Skip next section Thank you for reading
07/29/2025July 29, 2025
Thank you for reading
We’ve closed the blog for today and will be back tomorrow with a new one.
https://p.dw.com/p/4yA97
Skip next section Police detain man who disturbed North Sea seals in protected area
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Police detain man who disturbed North Sea seals in protected area
Police on the North Sea island of Langeoog have detained a man who disturbed seals in a protected nature preserve while trying to photograph them.
Authorities say they were contacted by visitors at a viewing platform in a highly protected area in the Wadden Sea National Park after they witnessed a man ignoring signs to approach the animals.
Some 20 startled seals rushed into the waters off the East Frisian island in the state of Lower-Saxony as a result.
Seals and other animals are strictly protected throughout the Wadden Sea National ParkImage: Helge Schulz/Zoonar/IMAGO
Witness descriptions led to the apprehension of a 26-year-old who now faces potential charges and a fine.
Although visitors may follow clearly marked paths through parts of the park in order to enjoy the unique flora and fauna of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, entry to so-called Zone 1 areas is strictly forbidden.
The Wadden Sea area, which stretches along the tidal coasts of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, was formed by sediment left behind by melting glaciers some 10,000 years ago.
Tips for a day in northern Germany’s Wadden Sea
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Skip next section Germany and Jordan to ‘immediately’ deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Germany and Jordan to ‘immediately’ deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza
Germany, in cooperation with Jordan, plans to “immediately” establish an airlift to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday after a meeting of the security cabinet in Berlin.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) will coordinate closely with France and Britain, which are also prepared to participate in the operation.
“We know that this can only be a very small help for the people in Gaza,” said Merz. “But at least it is a contribution that we are happy to make.”
Germany to set up ‘airlift of humanitarian aid over Gaza’
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https://p.dw.com/p/4y9mW
Skip next section Germany faces €172 billion budget gap for 2027-29: reports
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Germany faces €172 billion budget gap for 2027-29: reports
There is a gap of roughly €172 billion ($200 billion) in the German budget for the years 2027 to 2029, according to government sources, and reported on by the news agency dpa.
The German Cabinet intends to approve the draft federal budget for 2026 on Wednesday. It is anticipated that the draft will then be passed by the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, by the end of November.
In mid-June, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil had expected a budget gap of €144 billion for the years 2027-29. The shortfall has since increased, owing to recent policy decisions and compromises within Berlin’s ruling coalition.
One significant factor has been the decision to compensate states and municipalities for likely tax revenue shortfalls linked to the so-called “growth booster” initiative, which offers tax relief for firms so as to boost the economy.
The expansion of pension provisions for child-rearing, known as the mother’s pension, will take effect from January 1, 2027, a year earlier than had been programmed. This has further exacerbated the financial gap in the budget.
The federal government will also have to pay more on interest payments than had initially been planned.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y9ec
Skip next section Horst Mahler, RAF co-founder turned far-right extremist, dies at 89
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Horst Mahler, RAF co-founder turned far-right extremist, dies at 89
Mahler veered from far-left to far-right over the course of his activism, and found himself in trouble with the lawImage: Fabian Sommer/dpa/picture alliance
Horst Mahler, a co-founder of the far-left Red Army Faction who later became a prominent far-right extremist, has died at the age of 89. His death on Sunday at a Berlin hospital was confirmed by lawyer Jan Dollwetzel, who represented him in a 2023 trial.
Mahler began his career as a lawyer and defended Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin in a 1969 trial before co-founding the Red Army Faction with them.
The RAF, rooted in German student protests against the Vietnam War, killed 34 people and injured hundreds in its campaign against perceived US imperialism and the capitalist system. It disbanded in 1998.
In 1970, Mahler was jailed for 14 years over a series of politically motivated bank robberies. He distanced himself from left-wing militancy and was later readmitted to the legal profession in 1987 with the help of defense attorney Gerhard Schröder, who went on to become Germany’s chancellor.
