Germany ranks poorly on child well-being, whale 'Timmy' confirmed dead, Nakba rally arrests

Natalie Muller | Mark Hallam | Timothy Jones dpa, Reuters, AFP, AFP, KNA, epd

Published 05/16/2026Published May 16, 2026

A new study ranks Germany near the bottom in child well-being and education. Meanwhile, authorities say a dead humpback spotted off Denmark is the same creature that spent weeks beached off Germany's coast. DW has more.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Dpgf

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Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

A study finds Germany is being outperformed by poorer countries when it comes to child well-being and education

The dead humpback whale off Anholt island is the same creature that spent weeks stranded off Germany's Baltic Sea coast

Protesters are set to gather in Berlin to mark Nakba Day, which commemorates the eviction of Palestinians from their lands in 1948 amid the foundation of modern-day Israel

The head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany calls for harsher penalties for antisemitic crimes, including denying Israel's right to exist

St. Pauli and Heidenheim are automatically relegated in the last round of Bundesliga fixtures this season; Wolfsburg win a reprieve to complete in the relegation playoff

24 Hours of the Nürburgring endurance race starts, this year with F1 star Max Verstappen competing

Read on here for our roundup of the top headlines from and about Germany on May 16 and 17, 2026:

Skip next section Germany ranks poorly on child well-being: UNICEF

05/17/2026May 17, 2026

Germany ranks poorly on child well-being: UNICEF

Germany has placed 25th in a comparative study by the UN Children's Fund looking at overall child well-being in 37 EU and OECD countries.

The three top spots were taken by the Netherlands, Denmark and France. Chile was in last place.

The study, which has been conducted regularly since 2000, assesses aspects such as education, poverty, and physical and mental health.

In Germany, 60% of 15-year-olds achieve the minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics, putting the country 34th out of 41 countries with comparable data.

UNICEF Germany said that was "alarming."

"Our country is squandering future opportunities: Those who fail to invest today in the participation, education, and health care of the youngest generation are not only harming children but will pay a high social and economic price tomorrow," UNICEF Germany head Christian Schneider said.

The gap between young people from economically disadvantaged and wealthy households in Germany was particularly stark, with only 46% achieving basic competencies in disadvantaged families, compared to 90% in affluent families.

Germany ranked 15th in terms of physical health in the study, and 21st for mental health.

Across the countries surveyed, nearly one in five children live in poverty. UNICEF Germany said the child poverty rate in the country had remained stagnant at 15% for years, with negative consequences for many children.

https://p.dw.com/p/5DrlX

Skip next section Welcome to our Sunday coverage

05/17/2026May 17, 2026

Welcome to our Sunday coverage

Dmytro Hubenko Editor

Guten morgen from the DW newsroom in Bonn on this overcast Sunday.

In case you missed it, Germany came 23rd at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna last night. If you'd like to catch up on what happened at the pop music extravaganza, you can find our coverage here.

A rainbow flag will be raised today at the Bundestag in the German capital, Berlin, to mark the International Day against Homophobia.

Meanwhile, Germany has placed 25th in a new ranking of child well-being and education in 37 EU and OECD countries.

Also making news: a survey has found that 84% of Germans are concerned about the state of the country, with 67% saying they would like to see Chancellor Friedrich Merz replaced.

We'll be bringing you these headlines and more from across the country. Stay with us!

https://p.dw.com/p/5Drjk

Skip next section Berlin police report arrests, attacks on officers and media at Nakba rally

05/16/2026May 16, 2026

Berlin police report arrests, attacks on officers and media at Nakba rally

Police in Berlin say they have made "several arrests" after attacks on officers and members of the press during rallies marking Nakba Day in the German capital on Saturday.

"After the chanting of forbidden slogans and attacks not just on our officers, but also on representatives of the press, several suspects were arrested by our colleagues from the ranks of the march in the Hasenheide area," police said.

Hasenheide is in the Kreuzberg district to the south of central Berlin.

It's not clear what police meant by the chanting of "forbidden slogans," but it's possible this was a reference to sayings such as "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."

The phrase is deemed by the Federal Interior Ministry as a battle cry of the Palestinian group Hamas, but various German courts have come to different verdicts on whether it constitutes the slogan of a terrorist organization, and is therefore prosecutable. Supporters of the Palestinian cause argue the slogan simply voices support for Palestinian statehood.

