German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sharply criticized the United States over its handling of the war with Iran, calling stalled negotiations a humiliation for Washington. Speaking to students in Marsberg on Monday, Merz said he saw little chance of a quick end to the fighting, as Iran had proven far stronger than the US anticipated. He accused Washington of entering the war without a clear exit strategy, drawing comparisons with long-failed US interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The chancellor noted he had conveyed his doubts directly to President Donald Trump on two occasions. The war, he added, was not only strategically flawed but was also harming Germany’s economy through higher energy costs and global uncertainty. Berlin has reiterated its willingness to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz by deploying minesweepers, but Merz stressed this could only happen after hostilities end. His visit was part of EU Project Day, when schools across Germany focus on European Union topics.
Court Rules German–Luxembourg Border Checks Unlawful
In a major legal setback for Berlin’s migration policy, the Administrative Court in Koblenz has ruled that border checks introduced at the Luxembourg–German border violate European law. The decision came after a law professor filed a lawsuit when he was subjected to checks while traveling by bus from Luxembourg to Saarbrücken in June 2025.
The judges found the controls breached the Schengen Borders Code, which guarantees passport-free travel within most of Europe and allows internal border checks only in narrowly defined exceptional circumstances. While temporary controls can be justified if public security is seriously threatened, the court said the German government had failed to provide a sound factual basis for claiming such a threat. In particular, the ruling criticized Berlin for not sufficiently demonstrating a concrete risk of increased migration that would overwhelm state authorities.
The decision formally applies only to the Luxembourg border and the specific case before the court. Interior Ministry officials stressed that border checks elsewhere would continue and confirmed plans to appeal.
Legal experts have welcomed the ruling as an important affirmation of the rule of law within the Schengen area. Further clarity is expected only once Germany’s Higher Administrative Court — or ultimately the European Court of Justice — rules on the broader legality of internal border checks.
Massive Police Raid Against Hell’s Angels in North Rhine-Westphalia
According to the Interior Ministry in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Tuesday’s operation is one of the largest ever to combat “rocker crime” in Germany. More than 50 locations were searched since early morning, with around 1,200 police officers deployed across 28 cities. The investigation focuses on suspicion of formation and membership of a criminal organization.
Some Hell’s Angels chapters have been banned in recent years, including the associations “Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Leverkusen” and “Hells Angels MC Concrete City.” According to reporting by Neue Westfälische, the Hell’s Angels most recently had 29 chapters in NRW with 469 members, making them the largest rocker group in the state — ahead of the “Freeway Riders” with 403 members across 37 chapters.
Obama Praises German Climate Activist Luisa Neubauer
Thirty-year-old Luisa Neubauer, well known in Germany for her work as a climate activist and organizer, has received high praise from former US President Barack Obama. As a member of Obama’s foundation, she was highlighted as one of the people who give him hope. On Earth Day, Obama wrote on X and Instagram: “The young people in the leadership program of our Obama Foundation give me hope.”
In a short video, he introduced Neubauer as a woman who didn't wait for someone else to make change, but instead took action to lead change herself. Neubauer has been a leading figure in Germany’s Fridays for Future movement.