Investigators raid homes of Frankfurt police – DW – 10/10/2025

Skip next section Deutsche Bahn freezes long-distance fares amid delays

10/10/2025October 10, 2025

Deutsche Bahn freezes long-distance fares amid delays

Germany’s national rail operator Deutsche Bahn will not raise long-distance ticket prices next year, the company said Friday.

“We want to send a clear signal with stable prices,” a spokesperson for the state-owned company said, adding that BahnCard discounts will also remain unchanged. The decision comes in response to widespread delays and aims to prevent passengers from switching to other modes of transport.

In September 2025, only about 55% of long-distance trains arrived on time — significantly fewer than a year earlier.

Trains are considered on time if they arrive less than six minutes late.

The rail company has said the main cause of delays is the aging rail network, which is set to undergo extensive renovation over the next decade.

https://p.dw.com/p/51mIQ

Skip next section Frankfurt police officers under investigation for alleged abuse

10/10/2025October 10, 2025

Frankfurt police officers under investigation for alleged abuse

Prosecutors and state criminal police have searched the homes and offices of 17 officers from Frankfurt’s 1st Police Precinct, authorities said Friday.

The five female and 12 male officers, aged between 24 and 56, are under investigation for assault in office, obstruction of justice and wrongful prosecution.

The probe concerns incidents between February and late April in which six men allegedly suffered physical harm during or after arrest. Investigators said officers may also have opened criminal cases against five of the victims to justify their own actions.

Around 150 Hesse state police officers took part in the searches, seizing mobile phones and data storage devices for analysis. Prosecutors said there is no evidence so far of extremist motives. The investigation is ongoing.

https://p.dw.com/p/51leK

Skip next section Merz welcomes Gaza ceasefire, thanks Trump for peace initiative

10/10/2025October 10, 2025

Merz welcomes Gaza ceasefire, thanks Trump for peace initiative

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has hailed the agreed ceasefire in Gaza as “good news for people in the Middle East and far beyond,” after more than two years of war.

In a series of posts on the social media platform X, Merz thanked US President Donald Trump for his peace initiative and expressed gratitude to mediators in Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, as well as to Israel “for opening the path to peace.”

Merz said the priority now is the swift implementation of the agreement.

Read more about Israel and the wider crisis in the Middle East in our blog for today.

https://p.dw.com/p/51lmT

Skip next section German parliament lifts immunity of two far-right AfD lawmakers

10/10/2025October 10, 2025

German parliament lifts immunity of two far-right AfD lawmakers

Germany’s parliament has lifted the immunity of far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) lawmakers Stephan Brandner and Matthias Moosdorf, paving the way for criminal investigations into alleged offenses, including insult and a suspected Nazi salute.

Lawmakers from the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, the center-left Social Democrats, the Greens, and the socialist Left Party voted in favor of the move late Thursday, while the AfD abstained. The decision allows prosecutors to proceed with formal investigations.

According to an AfD spokesperson, Brandner is accused of insulting a journalist, while Moosdorf faces allegations of making a Hitler salute.

Brandner, the AfD’s deputy leader, has been in a legal dispute for more than a year with a journalist from Der Spiegel news magazine whom Brandner allegedly called a “fascist.” Prosecutors in Gera are leading the case.

Moosdorf, known for his pro-Russian stance, is also under scrutiny within the party over an honorary professorship in Moscow. The Bundestag committee overseeing parliamentary immunity said enforcement and criminal proceedings will now go ahead.