Germany updates: Germans driving cars more — report

The ruling by the German Constitutional Court on German involvement in US drone attacks on Yemen came as no surprise, said Andreas Schüler, a co-director of the International Crime Center Accountability Program at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights.

ECCHR is the NGO that supported the two Yemeni plaintiffs in their complaint, arguing that Germany violated international law by failing to strictly monitor or prevent US drone attacks carried out with the help of signals from the Ramstein air base.

The court ruled that Berlin did not violate international law. 

Schüler described the ruling to DW on Tuesday as a "compromise," though he stressed that his clients' situation will not change. 

"On the other hand, there are some good parts in it, which are more tasks for the German government to be more critical with potential international law violations of its allies," he said.

Schüler said that while the ruling might not change anything with regard to drone strikes on Yemen, it did have wider implications.

"It's on international law violations. It's on Germany's complicity in those. So it could become relevant for other conflicts where international law is being violated and where Germany is still supporting one of its allies," he said. "So it can have consequences beyond this case."

Schüler insisted that Germany did hold responsibility in such cases because of the crucial importance of the Ramstein air base to US drone missions.

"Data and signals go via Rammstein through satellites and then fiber optic cables in real time to drones in the sky above the Middle East," he said. 

Schüler said, however, that the verdict in the case brought by the Yemenis could not be appealed further, describing Tuesday's decision as "final."

Climate activists from Fridays for Future protested the controversial extraction of natural gas in the North Sea near the vacation island of Borkum by writing "STOP GAS!" in red on its beach.

Luisa Neubauer, a spokesperson for the protest movement, called on the Dutch company One-Dyas to stop drilling for gas.

"Natural gas is a huge climate killer," Neubauer told the dpa news agency.

"Every bit of natural gas burned makes the climate crisis more dangerous. That means we urgently need to transition away from natural gas, not toward new projects," she stressed.

In addition to the beach promenade event, Fridays for Future announced more actions. A police spokeswoman in Leer said that the protest was peaceful.

Meanwhile, the Green Party in the Bundestag also renewed their criticism of the gas drilling. "While Germany and Europe are suffering from heat, drought, and flooding, Friedrich Merz wants to push through new gas drilling off Borkum — in the sensitive Wadden Sea, of all places, "said Katharina Dröge, co-leader of the Greens' parliamentary group, to dpa.

"That's not energy policy; it's climate destruction," she added.

Almost two-thirds (64%) of foreign students in Germany want to stay in the country after graduation, according to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in Bonn.

The survey, that was conducted among 21,000 students intending to graduate from 132 German universities in the winter semester of 2023/24, also showed that nearly half (49%) of respondents could imagine starting a business.

The DAAD study revealed that the intention to stay is particularly high among students of economics, engineering, and computer science.

Respondents cited three main reasons for choosing to study in Germany: affordability, attractive career prospects, and a wide range of English-language courses. Master's students, in particular, appreciated the opportunity to complete a full degree program in English.

However, only around a third of those surveyed feel well-prepared to start a career in Germany. Many said they would like more support, such as career services, language courses, and access to company contacts.

According to the DAAD, more than 379,900 international students studied at a German university in the winter 2023/24 semester. This made Germany the third most popular destination worldwide and the most popular non-English-speaking host country.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz began his tour of Germany's 16 states with a visit to Bavaria.

Bavarian Premier Markus Söder welcomed Merz to a session of the Bavarian Cabinet held atop Germany's highest mountain, Zugspitze.

Traditional Bavarian mountain rifle companies greeted Merz at the Zugspitze cable car base station with ceremonial rifle salutes.

After taking a group photo with cabinet members, Merz and Söder rode the gondola to the 2,962-meter summit, where a troupe of Bavarian Schuhplattler dancers performed for them.

During this high-energy traditional folk dance, performers rhythmically slap their thighs, knees, and the soles of their shoes with their hands.

Before the cabinet meeting, Söder announced that the Bavarians had several demands for the chancellor, including matters related to energy, technology, rail, and transport links, in addition to ceremonial gifts.

Bavaria is led by the Christian Social Union (CSU), which is part of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc that nominated Merz as chancellor.

