Oktoberfest comes to a close in Munich, Kyiv battered by Russian strikes during Chancellor Merz’s visit, Germany’s EV bonus has been granted to 100,000 households and more news on Monday, October 5th.
Monday’s top story: Oktoberfest 2026 closes with a record number of guests
In the city of Munich the last day of Oktoberfest was celebrated on Sunday.
With 7.4 million visitors over the past two weeks, the event was better attended than ever before.
“This makes Oktoberfest 2026 the most visited so far in its long history,” said the head of the festival, Munich’s economic advisor Christian Scharpf (SPD).
The previous record was 7.2 million visitors in 2023.
Overall festival organisers and city officials praised the event as having been positive. Scharpf called it a “good mood Wiesn”, and Munich’s mayor Dominik Krause said that it was “one of the most beautiful of all time”.
That said, the festivities were not without their darker moments. Several serious injuries were recorded, including festival workers who were injured by carnival ride equipment, one of whom fatally. A 90 year old woman also died after her wheelchair was caught in a carriage horse in the Oide Wiesn.
The police also noted more narcotics offences, especially with cocaine, and slightly more sexual offences reported — the majority of which involved sexual harassment.
In total 6.7 million litres of beer were drunk, according to the city.
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Russian strikes hit Kyiv while Germany’s Merz visits
Ukraine and Germany have signed a $1.5 billion deal to help fight the surge in Russian drone attacks, while fresh strikes and air raid sirens greeted Chancellor Friedrich Merz who visited Kyiv on Sunday.
The agreement worth more than 1.3 billion euros includes some 1 billion euros for weapons including combat drones, while 350 million euros goes towards supporting Ukraine’s battered energy sector, which Russia is targeting to cut off heating and power during the freezing winter months.
As the two leaders met, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Washington had proposed fresh talks with both Ukraine and Russia by the end of the month.
Merz, on a surprise visit to show European support as attacks increase, discovered the new reality of daily life in the Ukrainian capital.
READ ALSO: Germany’s Merz in Kyiv for talks with Zelensky
Air raid sirens wailed repeatedly, including as Zelensky showed Merz damage to the National Academy of Sciences, which was hit by a Russian attack drone on Monday, killing two.
“We can see the entire pointlessness of this war at this place,” noted Merz.
“These barbarous attacks on the civilian population of Ukraine must stop. These are war crimes that are being committed daily here.”
Ukraine President Zelensky (centre L) and German Chancellor Merz (centre R) visit a damaged building of the Ukrainian Academy of Science in Kyiv, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Handout / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / AFP)
One blast that was heard across the city damaged the road surface of the Northern Bridge — one of several connecting the eastern and western parts of Kyiv over the Dnipro river, which have been struck repeatedly in the last four days.
100,000 applicants benefit from EV bonus
According to government figures, Germany’s bonus for people who buy a new electric car, which has been in place since May, has so far been paid out to 100,000 applicants.
Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) told Bild, “The funding program has far exceeded our expectations and has already supported 100,000 households in protecting themselves from high fuel prices.”
He added that every additional electric car makes Germany less dependent on expensive oil imports and international conflicts.
Half of the applicants had an annual household income of no more than €45,000, three quarters earned a maximum of €60,000.
The Ministry of the Environment had previously rejected concerns that Chinese carmakers in particular would benefit from the subsidy. According to initial evaluations, less than 15 percent of applications so far have been for vehicles from China.
READ ALSO: What are the cheapest electric cars you can buy in Germany right now?
A phosphorus bomb from World War II reignites in Neuss on the Rhine
On the banks of the Rhine river in Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia, the police were called to an unusual find on Sunday: white smoke escaped from a heavily corroded metal object, which was burning in some places.
According to the police, the object was confirmed to be a bomb dropped in World War II that reignited after the water ran low enough for it to dry out.
The police let it burn out in a controlled manner, as there was no danger the fire could spread further.
The explosive ordnance disposal service identified the find as a British incendiary bomb from the Second World War, which contained around 300 grams of white phosphorus.
Water levels on the Rhine recently hit a record low.
READ ALSO: ‘We need rain’ – Germany’s Rhine unnavigable for most shipping at new low
Recently published data from Copernicus, Europe’s weather and climate observation programme, confirmed that record-low or near record-low discharges were recorded on Europe’s main rivers including the Rhine, Danube, Po, Loire, Rhône and Seine in July and August.
On the Rhine, water levels have still not recovered.
Germany held against Greece in second Nations League match
Jurgen Klopp’s Germany failed to break down a resolute Greek side in a goalless stalemate in Thessaloniki on Sunday.
Germany had the ball in the net through Eintracht Frankfurt forward Jonathan Burkardt in the first half, but his effort was disallowed.
Klopp’s record as new German boss now reads: lost one, won one, drawn two.
With reporting by AFP and DPA.