Germany updates: Sabotage suspected in major rail disruption

Germany's Federal Statistical Office on Thursday published new data documenting a rise in the number of individuals injured or killed on or by e-scooters. 

Legalized in 2019 and hailed as a smart transportation solution, the number of injuries recorded on the vehicles has climbed steadily since their introduction.

Data released Thursday documented 11,944 accidents resulting in personal injury on the country's streets — a 26.7% jump from 2023, when the number was 9,425 — and more than twice the number from 2021.

A total of 27 people died in scooter-related accidents in 2024, up from 22 in 2023.

Some 83.9% of those injured (10,886 individuals) as well as all 27 killed were operating scooters themselves, while 4.7% (508 individuals) were riding along when injured (up from 3.9% in 2023). 

Nearly half (48.6%) of those involved in accidents were under the age of 25.

Many e-scooter accidents (21.2%) involved operators ignoring traffic rules, for instance, by driving on sidewalks.

Alcohol was a contributing factor, with 12.4% of those involved in accidents operating scooters while intoxicated — a far higher percentage than those on bicycles or mopeds.

Speeding (8.0%) and failing to observe right-of-way laws (6.2%) were the third and fourth most frequent causes of accidents.  

In terms of responsibility, statistics found e-scooter drivers at fault in roughly half of all accidents involving them (47.6%). 

Though e-scooter drivers were at fault in 35.2% of accidents involving cars, those stats change dramatically when it came to incidents involving bicycles and pedestrians — where e-scooter drivers were to blame for 72.7% and 87.7% of accidents, respectively.

The study did not track other injuries sustained by drivers, bicyclists or pedestrians and involving carelessly abandoned e-scooters on roads, bike paths or sidewalks.

No driver's license or training courses are required to operate e-scooters, which anyone 14 years of age or older is allowed to rent and drive.

 

The German armed forces have said recruits for both active service and voluntary service increased compared to the same period last year. 

According to the figures from the Ministry of Defense, 28% more people joined the military.

For voluntary service, the ministry has reported that 11,350 people have signed up so far this year, representing a 15% increase from the beginning of 2024. It called the development "particularly encouraging, also with regard to the planned new military service."

According to figures from the ministry, the armed forces currently have around 183,100 recruits, which is around 2,000 more than the same period in 2024. Germany aims to have 260,000 active soldiers by the 2030s, bringing the country into line with NATO force targets.

The Defense Ministry said advertising campaigns and the current international situation are reasons for the rise, adding that young people "want to make a conscious commitment to the armed forces for the security of Germany."

At the end of August, the German government is set to vote on a bill on military service. If passed, the government would require all men turning 18 to complete a digital survey on their willingness and ability to serve in the military.

Germany's goal is to recruit up to 15,000 new conscripts each year. The country ended conscription in 2011.

The number of wolves in Germany is increasing, according to a report submitted by the German government to the European Union. 

The wolf population has "grown in a significantly positive way" in recent years, meaning the animal's conservation status can, for the first time, be classified as "favorable," according to the report. 

However, this classification only applies to what's known as the biogeographical Atlantic region, which covers northwest Germany. 

The status of wolves in the so-called continental region, which makes up most of the rest of the country, will be presented later this year.

The German Farmers' Association accused the federal government of a "tactical delay."

Farmers have been advocating for years for the ability to cull wolves to protect their farms and livestock. Since the wolf is a protected species, the conservation status is one of several criteria that determines whether hunting is allowed. 

Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer also announced an amendment to the Federal Hunting Act, saying he wants to "improve the protection of grazing animals." 

However, the environmental organization WWF said in its assessment that "no favorable conservation status has yet been achieved" nationwide. 

Environment Minister Carsten Schneider said he is sure "the interests of both nature conservation and livestock owners can be met."

Wolves were once widespread in central Europe, but had been hunted almost to extinction in the 19th century. In the last 20 years, populations have returned to Germany as they've naturally migrated from Poland.  

More than 30,000 people in Germany have signed a petition calling for the return of a Yazidi family deported to Iraq.

The family was deported despite a court having lifted their obligation to leave the country on the same day.

On Tuesday, last week, 43 people were deported to Iraq on a charter flight from Leipzig to Baghdad. The Yazidi family was among those on board.

