The exposure of Germany’s National Socialist Underground in 2011 revealed a neo-Nazi group responsible for 10 murders and bomb attacks, but major questions remain unresolved. Families of victims say later convictions and sentences have failed to deliver justice, while planned memorials and documentation projects seek to confront racism, right-wing extremism and policing failures.
Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria’s deputy premier, economy minister and leader of the Free Voters, was found dead at a Berlin hotel on Wednesday at the age of 55. Berlin prosecutors and police are investigating the cause and circumstances of his death and say they are seeking to exclude possible foul play. No conclusion has been announced.
ADIRA, a Berlin-based collective founded in 2023, is using festivals, club nights and discussions to bring queer Arab and wider Southwest Asian and North African identities into the city’s cultural life. Its co-founder Hassandra says the project also confronts racism, homophobia and the pressure to treat cultural icons or political figures as beyond criticism.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he has seen no evidence that Russia is prepared to negotiate seriously ahead of US-led talks in Abu Dhabi. In Berlin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed for European involvement, security guarantees and practical ceasefire measures, as Ukrainian officials reported deadly and damaging Russian strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due in Berlin on Tuesday for a visit announced by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz only after security arrangements were made. The trip comes as Kyiv presses European governments for additional support against Russia and amid concerns, cited by DW, about the reliability of US assistance.
Israel’s election has produced no clear governing coalition, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc ahead but unable to command parliament alone. Arab-led parties made historic gains and could hold the balance, while allegations about the vote have been rejected by election officials. Germany is withholding a full response as coalition talks and Gaza aid concerns loom.
Tens of thousands joined demonstrations across Germany calling for education reform, relief from rising living costs and greater social justice, with most rallies remaining peaceful during the day. Violence later broke out in Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg, Bremen and Berlin. Officials reported attacks on police, looting and property damage, while organizers and authorities distinguished the troublemakers from the wider movement.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a woman to succeed Frank-Walter Steinmeier as Germany’s largely ceremonial president, saying the country should consider whether it is finally time for a female head of state. Several possible candidates are being discussed, but no party agreement has been reached ahead of January’s Federal Convention.
Thousands of young people demonstrated in 34 German cities over education, living costs, climate policy and military conscription, with organisers claiming about 120,000 participants. Most marches were peaceful, police and a union official said, but evening clashes in several cities brought water cannon, pepper spray, arrests and reports of injured officers.
Alexander Zverev is poised to take the top spot in men’s tennis after reaching the Vienna quarter-finals, replacing Italy’s Jannik Sinner. The milestone caps a breakthrough season in which the German reportedly won the French and US Opens, becoming only the second German man after Boris Becker to reach No. 1.
Elif Eralp, whose Left Party won Berlin’s local election, is facing criticism after Der Spiegel published internal notes suggesting she feared naming a pro-Palestinian activist in connection with antisemitism allegations. Eralp says she will protect all Berliners, while rival politicians question whether the episode threatens coalition talks.
Harry Kane has won the men’s Ballon d’Or after scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for Bayern Munich and England during the 2025-26 season. The award makes him the first English winner since Michael Owen and ends Bayern’s long wait for the prize, while Alexia Putellas claimed the women’s honour for a third time.
Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner is facing criticism from German labour representatives and politicians after appearing with Donald Trump at a Georgia campaign rally to announce plans for a $4 billion US factory. Audi says the appearance served its commercial interests, while critics argue it breached the company’s political-neutrality rules.
Police in Germany have opened administrative-offense proceedings against the captain of the cruise ship Mein Schiff 3 after it struck two container vessels while leaving Bremerhaven. No one was injured, but all three ships were damaged, a Canary Islands voyage was cancelled and repairs are required before the cruise liner can sail again.
Audi’s plan to invest about $4 billion in a Georgia factory has been defended as a way to expand in the US and reduce tariff exposure, but the announcement has triggered a dispute in Germany over the company’s political neutrality and the future of domestic jobs. The project remains subject to Volkswagen supervisory-board approval.
Germany has chosen not to enter FIFA’s new Under-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan, citing concerns about exposing players at an early age to fixed national-team selection, public scrutiny and commercial pressure. The tournament marks Russia’s return to a FIFA competition, while 21 other invited nations have also declined to participate.
Audi says it plans to invest about $4bn in a new Georgia assembly plant capable of producing 200,000 SUVs a year and creating roughly 4,500 jobs. The announcement, made alongside Donald Trump at a campaign rally, comes amid US tariffs on European vehicles, falling German employment and uncertainty over final Volkswagen approval.
A fire that badly damaged Hitler’s former Eagle’s Nest retreat in southern Germany reignited overnight after smouldering embers flared, Bavarian police said. The historic site was closed when the blaze began, no one was injured and a 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of starting it, with an initial assessment indicating mental illness.
German coach Fabian Hürzeler has emerged as a popular figure in England while managing in the Premier League, according to Deutsche Welle. His standing contrasts with the reputation he had developed in Germany, and he is younger than one of his prominent German players.
A fire engulfed the Eagle’s Nest, Adolf Hitler’s former mountain retreat in Bavaria, prompting the deployment of about 200 emergency personnel. A 33-year-old German man was detained nearby, but investigators have not established a motive; possible arson and political motives are being examined alongside indications of possible mental illness.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for closer unity between Germany’s CDU and Bavaria’s CSU while reaffirming his opposition to cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany. He also raised the possibility of cutting electricity tax next year, as his conservative bloc seeks to narrow the gap with the AfD in national polling.
German prosecutors have placed a 21-year-old German national in pre-trial detention after his extradition, alleging that he travelled abroad in an attempt to join Islamic State. Investigators say he did not reach Somalia, instead travelling to Pakistan, and accuse him of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state.