Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- A rule allowing gas stations to raise prices only at noon has not achieved its objective of lowering them, motoring association ADAC says
- The number of entry-level jobs has dropped by two-thirds since 2022, an online job exchange says
- Traces of explosives have been found near a German military base close to where drone parts were discovered last week, security sources say
Here is a roundup of headline stories from and about Germany on Wednesday, September 23, 2026:
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Skip next section 248 people drown during German summer09/23/2026September 23, 2026
248 people drown during German summer
Between May and mid-September, 248 people died in drowning accidents in Germany, 12 more than in the same period last year, the German Life Saving Association (DLRG) said on Wednesday.
June, which saw a prolonged heat wave, was the month with the most drownings: 101 people lost their lives in the water, the highest number since 2003.
However, the number of drowning deaths this year, 320, is slightly under that of last year (328), according to the DLRG.
The DLRG said that the number of young drowning victims was notable, with 88 people between the ages of 11 and 30 drowning since the start of the year — 15 more than in the whole of 2025.
More than 90% of the victims in this age group were male.
The DLRG said young men tend to be less cautious and more prone to overestimating themselves, while many lack swimming skills.
It called for more education about dangers and better swimming instruction, particularly at schools.
Editing:Sean Sinicohttps://p.dw.com/p/5N5PhSkip next section ADAC calls to drop once-a-day price rise rule for fuel09/23/2026September 23, 2026
ADAC calls to drop once-a-day price rise rule for fuel
The ADAC motoring association has said that a rule in force since April 1 allowing gas stations to raise fuel prices only once a day, at noon, has not brought down prices and “should therefore be abolished.”
Although the rule had greatly reduced the number of price changes throughout a day and made increases easier to predict, the gap between the highest and lowest prices had increased, the ADAC said.
It also said motorists who needed to buy gas shortly after noon, when gas stations have typically jacked up prices, were faced with unjustifiably higher costs.
An economic research institute, ZEW, also found in April that prices were higher on average after the rule was introduced, with fuel prices generally going up after noon and cheaper in the morning.
Fuel prices in Germany and Europe in general have skyrocketed amid the war in the Middle East.
The ADAC reported that average gas prices in Germany hit a record high on Thursday, reaching €2.308 for a liter of super E10 and €2.471 for a liter of diesel ($9.98/US gallon and $10.69/US gallon, respectively)
In its statement, the ADAC, however, welcomed the government’s temporary reduction in the energy tax that is planned to go into force on October 1, saying it was the most realistic way to lower the burden on motorists.
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Editing:Sean Sinicohttps://p.dw.com/p/5N5EjSkip next section Welcome to our coverage09/23/2026September 23, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
The DW newsroom on the banks of the Rhine in Bonn wishes all users of Germany’s international broadcaster guten Tag!
The high gas prices largely caused by fallout from the Iran war continue to be a major topic in Germany, with the country’s main motoring association, the ADAC, now saying one government measure introduced in April in a bid to reduce the burden on motorists has failed.
And a lifesaving association has sad news after the unusually warm summer, with more drowning deaths from May to mid-September in Germany than in the same period last year.
Read on to find out more about these and other stories.
Editing:Sean Sinicohttps://p.dw.com/p/5N573Show more posts
