Today in Germany: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

On Thursday evening thunderstorms brought heavy rain and hail to large parts of the south-western state. The German Weather Service (DWD) published a severe weather warning for all four administrative districts.

Hurricane gusts, heavy heavy rain and large hailstones have moved over large parts of Baden-Württemberg, felling trees and causing damage.

According to the police, a cyclist was killed in Karlsruhe by a fallen tree branch.

In Kressbonn, near Lake Constance, a tree fell on several camper vans. A family that was inside one of the vehicles when the 30 metre tree fell was uninjured.

A plane landing in Stuttgart airport was reportedly caught in a hailstorm and damaged.

In the municipality of Neckartailfingen in the district of Esslingen, a carport collapsed due to the storm and fell on four vehicles.

Elsewhere around the state, a high number of calls were made to emergency services and several properties sustained damage. 

According to the German Weather Service (DWD), severe thunderstorms are possible in many parts of Germany on Friday, and individual thunderstorms are still possible for Saturday.

In Baden-Württemberg, strong thunderstorms with hail and gale-force winds may again develop from the afternoon. 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pushed back this week on potential interference from other countries, and particularly the United States, in the coming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leads the polls.

During his summer interview in the German capital, Merz was asked about a US program offering grants to fund civil society organisations in Europe, from which groups close to the AfD could potentially benefit.

"In Germany it is illegal to finance political parties from abroad," Merz said, adding, "For ‌our ‌part, we do ‌not interfere in American elections. Conversely, I do not ‌want the American government or institutions close to the government to interfere in German ⁠elections."

The US initiative in question offers grants of up to $3 million for European charities, thinktanks and individuals that "address national sovereignty, migration, censorship and lawfare challenges in line with shared political philosophy, law and our common western civilisational heritage".

Reportedly, former US officials have signalled that the scheme is part of an on-going effort by the US state department under the Trump administration to fund far-right politics abroad.

This comes after a new US national security strategy, published in December, which positioned the Trump administration against centrist European governments, and more in agreement with Russia and what it called "patriotic European parties".

A man entered the office of a youth welfare office employee in Finsterwalde in the south of Brandenburg on Thursday where he is said to have threatened and insulted her and then started a fire.

Four people are hospitalised with suspected smoke poisoning. According to the police, the motive behind the attack is still unclear. 

Police and prosecutors are investigating on suspicion of attempted homicide, a police spokesman told the German Press Agency (DPA). The suspect, a 35-year-old German, was caught outside the building. 

A spokesman for the administration said after initial findings that the man probably had an incendiary device with him. 

The fire brigade cared for 20 to 30 people following the attack. The district administration said five people were injured.

Service operations at the Finsterwalde site have been completely discontinued. When the building can be reopened to visitors depends on further investigations and the damage assessment. Employees are also to receive psychological care.

EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner has for an end to German border controls.

Citing falling migration numbers, and new asylum rules, Brunner told DPA in Brussels that it's time to gradually abolish intra-European border controls.

The EU agency Frontex had recorded about a third fewer irregular border crossings at Europe's external borders in the first half of the year, compared to the year before.

Additionally, since June 12th, the European Asylum Reform (CEAS) also came into force.

The EU Commissioner and conservative Austrian politician praised the fact that some of the member states were already winding down border checks.

For example, the controls at the border between Germany and Luxembourg on the Trier motorway have already been abolished. Border controls between Austria and Slovenia have also ended.

Germany has had checks at the national borders since September 2024. They were ordered by the former Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD). In May last year, successor Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) intensified border controls and has since.

Chinese carmaker XPeng's boss said Thursday that the manufacturer is looking at underused plants run by Germany's struggling auto giants as it plots an expansion in Europe.

"Many countries might potentially host a large number of factories in Europe," He Xiaopeng told reporters in Munich.

Suffering from US tariffs, slimmer margins from electric cars and intense competition from China, Germany's carmakers have looked for ways to use up excess capacity in their plants in an effort to avoid costly and divisive closures.

Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume -- who on Monday told staff that four German factories might need to close as it eyes mass job cuts -- in April floated the possibility of European VW plants making cars for the company's Chinese partners.