Germany's coalition government leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the welfare state following public clashes between Chancellor Friedrich Merz and some ministers. https://p.dw.com/p/4zyFS The leaders of Germany's governing coalition, Markus Söder, Friedrich Merz, Baerbel Bas and Lars Klingbeil, walks together after a meeting in Berlin on September 03, 2025 Chancellor Friedrich Merz sought to show unity with his coalition partners after public budget disputesImage: Florian Gaertner/photothek.de/picture alliance ADVERTISEMENT Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know German ambassador to Ukraine to become new BND spy chief AfD poised for historic win in Saxony-Anhalt, poll suggests Germany's coalition government seeks common ground on 2027 budget, welfare cuts Porsche steers for quick return to Germany's blue-chip DAX index This was an overview of developments in Germany on Thursday, September 4. This blog is now closed. Skip next section Germany suffer shock World Cup qualifying loss to Slovakia 09/05/2025September 5, 2025 Germany suffer shock World Cup qualifying loss to Slovakia Germany's 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign got off to a disastrous start as they suffered a deserved 2-0 defeat to Slovakia. The first goal came after Liverpool star signing Florian Wirtz lost possession and Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger failed to track goalscorer David Hancko. And the second came after RB Leipzig captain David Raum was beaten in the air, before Slovakia's David Strelec fired into the top corner. Germany's best chance fell to Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka in the first half, but Slovakian goalkeeper Martin Dubravka saved well. Furious head coach Julian Nagelsmann questioned in team's mentality with qualification for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the United States on the line. Read DW's full story here. Slovakia's Lubomir Tupta, left, tackles Germany's David RaumSlovakia's Lubomir Tupta, left, tackles Germany's David Raum Germany, including defender David Raum (right), were soundly beaten by Slovakia in BratislavaImage: Denes Erdos/AP Photo/picture alliance https://p.dw.com/p/501PK Copy link Skip next section Amateur archaeologist finds mammoth tooth on Rhein River 09/04/2025September 4, 2025 Amateur archaeologist finds mammoth tooth on Rhein River Dmytro Hubenko Editor A mammoth tooth found in the western German city of DüsseldorfA mammoth tooth found in the western German city of Düsseldorf The mammoth tooth, weighing 4 kilograms, is believed to be between 15,000 and 125,000 years oldImage: Arndt Lennartz/LVR/dpa/picture alliance An amateur archaeologist has found a mammoth tooth on the banks of the Rhine, Germany's longest river, in the western city of Düsseldorf. "The state of preservation is unusually good," Philipp Schulte, an archaeologist with the conservation authorities in the city of Bonn, said on Thursday. He added that the tooth, a mammoth molar, must have been underwater, keeping it from contact with the air. Schulte also said that it will undergo conservation treatment at the Ruhr Museum in Essen to prevent deterioration. The mammoth tooth, which is approximately 30 centimeters long, was found directly opposite the Düsseldorf television tower by 44-year-old Rustam Wagner. "Some people would probably have walked right past it," said Wagner, who admitted he initially didn't know what he was looking at.