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Germany news: COVID vaccine maker BioNTech to close 3 sites
Germany news: COVID vaccine maker BioNTech to close 3 sites
Timothy Jones | Richard Connor with dpa, Reuters, AP, AFP, epd, KNAPublished 09/28/2026Published September 28, 2026last updated 09/28/2026last updated September 28, 2026COVID-19 vaccine maker BioNTech is to close three sites in Germany after efforts to find buyers failed. Meanwhile, Rhine water levels have fallen to record lows after an unusually dry September. DW has more.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NNaaWhat you need to know
These updates have been closed. Thank you for joining us.
We'll be back with the latest news out of Germany on Tuesday.
Here is a roundup of the latest headlines from and about Germany on Monday, September 28, 2026:
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COVID-19 vaccine maker BioNTech is to close three sites in Germany after efforts to find buyers failed
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Rhine River water levels have fallen to record lows after an unusually dry September
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Germany marks 75 years of its Constitutional Court, with President Steinmeier warning of threats to liberal democracy
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Skip next section World's tallest wind turbine installed in Brandenburg09/28/2026September 28, 2026World's tallest wind turbine installed in Brandenburg
The eastern German state of Brandenburg has unveiled the world's tallest wind turbine, developer Gicon said.
The wind turbine, located in the community of Schipkau,100 kilometers south of Berlin, reached its final height of 365 meters (1,197 feet). It is scheduled to begin operating in November.
The structure is designed to take advantage of stronger and more consistent winds at higher altitudes. Gicon says the turbine could generate roughly twice as much energy as a conventional wind turbine with the same rotor diameter. It is expected to generate enough electricity to supply up to 7,500 households.
Schipkau and its surrounding region were once dominated by coal mining.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NQyMSkip next section Grocery delivery firm Flink targeted by hackers09/28/2026September 28, 2026Grocery delivery firm Flink targeted by hackers
Jenipher Camino GonzalezData belonging to customers and employees of German grocery delivery company Flink was accessed by hackers, a spokesman said.
The compromised information included names, delivery addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers, while passwords, payment data, bank details and credit card information were not affected, the Flink spokesman added.
"We became aware of unauthorized access to data from one of our internal systems and are taking the incident very seriously," the spokesman said.
"Immediately after becoming aware of the incident, we disabled the affected access, implemented additional security measures and launched a comprehensive investigation together with external IT forensics and cybersecurity experts," he added.
Flink said the attackers were attempting to exploit the breach by contacting customers and employees directly and demanding payments.
The company has strongly advised those affected not to respond to the messages or make any payments.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NQyCSkip next section Wadephul visits ICC, pledges support09/28/2026September 28, 2026Wadephul visits ICC, pledges support
Jenipher Camino GonzalezGerman Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, Netherlands, where he said that protecting the judicial organ was part of Germany's "historic responsibility."
The ICC has been responsible for prosecuting genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity since 2002.
Wadephul vowed to continue backing the international court, despite increased pressure from the US.
"Germany will do its part to ensure that the ICC remains able to act even under pressure," Wadephul said in The Hague, alongside Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen.
Wadephul and Berendsen said they would seek all measures to protect the ICC from further sanctions. The German foreign minister added that this includes the EU Blocking Statute, a legal instrument that was used in 2018 in response to US sanctions on Iran, to protect European companies and citizens from their economic consequences.
Berendsen referred to the "nuclear option," which he said could be deployed quickly in an emergency.
Germany's top diplomat warned that international rules are only as strong as the willingness to stand up for them.
"Particularly at a time when international institutions are increasingly being called into question, we must stand firmly by their side, together with our partners around the world," Wadephul stressed.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NQyASkip next section German retailer Metro's Russia unit taken over by Kremlin09/28/2026September 28, 2026German retailer Metro's Russia unit taken over by Kremlin
Jenipher Camino GonzalezPresident Vladimir Putin ordered that the Russian assets of Metro AG be placed under temporary administration, according to a Kremlin decree.
