Skip next section Thank you for reading
01/06/2026January 6, 2026
Thank you for reading
We’ll continue coverage of the Berlin power outage and other major developments in the country tomorrow, January 6, 2026.
https://p.dw.com/p/56NK8
Skip next section Berlin: Army helping fuel generators amid massive outage — spokesperson01/05/2026January 5, 2026
Berlin: Army helping fuel generators amid massive outage — spokesperson
The German military, known as the Bundeswehr, said the army was assisting the capital, Berlin, to refuel emergency generators after a major outage left tens of thousands of homes without power.
A spokeswoman for the Bundeswehr’s Operational Command told German news agency DPA that it had received a request for assistance from the state of Berlin.
18,000 liters (4,755 gallons) of diesel were to be provided as part of the supply operation.
She said that supplying care facilities was a major focus of operations, which are to last until 11 p.m. local time (2200 UTC) on Thursday.
Berlin police suspect far-left group of power grid attack
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Power restored to over a third of households
Some 17,000 of the 45,000 households affected by the outage have had their power restored so far.
Provider Stromnetz said it could take until Thursday to fully repair the damage.
The outage was caused by a fire at a cable link over the Teltow Canal that runs through the south of Berlin.
Police said that they classified a letter by the left-wing extremist Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group) that took responsibility for the fire as “credible.”
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner described the attack as an act of “terrorism.”
https://p.dw.com/p/56NIY
Skip next section WATCH — Wadephul: ‘Greenland will also be defended by NATO’
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
WATCH — Wadephul: ‘Greenland will also be defended by NATO’
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has called on Donald Trump to “stop the threats” about the US taking over Greenland. Visiting Lithuania, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed support for Denmark.
Wadephul: ‘Greenland will also be defended by NATO’
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https://p.dw.com/p/56NEh
Skip next section Germans report record number of UFO sightings
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
Germans report record number of UFO sightings
There are a large number of objects moving through the night sky, much of them man-made, that can appear to be something other-worldlyImage: Patrick Pleul/dpa/picture alliance
A UFO reporting center in Germany recorded more sightings in 2025 than ever before, German news agency DPA cited its director as saying on Monday.
The Central Research Network for Extraordinary Sky Phenomena (CENAP) seeks to provide scientific explanations for members of the public who report seeing an unidentified flying object, or UFO.
The center recorded 1,348 sightings from Germany, Austria and Switzerland last year, CENAP director Hansjürgen Köhler said.
He added that despite the continuing rise in reports since 2019, no alien spaceships have yet been spotted.
Köhler said the most common explanations were bright planets, meteors and more than 120 satellites belonging to Elon Musk’s Starlink.
He also said that reports that can be chalked up to drones have increased in the past five years.
https://p.dw.com/p/56NEL
Skip next section WATCH: Thousands of Berliners without power after arson attack
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
WATCH: Thousands of Berliners without power after arson attack
Large parts of southwest Berlin are still in the dark after a suspected arson attack triggered a power outage.
Daily life has been disrupted for tens of thousands of households as emergency crews work to restore power.
Thousands of Berliners without power after arson attack
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https://p.dw.com/p/56N85
Skip next section This year will be ‘decisive’ for security, German foreign minister says01/05/2026January 5, 2026
This year will be ‘decisive’ for security, German foreign minister says
2026 is a “decisive” year for European security, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says.
His comment came during a trip to Lithuania — his first trip of the year — chosen as a show of solidarity with one of NATO’s eastern flank members, where the threat posed by Russia to the alliance is palpable.
Germany has been setting up a permanent brigade there, a historic first for the Bundeswehr. It is expected to be ready by 2027.
Wadephul restated German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s phrase that “Vilnius’ security is Berlin’s security” and stressed the “need for Europe to show Russia that we’re capable of defending ourselves.”
But there are also fears that European security is being tested from the other side, with Donald Trump saying the US “has to have” Greenland for its own security.
Wadephul was clear that Greenland is part of Denmark and thus part of NATO at a press conference in the Lithuanian capital, where the US actions in Venezuela over the weekend took center stage. Wadephul’s counterpart Kestutis Budrys also expressed solidarity with Denmark.
Defense and sovereignty will also been on the agenda at Tuesday’s “Coalition of the Willing” meeting in Paris where European leaders will discuss the next steps in support of Ukraine.
https://p.dw.com/p/56MkP
Skip next section Police find license plates with possible link to Christmas bank heist
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
Police find license plates with possible link to Christmas bank heist
One of the photos of the suspected getaway cars released by German policeImage: Police Gelsenkirchen/AFP
German police in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia believe they may have found the license plates belonging to the getaway cars used in an audacious bank heist at the end of last year.
