Tuesday's top story: Suspect arrested in Leipzig after killing two and injuring several
A 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man were killed in an alleged rampage in Leipzig on Monday. Three people were seriously injured.
There are many more injured, said Leipzig's mayor Burkhard Jung.
Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster said that the arrested driver was probably a lone perpetrator.
The suspect had driven a white car from Augustusplatz across the market square in the early evening and had hit several people. The perpetrator was arrested by the police while still in the car, the police said.
He was 33 years old and a German citizen. He was also born in Germany and lived in the Leipzig region.
The two fatalities were also Germans, according to the police.
Investigators do not assume a political or religious motive of the perpetrator according to their findings so far.
According to the police, a total of about 80 people are affected. How many of them were physically injured was initially unclear.
READ ALSO: Two dead in Leipzig after car ploughs into pedestrians
Germany's black-red governing coalition marks one-year in power
It's been one year since Germany's black-red federal government -- made up of the conservative Christian Union parties (CDU/CSU) and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) -- came together under the leadership of Friedrich Merz to lead Germany.
But there is apparently no joyful anniversary celebration to be had, as Merz faces a deplorable approval rating and the black-red government overall is also running extremely low on voter confidence.
READ ALSO: A year into Merz government, German far right stronger than ever
Recently, in an interview with the ARD program Caren Miosga, Merz criticised his coalition partners in the SPD, saying, "I expect the SPD to show the same willingness to compromise as we do. I have been very patient so far...However, the SPD must also know that compromises are not a one-way street."
Meanwhile the SPD parliamentary group leader, Matthias Miersch, says that many substantial compromises have been made, pointing to military service rules and asylum policy.
Other party leaders are also critical of the coalition, but even Left Party leader Jan van Aken says the coalition must not collapse: "We have a crisis here, they can't get a grip on it at the moment. That means they have to pull themselves together..."
Franziska Brantner of the Greens put it like this: "You have the feeling that they are standing in front of the abyss and arguing about who is to blame for the fact that you are on the brink of the abyss."
SPD, Greens and Left quit X in joint protest over disinformation
Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Left Party have jointly withdrawn their official party and parliamentary group accounts from the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, citing growing chaos and the spread of disinformation.
In a coordinated move announced on Monday, all three parties posted identical farewell messages saying that political debate requires dialogue that “reaches and informs people”, something X increasingly fails to do.
Instead, they said, the platform now actively promotes disinformation. Under the hashtag #WirVerlassenX (“we are leaving X”), the parties also pointed followers towards alternative channels such as Instagram and BlueSky.
The withdrawal applies to both party headquarters and their Bundestag parliamentary groups. Several senior figures have also left individually, including Left Party leader Jan van Aken and Green parliamentary co‑leader Katharina Dröge.
Other politicians, such as Left group leader Heidi Reichinnek, had already abandoned the platform earlier.
X has faced growing criticism since being taken over by Elon Musk in 2022. While some German institutions have scaled back their presence, others – including the AfD and CDU – remain active.
READ ALSO: Inside Germany - The AfD's army of staunch supporters - in Nigeria
Shortage of STEM workers eases in Germany amid economic slowdown
The long‑standing shortage of skilled workers in Germany’s STEM professions is continuing to shrink, according to the latest national STEM Report.
The biannual study, produced by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IW) and obtained by ARD’s Capital Studio, shows that the weaker economy is also dampening demand in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
In March 2026, around 369,400 vacancies were recorded in STEM occupations, while about 274,100 people with relevant qualifications were registered as unemployed. Allowing for mismatches in skills, this leaves an estimated gap of 133,900 workers.
Although still substantial, the shortfall has narrowed for the fourth consecutive time since 2024, down from more than 200,000 vacancies two years ago.
READ ALSO: How bad is Germany's skilled worker shortage in 2026?
The biggest shortages remain in energy and electrical trades, followed by metalworking, construction, and mechanical and automotive engineering. The report notes contrasting trends within the sector, with some fields seeing falling demand while others continue to grow.
Researchers stress that foreign recruitment has helped prevent a far deeper crisis. They also argue that attracting more women into STEM careers, keeping older workers in employment for longer, and further simplifying skilled immigration are essential to securing Germany’s long‑term economic competitiveness.
Black-red federal coalition demonstrated poor climate and energy policy so far, says Germanwatch
One year after the CDU/CSU-SPD federal government took office, the environmental and development organisation Germanwatch has assessed the Union and SPD’s record on climate and environmental policy as weak.
“The expansion of renewable energy and electrification is being slowed down rather than accelerated,” Germanwatch board member Christoph Bals stated on Monday in Berlin. “This weakens competitiveness and regional value creation while simultaneously increasing vulnerability to crises.”
Bals acknowledged that Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had defended the climate targets as well as the basic structure of emissions trading for industry and the energy sector in Germany and the EU, even in the face of pressure from within his own ranks.
“But when it comes to key aspects of implementing the climate targets, he is failing to rein in the increasingly destructive Minister of Economics and Energy, Reiche,” the Germanwatch board member added.
He also noted that Environment Minister Carsten Schneider’s (SPD) climate protection program provides “hardly any impetus for a sustainable Germany.”
Germanwatch called for the current oil and gas crisis to serve as a wake-up call.
“The fossil fuel crisis is accelerating the global shift toward renewable energy,” explained Germanwatch climate expert Simon Wolf. He added that the German government, too, must finally recognize the shift away from fossil fuels as a strategic opportunity for Germany and support it.
Couple is said to have stolen millions from coin machines
In the German city of Kempten, a married couple will have to answer for the theft of parking coins worth millions before the district court of the city in the Allgäu.
The man, who was formerly employed by the municipality, is said to have stolen a total of more than 1.9 million euros from the parking ticket machines over the years and received help from his 39-year-old partner.
With reporting by AFP, DPA and Tom Pugh.
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