The Kremlin order placed the assets under the administration of UK Torg Rus, described in the Metro news release as "a company of Metro Russia CEO Johannes Tholey."
Metro said in a statement that although the Russian operations formally belonged to it, it had no further operational control over the business. Metro has 9,000 employees in Russia.
The German company said it had been reducing its connections to its Russia business since the 2022 Russian invasion, adding that "further consequences of the decree on Metro AG are currently being analyzed."
The Russian government did not explain its decision against Metro AG, but the move follows similar steps against the Russia businesses of global food company Nestle and French retailer Auchan, after a 2023 decree aimed at absorving businesses associated with "unfriendly countries."
Local owners have also taken over the Russia businesses of French dairy company Danone and Danish brewer Carlsberg under the same temporary administration rule.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NQk9Skip next section Spahn gives up seat on Bundestag budget committee09/28/2026September 28, 2026Spahn gives up seat on Bundestag budget committee
Richard ConnorFormer CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn is giving up his seat on the German parliament's Budget Committee following criticism over his absence during two days of parliamentary business last week.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician said "everything surrounding me is currently so politicized that normal work will hardly be possible."
Spahn said he would focus for now on his constituency and family.
His absence had caused irritation among lawmakers from the center-right CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU). Several committee members reportedly called for Spahn to step aside.
Spahn resigned as CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader in July after he and his husband became parents through a surrogate. The issue caused controversy within the conservative bloc, which supports Germany's ban on surrogacy.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NPnVSkip next section BioNTech to close German sites after sale efforts fail09/28/2026September 28, 2026BioNTech to close German sites after sale efforts fail
Richard ConnorGerman biotech company BioNTech says it will close three sites in Germany after failing to find buyers.
The sites are in Marburg, Idar-Oberstein and Tübingen. BioNTech is also shutting down operations in Singapore.
The Mainz-based company had announced plans in May to sell the facilities as part of a restructuring of its manufacturing operations.
BioNTech said its efforts to find buyers had been unsuccessful, citing a difficult market and investment environment.
The company said it had reached agreements with its works council on additional redundancy terms for affected employees.
The three German closures affect around 1,800 employees. BioNTech had previously said its wider restructuring could affect up to 1,860 positions.
BioNTech rose to global prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic after developing an mRNA vaccine with US pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Demand for COVID vaccines has since fallen sharply, leaving the company with excess manufacturing capacity.
BioNTech is increasingly focusing its resources on its oncology pipeline and has said the restructuring could eventually generate annual savings of around €500 million ($587 million).
https://p.dw.com/p/5NPldSkip next section VIDEO: What's behind the rising polarization in German politics?09/28/2026September 28, 2026VIDEO: What's behind the rising polarization in German politics?
Matthew MooreRecent state elections have been won by parties at the extreme ends of the political spectrum: in the eastern states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), and in Berlin the far-left Left Party.
At the same time, parties in the political center are seeing their support increasingly drain away.
DW looks at the likely causes of this growing polarization in German society in this video:
What's behind the rising polarization in German politics?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5NOVASkip next section Germany marks 75th anniversary of Constitutional Court09/28/2026September 28, 2026
Germany marks 75th anniversary of Constitutional Court
Timothy JonesA ceremony attended by some 1,000 guests is to be held on Monday evening in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe to mark the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Federal Constitutional Court.
Among those invited are Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
In a speech released to the press in advance, Steinmeier stressed the importance of the court at a time when liberal democracy in Germany was increasingly threatened by "forces at the political margins."
"A strong Constitutional Court is part of the resilience of our democracy," he said. "I am convinced that the Constitutional Court is a guarantee that, despite all challenges, the success story of our liberal democracy will continue."
Steinmeier highlighted the importance of the Constitutional Court in moving Germany "away from the traditional authoritarian state toward a modern civil society" after the Nazi era.
"The court succeeded in positioning itself ... against the Nazi tyranny and to use its jurisdiction to stress that the constitution was and is a deliberate counter-model to this tyranny," he said.
The Constitutional Court, which was founded on September 28, 1951, is the highest German court for constitutional issues and is tasked with ensuring the compliance of all governmental institutions with the German constitution, or Basic Law.
