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All the latest on North Rhine-Westphalia: articles, analysis and ongoing coverage from Lost in the Jungle.
World
Firefighters from North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), a German state, arrived in Spain on August 1, 2026, to assist in fighting forest fires, according to news agency dpa, reported by Zeit.de. A first team was deployed immediately to the ground. Frank Frenser, a firefighter from Bonn's fire brigade, confirmed the arrival and swift mobilization of emergency services.
World
The AfD's federal executive board has opened disciplinary proceedings against Martin Vincentz, head of the party's North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) regional federation, and other members of his regional office. The party accuses him of having sought an injunction from an ordinary Düsseldorf court rather than using the AfD's internal arbitration body. The conflict erupts in the wake of a contentious party congress in Marl, where Vincentz's moderate faction decisively won the vote on the party list for 2027 state elections. The NRW regional office has until August 5 to respond to charges from the federal directorate.
World
On July 18, 2026, first day of school holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany's most populous state, journalist Sebastian Dalkowski of Handelsblatt spent the day at Holmmoor Ost rest area on the A7 near Quickborn, north of Hamburg. This stop — the first with services after the motorway tunnel under the Elbe — provides an observation point for summer traffic flowing north. Germany has 440 service rest areas on its motorway network.
World
After several days of extreme heat, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) will experience a sharp drop in temperatures this weekend, according to the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Germany's national meteorological service. On Saturday, the sky will be partly to heavily cloudy, with highs between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius. Isolated showers are possible in the mountainous areas of the state (Bergland), but conditions will remain mostly dry overall. Strong wind gusts are expected at times throughout the weekend.
World
On July 17, 2026, the AfD's candidate nomination assembly for the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) regional parliament elections descended into chaos at Marl's Eventzentrum. The party's federal board ordered the congress to halt, but regional leader Martin Vincentz defied the directive and continued proceedings. Deputy Sven Tritschler and his supporters walked out in protest. The session was marked by allegations of manipulation, parliamentary obstruction tactics, and backroom negotiations. NRW is the AfD's most powerful regional federation, and this rift between Vincentz and Tritschler threatens federal chairperson Alice Weidel's position.
World
A foreign intelligence service had recorded Issa al H.'s claim video before the August 23, 2024 Solingen attack, which killed three people. North Rhine-Westphalia's (NRW) parliamentary investigation committee revealed this in July 2026 during questioning of Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU), according to Süddeutsche Zeitung. The service sent a screenshot of the video to German authorities after the attack, too late to prevent the tragedy. German authorities lack equivalent legal capabilities for such interceptions.
World
North Rhine-Westphalia's state parliament (Landtag) passed an anti-discrimination law on July 16, 2026, according to die Zeit. The legislation, which had been contentious for months, was substantially revised before the vote. The CDU, Greens, and SPD backed the measure in the final vote; the FDP and AfD opposed it. Under the new law, any person filing a discrimination complaint must substantiate their claim with concrete facts.