Monday's top story: Wintry weather causes multiple accidents and disruptions
Snow and ice caused disruptions and accidents across the country over the weekend with police and fire departments reporting hundreds of – mostly minor – incidents on the roads.
Crashes were more frequent in the north of the country with Rostock police reporting a total of 57 incidents "caused by icy conditions" within 24 hours on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the Ahlhorn highway patrol in Lower Saxony reported 13 accidents, which they said were "almost without exception due to driving inappropriately for the weather conditions".
Most incidents involved only property damage, but a collision involving two cars on an icy road in Saxony led to a fatality. A 43-year-old driver died from his injuries, a woman was seriously injured and two others sustained minor injuries, Chemnitz police said on Sunday.
Bremen, the Eifel region, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia also saw several weather-related incidents.
Trains were also affected with long-distance and regional rail services experiencing disruptions and cancellations.
Conditions are unlikely to improve in the short term as the cold spell is set to continue for the next few days, especially in the northern half of the country, the German Weather Service said. Milder temperatures should arrive in the second half of the week.
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Berlin neighbourhood endures second night without power
Thousands in southwest Berlin endured another cold, dark night after a major power outage, allegedly caused by an act of sabotage, left around 45,000 households without electricity.
By Sunday, power had returned to some 14,000 homes, but many residents still lacked heating and warm water, with authorities warning the disruption could last several more days.
A police spokesman told AFP that a claim of responsibility posted online from the left-wing extremist Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group) was "plausible", while adding that "investigations are continuing".
Emergency shelters, such as the Bürgersaal in Zehlendorf and the Emmaus parish near Onkel Toms Hütte, have become centres of support and community, with volunteers distributing hot meals and drinks and locals donating food, blankets and even beds.
READ ALSO: Berlin police suspect far-left group of attack on power cables
Despite concerns about the vulnerability of Berlin’s infrastructure and reports of break-ins in darkened districts, many residents expressed gratitude for the solidarity shown by the community.
“It moves me deeply,” said Connie, 65, who had been visiting the parish hall for warmth and companionship.
A number of schools in the area are set to remain closed on Monday morning.
Man suspected of planning large-scale terror attack departs for Tajikistan
A 21-year-old man arrested in Magdeburg in December on suspicion of planning an attack left Germany for his home country of Tajikistan on Saturday, the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of the Interior said on Sunday.
The departure was "at the behest of the ministry" and was "controlled," it said, adding that it was "coordinated in close cooperation with federal and state authorities".
A deportation order was also issued against him, imposing an indefinite ban on entry and a permanent residence ban.
According to security authorities, he had been planning "a serious act of violence" motivated by Islamist ideology. "Incriminating evidence" was found during searches, but no weapons or explosives.
The man, who came to Germany on an au pair visa in June 2024, is said to have become radicalised shortly before his arrest. He had no previous criminal record.
Sharp drop in asylum applications in 2025
The number of asylum applications filed in Germany last year fell some 51 percent as a result of various measures, including border rejections and the suspension of family reunification, the Ministry of the Interior said on Sunday.
"We are managing migration with clarity and consistency," said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. "Those who have no right to protection should not come – those who become criminals must leave," he added.
READ ALSO: The CDU's rightward shift on immigration is costing the party votes
Applications dropped from 229,751 in 2024 to 113,236 in 2025.
In 2023, the number was substantially higher at 329,120.
Meanwhile, the number of first and subsequent applications fell by more than 30 percent from 2024 to 2025, Bild am Sonntag reported, citing the Ministry. According to the report, 168,543 initial and subsequent applications were made in 2025, down from 250,945 in 2024.
Merz says Maduro 'led his country to ruin', protests take place in Germany
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Saturday that Nicolas Maduro had "led his country to ruin" after the United States snatched the Venezuelan leader out of the country during a raid on Caracas.
Merz noted Germany had not recognised the last Venezuelan election as it was "rigged" and that Maduro had "played a problematic role in the region", including by "entangling Venezuela in the drug trade".
But he also said that the legal aspects of the US actions were "complex", and in general "the principles of international law must apply in relations between states".
"Political instability must not be allowed to arise in Venezuela now," Merz added.
On Sunday protests against the US attack on Venezuela took place in several German cities.
In Munich, police estimated that around 400 demonstrators marched peacefully through the streets. In Nuremberg, about 120 people joined a rally while roughly 240 protesters gathered in Düsseldorf.
In Hamburg, an initial demonstration with around 300 participants on Saturday evening was followed by a larger action with around 500 participants on Sunday along the Landungsbrücken.
READ ALSO: Elections and reforms - What can be expected in German politics in 2026?
Wtih reporting by AFP, DPA and Tom Pugh
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