's a fundamental question of whether we yield to pressure from far-right networks that have smeared a highly qualified woman," he told the newspaper. Julia Klöckner also called for a new parliamentary police law to better protect the Bundestag and politicians against potential physical attacks — specifically when it comes to ID checks among visitors to the popular institution. Currently, says Klöckner, domestic security services cannot share information about an individual visitor's criminal records or threat potential with Bundestag police, a situation she blasted as "absurd." Germany's Bundestag is the most-visited parliament in the world according to Klöckner, with more than 2 million citizens attending sessions each year. A female brown bear, known as JJ4 or Gaia, that killed a jogger in Italy in 2023 has been relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Germany. The move follows legal battles and protests, after the bear — originally set to be euthanized — became the center of a debate over human-wildlife conflict. Read more about the story here. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, speaking with German press agency DPA, called for increased defensive capabilities at the country's parliament, saying it is under constant attack. "We are recording numerous hacker attacks… the Bundestag is a prime target," said Klöckner, whose position as president of the body is similar to that of the speaker in many other countries. "We will have to boost our capacity to resist against cyberattacks," she said in remarks to be published Sunday. "If the German Bundestag were to be shutdown during the reading of a bill or a vote, for example, and deadlines could not be met… that would be a triumph for hackers," said Klöckner. "Defending ourselves against this has to do with the stabilization and resilience of our democracy," not only the protection of the parliament. The last overhaul of the system was prompted by a May 2015 cyberattack in which the computers of numerous parliamentarians — and even Chancellor Angela Merkel — were infected with spyware. Five years later, Merkel announced that an investigation had turned up "hard evidence" of Russian involvement. Russia was also accused of being behind a 2023 cyberattack on the email accounts of then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD). It remains unknown who was behind a 2024 cyberattack on the headquarters of Klöckner's own Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has warned the United States against escalating the tariff war with the European Union (EU). "This would lead to everything becoming more expensive for consumers in the USA," he told the newspaper. "The European Union is not defenseless." Wadephul insisted that EU member states were standing together and that he didn't fear an end to the resistance. "Indeed, there are states which are demanding more stringency and toughness than Germany thinks is right," he said. Wadephul reiterated the German government's belief that "the complete dismantling of all tariffs" is the preferred approach, and that "we can reach a positive agreement with the USA through negotiation." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He said that Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heavily involved in the discussions, saying: "Germans can count on the fact that there is a chancellor standing up for our interests and European interests in Washington." After the new German government resumed deportations to Afghanistan this week, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has floated a similar approach for Syria – despite the current unrest in the war-torn country. "It's possible that, in future, Syrians who have committed criminal offenses [could be] deported," he told the newspaper. "I think that's possible in principle – provided the country develops in [the right] direction." Southern Syria has been rocked by violence again this week, with the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus struggling to prevent clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions in Sweida and powerless to stop Israeli intervention. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed. "We are watching Syria with concern," said Wadephul, calling on the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa to ensure that all sections of the population and all religious groups can co-exist. "No-one should have to fear for life and limb," he said. "But as it stands, we are of the opinion that we have to give this interim government a chance." Germany spectacularly reached the semi-final of the Women's Euro 2025 on Saturday night, beating France 6-5 on penalties despite having been reduced to ten players for the majority of the evening. Kathrin Hendrich was sent off in the 13th minute for tugging on an opponent's hair in the penalty area, after which Grace Geyoro gave France the lead from the penalty spot. But Sjoeke Nüsken headed Germany level just nine minutes later. What followed was 100 minutes of defensive attrition from Germany to somehow reach extra-time and then penalties, where goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the heroine. Germany will face Spain in the semifinal on Wednesday. The other semifinal sees defending champions England play Italy. Read DW's full match report here. German police on Saturday shot dead a man who had fired shots at passersby and neighboring buildings in the small town of Leonberg, just west of the city of Stuttgart in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg. Local police and state prosecutors said the 44-year-old German man had indiscriminately fired shots from the second floor of his house, fortunately injuring nobody. When armed police entered his apartment, he reportedly threatened officers with his weapon and was subsequently shot. Police secured the weapon which turned out to be a non-lethal gas pistol. Whether or not this was the weapon used to fire the shots from the house was not immediately clear. The state criminal police office (LKA) is also investigating the police's use of firearms in the operation. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday honored the Central Council of Jews in Germany for its role in society on the 75th anniversary of its founding. "Jewish life is a part of us," wrote Merz on the messaging platform X, adding that the organization reminds everyone in the country of something "that should be obvious: Germany must be a safe space for Jews." Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also honored the day, saying that he was "deeply thankful" that the organization's first leaders had determined to "rebuild Jewish life in Germany in the aftermath of the Shoah ." Steinmeier said that beyond not letting Germany forget the crimes of its Nazi past and fighting antisemitism, the Central Council of Jews in Germany served as "an important driving force behind the democratic development of German society after 1945." The institution, which functions as Germany's main political, societal and religious representative for Jews in the country, was founded on July 19, 1950, in Frankfurt — just five years after the end of World War II and the industrial-scale murder of more than six million European Jews at the hands of Germany's Nazi dictatorship. Today the council comprises some 105 communities and associations, and 100.000 individual view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A majority of Germans have opposed banning the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to a new poll. The survey by the Allensbach Institute, published Saturday by , found that 52% of respondents reject a ban on the party, while 27% support it. In eastern Germany, two-thirds of those surveyed said they were against such a move. According to the researchers, one key reason is that many Germans know AfD supporters personally. In the West, 67% said they had AfD sympathizers in their social circles; in the East, that figure rose to 88%. While 54% of respondents described the AfD as far-right, only 5% viewed their acquaintances who back the party in the same way. Another factor behind the opposition to a ban is mistrust toward the parties advocating it. Many respondents suspect those parties are mainly trying to eliminate a political rival that has grown too strong. The idea of a ban is divisive within Germany's governing coalition. The center-left Social Democratic Party voted unanimously at its June 29 party congress to prepare proceedings and called for a federal-state working group. The center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union has pushed back, citing steep legal hurdles and urging a focus on political argument. Two parties have been banned in (West) Germany, an openly neo-Nazi party in 1952 and the Communist Party (KPD) in 1956. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Around half of eligible voters in Germany have said they agree with the federal government's view that Russia poses a danger to the country, according to a new YouGov poll for Germany's DPA news agency. The survey found that 13% see a very serious military threat from Moscow, while 36% consider it a significant one. By contrast, 30% say Russia poses only a minor threat, and 14% see no threat at all. The divide is sharp along political party lines. Among supporters of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, center-left Social Democrats, and the Greens, 58–62% view Russia as a major or very serious threat. About one-third of these party groups see little or no danger. The picture flips among far-right Alternative for Germany voters, where 65% say there is little or no military threat from Russia, while 29% see one. Among supporters of the populist left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, only 33% see a threat, while 51% do not. Supporters of the socialist Left party are evenly split — 48% see a threat, 47% do not. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German consumers are paying more for meat — and prices are still climbing this summer. And while retail costs rise, producers of Germany's favorite meat, pork, face falling returns. According to the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI) in Bonn, average discount supermarket prices for a 400-gram pack of minute steaks increased by 30 cents in early July, from €3.49 to €3.79 ($4.06 to $4.41). The price for coarse pork sausages rose from €2.59 to €2.89, and a 550-gram pack of chicken schnitzel went up 30 cents to €6.26. Meat and meat product prices have steadily risen in recent years. The Federal Statistical Office reports that, by June, they were on average 31.7% higher than in 2020. Poultry had risen by more than 45%, and minced beef by over 68%. The German Meat Industry Association cites several causes: general inflation, rising feed costs, wage increases, and energy policy impacts. Beef has become scarcer in Germany. According to the industry association, more farms are ending cattle production, citing regulatory pressure and uncertainty about future farming standards. The result has been shrinking herds. Meanwhile, poultry consumption is rising. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German media have begun scrutinizing the government's latest deportation flights to Afghanistan, questioning whether the men truly fit the label of dangerous criminals. One of the 81 men deported on Friday was Haroon I., 27, who was escorted from a facility in Pforzheim under heavy police presence late on Thursday. Footage of the scene, obtained by , shows the emotional moment. The report said the man was a convicted cannabis dealer who had already served his sentence. People close to him say he had been rebuilding his life and was well on his way to integrating into German society. said that Haroon had strong German, was living with his partner, a German woman, had a job and was a member of his community. He also had little connection to Afghanistan with most of his family having left the country. The convoy was guarded by police in balaclavas who kept back friends and supporters. Pforzheim was one of the departure points for the new round of deportations to Afghanistan ordered by Germany's centrist coalition. A plane carrying the men left Leipzig airport early on Friday. The government has said it is delivering on a campaign pledge to deport people to Afghanistan and Syria, starting with criminals and people posing a perceived risk. After the deportations, the United Nations said no one should be returned to Afghanistan, regardless of their legal status.