As the largest German state by area, it is home to major companies like BMW and Siemens. This gives Bavaria political clout and a key role in shaping industrial policy.

In the northern German city of Kiel, activists climbed the scaffolding outside the regional parliament building.

They were demanding the release of Maja T., a German national who is currently being held in Hungary.

Maja T. identifies as non-binary, meaning they do not fit into traditional gender roles, and prefers the gender-neutral pronoun "they" to "he" or "she."

Identifying as part of the "TurboKlimaKampfGruppe" (Turbo Climate Combat Group), the activists unfurled a banner reading "Free Maja" and posted a video on Instagram showing several masked individuals chanting the slogan.

A police spokesman confirmed that seven individuals were on the scaffolding outside the parliament's plenary chamber and that authorities were monitoring the situation on site.

Maja T. is on trial in Budapest for alleged bodily harm during protests against right-wing extremists in February 2023. If convicted, they could face up to 24 years in prison.

On Monday, the activist ended a hunger strike that had lasted more than five weeks. The strike was intended to demand improved prison conditions and repatriation to Germany.

Carolina Wilga, a German backpacker who survived 12 days in the Australian outback, says she lost more than 12 kilograms during the ordeal, according to news agency AAP.

From her hospital bed in Perth, the 26-year-old shared photos on Instagram showing her surrounded by snacks, including chocolate and pastries sent by the German consulate.

The post read: "When you need to gain 12 kilograms back."

 A passerby discovered her by chance in the outback on Friday. The day before, her van was found in the dense bushland of the vast Karroun Hill Nature Reserve, about 310 kilometers northeast of Perth.

In a statement released by the WA police, Wilga said that she left the vehicle after crashing and sustaining a head injury, which left her disoriented.
 
During her time in the bush, she drank rainwater and puddle water, slept in caves, and endured cold nights and scorching daytime heat.

In a reversal of a trend, people in Germany are driving more again.

According to data from the the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), personal cars registered in Germany covered 594 billion kilometers (360 billion miles) in  2024, roughly four times the distance from Earth and to the sun. 

This was 3 billion kilometers more than the previous year and the first increase since 2018. Prior to this, domestic car mileage had fallen five times in a row. In 2018, it was just under 631 billion kilometers.

However, the average distance driven per car fell again in 2024 — marking at least the tenth consecutive decline. According to the KBA, the figure was 12,309 kilometers — 11 fewer than in 2023. The total distance covered increased due to the higher number of vehicles.

The vast majority of the last year's driving distance was covered by combustion vehicles. Gasoline vehicles accounted for approximately 283 billion kilometers and diesel vehicles for about 230 billion. Other types, such as electric cars, hybrids, and gas-powered vehicles, accounted for the remaining kilometers but were not reported separately.

In 2024, petrol cars were driven an average of 9,555 kilometers, while diesel cars were driven an average of 16,984 kilometers. Diesel cars are particularly popular with frequent drivers because, from a certain annual mileage, their purchase is usually worthwhile, as the lower consumption and cheaper fuel compensate for the higher acquisition costs and vehicle tax.

Germany's Constitutional Court dismissed a lawsuit against the use of the Ramstein Air Base by US armed forces for overseas drone operations.

The suit was filed by two Yemeni citizens whose relatives were reportedly killed in a US drone attack in Yemen in 2012.

In 2019, a regional court ordered the German government to investigate whether US drone missions in Yemen that use the military base in Rhineland-Palatinate violate international law. However, a federal court overturned the decision.

In the Constitutional Court, the plaintiffs invoked the right to life and physical integrity enshrined in the German constitution. They argued that Germany had violated its duty of care by helping with the drone operations.

However, the government does not accept such a duty of care under certain exceptions, including if there is no clear connection to Germany.

Read more about why the Constitutional Court rejected Germany's responsibility in the Yemen drone case

Guten Morgen from the DW newsroom in Bonn!

Germany's Constitutional Court Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed against the US Armed Forces' use of Ramstein Air Base for drone missions abroad.

Meanwhile, Germans continue to marvel at the ordeal of the German backpacker who was found alive in Australia after missing for 12 days.

We will bring you these stories and cover other major topics that are currently being discussed in Germany.