Top News

• German industrial output rose again in June, for a thirf month in succession
• German exports hit a record high in June
• German court upholds detention of left-wing extremist Lina E.
• A major fire destroyed a pig barn near Augsburg, killing more than 1,000 animals

German court upholds detention of left-wing extremist Lina E.

Germany's Federal Court of Justice has upheld the detention of convicted left-wing extremist Lina E. after she refused to testify in a separate trial.

The Karlsruhe court rejected her appeal against six months of coercive detention ordered by the Higher Regional Court in Dresden to compel her to give evidence.

The judges found that E. could not invoke a blanket right to refuse to answer questions because she had already been definitively convicted over the acts she was being asked about.

Giving evidence, therefore, posed no risk of her being prosecuted again for the same offenses, the court said.

Lina E. and three co-defendants were sentenced to several years in prison in 2023 over attacks on actual or suspected right-wing extremists in Germany. The remainder of her sentence was suspended on probation in May.

At the end of June, she was called to testify in a separate Dresden trial involving seven suspected left-wing extremists accused of offenses including membership in or support for a criminal organization.

E. refused to give evidence, prompting the court to order six months of coercive detention and take her into custody immediately.

The Federal Court's rejection of her appeal means that the detention order is now final.

Bayern urges Bundesliga clubs to travel more

Bayern Munich has renewed its call for other Bundesliga clubs to do more to build the league's profile abroad as the German champions wrap up a tour of South Korea and Hong Kong.

"Internationalization cannot be a solo effort by one club. We all have to do it together in the Bundesliga, and the Bundesliga has to step up significantly," Bayern president Herbert Hainer said in Hong Kong.

"It cannot be that Bayern alone is pulling the cart," he added, calling for much more active support from across the league.

RB Leipzig travelled to South Africa after last season, Borussia Dortmund visited Japan this summer and second-tier Paderborn is due to travel to the United States in September.

However, Bayern board member for marketing and sales Rouven Kasper pointed to attendance at the league's internationalization commission, saying only 19 of 36 clubs turned up to its annual meeting.

"That already shows that many simply have no interest," he said.

German security council meets over Leipzig drone incident

Germany's National Security Council has met to discuss the explosive-laden drone found at Leipzig/Halle Airport earlier this week.

The talks were held by telephone on Friday and chaired by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said.

Merz, who is currently on holiday, has remained in "constant contact" with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and other members of the government over the incident.

The drone was discovered by an airport employee overnight Tuesday into Wednesday in a secure cargo area. Federal police specialists defused an explosive device attached to it.

Several Ukrainian cargo aircraft were nearby at the time. Leipzig/Halle Airport is used as a hub for military aid shipments to Ukraine.

Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office took over the investigation on Thursday because of what it described as the case's "particular significance."

Suspicion has focused on Russia, but investigators have so far presented no evidence linking Moscow to the incident.

More than 1,000 pigs killed in Bavaria farm fire

A huge fire at a farm near the city of Augsburg in the southern German state of Bavaria has killed more than 1,000 pigs.

The pig barn and a second building were fully engulfed in flames on Thursday evening, fire officials said.

Firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night and continued to extinguish hotspots on Friday morning. Local farmers joined the response, using tractors to bring large water tanks to the scene.

Heavy smoke initially prompted authorities to tell nearby residents to keep windows and doors closed, although police later said there was no longer any danger to the public.

A nearby state road remained closed, and motorists were asked to avoid the area.

Investigators have not yet worked out what caused the blaze and said there were no initial signs of arson.

The remains of the barn were initially too dangerous to enter, but officials said they believed none of the animals inside had survived.

Police, citing the farmer, said around 1,600 pigs had been housed there, while the fire service put the number at between 1,200 and 1,300.

RWE drops US offshore wind projects in deal with Trump

German energy giant RWE has abandoned several planned offshore wind projects in the United States after reaching a $1.22 billion (just over €1 billion) settlement with the Trump administration.

Under the agreement with the US Interior Department, RWE's American wind subsidiary will drop claims against the government and return offshore lease rights for sites off New York, California and Louisiana.

The Essen-based company said it had already invested more than $1 billion in developing the projects.

"After careful consideration, it was determined that these projects in the US have no realistic prospect of obtaining permits for the foreseeable future," RWE said.

The company now plans to redirect investment toward liquefied natural gas and other gas projects in the United States.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked wind power, calling turbines ugly and describing green energy policies as a "green scam."

German exports hit record high in June

German exports have climbed to a record high, with companies shipping goods worth €139.3 billion ($160.5 billion) abroad in June.

That narrowly beat the previous peak set in September 2022, according to preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office.

Imports also rose strongly, leaving Germany with a trade surplus of €15.4 billion.

The United States remained Germany's biggest export market, but shipments there fell sharply from May.

Exports to the UK increased, while those to China were broadly stable.

China remained Germany's biggest source of imports, with purchases from the country rising strongly during the month.

Across the first six months of 2026, German exports were 3.7% higher than a year earlier, while imports rose 4.4%.

Germany still recorded a sizeable trade surplus of €105 billion over the period.

German industrial output rises for third straight month

Germany's industrial production has risen for a third consecutive month, adding to signs that the country's struggling manufacturing sector may be stabilizing.

Output increased by 0.2% in June from the previous month, following a revised 0.7% rise in May, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

Economists had expected production to remain unchanged.

The automotive industry provided much of the boost, with output rising 3.6% from May.

Production of other transport equipment, including aircraft, ships, trains and military vehicles, jumped 8.4%, while mechanical engineering output fell 3.9%.

Overall industrial production was still 0.1% lower than in June last year.

"The industrial downturn now appears to be over," said Jens-Oliver Niklasch, an economist at German regional bank LBBW. "We have achieved a certain degree of stability."

Niklasch said recent economic data provided grounds for cautious optimism heading into the second half of the year, although energy supplies, geopolitical tensions and low river levels remained risks.

"All in all, however, things looked worse four or five months ago than they do today," he said.

Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.