Germany updates: 'Bundestag a prime target' for cyberattacks – DW – 07/20/2025
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's 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.
In other news, Germany's Red Cross warns that the population is lacking in people with skills to deal with major emergencies, while German media responds to the latest deportation flight to Afghanistan.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."
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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 members.To 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
A fireworks display at the Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes — a type of town fair — has left 19 people injured, including four seriously.
Emergency services confirmed the injuries late Friday after fireworks reportedly exploded unusually close to the ground. According to police, at least one child was among the injured.
Eyewitnesses told German public broadcaster WDR that some rockets flew sideways or detonated low, with a few even landing in the Rhine River. One video from across the river shows explosions lighting up both the sky and ground at the same time.
"I was at the fair watching the fireworks," said one witness. "Some rockets flew surprisingly low and exploded close to people. I wondered if that wasn't too near the crowd."
Fire officials believe some rockets may have veered off course, with one misfiring directly into the crowd.
Organizers initially kept the fair running to avoid panic but ended festivities early around 10:45 p.m. (2045 GMT). The event had been scheduled to continue into the early morning.
The Rheinkirmes fair, the biggest to take place on the river, is rooted in an annual celebration of the city's patron saint Apollinaris. It started on July 11 and is set to end on Sunday.
Germany has been falling short on preparing its population for major emergencies, according to the German Red Cross (DRK).
Millions of people need training in first aid and self-reliance, said Heike Spieker, head of the DRK's National Relief Society.
"To build these skills sustainably, four million people would need to be trained," she said. That level of preparedness would ensure people could help themselves and others during a crisis.
The courses, supported by federal funding and offered by aid groups, go beyond first aid. According to the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, they cover how to act when power goes out or flooding follows heavy rain.
To reach a "reasonable level" within five years, around 800,000 people would need training each year, Spieker said.
"In reality, current funding covers an average of fewer than 100,000 participants per year," she added.
She also criticized the government's current budget plans, saying they are "absolutely insufficient and contradict the political promises to strengthen civil protection."
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from the DW newsroom in sunny Bonn on the Rhine River.
You join us as news comes in of a mishap at what was supposed to be a dazzling event at the Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes on Friday night, when a fireworks display went wrong.
Emergency services said the rockets appeared to explode far too close to the ground, and 19 people were injured. According to police, at least one child was among those hurt.
Follow along for the latest on what Germany is talking about on Saturday, July 19.
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Palestinian territories: What makes a state, a state? – DW – 08/01/2025
The question of Palestinian statehood continues to draw support, with more and more countries willing to recognize Palestine. But the pathway to statehood is built on conventions and custom — and is rarely allies of Israel are increasingly recognizing — or positioning themselves to acknowledge — the existence of Palestine as a state. The Palestinian territories are the focal point of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. The moves by nations like France, Canada and potentially the United Kingdolm to recognize a Palestinian state, joining around 150 others, will not necessarily bring an end to the war or secure territorial borders. That, as with many other statehood disputes, is because recognized statehood is not a straightforward process. There are states of all shapes, sizes and structures; 193 are currently full members of the United Nations. 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While recognition isn't a literal part of international conventions, Gezim Visoka, a peace and conflict studies scholar and statehood expert at Dublin City University, Ireland, said it effectively exists through other measures. "Recognition is crucial for a state to function, to exist internationally, to enter international agreements, to benefit from international treaties, protection from annexation, occupations and other forms of arbitrary intervention from abroad," said Visoka. "You're in a better place than if you're not recognized." Recognition of statehood or fulfilling the Montevideo criteria does not automatically lead to UN admission. The process of becoming a member requires a candidate state to follow several steps: a letter to the UN secretary-general, a formal declaration accepting the UN Charter's membership obligations and the support of the secretary-general. And then, the candidate state must gain the support of members of the UN Security Council. 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How Trump's high tariffs against Brazil could backfire – DW – 08/01/2025
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The European Union and Japan are only paying 15% tariffs. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The US government, under President Donald Trump, has justified its new global tariffs by blaming a bilateral trade imbalance. The Trump administration has also given the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro as an explanation for the punitive tariffs. Judge de Moraes is presiding over the trial of Bolsonaro, who is accused of masterminding a plot to stay in power despite his 2022 election defeat. The personal sanctions on de Moraes come under the US' Magnitsky Act, which allows the American government to sanction foreign government officials worldwide for human rights offenses. Among other things, de Moraes could see any assets he has in the US frozen. The US government had already prevented de Moraes and other Brazilian Supreme Court judges from entering the country. "The Magnitsky Act was previously used against the US' enemies but it always used to have a basis in human rights," said Demetrio Magnoli, a sociologist and foreign affairs columnist in Brazil. "But by using it for the first time against a judge in a democracy, Trump is shattering the human rights foundations of this law." As for the high tariffs, Magnoli told DW it's not