Skip next section Green Youth leader under fire over Instagram video
01/17/2026January 17, 2026
Green Youth leader under fire over Instagram video
A social media post got Green Youth co-chair, Luis Bobga, into troubleImage: Michael Matthey/dpa/picture alliance
The co-chair of the Green Youth, Luis Bobga, is under fire after posting a video on Instagram that uses a strong insult while showing an image of Bavaria’s premier, Markus Söder, who is also head of the Christian Social Union (CSU).
In the social media clip, Bobga can be seen rapping along to a song by German rapper Haftbefehl. Like Haftbefehl, Bobga uses the term “son of a b@#$” while showing a picture of Söder.
The video reportedly refers to Söder’s proposal to reduce the number of federal states.
The conservative CSU called the video “hate speech” and demanded that Bobga resign and apologize. “Anyone who says something like that is no longer acceptable,” the head of the CSU parliamentary group, Alexander Hoffmann, told Bild newspaper.
Bobga has since said he never intended to insult Söder directly and was “sorry that this happened because of the song I chose.” He also expressed frustration that the discussion over the number of federal states has been overtaken by the controversy.
Green Party co-chair Felix Banaszak welcomed the apology, calling it the right step.
https://p.dw.com/p/56zyl
Skip next section IN PICTURES: Pro‑Israel, pro‑Palestine rallies held in Leipzig
01/17/2026January 17, 2026
IN PICTURES: Pro‑Israel, pro‑Palestine rallies held in Leipzig
Large numbers of police officers were deployed in the eastern German city of Leipzig to keep rival pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel rallies apart. Although the groups hold opposing views, they share a common origin in the city’s left‑wing scene.Image: Heiko Rebsch/dpa/picture allianceOne group of protesters joined a demonstration under the slogan “No Peace with Antisemites,” protesting antisemitism and fascismImage: Heiko Rebsch/dpa/picture allianceAt the same time, another group of demonstrators gathered for a pro-Palestinian march titled “Antifa Means: Free Palestine” Image: Heiko Rebsch/dpa/picture alliance
https://p.dw.com/p/56zrv
Skip next section German killed in Swiss avalanche
01/17/2026January 17, 2026
German killed in Swiss avalanche
A German man has died in an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.
Police say the incident happened Friday on Piz Badus, near the village of Tujetsch in central Switzerland.
Seven cross-country skiers were caught in the avalanche, and five were buried under the snow.
One member of the group managed to call for help, prompting a rescue operation with helicopters and dogs.
The German victim was found lifeless, while four others suffered minor injuries and were flown to nearby hospitals.
Authorities have not released the nationalities of those injured.
https://p.dw.com/p/56zit
Skip next section Berlin police chief says syndicates jetting in criminals from abroad — report
01/17/2026January 17, 2026
Berlin police chief says syndicates jetting in criminals from abroad — report
Berlin’s police chief says syndicates in the city are flying in criminals from overseas to carry out violence and extortion.
“Young men are specifically recruited abroad for this purpose,” Berlin police chief Barbara Slowik Meisel told German news agency DPA.
“They enter the country on a short-term tourist visa and then commit crimes here that they have been hired to carry out,” Slowik Meisel explained.
She said some of those recruited spoke little German and vanished shortly after incidents.
“The clients are either based abroad and want to gain ground on the criminal Berlin market for illegal business practices, or the orders are placed by parts of the organized crime structures based here,”Slowik Meisel told DPA.
The comments come after police in Germany’s capital recorded an spike in violence between rival gangs operating in the city.
“We have noticed an increase in shootings,” she said. “In December, there was also a hand grenade thrown into a pub at night as a threat.”
Slowik Meisel said the violence was centered around turf wars between rival drug-dealing syndicates and those extorting local businesses,
The city’s police chief said that police had conducted raids and had made arrests but she called for further powers to be granted to officers investigating illgal firearms.
“In our experience, the discovery of an illegally held firearm always indicates involvement in organized crime.”
https://p.dw.com/p/56yv7
Skip next section Germany’s Merz to raise migrant returns in talks with Syrian leader
01/17/2026January 17, 2026
Germany’s Merz to raise migrant returns in talks with Syrian leader
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, will arrive in Berlin on Monday for a two-day visit focused on the return of Syrian refugees and ongoing violence in his country.
He’s scheduled to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday and join talks with business leaders, Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.
“We have an interest in deepening relations and, if you like, making a fresh start with the new Syrian government,” a German government spokesperson said.
Merz invited al-Sharaa last November to discuss repatriation plans after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. Germany hosts hundreds of thousands of Syrians who fled the civil war.
Al-Sharaa, who became the transitional president in January 2025, has tried to rebuild ties with the West. But recent clashes in Aleppo and attacks on minorities have raised concerns, with hundreds reported dead.
His visit has drawn criticism from Kurdish and Alawite groups in Germany, accusing his government of violent repression.
“The key question remains how the political transition will be shaped so that all social groups can live in safety and participate equally in political and social life,” the German goverment spokesman said.
“It is one of the key topics we are discussing with the Syrian government.”
Many Syrians living in Germany want to stay
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https://p.dw.com/p/56zjr
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage01/17/2026January 17, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Guten Tag from from a sunny Bonn, yes, we get overly excited about sunshine in winter!
But just because the sun is out doesn’t mean it’s necessarily warm, as this picture of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attending the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and St. Pauli shows.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz watching a Bundesliga game in DortmundImage: Fotostand/Fantini/IMAGO
Speaking of Merz, he is set to meet Syria’s interim President Ahmed al‑Sharaa next week. The Syrian leader, who once would have been arrested as the head of what was then designated a terrorist organization, will be in the German capital for two days, meeting several high‑ranking government officials.
And speaking of Berlin, police there have warned that syndicates in the city are flying in criminals from overseas to carry out violence and extortion.
We’ll have more on that and other stories from across Germany in this blog.
https://p.dw.com/p/56yvJ
