Tuesday's top story: German paratrooper unit rocked by abuse claims
Germany's defence ministry on Monday condemned "unacceptable" abuses in an elite paratrooper regiment amid ongoing investigations into alleged sexual misconduct and right-wing extremism.
The probe into the unit based in the southwestern town of Zweibruecken was launched after two women soldiers filed a complaint in June, the army confirmed.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily said Monday that several dozen soldiers were being investigated for abuses including sexual assault, "right-wing extremist and antisemitic incidents", violent rituals and using hard drugs.
Defence ministry spokesman Kenneth Harms said disciplinary action had been taken against several members of the regiment, there had been "initial dismissals", and the commander had been replaced this year.
"To be perfectly clear, right-wing extremism and inappropriate sexual behaviour are the offences in question," he said. "Neither is acceptable in the Bundeswehr, and it is therefore imperative to investigate the incidents thoroughly.â
An army spokeswoman later told AFP that investigations had been conducted against 55 suspects and dismissal proceedings initiated against 19, of whom three had already left the service.
Europe's largest economy is looking to revamp its armed forces and recently agreed on a new military service model to attract more recruits.
Warnings issued about the risks of illegal fireworks
As New Year's Eve fireworks went on sale, authorities and doctors once again warned about the risk of injury from illegal fireworks.
âUnapproved fireworks can pose a serious danger and cause severe, sometimes even permanent injuries,â Armin Rolfink, president of the General Customs Directorate, told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland on Monday.
According to an AOK analysis, significantly more injuries are treated in German hospitals around New Year's Eve.
Illegal firecrackers in particular cause serious injuries every year. Last year, customs seized more than seven tons of unauthorised pyrotechnics â more than in the previous three years combined (during the pandemic, the use of fireworks generally declined or was partially banned).
READ ALSO: What are the rules for setting off fireworks in Germany at New Year?
The import of unauthorised fireworks from abroad âis prohibitedâ and will result in criminal proceedings, customs chief Rolfink told the RND.
âTo ensure that the turn of the year remains safe for everyone, I can only strongly warn against buying fireworks of unknown origin or without the CE mark,â he said.
Recently, the president of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, called for a ban on fireworks for private individuals, citing serious injuries and crowded emergency rooms.
Attacks against police officers hit record high
Last year, there were more cases of attacks against police officers recorded in Germany than ever before. On Monday, the Federal Criminal Police Office reported a total of 46,367 cases in its 2024 situation report, a slight increase of 0.3 percent over the previous year.
Since 2015, violent crimes against police officers have increased by 38.5 percent.
The number of officers affected by violent crimes has grown even more sharply during the same period, rising by 67.2 percent compared to 2015.
According to the figures, there were significantly more such cases in large cities than in smaller communities: 31.1 percent of all cases occurred in cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants, which account for only 17.5 percent of the total population in Germany.
Last year also saw the highest number of acts of violence against other emergency personnel â including rescue services, firefighters and technical relief workers â since 2018 (a total of 2,916 victims of attacks, an increase of 0.5 percent compared to 2023).
READ ALSO: Number of reported domestic violence cases hits peak in Germany
âViolence against police, firefighters and rescue workers is no longer an exception, but unfortunately part of everyday life for many,â said Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU).
âWe must protect emergency services better, take faster action and draw clear consequences,â he added, referring to a draft law that he intends to introduce together with Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD), which âtoughens penalties, speeds up proceedings and noticeably strengthens the safety of emergency services in their daily work.â
Music streams hit new record of 950 million on Christmas Eve
The number of music streams on Christmas Eve reached a new record high in Germany this year. More than 950 million songs were streamed on December 24th â 23 million more than in the previous year, announced GfK Entertainment on Monday.
The most frequently played song was âAll I Want For Christmas Is Youâ by Mariah Carey, which surpassed its previous year's result of 6.57 million with 6.78 million streams.
Whamâs âLast Christmasâ was played 6.47 million times, slightly less than in 2024 (6.54 million).
READ ALSO: The most popular German language songs of 2025
German government plans ban on disposable e-cigarettes
Germany appears to be edging closer to banning disposable e-cigarettes amid environmental and safety concerns. A government spokeswoman announced Monday that a bill is in the early stages of being drafted, though how responsibility for the bill is to be divided between the Environment and Health ministries remains unclear.
Environment Minister Carsten Schneider of the Social Democrats (SPD) spoke in favour of the prohibition following a cabinet "in-principle" agreement on the issue in November.
That agreement came alongside new Bundesrat rules obliging retailers to accept returns of e-cigarettes and tobacco heaters from July 1st, 2026, due to the fire risks from their lithium-ion batteries.
At the time, the environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe slammed the recycling measure as inadequate without deposits. The organisation is demanding swift action on the promised ban to curb waste.
READ ALSO: Where can I dispose my old electronic devices in Germany?
With reporting by AFP.
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