unusual for Trump to use tariffs as a weapon in his trade war and deal-making. "But in the case of Brazil, he is using both tariffs and the Magnitsky Act for political and ideological reasons," the commentator noted. "A unique case worldwide and a direct attack on a democratic country and a US ally." Judge de Moraes has been seen as a nuisance by American right wingers since he ordered social media platform, X (formerly Twitter) blocked for several weeks in late 2024. De Moraes demanded that user accounts that violated Brazilian law be removed, part of an attempt to crack down on anti-democratic, far-right voices. Billionaire Elon Musk, the owner of X, tried to get around the court-ordered block and called for de Moraes to be impeached. But de Moraes actually became a target for Trump earlier than that, because of Bolsonaro. In late 2022, the former president was accused of planning a coup against his successor, Lula, something that could carry a sentence of up to 40 years in prison. Bolsonaro and his co-defendants have disputed this charge, and Trump has described it as "a witch hunt." De Moraes has also investigated Bolsonaro for, among other things, manufacturing disinformation and has convicted Bolsonaro's supporters for storming the government district in Brasilia in January 2023. As a result, the judge has been celebrated as a defender of democracy in Brazil, particularly by those on the left. 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Ukraine updates: Trump deploys nuclear subs near Russia – DW – 08/01/2025
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"If these are signals of a genuine willingness to end the war with dignity and establish a truly lasting Ukraine once again reaffirms its readiness to meet at the level of leaders at any time," he wrote on social media. Earlier, Putin said the momentum of the war was in Russia's favor, signaling no shift in his stance despite a looming sanctions deadline from the United States. US President Trump said he would impose sanctions on Russia unless it stopped the war by August 8. "We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries," Putin told reporters, adding: "The conditions (from the Russian side) certainly remain the same." Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he hopes peace talks between Russia and Ukraine will continue. He said talks should be conducted "without cameras and in a calm atmosphere." He mentioned that working groups could discuss possible compromises. 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Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the announcement "shows once again that Germany is by far Ukraine's strongest supporter when it comes to air defense." The two launchers will head to Ukraine in the coming days, followed by additional system components to be handed over in two to three months. Patriot systems are fully mobile batteries that include a command center, a radar station to detect incoming threats, and launchers. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described India's continued oil imports from Russia as a "point of irritation" for Washington. Speaking to Fox News Radio, Rubio said, "Unfortunately, that is helping to sustain the Russian war effort. So it is most certainly a point of irritation in our relationship with India, not the only point of irritation." US President Trump has signed an order imposing new tariffs set to take effect August 7, including 25% duties on goods from India. He also added penalties due to India's reliance on Russia for oil and military equipment. India has faced pressure from Western countries, including the United States, to reduce its ties with Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. New Delhi has resisted, citing its longstanding relationship with Russia, through the BRICS alliance and bilaterally, and its economic needs. Russia used over 3,800 drones and nearly 260 missiles for its attacks on Ukraine in July, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In a post on social media, he urged "increased pressure on Moscow and additional sanctions." "They must target everything that enables such attacks to continue," he wrote in the wake of a deadly attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Zelenskyy added that the Russian attacks can only be stopped through joint efforts by the US, Europe, and other global actors. US President Donald Trump criticized the latest Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine, suggesting that new sanctions against Moscow were coming. "Russia, I think it's disgusting what they're doing," Trump told journalists as he took questions after an executive order signing at the White House. Trump, who initially gave Russia 50 days to reach a ceasefire with Ukraine or face tariffs, shortened the deadline to "10 or 12 days" on Monday and said Tuesday the countdown was now at 10 days. On Thursday, he said, "I don't know that sanctions bother him," referring his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. White House envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to travel to Russia, but it was not clear if he would meet with Putin. The death toll from Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv on Thursday has risen to 31, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday. The toll was revised upward after rescuers recovered more bodies, including a two-year-old child from a residential building in the Sviatoshynsky district. "Once again, this vile strike by Russia demonstrates the need for increased pressure on Moscow and additional sanctions," Zelenskyy wrote on social media. "No matter how much the Kremlin denies their effectiveness, sanctions do work – and they must be strengthened. They must target everything that enables such attacks to continue." The mayor of the Ukrainian capital, Vitali Klitschko, said more than 150 people had been injured, including 16 children. Klitschko said it was the highest number of children wounded in a single night since Russia's full-scale invasion began. Russia's Defense Ministry said it had targeted Ukrainian military airfields and ammunition depots linked to Kyiv's military-industrial complex. However, officials reported that schools and hospitals were damaged in 27 locations across the city. City authorities have declared Friday a day of mourning. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Kyiv is observing a day of mourning following Thursday's deadly bombardment, one of the worst attacks since Russia launched its full-scale offensive in February 2022. In this blog, we'll take a closer look at the geopolitical fallout. US President Donald Trump's patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be wearing thin. Over the past few days, Trump has repeatedly shortened the deadline to impose sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Russia after his current stop in Israel. The outcome of the trip could be telling.
