Prognosis 'not good' for humpback whale

Hopes that a whale stranded in shallow waters off the Baltic coast can be guided back to the ocean are fading.

Meanwhile, hundreds escaped from a nightclub that became engulfed in flames.

This blog has now closed.

Read below for the latest developments from across Germany on Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29.

German police raided 14 residences in the Munich region, targeting 14 men between the ages of 17 and 78 for alleged involvement in child pornography.

About 35 officers executed a court warrant to search 14 residences, 13 of which were in the urban area and one of which was in the surrounding area.

There were no noteworthy incidents, according to police.

The men are accused of possessing and, in some cases, distributing child pornography.

They are not believed to be connected to one another.

During the raids, a number of mobile phones, computers, and electronic storage devices were seized for examination.

Two of the men had their identities verified, and another was summoned.

Far-right AfD draws level with conservative CDU/CSU in new poll
The far-right Alternative for Germany has gained one point in the latest Sunday poll, drawing level with the Chancellor Freidrich Merz's conservative CDU / CSU at the top.

The Insa survey for the Bild am Sonntag newspaper showed both parties at 26%, while the center-left Social Democrats fell one point to 14%, its lowest level since mid-January.

Support for the Greens held steady at 12%, and the Left remained at 11%.

The left-wing populist  Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance and the business-focused Free Democrats both polled at 3%, leaving them below the threshold for entering parliament.

The poll surveyed 1,205 people between March 23 and 27, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

Rising diesel prices hit German transport firms, fuel inflation fears
Germany’s transport sector has been facing rising pressure as diesel prices surge due to the ongoing war, increasing costs across the industry.

BGL head Dirk Engelhardt said prices have risen by about 40 cents per liter since the start of the Iran conflict, adding around €1,200 (roughly $1,385) in monthly costs per truck based on typical usage.

For a fleet of 50 vehicles, that amounts to more than €700,000 a year.

"It stands to reason that this could have an impact on consumer prices sooner or later," Engelhardt said.

The industry is calling for fast and unbureaucratic government support to protect liquidity and maintain supply chains.

While some companies use fuel price adjustment clauses to offset fluctuations, smaller firms often lack such protections and face immediate cost increases.

Businesses and consumers suffer from high diesel prices
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Rescue chances fade for stranded humpback whale
The chances of rescuing a stranded humpback whale in the Baltic Sea near Wismar have worsened significantly, according to marine experts.

According to current information, the animal is not stuck on a sandbank, but is in water two meters deep.

Researcher Burkard Baschek said the outlook is "not good" after assessing the animal on site, adding it should now be left undisturbed in the hope it can free itself.

The whale is in water deep enough to escape on its own, but its condition has "clearly deteriorated" since Saturday.

Although it briefly freed itself during the night, it is no longer making attempts to swim away, and even if it does, there is a high risk it could strand again.

Authorities have set up a 500-meter exclusion zone around the animal, with State Environment Minister Till Backhaus saying vessels are being informed by radio to keep their distance.

Legal hurdles seen for German social media ban
A proposed social media ban for children in Germany faces major legal obstacles, according to a Bundestag research report.

The German lower house of parliament's scientific service found barriers, mainly in EU law, and warned that parents' constitutional right to raise their children could also pose "a further obstacle."
The report, commissioned by the Left Party and seen by the news agency DPA, noted that debates in Germany mirror discussions in other countries about restricting youth access to social platforms.

States including Lower Saxony and Thuringia have proposed banning use for those under 14 and limiting access up to age 16 to "age-appropriate versions."
However, the report pointed to existing EU rules under the Digital Services Act, which take precedence over national law.

It also cited the country-of-origin principle, meaning restrictions by individual states would have little effect since major platforms like Meta, Google, X, and TikTok are based in Ireland.

The authors said only the European Court of Justice could ultimately clarify what regulatory room remains for member states.

The Left Party said the findings support its skepticism, arguing bans would not solve underlying problems, would restrict young people's rights, and are difficult to enforce both technically and legally.

Instead, it called for stronger enforcement of existing rules and greater investment in media education.

The loneliness epidemic changing young people
Rescue effort planned for stranded whale in Baltic bay
Rescue teams and environmentalists have been preparing an operation to help a whale stranded in the Bay of Wismar, warning the animal must be quickly returned to ocean waters if it is to survive.

Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack said teams would intervene if the whale becomes stuck again, potentially using stimuli to guide it back into deeper water.

Experts from Greenpeace, the German Oceanographic Museum, and the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research plan to approach the animal by inflatable boat.

The whale is currently only a few hundred meters from shore, with a deeper shipping channel nearby, but it is described as very weak with severely damaged skin.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Environment Minister Till Backhaus also plans to assess the situation from a boat.

A ministry spokesperson said the priority is to first evaluate the whale's condition before deciding on further action.

The whale had previously been stranded for days on a sandbank near the town of Timmendorf before rescuers dug a channel to help it escape.

The animal was expected to move toward the North Sea and eventually the Atlantic, but instead was later spotted near Walfisch Island in the Bay of Mecklenburg, where it became stuck again.

Hundreds flee to escape nightclub fire in border town
Firefighters have been battling a major blaze at a nightclub in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, with crews from nearby communities supporting the operation.

The fire, in the German town of Kehl just across the Rhine River from the French city of Strasbourg, broke out at about 3:45 a.m.

local time at a dance club and spread to the entire building.

