Germany news: Powerful storms turn deadly
Germany is grappling with the impacts of damaging storms after a prolonged dry spell. Meanwhile, a CDU politician in Saxony-Anhalt reportedly donated money to the far-right AfD. Follow DW for more headlines from Germany.
Germany experienced deadly storms on August 20, 2026, leading to two fatalities. In Thuringia, a man was killed by falling tree branches while walking his child to preschool. In Rhineland-Palatinate, a 58-year-old woman also died in similar circumstances. A Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Chicago made an emergency landing in Glasgow due to a medical emergency onboard, with 358 passengers on board.
Former Central Council of Jews president Charlotte Knobloch condemned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's call for targeted nightly killings in Gaza. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil strongly condemned Ben-Gvir's remarks, with Klingbeil stating Germany should not remain silent due to a line being crossed.
A recent study found that young people in Germany have little confidence in the state pension system, with only 49% expecting to rely on it for their old age. Concerns about old-age poverty and the economic situation top their worries. Prosecutors filed charges against four former Commerzbank employees for tax evasion linked to the Cum-Ex scandal, facing allegations of tax losses exceeding €20 million.
The Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg reported nausea and vomiting among attendees, with about 20 to 25 people affected and 40 personnel on the scene.
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