- Aug 27
Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama, known for polka dots and infinity rooms, dies at 97
The Japanese avant-garde pioneer died from multiple organ failure on 14 August 2026 after a seven-decade career spanning New York and Tokyo.
- Aug 26
German actor Andreas Hoppe, Tatort detective Mario Kopper, dies at 66
German actor Andreas Hoppe, who portrayed Detective Mario Kopper in 57 episodes of the crime drama Tatort, died unexpectedly in Berlin at the age of 66.
- Aug 25
EU and Germany Move to Sanction Russia Over Failed Leipzig Airport Drone Sabotage
European Union ministers are preparing sanctions on 1,600 Russian defense targets after Germany formally blamed Moscow for an explosive drone plot against Ukrainian cargo planes at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
- Aug 25
Volkswagen plans 50,000 additional job cuts to reduce costs as union tensions mount in Germany
Volkswagen chief executive Oliver Blume announced plans to eliminate 50,000 further jobs across 170 entities by 2030, with roughly half affecting German facilities.
- Aug 25
Investigators find additional drone and hexogen explosives linked to Leipzig airport attack
German authorities have uncovered an additional drone and military-grade hexogen in Kabelsketal, widening the federal probe into the August 4 attempted bombing of a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig-Halle airport.
- Aug 24
Lower Saxony tax chamber addresses rural advisor hurdles and shift to digital
The Chamber of Tax Advisors in Lower Saxony reports that rural residents and elderly taxpayers face hurdles finding local help as practices consolidate and move to digital-only operations.
- Aug 23
Augsburg beats Energie Cottbus 2-0 in DFB-Pokal as Wollitz calls for transfers
FC Augsburg secured a 2-0 victory against Energie Cottbus in the first round of the DFB-Pokal through goals from Anton Kade and Kristijan Jakic, prompting Cottbus manager Claus-Dieter Wollitz to demand squad reinforcements.
- Aug 23
Volkswagen management considers plant closures as unions and state leaders resist deeper cuts
Volkswagen leadership has warned that four German plants lack viable production plans past 2030, proposing 500,000 vehicles of capacity cuts despite pushback from unions and Lower Saxony officials.
- Aug 23
Lower Saxony premier Olaf Lies urges EU tariffs on Chinese hybrid cars
Lower Saxony Minister-President Olaf Lies has written to European and German leaders seeking import duties on Chinese plug-in hybrids, warning of a 70% export increase and market distortion.
- Aug 22
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume warns overhead costs exceed rivals by 30% as 50,000 job cuts loom
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume described the company's financial condition as critical in an internal interview, pointing to a 30% overhead cost disadvantage compared with competitors and uncertainty over four German production plants.
- Aug 18
Germany opens Cochstedt drone defense center following Leipzig airport threat
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt inaugurated a new testing center for counter-drone technologies in Saxony-Anhalt following the discovery of an explosive-laden drone at Leipzig/Halle airport.
- Aug 13
RKI estimates 12,500 heat-related deaths in Germany through August 2, surpassing any full previous year
The Robert Koch-Institut estimates 12,500 heat-related deaths in Germany between April 6 and August 2, 2026, with 9,600 occurring in a single June week when temperatures exceeded 40°C.
- Aug 10
Cottbus win 3-1 on 2. Bundesliga return but coach Wollitz says display showed no second-division quality
Energie Cottbus marked their return to the 2. Bundesliga after 12 years with a 3-1 win over Hannover 96, but coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz said the performance showed no justification for second-division football.
- Aug 9
Wildfires burn 8,000 hectares in Spain and new blaze hits southern France
A fire in Spain's Huelva province has burned roughly 8,000 hectares since Thursday, forcing 474 people from their homes, while a new blaze in southern France adds to an already severe wildfire season across Southern Europe.
- Aug 9
Zoma hat-trick gives Nürnberg 3:0 opening win over Dynamo Dresden
Mohamed Alì Zoma scored all three goals as 1. FC Nürnberg beat Dynamo Dresden 3:0 to open the 2. Bundesliga season, intensifying transfer speculation around the 22-year-old Italian-Ivorian striker.
- Aug 7
Suspected explosive device near Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane forces overnight shutdown of Leipzig/Halle Airport
A suspected explosive device found near a Ukrainian Antonov Airlines cargo plane forced an overnight shutdown of Leipzig/Halle Airport on 4-5 August, as German authorities investigate potential Russian hybrid warfare and the Bundeswehr reports several hundred drone overflights at military sites.
- Aug 6
Suspected explosive device near Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane forces overnight shutdown of Leipzig/Halle Airport
A suspected explosive device found near a Ukrainian Antonov Airlines cargo plane forced an overnight shutdown of Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4-5, 2026, with a DHL freighter colliding with a separate unidentified object during the closure.
- Aug 6
Suspected explosive device near Ukrainian cargo plane forces overnight shutdown of Leipzig/Halle Airport
A suspected explosive device was found near a Ukrainian Antonov Airlines cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport overnight, forcing a shutdown of air traffic. A DHL freighter collided with an unidentified object at 400 metres altitude and diverted to Hanover.
- Aug 5
Drones over German military base housing Patriot systems after explosive drone found at Leipzig airport
Two drones were spotted over a Bundeswehr base in Mechernich that repairs Patriot air defense systems, days after a drone carrying explosives was found at Leipzig airport near a Ukrainian cargo plane.
- Aug 3
NRW fire unit sent home after 36 hours: Spain no longer needs German wildfire help
A 50-strong specialist wildfire unit from North Rhine-Westphalia is returning to Germany after Spanish authorities decided on Sunday evening that the situation in Castile and León had eased and external assistance was no longer required.
