Germany news: Berlin's orchestra eases dress code amid heat

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The Berlin orchestra will perform in a less strict dress code amid the heat

The defendant in the Magdeburg Christmas market attack has been sentenced to life

Thuringia’s interior minister has called for proceedings to ban the AfD

Carmakers are stepping up efforts to boost combustion engine vehicles' sales

Below, you can follow the latest headlines coming out of Germany on Friday, June, 26:

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Skip next section German companies planning more job cuts, think tank says June 26, 2026

German companies planning more job cuts, think tank says

Companies in Germany are planning further job cuts, think tank ifo said on Friday, with its employment barometer falling to 92.3 points in June, down from 93.9 in May.

The June reading is among the worst since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The labor market remains weak," says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. "Germany is currently still a long way from a sustained recovery in employment."

The labor market in manufacturing remains struggling, with job cuts on the rise in wholesale and retail.

The barometer saw a considerable fall among service providers, with the tourism sector also struggling.

However, construction seems to be largely intact by the downturn, ifo said.

https://p.dw.com/p/5G6Pn

Skip next section Carmakers promoting combustion engine cars over electric cars — market study June 26, 2026

Carmakers promoting combustion engine cars over electric cars — market study

German carmakers are offering higher discounts on combustion cars than on electric cars for the first time in a year, according to a market study by the private research organization Center Automotive Research (CAR).

Their research shows the average discount offered on the 20 best-selling electric vehicles at 17.8% of the listed price. This marks a noticeable fall from 19.5% in January.

In contrast, the average discount for combustion engine vehicles was 18.4%.

Mercedes: Iconic german brand or fallen star?

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That makes combustion engine vehicles on average €1,997 (roughly $2,277) cheaper than electric models, at least in terms of purchase price. In December, the price difference was just over €1,300.

https://p.dw.com/p/5G6XM

Skip next section Thuringia interior minister calls for new attempt to ban AfD June 26, 2026

Thuringia interior minister calls for new attempt to ban AfD

Thuringia's Interior Minister Georg Maier of the Social Democrats (SPD) has called for a fresh attempt to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

"In my view, the time has now come, at the very latest, to take concrete steps toward initiating proceedings to ban the party," Maier told the financial daily Handelsblatt, warning that any further delays would run counter to the principles of a robust democracy."

Maier's calls come on the heels of an expert report suggesting that proceedings to ban the AfD before the Federal Constitutional Court would have a good chance of success. The report was presented by the non-profit Society for Civil Liberties (GFF).

When can a political party be banned in Germany?

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"The report provides well-documented and legally sound evidence of violations, for example, of human dignity as guaranteed by the Basic Law," he said.

https://p.dw.com/p/5G6Km

Skip next section Stuttgart firefighters rescue young kestrels stuck in chimney June 26, 2026

Stuttgart firefighters rescue young kestrels stuck in chimney

Firefighters in Stuttgart have managed to rescue four young birds trapped behind a metal cladding on a chimney.

The emergency services in the capital of Germany's southern state of Baden-Württemberg were called to the scene by the environmental agency. The cladding's temperature had reached around 65 degrees Celsius.

They arrived to find one of the young kestrels had already fallen onto a canopy, where it was rescued. The three other birds were freed by gently bending the metal.

The four falcons were handed over to the municipal animal rescue service.

https://p.dw.com/p/5G6Ih

Skip next section Berlin orchestra relaxes dress code for end-of-season concert amid heatwave June 26, 2026

Berlin orchestra relaxes dress code for end-of-season concert amid heatwave

Berlin's Philharmonic Orchestra will perform its famous end-of-season concert on Saturday evening in a relaxed dress code due to the scorching heat, a spokeswoman for the orchestra has announced.

"The men will perform without a jacket, but will wear a black shirt as their top," said the spokeswoman, adding that they may also roll up their sleeves.

For the women, their tops do not have to be long-sleeved as long as they reach the elbow.

Despite the ongoing heat wave, with temperatures forecast to rise as high as 41 degrees Celsius (105.8 Fahrenheit) in the German capital on Saturday, the spokeswoman emphasized that the stage in the Waldbühne will be in the shade in the evening.

"We're used to playing outdoors," she said.

How Europeans cope with the record-breaking heat wave

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https://p.dw.com/p/5G6Bd

Skip next section Magdeburg Christmas market attacker sentenced to life June 26, 2026

Magdeburg Christmas market attacker sentenced to life

The Magdeburg Regional Court on Friday sentenced a Saudi man to life for carrying out an attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market in 2024, leaving six people dead.

The 51-year-old psychiatrist Taleb A. drove a hire car at high speed through the market, hitting several people, including a nine-year-old boy and five women between the ages of 45 and 75 who all died.

Many others were injured.

The Public Prosecutor's Office has said the defendant acted out of personal motives.

Who is the suspect in the German Christmas market attack?

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Taleb A. arrived in Germany in 2006. He had previously accused German authorities of failing to adequately protect Saudis fleeing their country for religious or political reasons.

During the trial, he admitted to having planned the attack and driven the car, yet denied he deliberately ran people over, a claim the prosecution has found implausible.

https://p.dw.com/p/5G69C

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage June 26, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Good morning from yet another scorching hot and potentially record-breaking day from our DW newsroom in Bonn.

If you catch the Berlin orchestra playing this weekend, don't be surprised if they're not in their usual dapper attire — they have been allowed to relax their outfits while performing.

Also, the country's rail service Deutsche Bahn offered people a full refund should they cancel their weekend train trips.

Meanwhile, a German court found a psychiatrist guilty of killing six people in an attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market in 2024.

We will bring you all of this and more here on our blog on all things Germany! Stay tuned!

https://p.dw.com/p/5G68V

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