Police reported "attacks on our officers from within the procession" more than once. They asked demonstrators to keep to the right hand side of the road as police accompanied them on the agreed route through the city.

Several protesters and police officers were wounded in clashes during last year's procession.

https://p.dw.com/p/5DqYk

Skip next section N24: Max Verstappen takes lead roughly 3 hours into race

05/16/2026May 16, 2026

N24: Max Verstappen takes lead roughly 3 hours into race

The race is long, a great deal can and likely will happen in the next 21 hours in the Eifel.

But whatever transpires, Max Verstappen will be able to add "led during the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring race in 2026" to his already-imposing motorsport CV.

A safety car period near the three-hour mark brought the leading three cars close together while Verstappen was behind the wheel of the #3 Mercedes.

At the restart, the Dutch driver was able to seize the overall lead and as of now, he is in a close battle with the #67 Haupt Racing Team Ford Mustang. Norwegian Dennis Olsen is behind the wheel chasing the F1 star.

Verstappen had been gradually gaining ground on the leaders in the hour or so leading up to his chance to seize the lead. He will be pitting and most likely swapping out with one of his teammates a few laps from now.

https://p.dw.com/p/5DqVt

Skip next section Bundesliga: Wolfsburg dodge automatic relegation, Heidenheim and St. Pauli go down

05/16/2026May 16, 2026

Bundesliga: Wolfsburg dodge automatic relegation, Heidenheim and St. Pauli go down

It's full time around the grounds in the last set of Bundesliga fixtures this season.

And Wolfsburg fans live to fight another day, while Heidenheim and St. Pauli supporters will have to brace themselves for second-division football next season.

Wolfsburg beat St. Pauli 3-1 in Hamburg, meaning that they finish the season 16th and will compete in the relegation playoff against the third-placed team from the 2. Bundesliga.

Heidenheim lost 2-0 at home against Mainz, so they finish last in the league, behind St. Pauli on goal difference.

At the other end of the table, Stuttgart's 2-2 draw in Frankfurt means that they finish the season in fourth and so qualify for the Champions League. Hoffenheim gave Stuttgart a helping hand, going down 4-0 against Borussia Mönchengladbach and so failing to mount a challenge for fourth place.

Full time scores

Bayern Munich 5-1 Cologne

Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Hamburg

Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2 Stuttgart

Freiburg 4-1 Leipzig

Werder Bremen 0-2 Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-0 Hoffenheim

Union Berlin 4-0 Augsburg

St. Pauli 1-3 Wolfsburg

Heidenheim 0-2 Mainz

https://p.dw.com/p/5DqT9

Skip next section Dead Humpback whale washed up off Denmark is 'Timmy'

05/16/2026May 16, 2026

Dead Humpback whale washed up off Denmark is 'Timmy'

Divers have been able to confirm that the deceased humpback whale spotted off the Danish coast is the creature that came to be nicknamed "Timmy" as it spent more than a month stranded off the northern German coastline in the Baltic sea.

Denmark's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed the news on Saturday.

The likelihood that the whale was the stricken humpback that was severely ailing by the time it was towed from the German coastline already seemed high.

Animal protection groups had warned that the whale's long-term survival chances were slim.

Whale rescue hopes rise after weeks of doubt

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How did Danish authorities confirm it was indeed Timmy?

An initial examination on Friday had not been able to spot a tracking device that had been attached to "Timmy" by rescuers because of the dead whale's position in the water.

But on Saturday divers were able to take a picture of the animal's dorsal fin.

"Conditions today made it possible for a local employee from the Danish Nature Agency to locate and retrieve an attached tracking device that was still fastened to the whale's back," Jane Hansen, division head at the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, said in a statement to the AFP news agency.

"The position and appearance of the device confirm that this is the same whale that had previously been observed and handled in German waters."

How have German authorities reacted to the news of Timmy's death?

The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's environment minister, Till Backhaus, thanked Danish authorities for their assistance in identifying the whale.

He also again defended his decision, defying the advice of some of his state's expert marine life groups, to attempt the private rescue operation. He said it was sad that the whale had not been able to "seize its slim chance" at survival.

