Germany news: Baltic summit plans hybrid-threat task force

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt says that Baltic and European leaders at a special hybrid security meeting agreed to plans to set up a new security task force and to enhance collective drone defense capabilities. 

The assembled politicians discussed "urgent security policy questions for a shared future in the Baltic Sea region," Dobrindt said amid the meeting at the Mürwik naval training center in Flensburg on Germany's northeast coast 

"Foreign powers are trying to attack our security with hybrid measures, to destabilize our democracies, to weaken our economy," he said. "Drone attacks, cyber attacks, spying, disinformation, arson attacks on critical infrastructure, covert operations and the use of 'disposable agents' are all rapidly increasing in number." 

Dobrindt warned that the recent past had shown a pronounced increase in the "quality and intensity" of such attacks and surmised that "we must prepare ourselves for the hybrid threat situation continuing to intensify." 

He said the shared goal was to bolster defense against such hybrid threats. 

"We want to investigate, deter and defend altogether more quickly," Dobrindt said, saying they wanted to work together to transform the Balitc from a "collective risk area" into a "collective defensive area."

The assembled politicians from Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Norway and Ireland — the current holder of the rotating EU presidency — had a working lunch at the Mürwik base amid the talks. 

They were also taken out on the Baltic Sea in a German Federal Police motorboat. 

Germany intends to continue referring to the body of water between the US and Canada as Lake Ontario, despite US President Donald Trump's decision to rename it as "Lake America" amid his growing rift with Canada.

"This is an American decision to refer to this lake by a different name. For the time being, it has no further implications for other countries," said a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry on Friday. "As far as we are concerned, it remains Lake Ontario, which is the customary name."

The spokesman went on to argue that "in the US, football is called 'soccer,' but that doesn't mean it's called 'soccer' in other countries as well." 

When asked whether the decision could culminate in fresh Trump resentment toward Berlin, the spokesman said that naming of waterways "should not be a reason to harbour political resentment toward anyone."

Earlier this year, Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz engaged in a public rift after the German leader said the US was being "humiliated" at the negotiating table with Iran amid the war. Trump then announced a reduction in the number of US troops in Germany.

Berlin's Mayor Kai Wegner says the city-state's government is being blackmailed by hackers who breached several sectors of its administration earlier in this month.

"Berlin has become a victim of a serious crime," Wegner said, albeit adding that the state "will not allow itself to be blackmailed." 

German news magazine Spiegel reports that the hackers are demanding 30 bitcoin or just over €2 million (roughly $2.3 million). 

As a result of the cyber attack, departments like city planning, construction, housing, mobility, transportation and environment and climate protection were all isolated from the state government network for around a week, starting on August 14. 

Among other things, it meant that it was not possible to apply for or pay out housing benefits for several days. 

At first, officials said they did not believe sensitive data had been captured. Then on Wednesday of this week, the state government said it was possible that personalized or non-public information might be affected.

According to Spiegel, a ransomware group known as Rhysida is claiming responsibility in a post on the dark web, saying it had secured some 6 terabytes of data and putting a countdown to the time of its publication alongside a demand for 30 bitcoin. 

Rhysida gained notoriety in 2023 when it hacked the online information systems of the British Library and published leaked material when it was not paid the bitcoin ransom it demanded.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is the guest on this Friday's "Interview der Woche" political podcast by public broadcaster ARD. 

Much of the interview revolves around domestic policies directly in Klingbeil's ministerial wheelhouse, like the sugar tax, planned income tax reforms, and Germany's difficult economic situation more generally. 

But when the discussion turned to fuel prices in Germany, which are nearing their all-time highs from much earlier in the year once again, the Social Democrat (SPD) leader Klingbeil wasted no time in pointing to the external factors in play. 

"First of all you have to say that this is the fault of Donald Trump, who started this irresponsible war in Iran," Klingbeil said. "These are the effects, which people are now feeling at the fuel pumps. Therefore the most important thing — and I will be in the US next week for the G20 finance ministers' summit — and the most important message to the US is: Bring this war to an end. That's the first point." 

Klingbeil said that the second issue should be to address oil companies "profiteering" as a result of the unrest in Iran and the Gulf, arguing that consumer prices were not a fair reflection of the oil prices or economic fundamentals.

He said he wanted the question of windfall taxes on oil companies to once again be discussed at an EU level. 

"The oil companies are making gains on the back of this geopolitical situation," Klingbeil said. "They are filling their pockets and that needs to be stopped, which is why I'm lobbying for the windfall tax and am saying that the proceeds that are raised should be redirected to consumers — which could be achieved by reducing fuel prices." 

For a two-month period, Germany dipped its taxes on gasoline and diesel to try to relieve the pressure on prices at the pumps. But this measure expired without renewal in July and prices have since returned close to their highest-ever levels, from earlier in the year. Other smaller factors like the low water levels on the River Rhine impacting freight transport have also played a more minor role in driving up prices in some parts of the country. 

