Germany news: Arson suspected in large-scale power outage

Germany news: Arson suspected in large-scale power outage Published June 8, 2026last updated June 8, 2026What you need to know - Arsonists are believed to be behind a massive power outage in Reutlingen in the southwest state of Baden-Württemberg - A United Nations climate conference kicks off in Bonn - A far-right hopeful has narrowly lost out to a CDU candidate in a mayoral race in Saxony, in the country's southeast - Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius host their Australian counterparts Here are the latest headlines from and about Germany on Monday, June 8 2026: UN climate conference kicks off in Bonn Climate experts and negotiators are gathering in Bonn for the annual UN June Climate Meetings. The technical-level negotiations, which run until June 18, allow delegates to prepare for the COP31 UN Climate Conference in Antalya, Turkey, in November, which will be co-hosted by Australia. The June Climate Meetings are set to focus on issues such as climate resilience, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and international climate finance. UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell has called for "maximum progress" to be made on climate action, in particular to meet targets such as "tripling renewable energy, doubling energy efficiency, and transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner." Thousands cut off in mass power outage, arson suspected A large-scale electricity outage has left around 10,000 households without power in the southwestern city of Reutlingen, with the grid operator suspecting arson as the cause. According to a police spokesperson, critical facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes are also affected. Telephone and internet services were also only partially functioning. The city, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Stuttgart in the state of Baden-Württemberg, is home to about 100,000 people. A spokesperson for Netze BW said evidence of three fires had been found at a substation, while the fence and grounds outside the facility were damaged. The substation failed shortly before 2 a.m. local time (0000 GMT). Hours later, power had only been restored to about half of the 20,000 households affected. It was not immediately clear when power would return to the remaining affected parts of Reutlingen and its surrounding areas. The suspected arson attack has already caused millions of euros in damage. State police said all possible causes were being investigated and that arson experts were part of the probe. This is standard for such large-scale outages. The incident bears echoes of far-left arson attacks in Berlin in September which left around 50,000 homes and 2,000 businesses without electricity for several days. In January this year, an arson attack on high-voltage cables in the capital city caused the largest power outage in Berlin since World War II, leaving thousands without power and heating in freezing temperatures for multiple days. Welcome to our coverage Guten Morgen from DW headquarters in Bonn on the banks of the Rhine. Just next door, near the UN Campus, a 10-day climate conference kicks off this morning, with delegates meeting as part of preparations for the COP31 in Turkey later this year. In the southwestern state of Baden-Württemburg, thousands of people in Reutlingen have been left without power after fires at a substation. The local grid operator suspects arson might be the cause of an incident that bears clear similarities to suspected far-left arson attacks in Berlin. Meanwhile, a candidate from the ruling center-right CDU party has narrowly defeated the far-right "Free Saxons" in a mayoral election in Aue-Bad Schlema, near Germany's southeastern border with Czechia. And in the capital, Berlin, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius are set to welcome their Australian counterparts, Penny Wong and Richard Marles, on Monday afternoon, with weapons purchases and trade set to dominate discussions. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest on these stories and more from Germany.