About 750 people were inside at the time, according to initial information from the operator, but all were evacuated and left the site on their own.

Police from Kehl and the city of Offenburg, along with emergency medical services, were deployed.

Three people have been treated by paramedics so far, according to initial reports.

Investigators will only be able to enter the site once firefighting operations are complete, while witness interviews are already underway to determine the cause.

The building remains inaccessible due to the fire, and traffic is being diverted in the area.

Bavarian state premier visits Texas, South Carolina
Bavarian state premier Markus Söder is traveling to the United States for the first time in his current role.

The destinations of his trip are the economically powerful US states of Texas and South Carolina.

The last time a Bavarian state premier — Germany's equivalent of a state governor — visited the US in an official capacity was Edmund Stoiber in 2002.

Unlike that time, Söder will be giving the capital, Washington, DC, and US President Donald Trump a wide berth.

Among the highlights on Söder's itinerary is a visit to the NASA Mission Control Center in Houston and a cowboy ranch.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich has long maintained a direct line to Texas — a connection that Söder aims to strengthen.

According to his own statement, Söder has already been to the US twice, "once to New York in 2012 and once to the West Coast in 2014."
This is his first official trip as head of Bavaria's government.

“We want to forge alliances with power regions," he said.

As well as Texas, the visit also takes in South Carolina — where there's already a close connection to Bavaria.

Munich-based carmaker BMW operates its largest and most important overseas plant in Spartanburg.

Political talks are planned for Wednesday.

These include a reception and political discussions with South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster – who, like the US president, is a Republican — as well as receptions in the state Senate and the House of Representatives.

The potentially fraught discussions are likely to focus on the US tariffs and protectionism, particularly painful subjects for Germany and Bavaria with their tradition as major exporters.

Humpback whale remains in Baltic shallows
A humpback whale has remained in Wismar Bay in northeastern Germany after briefly freeing itself from a sandbank , with authorities still monitoring the situation.

Officials in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the environmental group Greenpeace said it is unclear whether the whale is stuck again, while water police continue operations in the area.

The animal had managed to free itself overnight as water levels rose, but shallow coastal waters remain a risk.

The 12 to 15 meter (roughly 40 to 50 feet) whale was first spotted Monday near a beach by the town of Timmendorf and later escaped through a channel dug by rescuers before swimming toward Mecklenburg.

It then stranded again in Wismar Bay, where authorities have decided against a new rescue attempt for now, hoping the marine mammal can free itself.

Officials have urged the public to keep at least 500 meters away, warning against disturbing the animal.

Experts say humpback whales are not native to the Baltic Sea and that it may have reached the area while following fish or due to underwater noise.

Germany springs forward in time
Clocks across Germany have moved forward by one hour as the country switches to daylight saving time .

At 2 a.m.

local time on Sunday, clocks advanced to 3 a.m., marking the start of Central European Summer Time and bringing longer, brighter evenings.

The time change is designed to make better use of daylight during the year, with clocks set to return to standard time on October 25.

In Germany, the official time signal is managed by Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in the city of Braunschweig (also known as Brunswick in English).

The institute transmits the signal via a long-wave transmitter near Frankfurt, ensuring radio-controlled and industrial clocks adjust automatically.

Welcome back to our Germany blog as we start Sunday bright and early after a sping clock time change.

We'll be bringing you all the most interesting stories that Germany is talking about, so stay with us here.

We are pausing this weekend edition of our blog on all things Germany.

We will resume again tomorrow morning to bring you all the latest headlines, background, videos and analyses from Germany.

Stay tuned!

Thousands protest sexual violence in Cologne
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Germany's western city of Cologne on Saturday to protest against sexual and "patriarchal" violence.

The topic has gained traction since TV host and actress Collien Fernandes made serious allegations against her ex-partner, actor Christian Ulmen.

Fernandes accused her ex-husband of being behind the distribution of hundreds of AI-generated pornographic images of her online, as well as social media accounts pretending to be her, which he denies.

Rescued whale beached again off Germany's coast
A whale that was freed after being stranded for days off Germany’s Baltic coast has become stuck on another sandbank, a Greenpeace spokeswoman said on Saturday.

The humpback, estimated to be between 12 and 15 meters long (around 40 to 50 feet) first ran aground early Monday on a sandbank off the Timmendorfer Strand resort near the northern city of Lübeck.

The incident prompted a days-long rescue effort.

Eventually, a floating excavator was delivered to the scene and rescue teams managed to dig a channel, allowing the massive animal to swim off .

But less than two days later, the whale seems to be stuck once again.

Marine biologist: 'Sometimes hope wins out'
Poland to keep border checks for Germany and Lithuania over illegal migration
Poland's Interior Ministry said it will extend controls along its borders with ‌fellow ⁠European ⁠Union members Germany and Lithuania ​by six months until ​October 1.

The country began temporary controls in ‌July, ​echoing several other EU governments, to help stem illegal migration.

"This decision ⁠is ​due ​to the need ​to counteract ‌illegal migration and ensure internal ​security," ⁠the ministry said in ⁠a post ​on X.

Germany introduced temporary controls on some eastern and southern borders in 2023.

The government cited high levels of irregular migration and migration smuggling for the checks along the frontier with Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.

A year later, the controls were extended to its western and northern borders towards France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark.