Germany news: Man jailed over killing of train conductor

Germany's main public health institute has reported that over 5,000 people have died of heat-related causes in 2026, most of them during a June heat wave that paralyzed Europe for over a week.

At the same time, the EU's climate change service reported that this past June was the hottest on record for the bloc.

Read more in our report here.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has defended the first-year record of his coalition of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), saying it has set Germany on course for a "real new beginning."

In a government statement to the Bundestag, Merz said his government was delivering on plans for "an economically strong, socially just Germany capable of defending itself at home and abroad."

Merz pushed back against claims that the political center was failing to act, saying: "The center delivers, it works."

"The answers offered by radical parties, whether from the left or the right, may sound seductive. But they do not build; they destroy. They divide our country and, were they to assume political responsibility in Germany, would lead it into the abyss," he said.

Merz asked for patience on reforms to areas such as social security, saying the government was tackling problems that had been left unresolved for decades.

He pointed to "encouraging signs" in the economy, including rising production, growing order books and 3,000 new companies founded in Germany in the first half of the year.

"Yes, this is not yet the breakthrough," Merz said, adding that some sectors remained in deep crisis. "We must not ease up, we must continue to work hard, we must get even better."

A large majority of Germans are worried about their financial situation as inflation and international crises continue to weigh on households, a survey has found.

The Crif-commissioned study questioned 5,000 consumers in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland and the UK. Around 1,000 of the people were in Germany.

Some 79% of respondents in Germany said they were concerned about their finances, slightly above the 78% average across the five European countries surveyed.

In Germany, 28% expect their personal financial situation to worsen over the next 12 months. Another 38% expect to have less money left at the end of the month, while 18% fear they may no longer be able to pay bills on time. Seven percent said they were worried about being unable to cover rent or mortgage payments.

Crif Managing Director Frank Schlein said the figures showed many consumers still feel under financial strain despite early signs of economic stabilization.

"The constant confrontation with new burdens means financial caution has become the new normal for many," Schlein said.

A majority of respondents in Germany, 51%, said they want to tackle financial uncertainty by saving more. Some 32% said they plan to cut spending slightly, while 19% said they intend to reduce it significantly.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the Bundestag on his return from the NATO summit this morning. 

He announced that his government would be purchasing Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US and stationing them in Germany, saying this closed an "important" gap in the country's defensive capabilities. 

He also touted his coalition's contentious summer reform package and tried to land some hits against the AfD and the Left Party. 

Read the full story here.

Volkswagen bosses are meeting Thursday to discuss what could become the biggest restructuring in global auto industry history, with unions preparing protests against any mass job cuts.

The German auto giant is already cutting 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030 under a deal reached with unions at the end of 2024. But CEO Oliver Blume is now considering cutting 100,000 jobs worldwide, as well as closing three German VW plants and an Audi factory, Manager Magazin reported, citing company sources.

The head of Germany's largest union IG Metall, Christiane Benner, and VW works council head Daniela Cavallo warned they would oppose such plans "with all our might."

The proposals would be difficult to push through. VW's supervisory board is usually evenly split between worker and shareholder representatives. However, the workers' side currently has a majority after a recent resignation.

Meanwhile, the state of Lower Saxony holds a blocking minority. No major announcement is expected immediately after Thursday's meeting, which is likely to mark the start of lengthy negotiations.

Volkswagen is under pressure from US tariffs, weaker electric vehicle margins and fierce competition in China, where its deliveries have fallen to their lowest level since 2011.

Blume has warned that VW's old business model "no longer works," citing trade tensions, regulation and high costs in Europe. He has also said the group cannot compete with underused factories as Chinese rivals expand into Europe with more efficient plants.

A German court has sentenced a 26-year-old man to 10 years in prisonfor fatally attacking train conductor Serkan Calar during a ticket inspection in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Prosecutors had said the Greek defendant, who lives in Luxembourg, repeatedly punched the 36-year-old conductor in the head after he was told to leave a regional train near Landstuhl because he had no ticket and refused to identify himself.

Calar lost consciousness at the scene and died two days later in hospital from a brain hemorrhage. The attack was fully captured by security cameras on the train.

The prosecution had called for a 12-year prison sentence for bodily harm resulting in death, saying prosecutors did not see intent to kill. 

The defense argued the case should be treated as a less serious form of bodily harm resulting in death and asked the regional court in Zweibrücken for a sentence "at the lower end" of the possible range.

Lawyers for Calar's family have pushed for a murder conviction, arguing the attack was driven by base motives. 

The verdict is not yet final and can be appealed.

Lawyers representing the victim's family had accused the defendant of murder driven by base motives and demanded a life sentence. The family's attorney said they would challenge any sentence shorter than 12 years.

Guten Tag! Welcome to our Germany coverage from the DW newsroom in Bonn, on the banks of the Rhine River.

You join us as a German court hands down a 10-year prison sentence in a case that has drawn nationwide attention.

Train conductor Serkan Calar died after prosecutors say he was repeatedly punched in the head during a ticket inspection in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Prosecutors sought a 12-year sentence for bodily harm resulting in death, saying the attack was clearly documented on security cameras but that they do not see intent to kill.

Calar's family disagreed and could appeal the sentence.

Stay with us for this and more of the stories that Germany is talking about today.