During the 1990s, Mahler shifted sharply to the far-right, joining the National Democratic Party (NPD) and representing it in a 2001 court case opposing efforts to ban the party. He was later convicted multiple times for Holocaust denial, receiving sentences totaling 10 years.
While in prison, he authored a 200-page antisemitic text that was distributed online.
In 2017, Mahler fled to Hungary after being ordered back to prison, claiming he had requested asylum. He was extradited and returned to custody in Germany.
Mahler was released in October 2020 due to illness and lived in Kleinmachnow near Berlin. A final case against him was dropped in April 2023 for health reasons and was not resumed.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y8fY
Skip next section Victims of Riedlingen train crash identified
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Victims of Riedlingen train crash identified
The three people who died in Sunday’s train crash near Riedlingen in southwestern Germany have been identified, with a railway union confirming one of the victims was a 36-year-old male trainee.
Martin Burkert, chairman of the EVG railway and transport union, expressed condolences on Monday. “Our deepest sympathy goes out to the families and friends of the deceased,” he said, adding, “We mourn the loss of the two colleagues who lost their lives in the line of duty.”
Police confirmed the other victims were a 32-year-old male train driver and a 70-year-old female passenger. The crash, believed to have been caused by a landslide, occurred around 160 kilometers west of Munich.
Multiple dead in train crash in southern Germany
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Skip next section Torrential rain blamed for deadly train crash near Riedlingen
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Torrential rain blamed for deadly train crash near Riedlingen
The German Weather Service (DWD) has said extreme rainfall hit the region at the time of the fatal train accident near Riedlingen.
Up to 50 liters per square meter fell within an hour on Sunday evening. That level is classified as the highest degree of intense rain, DWD spokesman Marco Pukert said.
The DWD had no measurement station directly at the crash site but used radar data to assess conditions. The nearest station in Altheim, six kilometers away, recorded 22 liters per square meter in two hours, underscoring how concentrated the rainfall was.
Police said heavy rain triggered a landslide that pushed earth and debris onto the railway tracks. The regional express train from Sigmaringen to Ulm then derailed after hitting the debris.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y8Yk
Skip next section German carmaker Audi’s profit drops 37.5%
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
German carmaker Audi’s profit drops 37.5%
Audi is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen GroupImage: Horst Galuschka/IMAGO
Profits at German carmaker Audi have fallen by 37.5% in the first half of the year, the company says.
The business cited US tariffs, restructuring costs and weak business in China as reasons for the decline.
Post-tax earnings totaled €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion), marking the third year-on-year decline in a row for the brand.
In 2022, the Ingolstadt-based firm — also responsible for Bentley, Lamborghini and Ducati — posted €4.4 billion in profits for the same period.
Audi, which is part of the Volkswagen Group, has also cut its full-year forecast, projecting turnover to fall by €2.5 billion to between €65 billion and €70 billion, along with a significantly lower return on sales.
The outlook does not yet reflect the EU–US trade agreement announced a day earlier, which will introduce a 15% tariff on imports.
Audi said it is still evaluating the deal, with CFO Jürgen Rittersberger noting that key details remain unclear.
However, he said the agreement is welcome in principle as it offers planning certainty.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y8BQ
Skip next section Germany’s finance minister heads to Lithuania for Baltic talks
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Germany’s finance minister heads to Lithuania for Baltic talks
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is headed for Lithuania, with high-level meetings and two military visits scheduled.
After arriving in Vilnius, Klingbeil is on Tuesday set to meet Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and the finance ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Klingbeil, who also serves as vice chancellor, will also visit the Bundeswehr’s new Lithuania-based brigade, currently being set up as part of Germany’s defense commitments.
A stop at the NATO multinational battle group in the country, which is led by Germany, is also on the agenda.
