Ukraine's biggest backer left embarrassed; Merz booed as angry Ahr valley residents chant ‘out!’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was booed as he arrived in Altenahr to attend a memorial marking the fifth anniversary of the devastating Ahr Valley floods, one of Germany's deadliest natural disasters in decades. Some people in the crowd chanted "out" as Merz reached the ceremony. Addressing the gathering, the Chancellor vowed that no community would be left alone in the face of future natural disasters and highlighted measures to strengthen disaster preparedness and climate adaptation. The 2021 floods claimed 185 lives across Germany, including 136 in Rhineland-Palatinate, and the anniversary has renewed calls for faster reconstruction, improved warning systems and greater accountability.