The robbery — one of three that happened in the same state over several days — saw individuals break into a Sparkasse bank in the town of Buer, close to the city of Gelsenkirchen, and make off with millions of euros taken from safety deposit boxes.
The incident took place over the Christmas holidays while the bank branch was closed, so the exact timing is still unclear and investigators believe the robbery may have occurred over several days.
It wasn’t until December 29 that police discovered a large hole drilled into the banks’ vault where 3,250 safety deposit boxes had been opened and emptied.
Security footage from an adjacent parking garage showed three individuals wearing black balaclavas. Police have released images of a black Audi RS 6 and a white Mercedes Citan van believed to be the getaway vehicles.
Both vehicles had been fitted with fake license plates. However, police now say that a 27-year-old man has come forward after finding two license plates that had been abandoned outside Dortmund railway station on Sunday.
Police believe these may be the original plates and are probing their authenticity.
https://p.dw.com/p/56MhV
Skip next section Germany to host North Sea wind energy summit
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
Germany to host North Sea wind energy summit
Numerous wind farms, like this one close to the German island of Rügen in the Baltic, have already been builtImage: Fred Tanneau/AFP/Getty Images
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to host leaders from several neighboring countries in the northern German city of Hamburg on January 26 for a summit on expanding wind farms in the North Sea.
Leaders from Belgium, Denmark, France, Britain, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway have been invited to what will be the third summit of this type.
Representatives from the EU as well as Iceland and NATO are expected to also join.
Following on from the 2023 summit held in Belgium, this year’s event aims to push ahead with the expansion of offshore wind energy parks with interconnected infrastructure to allow for cross-border electricity trading and transport.
The aim is to turn the North Sea into the “green power station” of Europe.
However, two German wind power areas put up for tender in August have not yet received a single bid. Businesses have argued that the risks are too high.
https://p.dw.com/p/56MZT
Skip next section Germany condemns Medvedev comments on abducting Chancellor Merz
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
Germany condemns Medvedev comments on abducting Chancellor Merz
Germany strongly condemned claims made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who suggested ChancellorFriedrich Merz might be kidnapped in a similar style to the US capture of Venezuelanleader Nicolas Maduro.
“We condemn such threats in the strongest possible terms,” deputy government spokesman Sebastian Hille said in Berlin.
According to Hille, the officers safeguarding Merz’s security are “among the best in the world,” and the German government does not think there is a need to increase security arrangements around the German leader.
Medvedev gave Merz as an example of a world leader that could be abducted in a similar fashion to Maduro.
https://p.dw.com/p/56MSm
Skip next section NATO could discuss protecting Greenland, says German FM
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
NATO could discuss protecting Greenland, says German FM
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has responded to renewed threats by US President Donald Trump to take over Greenlandby instead suggesting that NATO could discuss what additional security and protection might be necessary for the Danish territory.
Speaking to reporters in Lithuania, Wadephul said that “since Denmark is a member of NATO, Greenland will, in principle, also be subject to NATO defense.”
“If there are further requirements to strengthen defense efforts with regard to Greenland, then we will have to discuss this together within the framework of the alliance,” Wadephul said.
Trump has often cited perceived defense shortfalls as a reason for his desire for the US to take control of the large Arctic island. He reiterated the comments in an interview with The Atlantic published on Sunday, saying: “We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense.”
While opinion polls suggest a narrow majority of Greenlanders might support independence for the island from Denmark, at least at some point in the future, they also point to a much clearer majority opposing the prospect of becoming a US territory.
https://p.dw.com/p/56Lfo
Skip next section Just 1 in 5 in Germany uses AI regularly at work
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
Just 1 in 5 in Germany uses AI regularly at work
Although almost two-thirds of employees in Germany have already used artificial intelligence (AI) tools for their work, most of them only occasionally employ the modern technology, a study has shown.
AI was used on a regular basis at work only by one in five employees, according to the study carried out by the Munich-based ifo Institute along with other research bodies.
Just a third of AI users had access to such tools through their employers, with the other two-thirds turning to them at their own initiative, said Oliver Schlenker, the deputy head of the Ludwig Erhard ifo Center for Social Market Economy.
But Schlenker said employees had reported that when companies did provide AI services, it was accompanied by a higher frequency of use, more offers of further training and higher production rates.
If companies do make use of AI, it likely involves more complex and expensive applications of the technology, such as diagnostic tools and language or image processing, the study shows.
However, easily accessible text tools such as ChatGPT or translation apps were the most popular, being employed by 80% of AI users.
Digitalization and AI: Jobs on the brink?
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https://p.dw.com/p/56LPk
Skip next section Burning smell causes unscheduled landing in Munich
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
Burning smell causes unscheduled landing in Munich
Munich Airport is the second-busiest in GermanyImage: Sven Hoppe/dpa/picture alliance
An Air France aircraft flying to Paris from the Lebanese capital, Beirut, landed in the southern German city of Munich on Sunday evening after a smell of burning was detected on board, an airport spokesman said on Monday.
He said there were no injuries and that the plane was able to roll to its parking position under its own power after touching down at 8:19 p.m. (1919 GMT).
The cause of the burning smell was not immediately clear.
The aircraft was still in Munich as of Monday morning, with the spokesman saying that the airline would now take care of the matter.
https://p.dw.com/p/56LB0
Skip next section Thousands of Berlin residents remain without power as snow covers capital
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
Thousands of Berlin residents remain without power as snow covers capital
Thousands of residents in southwest Berlin are still without electricity and heating amid freezing temperatures after a weekend attack on a cable bridge caused a power outage.
Some 14,000 of the some 45,000 households initially affected have had their power restored, but provider Stromnetz Berlin said it might take until Thursday for complete coverage to return.
Some schools and kindergartens in the area remained closed on what is the first school day after the Christmas holidays.
Hospitals used emergency generators to be able to continue operations and have since seen their power restored, but many care homes remain affected.
Aid organizations and the fire brigade have set up shelters for those in need.
Some 2,200 businesses were also hit, of which some 500 are back on the grid.
Authorities have said a letter of responsibility posted online following the attack appears to be authentic.
A left-wing group that calls itself the Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group) said in the letter that the aim of the attack was to target the fossil fuel industry.
It said the attack “resulted in power outages in the more affluent districts of Wannsee, Zehlendorf and Nikolassee.”
“We apologize to the less affluent residents of southwest Berlin,” the letter added.
German police suspect arson behind Berlin power outage
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https://p.dw.com/p/56KoP
Skip next section Alcohol in Germany comes cheap
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
Alcohol in Germany comes cheap
Alcohol drinkers get off relatively cheaply in GermanyImage: picture-alliance/imageBroker
Alchoholic beverages are cheaper in Germany than any other EU country except Italy, figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) released on Monday for “Dry January” show.
In October 2025, alcohol prices in Germany were 14% below the EU average, with only those in Italy being lower, at 19% below the average.
Finland had by far the highest prices, with alcoholic drinks costing 110% more than the EU average.
The rate of alcohol consumption in Germany remains high, with 11.2 liters (about 3 gallons) of pure alcohol drunk per person aged 15 or more in 2022, according to the World Health Organization.
This is, however, a drop from the 12.1 liters per person consumed 10 years earlier, and put Germany in 9th position in a list of the heaviest drinkers in the EU in 2022, along with France and Portugal.
Heading that list by far was Romania, with a per capita annual consumption of 17.1 liters of pure alcohol.
But while Germany may be one of the cheapest places in the EU to buy alcoholic drinks, that is not the case for soft drinks, which cost 2% above the EU average.
This still compares quite favorably with Latvia, which has a high sugar tax and where nonalcoholic drinks are a whole 46% over the EU average.
How important is alcohol in the lives of Germans?
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https://p.dw.com/p/56L5I
Skip next section Wadephul in Lithuania to talk Ukraine
01/05/2026January 5, 2026
Wadephul in Lithuania to talk Ukraine
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is kicking off his schedule of official trips in 2026 on Monday with a visit to NATO and EU partner Lithuania.
Speaking before his departure, Wadephul said Europe had to “meet the threat posed by Russia with firm European solidarity.”
He said it was vital “that we are prepared to defend ourselves and our freedom more independently.”
Both Germany and Lithuania are in agreement that only resolute action would help deter Russia from its current course of constant escalation, Wadephul said.
He said the German government was working together with Lithuania and other NATO partners and EU member states to this end, including by stepping up patrols over the Baltic Sea, being more alert and investing in more robust infrastructure.
According to Wadephul, both Germany and Lithuania are united by their determined support for Ukraine, “particularly during this possibly decisive phase of international efforts to end Russia’s war of aggression.”
During his visit to Vilnius, Wadephul is scheduled to hold talks with Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene and Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys on Ukraine, the defense of NATO’s eastern flank and the fight against hybrid threats such as cyberattacks and disinformation.
Wadephul also intends to visit the 45th Panzer (Tank) Brigade of the German Bundeswehr in Nemencine near Vilnius, which has been deployed to NATO’s eastern flank to help counter the threat of Russian territorial aggression.
Rheinmetall boosts NATO defenses with Baltic weapons plant
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https://p.dw.com/p/56KiO