A German court on Friday sentenced an 81-year-old man to life in prison for the rape and murder of a US tourist over 30 years ago.

Amy Lopez was 24 when she was raped and killed by the convicted man in 1994.

Hans S., whose last name is not given as per Germany's privacy laws, was only arrested earlier this year, when police were finally able to identify him using new DNA technology.

Read more on the 81-year-old's trial and how police managed to arrest him over three decades after the crime here.

German Bundesliga sides Bayer Leverkusen, TSG Hoffenheim and SC Freiburg have found out their opponents in European competition for this season.

In the Europa League, Europe's second-tier international club competition, Leverkusen and Hoffenheim will both face French giants Olympique Lyon, Turkish side Besiktas and OFI from the Greek island of Crete. 

The final of this year's Europa League will take place in Frankfurt — extra motivation for the German clubs to reach a final on home soil.

In the third-tier Conference League, SC Freiburg will also face Greek and Turkish opposition in the form of Panathinaikos and Trabzonspor respectively. The latter made headlines this summer when they signed Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.

Last season, Freiburg reached the final of the Europa League in Istanbul, where they lost to Aston Villa. Coincidentally, this season's Conference League final will also be in Istanbul, in the same stadium, so Freiburg will be aiming for redemption.

The full draws:

Bayer Leverkusen (Europa League):
Olympique Marseille (h)
Olympique Lyon (a)
RB Salzburg (h)
Dinamo Zagreb (a)
NK Celje (h)
Lech Poznan (a)
Besiktas (h)
OFI Crete (a)

TSG Hoffenheim (Europa League):
Olympique Lyon (h)
Olympiacos (a)
Ferencvaros (h)
Anderlecht (a)
Sturm Graz (h)
Crystal Palace (a)
Besiktas (h)
OFI Crete (a)

SC Freiburg (Conference League):
Panathinaikos (h)
Monaco (a)
FC Twente (h)
Trabzonspor (a)
FK Jablonec (h)
FK Kauno Zalgiris (a)

The leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the eastern German state of Thuringia, Björn Höcke, failed on Friday in an attempt to topple State Premier Mario Voigt of the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) with a vote of no-confidence.

Standing himself for the position of state premier, Höcke received only 33 votes in the 88-seat state parliament, while 49 lawmakers voted against him. There were three abstentions.

It was the second time this year that Höcke, who a German court ruled in 2019 may legally be described as a "fascist," has attempted to unseat Voigt in the Thuringian state parliament, or Landtag.

Like on the first occasion, Höcke once again argued that Voigt's recently revoked doctorate renders him unsuitable to head up the state government. Voigt had an appeal rejected by the University of Chemnitz last month, prompting Höcke's latest no-confidence vote.

"You are a plagiarist," he told Voigt, and described his coalition with the center-left  Social Democrats (SPD) and the left-wing populist BSW as a "plunder gang."

Voigt, on the other hand, said the vote in his favor was a strong show of support and told Höcke: "I won't allow you to drag me down."

The vote in Thuringia came a week ahead of key local elections in the neighboring state of Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD have a significant lead in the polls and could potentially form a majority far-right government.

European 200 meter champion Owen Ansah plans to challenge the German Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) proposal to suspend him for failing to provide a sample on demand. 

Ansah faced a 20-day deadline to accept a doping ban of four years, with a possibility of it being shortened to three, or to seek a court hearing at Germany's sports arbitration court. 

NADA announced Ansah's decision on Friday as the deadline expired but said it could provide no further information on the trial or its timeline. 

The case is unusual as Ansah is not accused of failing a doping test. He's accused of refusing to provide a sample, which is treated as a direct indication of guilt. 

But Ansah has previously argued that the tester came to his hotel room out of the agreed timeframe, when he was running late for a plane, and so he refused to comply. He also argues that him providing a clean sample the next day to the World Anti-Doping Agency in a separate test rendered the issue moot. 

Most recently his lawyer said the sprinter would be making no further comments on the issue amid the likelihood of an appeal. 

Ansah has continued to compete this summer amid the dispute, winning gold in the 200 meters at the European Championships and bronze in the 100 meters, as well as 100 and 200 meter gold in the German championships. Accepting the ban would disqualify him from these competitions retroactively.

The German with Ghanaian heritage is 25, so a lengthy suspension could effectively mean the end of his career — making it prohibitively difficult for him to maintain his performance level, and with his physical peak potentially passing amid the ban. 

A low double-digit number of German nationals are still missing after devastating flash floods along the Nepal-China border, Germany's Foreign Office said on Friday.

A German family of four has meanwhile been rescued from the disaster zone in Nepal and flown by helicopter with other survivors to an army camp in Battar Bazar, according to the German Press Agency (dpa).

German embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing are working with the families of those missing and local authorities to establish their whereabouts.

"The full extent of these flash floods is still very difficult to assess," a Foreign Office spokesperson said in Berlin, adding that the situation in the affected region remained "very, very unclear."

Nepal's tourism authorities had earlier reported eight German nationals missing. Four were part of a group of foreign pilgrims returning from a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in Tibet when contact with them was lost.

The death toll from Wednesday's flash floods has risen to at least 543.

Germany is on course to miss its legally binding climate target this year, according to preliminary calculations by the Agora Energiewende think tank.

Greenhouse gas emissions fell by only around 7 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent in the first half of 2026, a decline of about 2% compared with the same period last year.

Agora estimates that Germany will emit around 635 million tons of CO2 equivalent over the full year. That would exceed the country's 2026 limit of 625 million tons.

Germany emitted 648.9 million tons in 2025.

Agora said the decline so far this year was driven largely by weak economic activity and high fossil fuel prices rather than structural progress on cutting emissions.

The think tank said the energy price shock triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had pushed up oil and gas prices and contributed to lower fossil fuel use.

Germany is required to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 65% from 1990 levels by 2030, equivalent to annual emissions of no more than 439 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

Agora said meeting that goal would require emissions to fall by an average of around 40 million tonnes a year.

 

German prosecutors have charged a man with two counts of murder and 85 counts of attempted murder, nearly four months after a deadly car-ramming attack in the eastern city of Leipzig.

The 33-year-old German suspect is accused of driving a car at high speed through a busy pedestrian area in central Leipzig in early May.

A 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man were killed, while eight other people were injured.

Prosecutors said on Friday that the suspect is considered criminally responsible. A preliminary forensic psychiatric assessment found no evidence that he was incapable of criminal responsibility or that his responsibility was diminished.

The man had initially been placed in a psychiatric facility on suspicion that he was suffering from psychosis. Prosecutors have now asked for that order to be lifted and for an arrest warrant to be issued instead. Leipzig Regional Court has yet to decide on the request.

He has also been charged with 91 counts of serious dangerous interference with road traffic and eight counts of dangerous bodily harm.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has paid tribute to Norway's King Harald V following the monarch's death at the age of 89.

In a letter of condolence to Harald's son and successor, King Haakon VIII, Steinmeier described the late monarch as a great friend of Germany and a force for reconciliation in Europe.

"The strength and devotion that he dedicated to his country every day were unparalleled," Steinmeier wrote.

Harald had devoted his entire life to serving his country and its people, the German president said.

"Germany is losing a great friend, and Europe is losing a great reconciler," he added.

Harald died on Friday morning after more than 35 years on the Norwegian throne. He became king on January 17, 1991, following the death of his father, King Olav V.

Steinmeier's description of Harald as a "great reconciler" reflects the king's role in deepening the close relationship between Norway and Germany after decades of postwar rapprochement following Nazi Germany's occupation of Norway from 1940 to 1945.

Read more here about the death of Norway's King Harald V.

The number of unemployed people in Germany remained above three million in August despite signs of an improving economy, official figures showed on Friday.

Germany's Federal Employment Agency said 3.061 million people were unemployed, 54,000 more than in July and 36,000 more than a year earlier.

The unemployment rate rose to 6.5% from 6.4% in July.

Adjusted for seasonal effects, unemployment increased by 4,000.

"Even in August, there is little momentum in the labor market beyond the usual seasonal pattern," Federal Employment Agency head Andrea Nahles said, adding that the subdued trend of recent months was continuing.

Unemployment first climbed back above three million in July. Joblessness typically rises during the summer, while Germany's weak economy has also weighed on employment.

There have recently been signs that the economic outlook is improving. The Ifo business climate index rose for a fourth consecutive month in August to its highest level in a year, while German exporters have also become more optimistic.

Germany's grape harvest has begun earlier than ever recorded following an exceptionally hot summer, according to the German Wine Institute.

"It was the earliest start to the harvest ever in all wine-growing regions," institute spokesman Ernst Büscher said. "Some winegrowers even cut short their holidays for it."

The harvest has already included not only grapes for Federweisser — partially fermented young wine — and sparkling wine, but also the first grapes destined for premium wines.

Harvesting is expected to begin "on a large scale" next week.

Büscher said the main harvest was starting one to two weeks earlier than in recent years, which was already earlier than it was decades ago.

"Compared with 30 or 40 years ago, it's certainly four weeks earlier," he said.

The harvest could be completed as early as September because many grape varieties are ripening at roughly the same time.

"This will be a very fast harvest," Büscher said.

Growers are also picking grapes early to prevent sugar levels from becoming too high. More sugar generally produces wines with a higher alcohol content, while demand is increasingly for lighter wines with less alcohol.

Prolonged heat can also reduce the fruit acidity characteristic of many German wines.