In the past 12 hours, the most prominent political development is a new poll showing the far-right AfD surging in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of a September election. A Reuters report says AfD support is up to 41% (from 39% previously), ahead of Merz’s CDU at 26%, with the Social Democrats at 7%. The coverage also frames the likely challenge of coalition-building if AfD is to be kept out of government, amid concerns about migration policy and energy pressures linked to the Iran war.
Security and public-order stories also featured heavily. Reuters reports that police in North Rhine-Westphalia launched raids in eight cities targeting suspected far-right extremists, including a group called “Young and Strong.” Separately, multiple reports describe a deadly vehicle-ramming incident in Leipzig, where at least two people died and dozens were injured after a car plowed into a crowd in a central shopping area—an event that is being treated as serious criminal violence while investigators assess the suspect and motive.
Foreign-policy and defense coverage in the last 12 hours centers on the U.S. troop drawdown debate. A report on Merz’s comments says he denied any link between his Iran-related dispute with Trump and Washington’s decision to reduce U.S. troop levels in Germany. Another item says Poland is ready to host U.S. troops withdrawn from Germany, with Polish officials discussing bases, logistics, and cost support—suggesting that relocation discussions are already underway, even as Germany tries to keep the narrative focused on alliance management rather than retaliation.
Beyond politics and security, the last 12 hours also included major institutional and economic signals. BioNTech coverage highlights the end of its COVID vaccine production in Germany and job cuts (about 1,860 roles), reflecting the post-pandemic contraction of a once-dominant national biotech success story. In parallel, there is continued attention to Germany’s digital sovereignty and open-source governance, including Kiteworks’ launch of an ownCloud Open Source Program Office (OSPO) and related moves toward structured community oversight.
Older items from the 3–7 day window provide continuity on the same themes—especially the U.S.-Germany troop and missile discussions, with repeated references to Tomahawk deployment being ruled out and broader calls for Europe to take on more defense responsibility. The older coverage also adds context to domestic political pressures (including debates about Merz’s handling of the Trump relationship) and to far-right security concerns, but the most concrete “new” developments in this rolling window remain the AfD poll, the Leipzig attack, and the immediate troop-relocation framing.