Up to the end of 2025, it dealt with almost 274,000 cases, more than 96% of which were judicial reviews following constitutional complaints, according to the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb).
Its rulings cannot be contested and all other state organs are obliged to follow them.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NOLtSkip next section IN DEPTH: Is Klopp's charisma enough for Germany?09/28/2026September 28, 2026IN DEPTH: Is Klopp's charisma enough for Germany?
After defeat to Greece, Jürgen Klopp is confronted with the real challenge of his task as Germany head coach. Can his charisma alone push this group forward?
https://p.dw.com/p/5NOLdSkip next section NRW leader calls for 'new chapter' in German-Turkey ties09/28/2026September 28, 2026NRW leader calls for 'new chapter' in German-Turkey ties
Timothy JonesHendrik Wüst, the conservative leader of the state of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW), has kicked off a three-day trip to Turkey to mark the 65th anniversary of the 1961 agreement allowing "guest workers" from Turkey to work in West Germany.
Wüst, whom many see as a potential successor to beleaguered Chancellor Friedrich Merz, called for a "new chapter" in relations with Turkey as he began his visit, accompanied by a large delegation.
Wüst noted that one-third of the some 3 million people of Turkish origin or ancestry in Germany live in its most-populous state of NRW, saying: "They are naturally part of our state."
On Monday, Wüst is due to visit a plant in the Turkish capital, Ankara, that belongs to the company Henkel, which is based in Düsseldorf, the capital of NRW.
He then plans to visit the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, while a meeting with Turkish business figures is scheduled for the evening.
On Tuesday, Wüst will hold political talks in the capital before traveling on to Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, where a business conference is on the agenda.
Tuesday will also see the presentation of a prize for tolerance and reconciliation between cultures to former Germany football captain Ilkay Gundogan.
The 51-year-old Wüst is the first premier of the state to make an official visit to Turkey.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NNvYSkip next section Rhine levels in Cologne hit record low after dry September09/28/2026September 28, 2026Rhine levels in Cologne hit record low after dry September
Mark HallamEven as October approaches, the water levels on the crucial River Rhine remain among the lowest on record.
After an unusually dry September, the reading in Cologne dipped to 40 centimeters (just under 16 inches) on Monday morning, monitoring data from the WSV agency showed.
"The 40 centimeters constitutes a low-water record," a Cologne city official, Markus Neumann, told the DPA news agency.
Prior to the series of new records in the past few months, the lowest measurement in Cologne had been a 2018 reading of 69 centimeters.
Several of the points along western Europe's busiest inland freight waterway were similarly shallow on Monday.
In Koblenz, Andernach, and Düsseldorf the readings even moved into negative territory, meaning that the gauging station was completely dry.
The levels at the measuring points do not indicate the absolute depth of the river for shipping, but rather the depth at a more accessible point, nearer the banks. The difference between the depth and the readings varies among the gauging stations but tends to be somewhere around 1 meter shallower than the navigable shipping channel.
Amid a hot and dry summer, the Rhine made headlines repeatedly and hit a series of record lows in August, severely impacting commercial shipping. A brief rainy period had brought some relief, but levels had been dropping again in the last few weeks.
The Rhine, linking the Netherlands and the vast port of Rotterdam to much of western Germany, is used for an array of freight transportation, including coal and fuel.
Germany's WSV river agency also had low water level warnings in place on stretches of most of the country's major rivers on Monday, including the Elbe, Danube, Weser, Ems and the Oder.
Can businesses navigate the Rhine's low-water problem?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5NNrISkip next section AfD fails to secure mayoral posts in Germany's Lower Saxony run-offs09/28/2026September 28, 2026AfD fails to secure mayoral posts in Germany's Lower Saxony run-offs
Richard ConnorThe far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has failed to secure its first senior municipal posts in the northern state of Lower Saxony.
In Salzgitter, incumbent Mayor Frank Klingebiel of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won 74.7% against AfD candidate Patricia Mair, who received 25.3%.