The Yazidis are a religious minority that suffered genocide at the hands of the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) militant group in Iraq in 2014, making such deportations particularly contentious.

Classmates of the family's 6-year-old child appear to have created a petition on Change.org, stating that the family was deported "for no apparent reason" and urging German authorities to work toward bringing them back.

Last week, Brandenburg's Interior Minister Rene Wilke said he wanted to bring the family back quickly in coordination with the federal government.

Police in Germany are investigating an alleged act of sabotage targeting a major railway line between Düsseldorf and Duisburg, which has disrupted both regional and long-distance services.

The fire broke out in a cable duct near Düsseldorf and was discovered when a train driver noticed smoke and raised the alarm.

Deutsche Bahn warned of significant delays, rerouted trains, and suspended stops at several stations in the region.

High-speed rail lines to Berlin and Frankfurt am Main, as well as connections to northern and southern Germany and the Netherlands, have also been impacted, the rail operator announced.

The cables in the affected tunnel segment were destroyed and will need to be replaced.

German lawmakers in the Bundestag's Budget Committee have unlocked €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) for urgent bridge repairs.

It comes after Autobahn GmbH halted contract tenders for 2025 in mid-July due to a lack of funds. The state-owned company warned of major delays to bridge renovations as billions in infrastructure funding remained unavailable.

The German government said Thursday's approval means Autobahn can fully spend the €2.5 billion earmarked in the special fund this year for bridge and tunnel rehabilitation, including on major traffic arteries such as the A7 and A3 motorways.

As many as 5,000 of the 40,000 bridges along the country's autobahns are in such poor condition that they urgently need repair. More than half of the autobahn bridges were built before 1985, including most of the major valley bridges in former West Germany.

Autobahn reported a "dramatic increase" in the maintenance backlog on highways, which could severely impact traffic safety.

German inflation remained unchanged in July, preliminary data from the Federal Statistics Office Destatis showed.

Annual inflation in Europe's top economy came in at 2.0%. 

Unemployment in Germany rose by 65,000 in from June to July, just shy of a total of 2.979 million, according to the Federal Employment Agency in Nuremberg.

The unemployment rate now stands at 6.3%, with Bremen and Berlin the cities with the most unemployed people.

That's 171,000 more than the same time last year.

Experts expect the total number of unemployed to top 3 million in August.

"Unemployment has risen due to the start of the summer break. Companies remain cautious about reporting new jobs, and employment subject to social insurance contributions is hardly increasing at all," Andrea Nahles, the head of the Federal Employment Agency said. 

More than 200 celebrities have signed an open letter to Friedrich Merz, stating that "words alone won't save lives" in Gaza.

They are urging the German chancellor to halt arms deliveries to Israel over its military actions in Gaza.

"We too condemn the horrific crimes committed by Hamas in the strongest possible terms. But no crime justifies collectively punishing millions of innocent people in the most brutal manner," the letter states.

Actors Daniel Brühl and Heike Makatsch, along with musicians Shirin David and Zartmann, are among the artists and media personalities who co-signed the letter, which was organized by the campaign group Avaaz.

Germany approved €326.5 million ($374 million) in arms exports to Israel in 2023, a sharp increase from previous years. In 2024, approvals fell by half amid mounting legal and political pressure.

In addition to calling for a ban on weapons deliveries, the signatories want Merz to support suspending the European Union's Association Agreement with Israel. They also demand an immediate cease-fire and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid.

"These steps are deeply in line with European values and would make it unmistakably clear to the Israeli government that even its closest allies can no longer accept the suffering, and that words are not enough," the letter reads.

Once renowned for its punctuality, Germany's rail operator has struggled in recent years to maintain its reputation.

However, Deutsche Bahn reported a slight improvement over the past six months, with 63.4% of long-distance trains arriving within 15 minutes of schedule, according to its first-half results.

This marks a modest increase from 62.7% in the first half of 2024.

The state-owned rail operator said it aims to raise punctuality to between 65% and 70% by the end of the year.

Despite ongoing issues with delays, passenger numbers rose to 943 million in the first half of 2025, reflecting continued demand for rail travel.

The company also reported a reduced loss of €760 million for the period, nearly €1 billion less than in the same time last year. 