DW
7 hours ago
- DW
Germany updates: Bundestag is a 'prime' target for hackers – DW – 07/20/2025
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's lower house of parliament is consistently under attack by hackers. Meanwhile, a dispute dividing the country's ruling coalition will not go away. Follow DW for more. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's lower house of parliament is under constant cyberattack. On Sunday, she called for beefed-up cyber defenses as well as expanded rights for parliamentary police when screening visitors. Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil is pushing to revive a postponed Bundestag vote on law professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf's controversial nomination to Germany's top Weidel, one of the co-chairs of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), was due to give the big "summer interview" that the leaders of the country's main political parties traditionally give to public broadcaster ARD. However, as she was preparing to begin the question and answer session on a terrace in Berlin's government quarter, demonstrators arrived nearby. Breaking out into loud singing, dancing, and chanting, they made it extremely difficult for Weidel to hear the questions she was being asked. She pressed interviewer Markus Preiss to continue despite the difficulty, resulting in what Preiss described as an "acoustically difficult situation." "At points we really couldn't understand each other," he said afterward. The European Commission is preparing to ban combustion engine vehicles for company fleets and rental car providers starting in 2030 — a move that some in the industry say would hit Germany's auto market especially hard. According to , the plan would affect about 60% of all new vehicle sales across the EU, with only 40% of the market made up of private buyers. In 2023, 10.6 million vehicles were sold EU-wide. The Commission intends to present the proposal by late summer and launch the legislative process. Approval by both the EU Council and European Parliament will be required. A Commission spokesperson confirmed work on the regulation but declined to provide details. German voices are already pushing back. European lawmaker Markus Ferber, from Bavaria's conservative Christian Social Union, urged Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to scrap the plan. In a letter seen by Bild, he warned that fleet operators would be forced to buy only electric vehicles to meet quotas. Rental firm Sixt board member Nico Gabriel called the measure unrealistic. "Vacationers will hardly use rental cars anymore, and consumers will barely be able to lease vehicles," he said, pointing to a lack of charging infrastructure across the EU. Other rental firms told Bild they expect prices to rise as a result. Chancellor-designate Lars Klingbeil of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is standing by the nomination of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf to the Federal Constitutional Court and has called for a repeat of the judge election in the Bundestag. Speaking to , Klingbeil said alleged plagiarism concerns raised by the opposition had been addressed, adding: "We can now put the vote back on the Bundestag agenda." The Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) remains cautious. "We are not under time pressure and will discuss this calmly within the coalition," a parliamentary group spokesperson told the newspaper. They added that plagiarism was never the main issue, saying: "There are fundamental, substantive concerns within the parliamentary group." Brosius-Gersdorf has become the focus of a rare political clash over appointments to Germany's highest court. The CDU/CSU initially approved her nomination alongside two other candidates, but last Friday abruptly withdrew its support and urged the SPD to drop her candidacy. Opponents of the nominee, a law professor, have cited her perceived liberal views, with some media portraying her as "ultra-left" views on issues such as abortion. Brosius-Gersdorf insists her opinions have been misrepresented, accusing the media of "inaccurate and incomplete, unobjective and non-transparent" reporting. Klingbeil framed the controversy as a test of principle. "It's a fundamental question of whether we yield to pressure from far-right networks that have smeared a highly qualified woman," he told the newspaper. Julia Klöckner also called for a new parliamentary police law to better protect the Bundestag and politicians against potential physical attacks — specifically when it comes to ID checks among visitors to the popular institution. Currently, says Klöckner, domestic security services cannot share information about an individual visitor's criminal records or threat potential with Bundestag police, a situation she blasted as "absurd." Germany's Bundestag is the most-visited parliament in the world according to Klöckner, with more than 2 million citizens attending sessions each year. A female brown bear, known as JJ4 or Gaia, that killed a jogger in Italy in 2023 has been relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Germany. The move follows legal battles and protests, after the bear — originally set to be euthanized — became the center of a debate over human-wildlife conflict. Read more about the story here. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, speaking with German press agency DPA, called for increased defensive capabilities at the country's parliament, saying it is under constant attack. "We are recording numerous hacker attacks… the Bundestag is a prime target," said Klöckner, whose position as president of the body is similar to that of the speaker in many other countries. "We will have to boost our capacity to resist against cyberattacks," she said in remarks to be published Sunday. "If the German Bundestag were to be shutdown during the reading of a bill or a vote, for example, and deadlines could not be met… that would be a triumph for hackers," said Klöckner. "Defending ourselves against this has to do with the stabilization and resilience of our democracy," not only the protection of the parliament. The last overhaul of the system was prompted by a May 2015 cyberattack in which the computers of numerous parliamentarians — and even Chancellor Angela Merkel — were infected with spyware. Five years later, Merkel announced that an investigation had turned up "hard evidence" of Russian involvement. Russia was also accused of being behind a 2023 cyberattack on the email accounts of then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD). It remains unknown who was behind a 2024 cyberattack on the headquarters of Klöckner's own Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has warned the United States against escalating the tariff war with the European Union (EU). "This would lead to everything becoming more expensive for consumers in the USA," he told the newspaper. "The European Union is not defenseless." Wadephul insisted that EU member states were standing together and that he didn't fear an end to the resistance. "Indeed, there are states which are demanding more stringency and toughness than Germany thinks is right," he said. Wadephul reiterated the German government's belief that "the complete dismantling of all tariffs" is the preferred approach, and that "we can reach a positive agreement with the USA through negotiation." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He said that Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heavily involved in the discussions, saying: "Germans can count on the fact that there is a chancellor standing up for our interests and European interests in Washington." After the new German government resumed deportations to Afghanistan this week, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has floated a similar approach for Syria – despite the current unrest in the war-torn country. "It's possible that, in future, Syrians who have committed criminal offenses [could be] deported," he told the newspaper. "I think that's possible in principle – provided the country develops in [the right] direction." Southern Syria has been rocked by violence again this week, with the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus struggling to prevent clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions in Sweida and powerless to stop Israeli intervention. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed. "We are watching Syria with concern," said Wadephul, calling on the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa to ensure that all sections of the population and all religious groups can co-exist. "No-one should have to fear for life and limb," he said. "But as it stands, we are of the opinion that we have to give this interim government a chance." Germany spectacularly reached the semi-final of the Women's Euro 2025 on Saturday night, beating France 6-5 on penalties despite having been reduced to ten players for the majority of the evening. Kathrin Hendrich was sent off in the 13th minute for tugging on an opponent's hair in the penalty area, after which Grace Geyoro gave France the lead from the penalty spot. But Sjoeke Nüsken headed Germany level just nine minutes later. What followed was 100 minutes of defensive attrition from Germany to somehow reach extra-time and then penalties, where goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the heroine. Germany will face Spain in the semifinal on Wednesday. The other semifinal sees defending champions England play Italy. Read DW's full match report here. German police on Saturday shot dead a man who had fired shots at passersby and neighboring buildings in the small town of Leonberg, just west of the city of Stuttgart in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg. Local police and state prosecutors said the 44-year-old German man had indiscriminately fired shots from the second floor of his house, fortunately injuring nobody. When armed police entered his apartment, he reportedly threatened officers with his weapon and was subsequently shot. Police secured the weapon which turned out to be a non-lethal gas pistol. Whether or not this was the weapon used to fire the shots from the house was not immediately clear. The state criminal police office (LKA) is also investigating the police's use of firearms in the operation. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday honored the Central Council of Jews in Germany for its role in society on the 75th anniversary of its founding. "Jewish life is a part of us," wrote Merz on the messaging platform X, adding that the organization reminds everyone in the country of something "that should be obvious: Germany must be a safe space for Jews." Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also honored the day, saying that he was "deeply thankful" that the organization's first leaders had determined to "rebuild Jewish life in Germany in the aftermath of the Shoah ." Steinmeier said that beyond not letting Germany forget the crimes of its Nazi past and fighting antisemitism, the Central Council of Jews in Germany served as "an important driving force behind the democratic development of German society after 1945." The institution, which functions as Germany's main political, societal and religious representative for Jews in the country, was founded on July 19, 1950, in Frankfurt — just five years after the end of World War II and the industrial-scale murder of more than six million European Jews at the hands of Germany's Nazi dictatorship. Today the council comprises some 105 communities and associations, and 100.000 individual view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A majority of Germans have opposed banning the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to a new poll. The survey by the Allensbach Institute, published Saturday by , found that 52% of respondents reject a ban on the party, while 27% support it. In eastern Germany, two-thirds of those surveyed said they were against such a move. According to the researchers, one key reason is that many Germans know AfD supporters personally. In the West, 67% said they had AfD sympathizers in their social circles; in the East, that figure rose to 88%. While 54% of respondents described the AfD as far-right, only 5% viewed their acquaintances who back the party in the same way. Another factor behind the opposition to a ban is mistrust toward the parties advocating it. Many respondents suspect those parties are mainly trying to eliminate a political rival that has grown too strong. The idea of a ban is divisive within Germany's governing coalition. The center-left Social Democratic Party voted unanimously at its June 29 party congress to prepare proceedings and called for a federal-state working group. The center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union has pushed back, citing steep legal hurdles and urging a focus on political argument. Two parties have been banned in (West) Germany, an openly neo-Nazi party in 1952 and the Communist Party (KPD) in 1956. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Around half of eligible voters in Germany have said they agree with the federal government's view that Russia poses a danger to the country, according to a new YouGov poll for Germany's DPA news agency. The survey found that 13% see a very serious military threat from Moscow, while 36% consider it a significant one. By contrast, 30% say Russia poses only a minor threat, and 14% see no threat at all. The divide is sharp along political party lines. Among supporters of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, center-left Social Democrats, and the Greens, 58–62% view Russia as a major or very serious threat. About one-third of these party groups see little or no danger. The picture flips among far-right Alternative for Germany voters, where 65% say there is little or no military threat from Russia, while 29% see one. Among supporters of the populist left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, only 33% see a threat, while 51% do not. Supporters of the socialist Left party are evenly split — 48% see a threat, 47% do not. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German consumers are paying more for meat — and prices are still climbing this summer. And while retail costs rise, producers of Germany's favorite meat, pork, face falling returns. According to the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI) in Bonn, average discount supermarket prices for a 400-gram pack of minute steaks increased by 30 cents in early July, from €3.49 to €3.79 ($4.06 to $4.41). The price for coarse pork sausages rose from €2.59 to €2.89, and a 550-gram pack of chicken schnitzel went up 30 cents to €6.26. Meat and meat product prices have steadily risen in recent years. The Federal Statistical Office reports that, by June, they were on average 31.7% higher than in 2020. Poultry had risen by more than 45%, and minced beef by over 68%. The German Meat Industry Association cites several causes: general inflation, rising feed costs, wage increases, and energy policy impacts. Beef has become scarcer in Germany. According to the industry association, more farms are ending cattle production, citing regulatory pressure and uncertainty about future farming standards. The result has been shrinking herds. Meanwhile, poultry consumption is rising. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German media have begun scrutinizing the government's latest deportation flights to Afghanistan, questioning whether the men truly fit the label of dangerous criminals. One of the 81 men deported on Friday was Haroon I., 27, who was escorted from a facility in Pforzheim under heavy police presence late on Thursday. Footage of the scene, obtained by , shows the emotional moment. The report said the man was a convicted cannabis dealer who had already served his sentence. People close to him say he had been rebuilding his life and was well on his way to integrating into German society. said that Haroon had strong German, was living with his partner, a German woman, had a job and was a member of his community. He also had little connection to Afghanistan with most of his family having left the country. The convoy was guarded by police in balaclavas who kept back friends and supporters. Pforzheim was one of the departure points for the new round of deportations to Afghanistan ordered by Germany's centrist coalition. A plane carrying the men left Leipzig airport early on Friday. The government has said it is delivering on a campaign pledge to deport people to Afghanistan and Syria, starting with criminals and people posing a perceived risk. After the deportations, the United Nations said no one should be returned to Afghanistan, regardless of their legal status.