In Munster, independent candidate Anna Adamczak secured around 80% against her AfD opponent.
In Bockenem, in the Hildesheim district, independent Jens Lüer defeated AfD candidate Felix Mull by 69.6% to 30.4%, a margin of 2,019 votes.
In the state capital, Hanover, incumbent Mayor Belit Onay of the Green Party defeated Axel von der Ohe of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) by 61.5% to 38.5%.
The results are preliminary. Those elected will serve eight-year terms.
After AfD's record result: voices from Saxony-Anhalt
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https://p.dw.com/p/5NNnGSkip next section Wadephul heads to Netherlands for talks on EU budget, Ukraine09/28/2026September 28, 2026Wadephul heads to Netherlands for talks on EU budget, Ukraine
Timothy JonesGerman Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is visiting the Netherlands on Monday, where he is hold talks with his Dutch counterpart Tom Berendsen and meet with senior International Criminal Court (ICC) officials.
In The Hague, the two foreign ministers are expected to discuss the European Union's planned budget, military cooperation and support for Ukraine.
Their talks come as a group of EU member states, including Germany and the Netherlands, are resisting the European Commission's proposal for a €1.76 trillion ($2 trillion) budget for 2028-2034.
Wadephul also intends to meet with ICC President Tomoko Akane and deputy chief prosecutor, Nazhat Shameem Khan, in the city, which is where the court is based.
The ICC is currently under growing pressure from the US, with President Donald Trump last week calling on the international community to withdraw en masse from the court in a speech at the UN General Debate.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NNnCSkip next section Domestic intelligence issues warning on German-Chinese research cooperation09/28/2026September 28, 2026Domestic intelligence issues warning on German-Chinese research cooperation
Germany's domestic intelligence agency (BfV) has warned that cooperation between German research institutes and Chinese universities could open the door for Chinese espionage.
China has been building up a "comprehensive system of technology and know-how transfer" for years to gain the edge politically, economically, technologically and militarily, the BfV told the daily Handelsblatt.
"This acquisition of technology and know-how can also occur by means of scientific cooperations with universities and top research bodies in Germany," it said.
The BfV said Chinese scientists visiting Germany could be instrumentalized to advance Beijing's "strategic ambitions."
It named quantum technologies, AI and hypersonic technology and biological and surveillance technologies as being particularly sensitive, as they can be used both for civilian and military purposes.
According to the BfV, "legal grey zones" and a "lack of risk awareness" on the part of German research institutions were potential vulnerabilities.
It said the Chinese state could also exploit Germany's constitutionally guaranteed freedom of scientific research and teaching.
Router's 'backdoor' to China raises cybersecurity concerns
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https://p.dw.com/p/5NNl5Skip next section Berlin's Left Party takes legal action against Dobrindt over antisemitism remark09/28/2026September 28, 2026Berlin's Left Party takes legal action against Dobrindt over antisemitism remark
Timothy JonesLeft Party politician Elif Eralp, who could become Berlin's next mayor after an election win last week, has filed a criminal complaint against conservative Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt over a remark referring to her as an "antisemite."
Lawyer Jasper Prigge told the DPA news agency the complaint by Eralp and the Berlin branch of the Left Party argues that Dobrindt endorsed a statement describing Eralp as an "antisemite" in what amounted to a criminal act of defamation and insult.
The incident occurred in a talkshow on German television on Thursday.
The moderator of the show, Maybrit Illner, said, "Elif Eralp says she is an antisemite," quickly correcting her slip-up to "... [that] she is not an antisemite."
Dobrindt then said: "Oh, yes, she is."
Dobrindt had said on an earlier occasion that the Berlin branch of the Left Party was "quite obviously tolerating antisemites and extremists in its orbit."
Eralp herself has repeatedly condemned all forms of antisemitism and reaffirmed Israel's right to exist.
The legal action comes as many conservative politicians have reacted with outrage to the victory of the socialist party in the elections on September 20.
Some observers, however, see the accusations of antisemitism levelled at the party as overblown and politically motivated.
German Left Party co-chair on allegations of antisemitism
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