"I consider it completely human to make use of even the slimmest of chances, when a life is at stake. Whoever wishes to criticize that may do so," Backhaus, who at the time had boasted of how the controversial rescue mission had "saved" the creature, said.

"It was always about weighing the balance between which option was the worst: Waiting for the certain death of the animal as it suffered, or giving him a last chance and exposing him to potential stress in the process," Backhaus asserted.

https://p.dw.com/p/5DqSZ

Skip next section Bundesliga half-time scores — advantage Wolfsburg for now

05/16/2026May 16, 2026

Bundesliga half-time scores — advantage Wolfsburg for now

It's half time in the Bundesliga action and at least as it stands, it would be Heidenheim and St. Pauli facing automatic relegation after the matches.

Here are the scores from around the grounds:

Bayern Munich 3-1 Cologne

Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Hamburg

Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Stuttgart

Freiburg 2-1 RB Leipzig

Werder Bremen 0-0 Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-0 Hoffenheim

Union Berlin 2-0 Augsburg

St. Pauli 0-1 Wolfsburg

Heidenheim 0-2 Mainz

If the scores stayed the same, Heidenheim would finish bottom, behind St. Pauli, with Wolfsburg 16th and granted the chance to compete in the relegation playoff rather than going straight down to the 2. Bundesliga.

Meanwhile, Stuttgart currently have the upper hand in the battle for fourth place and the last Champions League spot, thanks to their lead in Frankfurt and Borussia Mönchengladbach's lead over Hoffenheim.

https://p.dw.com/p/5DqD6

Skip next section Senior Social Democrat says 'the US is not just Trump' after Merz's kids comment

05/16/2026May 16, 2026

Senior Social Democrat says 'the US is not just Trump' after Merz's kids comment

A senior member of the Social Democrat (SPD) junion coalition partners has warned against confusing the Donald Trump administration with the US as a whole after critical comments from Chancellor Friedrich Merz attracted headlines in German and English on Friday.

"The Trump government is undoubtedly damaging the reputation of the US in the world, there are considerable doubts in the reliability of the US these days," the SPD's Dirk Wiese told the German dpa news agency on Saturday. "But — the US is not just Trump. It is an amazing country."

Wiese was speaking a day after Merz told a Catholic event in Würzburg that "I would not recommend to my children today to travel to the US to be educated and to work there."

The chancellor said that while he had great admiration for the US, this had not grown of late. He cited what he termed a changing "social climate" as well as reduced job opportunities, even for highly qualified youngsters.

Wiese said it was important to recall that resistance to and criticism of the Trump administration was also growing in the US, "even from within his own ranks."

"What's more, despite Trump's moods, the US still guarantees our security. In short: relations are currently massively strained, but it's worth sticking by them and continuing to invest in them," Wiese said.

Critical comments from Merz about the US war on Iran and its economic consequences and an apparent lack of strategy in recent weeks seemed to lead or contribute to Trump repeatedly calling out the German leader in his social media tirades. The US also subsequently announced plans to draw down its troop presence in Europe, particularly in Germany.

Merz says he would not advise young people to move to US

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https://p.dw.com/p/5DqAO

Skip next section 24 Hours of Nürburgring race starts, this year with F1's Max Verstappen

05/16/2026May 16, 2026

24 Hours of Nürburgring race starts, this year with F1's Max Verstappen

The biggest endurance race of the year in Germany has begun — and this year it has a very special guest competing.

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen is among the favorites at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring race in western Germany.

The race is a grueling full day's action around the roughly 25-kilometer (roughly 15-mile) Nürburgring Nordschleife and stadium section circuit. There's more than 150 corners in each lap.

There's a high chance of rain on the perilous circuit between now and 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Sunday.

Verstappen's #3 Mercedes started 4th on the grid and is considered one of the main contenders for overall victory.

The race started on time, just a few seconds after the stroke of 3 p.m. — with the massive field of 161 cars navigating the first few corners without major accidents or incidents.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Dq4u

Skip next section Wolfsburg, Heidenheim, St. Pauli fight for relegation reprieve on last Bundesliga weekend

05/16/2026May 16, 2026

Wolfsburg, Heidenheim, St. Pauli fight for relegation reprieve on last Bundesliga weekend

It's the 34th and final round of Bundesliga matches this Saturday afternoon.

With Bayern Munich already crowned champions