Revenue increased by 3.4% to €13.3 billion, although it still fell short of internal targets.

CEO Richard Lutz emphasized the urgent need to modernize the country's aging rail infrastructure.

Lufthansa, Germany's flagship carrier, reported a 27% increase in second-quarter operating profit year-on-year, reaching €871 million ($995 million).

It beat analysts' average forecast of 805 million euros.

"Although the second quarter was again marked by geopolitical crises and economic uncertainties, we are today confirming our positive outlook for the full year," Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said in a statement.

All airlines belonging to the Lufthansa group, including Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Ita Airways, reported profits in the period.

A German delegation, led by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is headed to Israel and the occupied West Bank on Thursday for talks with representatives from the Israeli government and the UN.

Wadephul said his "main goal is definitely a ceasefire," but also said something needs to be done "to ease the suffering of people" in Gaza.

"The number of victims in the Gaza Strip is too high."

Wadephul, from the center-right CDU, will be joined by a member of the Social Democrats (SPD) with whom they govern in a coalition.

SPD deputy parliamentary group leader Siemtje Möller told public broadcaster ARD before the two-day trip that "real pressure" was needed to end the suffering in Gaza.

Möller gave six aims that Germany has: large-scale humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, a ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Hamas, the disarmament of Hamas, peace negotiations, and an end to Israeli settlements in the West Bank that violate international law. 

Despite its commitment to a two-state solution, Germany has not joined the growing number of Western countries that have pledged to recognize Palestinian statehood in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel in Gaza.

However, Möller suggested that Germany could consider recognizing a Palestinian state sooner than expected.

"The recognition of a Palestinian state is not a taboo and doesn't necessarily have to come at the end of a [two-state] process," she said before the flight.

A helicopter used by the German military that crashed into the Mulde River the town of Grimma in the eastern German state of Saxony, has been removed, the Air Force said.

Two people were killed in the crash Tuesday, and one person remains missing.

Divers have been scouring the river, while soldiers have combed the riverbanks in search of the missing crew member.

The helicopter was flying at a low altitude when it went down near a bridge over the A14 motorway. 

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Editors note: The headline of this entry has been updated to reflect the correct name of the river: Mulde.

Germany and the international sports community have reacted with shock to the news that Laura Dahlmeier has died in a mountaineering accidentin Pakistan.

The two-time Olympic gold medal-winning German biathlete was confirmed dead on Wednesday, two days after being caught in a rockslide high in the mountains of northern Pakistan.

The 31-year-old was swept away by falling rocks on Monday at an altitude of around 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) while ascending the 6,069-meter-high Laila Peak.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier offered his condolences to Dahlmeier's parents, writing that she "was an exceptional sportswoman." 

"Laura Dahlmeier was an ambassador for our country in the world, a role model for peaceful, cheerful and fair coexistence across borders," he said.

International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry described the news as "deeply shocking for all of us in the Olympic Movement." 

"Laura made history at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics as the first female biathlete to win sprint and pursuit gold at the same Games edition. She will be remembered forever. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very difficult time," Coventry said.

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) said, "throughout her career and following her retirement, Laura's drive to push beyond limits and embrace challenges touched and inspired countless lives around the world."

The German Ski Federation DSV said they were "shocked and deeply saddened" to learn about Dahlmeier's death. "In Laura, the German Ski Federation has not only lost an outstanding athlete, but also a very special person. Her legacy will reach far beyond sport. We will honour her memory," the DSV said.

Magdalena Neuer, who also won two Olympic golds and 12 world titles in biathlon, posted a photo of herself and Dahlmeier along with a heart emoji on Instagram.

Gray skies and steady rain over Bonn this morning, guten Morgen.

Germany is mourning the loss of Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier, who died in a climbing accident while ascending Laila Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram range. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier led tributes, calling her a role model and a national treasure.

Rescue teams confirmed her death on Wednesday, but due to harsh weather conditions, they were unable to recover her body. In today’s blog, we’ll reflect on Dahlmeier’s legacy and how she’ll be remembered by fans, fellow athletes, and the wider public.

Later this morning, we’re expecting fresh data from Germany's statistics office: an early estimate of July's inflation. Analysts are predicting a slight slowdown in price growth, though not enough to bring real relief to consumers still grappling with high costs for food and services.