Germany stations troops in Lithuania
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NATO allies have moved to reinforce the alliance’s eastern flank since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y7zA
Skip next section Merz welcomes EU-US tariff deal, car industry wary
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Merz welcomes EU-US tariff deal, car industry wary
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has welcomed the trade agreement between the European Union and the US that will see a 15% tariff on EU goods entering the US.
However, a car industry group says the tariffs as part of a new deal place a heavy burden on Germany’s auto makers.
Follow our live coverage for the latest developments on the EU-US trade agreement.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y7ug
Skip next section Overflowing sewer could have caused train to derail, officials say07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Overflowing sewer could have caused train to derail, officials say
An overflowing sewer may have caused the fatal train derailment in southwestern Germany, local police and prosecutors said on Monday.
“It is believed that heavy rain in the area of the accident caused a sewage shaft to overflow,” a joint statement from Ulm police and Ravensburg prosecutors said.
“The water triggered a landslide on the embankment next to the tracks, which in turn caused the derailment. There are currently no indications of external influence,” it added.
As per the statement, a probe to determine the cause of the accident was still ongoing.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y7WH
Skip next section Derailment likely caused by landslide — police07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Derailment likely caused by landslide — police
German police said on Monday that the derailment in southwestern Baden-Württemberg state was likely caused by a landslide triggered by heavy rains.
“The water triggered a landslide in the embankment area near the tracks, which in turn probably caused the derailment,” investigators said.
The derailment came after the region had been hit by a storm over the weekend.
Investigators said that at least 41 people had been injured according to the latest information available.
Officials had said in an earlier count that some 50 people had been injured.
Also on Monday, Germany’s weather service (DWD) warned of continued heavy rain in Baden-Württemberg, with the showers reaching 20 to 30 liters per square kilometer (around 13.7 to 20.5 gallons per square mile).
https://p.dw.com/p/4y7Q9
Skip next section Scenes of the train accident site in southern Germany
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Scenes of the train accident site in southern Germany
Here are some pictures from the site of the train accident.
The regional express train derailed in a forested area of southwestern GermanyImage: Nico Pointner/dpa/picture allianceIt took several hours for emergency service workers to free all passengers from the train carriagesImage: Thomas Warnack/dpa/picture allianceThe front of one carriage was ripped off as the train derailedImage: Nico Pointner/dpa/picture allianceInvestigators are examining whether wet weather was a factor in train accidentImage: Nico Pointner/dpa/picture alliance
https://p.dw.com/p/4y7FH
Skip next section Rescuers were working through the night at train accident site, DW reporter says
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
Rescuers were working through the night at train accident site, DW reporter says
Local police say that all of the injured have been transported from the scene of the train crash to surrounding hospitals.
DW’s Michael Watzke, who reported from the scene early on Monday morning, said that the remaining passengers had been brought to a community center in a nearby village.
He said that the crash site was still a hive of activity.
Videos show hundreds of people, including firefighters, police, train workers and even the army helping at the scene of the accident as generators hum in the background.
Rescue workers with dogs were also checking that none of the passengers were trapped under the derailed carriages, Watzke said.
He added that there are plans to bring in heavy cranes on Monday to lift up the carriages.
The regional express was pulling four carriages, he said, when it derailed.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y78s
Skip next section In other news, Chancellor Merz urges Netanyahu to allow aid into Gaza
07/28/2025July 28, 2025
In other news, Chancellor Merz urges Netanyahu to allow aid into Gaza
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has joined the chorus of concern about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he urged him “to do everything in his power to bring about an immediate ceasefire,” Merz posted on X late on Sunday.
He also called for aid to reach “starving” people in Gaza “without delay.”
Netanyahu has denied that people in the Strip are starving, repeating on Sunday that “there is no starvation in Gaza.”
Israel ‘desperately trying to deflect blame’: Fawaz Gerges
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Merz has become increasingly critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza in recent months.
But he has faced pressure to take a firmer stance on Israel especially after Germany failed to join a statement issued last week by dozens of Western nations condemning the “inhumane killing” of Palestinians.
https://p.dw.com/p/4y78f
