Overview
- Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor took over the Berlin arson probe after a cable-bridge attack cut power to about 100,000 people, with a provisional high‑voltage line restoring supply and full repairs expected to take months.
- Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt vowed to “fight back,” urging swift passage of the Kritis-Dachgesetz and broader digital investigative powers, with draft plans reported to include data‑fusion tools, automated online facial recognition, IP retention and lower thresholds for device interception.
- Municipal and police leaders urged stronger resilience measures, including a federal “blackout reserve” of mobile power plants and a proposed €100 billion, decade‑long fund to harden critical infrastructure and bolster staffing and equipment.
- Berlin’s crisis response faces scrutiny as a national poll found 59% rated the state government’s management as poor, with lawmakers planning questioning and the senate weighing more surveillance of vulnerable grid sites.
- In Iran, nationwide protests persist under internet shutdowns and lethal force, with rights groups estimating roughly 650 deaths and more than 10,000 detentions, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz says the regime is near its end and President Donald Trump announces a 25% tariff on countries trading with Iran and signals consideration of further measures.