Germany updates: Wolf numbers on rise in much of country
Published August 1, 2025last updated August 1, 2025
What you need to know
Germany has reported a "favorable" conservation status for wolves in parts of the country, citing strong population growth.
Officials have documented 209 wolf packs and around 1,600 animals, mostly in the Atlantic region along the North Sea coast and other parts of northern Germany.
The government has been planning to allow hunting there next. However, the status for much of the rest of the country remains under review.
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is headed for the Israeli-occupied West Bank to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
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Below, you can review some of the stories making the headlines in Germany on August 1, 2025:
Stasi: How the GDR kept its citizens under surveillance
Life as an intelligence service agent à la James Bond? Not for those who worked for the GDR's Ministry for State Security.
A new book reveals the mundane lives of Stasi agents.
State branch of AfD in Brandenburg confirmed as far-right extremist
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Brandenburg can once again be described as a confirmed far-right extremist party after the dismissal of an appeal made by the party.
The Interior Ministry for Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin, cited several conclusions from a report on the classification of the party, which will be published on August 14.
According to the report, the AfD Brandenburg represents positions that are not compatible with Germany's de facto constitution, or Basic Law. The state branch of the party is highly xenophobic, partly racist and primarily targets Muslims, it said.
The AfD Brandenburg envisions itself in a "spiritual civil war" and yearns for "revolutionary conditions" to dismantle the state, according to the statement.
The party also aims to establish a state hostile to freedom, which would undermine pluralism and the existence of diversity, the report said.
At the national level, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany's domestic intelligence service, had upgraded the national AfD partyfrom a suspected case to "holding confirmed far-right extremist positions" nationwide at the beginning of May. That national classification, however, remains on hold pending legal action taken by the AfD.
'We lost a great mountaineer and a great friend'
German biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier died on a mountain in northern Pakistan after being struck by a falling rock this week.
Rescuers struggled to reach the remote location and are now heeding Dahlmeier's wish: To not risk their lives and leave her body on the mountain.
Hear what they have to say here:
Why Qatar's gas lifeline to Germany is at risk
Qatar is due to supply 2 million tons of liquefied natural gas to Germany from next year.
The deal is now under threat from an EU directive on rights and the climate that critics say is too costly and bureaucratic.
Read the full story on the outlook for Germany's LNG deal with Qatar.
Germany's airports prepare to ease unpopular rules on liquids
Strict liquid limits for air travel hand luggage may soon be history in the Germany, as new scanners capable of detecting liquid explosives receive official approval.
A European Commission spokesperson told the DPA news agency that the technology now permits airports to lift the rule. But it remains up to each hub whether and when to implement the change.
The rules won't be relaxed immediately as most airports are not equipped with the technology. However, the German Airports Association (ADV) told the AFP news agency that air travelers at certain airports in Germany may soon be able to carry up to two liters of liquids in their hand luggage.
Read the full story about potential changes to hand luggage liquid rules here.
Germany begins Gaza aid airdrops as crisis deepens
German military aircraft have started dropping humanitarian aid over the Gaza Strip, the Defence Ministry has said.
The move sees Berlin joining international efforts to address worsening conditions in the Palestinian territory.
According to the ministry, German transport planes delivered 34 pallets containing nearly 14 tons of food and medical supplies. The airdrops come as the United Nations continues to warn that Gaza is on the brink of famine, and needs some 62,000 tons of aid a month for inhabitants to survive.
Aid organizations have routinely criticized such missions as mostly symbolic, arguing they are inefficient and unable to meet the massive humanitarian needs on the ground.
German development aid: New spending cuts ahead
German development spending is expected to fall below €10 billion ($11.47 billion) for the first time since 2018.
And further cuts are planned. Aid organizations warn of the consequences.
Read the full story on Germany's cuts to development spending.
Second arson attack hits key north–south rail line in Düsseldorf
A second arson attack has been carried out on a major north–south Deutsche Bahn route in Düsseldorf, police have said.
According to authorities, the incendiary device was similar to the one discovered on Thursday in the nearby city of Duisburg.
The latest attack also caused damage, but police told the DPA news agency that the full extent was still being assessed.
Rail traffic in and around Duisburg was heavily disrupted on Thursday after a fire broke out in a cable tunnel, with police saying they suspect sabotage.
Investigators ruled out accidental causes in that case, and the state security division took over an investigation into it. Authorities said they were "investigating in all directions," but no injuries were reported.
It is believed that an ignition device may have been used to start the fire, damaging roughly 60 meters (roughly 200 feet) of cable that now need to be replaced.
German foreign minister continues West Bank talks amid Gaza, annexation concerns
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is continuing his two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Friday with meetings in Ramallah after talks in Jerusalem.
Wadephul is set to meet Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where discussions are expected to focus on rising violence by Israeli settlers and renewed debate in Israel over annexing parts of the territory.
The visit comes a week after the Israeli parliament passed a non-binding resolution in support of annexation, prompting criticism from the international community — including Germany, one of Israel's closest allies.
Wadephul began his trip Thursday with meetings in Jerusalem, including talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
During those meetings, he warned that Israel faces growing international isolation over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
German train operator shuts down Berlin-Hamburg route
Starting later today, German train operator Deutsche Bahn is set to close its 280-kilometer (174-mile) route linking Berlin to Hamburg for at least nine months.
With up to 30,000 passengers daily, the route is the most heavily used direct connection in Germany's long-distance rail transport system.
Read the full story on the closure of the major German train line between Berlin and Hamburg.
Germany reports improved wolf population in parts of the country
The German government has reported a "favorable" conservation status for wolves in parts of the country to the European Commission for the first time since numbers were tracked.
In 2023/24, authorities documented 209 wolf packs and about 1,600 individuals across Germany.
The favorable designation applies to the so-called Atlantic region, which includes the North Sea coast and parts of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and North Rhine-Westphalia, the Environment Ministry says.
Officials said the wolf population in these areas has developed "significantly positively" in recent years. The German government plans to allow hunting again as a next step for the area, but it might take longer for the rest of Germany.
That has prompted the German Farmers' Association has accused the German government of a "tactical delay" in its regional approach. It wants hunting to be allowed more urgently as a way to protect livestock.
The status of the wolf for the larger continental region — which includes most of Germany outside the Alps — remains "unknown" for now. The government says it will assess this region based on a newly agreed methodology between the federal and state governments and later submit findings to Brussels.
Under the EU's Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive, a favorable conservation status means there is enough habitat and food to ensure the species' long-term survival, and that the population is large enough not to be at risk from factors like disease, road accidents, or poaching.
In the last EU report in 2019, Germany’s wolf population was still considered in "unfavorable" condition. Species listed as such may not be legally hunted under EU law.
Welcome to our coverage
Guten morgen and welcome to our latest updates from the DW newsroom in Bonn.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is spending the second day of his Middle East visit in Ramallah on Friday, where he's set to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for talks expected to focus on the rising tensions in the occupied West Bank.
His visit comes at a particularly sensitive time. Just days ago, Israel's parliament passed a non-binding resolution in favor of annexing parts of the territory — a move that's drawn sharp international pushback.
Meanwhile, train commuters from Berlin to Hamburg are about to see direct services put on hold for the next nine months.
Stay with us here to find out what Germany is talking about on Friday, August 1, 2025.