Thursday's top story: Outdoor events called off as Germany prepares for temperatures to rise further
Throughout Germany, organisers, clubs and municipalities are reacting to the dramatically high temperatures which are set to rise still further on Thursday and Friday in much of the country.
Numerous open-air events have been cancelled - such as the half marathon in Hamburg planned for Sunday, for which 24,000 runners were registered. "It is probably the most difficult decision we have had to make in the history of this event," said a note on the event's homepage.
The Württemberg Football Association cancelled all football matches for the coming weekend, and the Berlin Football Association cancelled all matches in children's football, as well as all matches other.
Schools are reacting in many places and shortening lessons or calling hitze-frei, meaning that students are effectively excused due to classroom temperatures being too hot.
EXPLAINED: Heatwave rules - Who decides when it's too hot for school in Germany?
In some regions, irrigation and barbecue bans apply due to water shortages and the risk of forest fires.
The heat wave, which has been going on for days, is heading for record temperatures and is shaking up life in Germany.
A temperature of 40C or higher recorded anywhere in Germany in the month of June would be a new all time high for the month. While it's not expected that the mercury will reach the 40C mark on Thursday, the likelihood is higher on Friday or Saturday.
Temperatures up to 39C are expected in the west and southwest on Thursday with cities like Düsseldorf and Frankfurt to suffer some of the highest temperatures. Heat stress warnings are to remain in place over most of the country until around 7pm, with the only exception being areas near the northern coast, such as in Kiel or Flensburg.
MAPS: Germany on heatwave alert as temperatures forecast to hit 40C
Team Germany coach feels 'punished' for topping World Cup group
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Wednesday he believes his side are at a disadvantage as World Cup group winners due to reduced preparation time for their last-32 tie.
The four-time world champions are assured of top spot going into their final Group E game against Ecuador on Thursday but will only learn their opponents for the next round less than 48 hours before the match.
Germany, as with seven other group winners, must wait until the end of the opening round late on Saturday to discover which of the eight best third-place sides will await them next Monday in Foxborough.
"I think we are being punished as the group leader," Nagelsmann told reporters in New Jersey.
"But if you look at all the algorithms and how everything plays together, it's extremely complex -- and the more teams you have, the more complex it gets."
Germany thrashed Curacao 7-1 in their first game and then came from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1, ensuring they will progress beyond the group stage for the first time since winning the World Cup in 2014.
But the expanded 48-team format means they could face a wide range of opponents in the last 32.
"It's not ideal that we don't find out until (late Saturday) who we will play, but we are prepared, we worked out the opponents that are most likely," said the 38-year-old Nagelsmann.
Anti-Muslim incidents in Germany surge past 4,000 mark
More than 4,000 anti‑Muslim incidents were recorded in Germany last year, marking a sharp rise and highlighting what campaigners describe as a growing problem of Islamophobia nationwide.
The figures, published by the civil society coalition CLAIM, represent an increase of over 1,000 cases compared with the previous year. The organisation warns that the true scale is likely significantly higher, as many incidents go unreported or are not formally recognised.
The report draws on data from police sources as well as eleven specialist reporting and counselling centres, covering both criminal offences and incidents below the threshold for prosecution.
According to CLAIM, this demonstrates that anti‑Muslim racism is not a marginal issue but one affecting many areas of public life.
In Berlin alone, nearly 1,000 incidents were recorded, which represents a new high. Integration Senator Cansel Kiziltepe said she was shocked by the figures, while CLAIM’s executive director, Aiman Mazyek Hanano, warned that dismissing victims’ experiences risks eroding trust in institutions and deepening social divisions.
Merz meets state leaders in Berlin to discuss finances
For months, debates have been on-going about a reorganisation of federal-state finances. Put simply, German cities and states are running out of money, and they blame the federal government for not funding the requirements forced on them by federal laws.
At the Minister-Presidents' Conference (MPK) in Berlin the topic will be discussed again on Thursday, between heads of state governments and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, among others.
The chief executive of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, André Berghegger, called the financial situation of cities and municipalities in Germany precarious. He told the German Press Agency before the meeting: "This is largely due to the steadily rising costs for the performance of tasks caused by federal or state laws."
"We therefore expect the federal and state governments to agree on a regulation that will fully compensate for costs incurred by municipalities in the future," Berghegger demanded.
He added that a regulation must not only fund new benefit laws, but also take into account the actual cost increases due to currently existing laws, such as for child and youth welfare.
For his part Merz had already suggested that he sees an option to relieve states of their obligation to offer services, rather than to increase funding. On Sunday, he named three major laws that he would suggest changing: the Maintenance Advance Act, the Youth Welfare Act and Integration Assistance.
READ ALSO: German chancellor claims cuts are the only solution as cities run out of money
Survey: More young people are taking drugs
More and more young people in Germany are consuming illegal drugs.
This was the result of a representative survey published by the Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG) ahead of World Drug Day on Friday. According to the survey, 18.7 percent of 18 to 25-year-olds said they had already had experience with at least one illegal drug. In 2023, it was 13.5 percent.
Among men, the proportion was almost twice as high as among women at just under 24 percent. The proportion of consumers among young people between the ages of 12 and 17 has also risen, from 1.5 percent in 2003 to 2.5 percent now.
For the study, the BIÖG surveyed a total of 7,001 young people aged 12 to 25 from April to July 2025.
"Young people are finding it easier to get hold of increasingly potent substances," said the Federal Government's Drug Commissioner, Hendrik Streeck, adding, "Digital channels accelerate this access and trivialise risks..."
He described the increase in cocaine use among young adults as particularly alarming. In the past ten years the proportion of 18 to 25-year-olds who had taken the substance jumped from 1.2 percent to 4.1 percent.
READ ALSO: What's the penalty if you're caught with cocaine in Germany?
With reporting by DPA, AFP and Tom Pugh.
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