Germany news: Parties debate who should succeed President Steinmeier, with several women under discussion

This blog is now closed. Below is a roundup of the top stories from and about Germany on Wednesday, October 28, 2026:

Thank you for following along with our Germany updates today.

Two Belarusian nationals have been arrested on suspicion of planning arson attacks in Bavaria in southern Germany on Russia's behalf, according to news outlet Der Spiegel .

Spiegel reports that the two men, aged 39 and 50, were first taken into investigative detention in early October.

It cited security sources as saying the alleged plot involved plans to set a fire near a railway line and a high-voltage power transmission line.

Security services in Romania say they are investigating the same two men, suspecting them of an arson attack in mid-September on an industrial park in Brasov where a munitions company operates. Romania's SRI intelligence service accuses the Belarusian men of being part of a Russian espionage and sabotage network.

Another man accused of involvement in the fire in Brasov was arrested on Monday in Poland, according to Romanian authorities.

Spiegel reported that the extremism and terrorism-combating ZET organization had taken the lead in the investigations on the German side.

A series of suspected sabotage attacks have taken place in recent weeks and months, often with links to Russia either suspected or explicitly alleged. Perhaps the most headline-grabbing incidents were cases targeting Starlink assets in Poland and later Bulgaria , which led to authorities seeking and arresting suspects in Germany .

A Berlin court has sentenced a 69-year-old man to 12 years in prison for drugging, raping and filming women he met through online dating platforms.

The defendant had "deliberately sought out victims," presiding judge Jakob Weber said. Judges also ordered preventive detention after his sentence, finding that he remained a danger to the public.

The electrician, who sometimes posed as a police officer or military pilot, was convicted of 22 counts of rape involving 14 women between 2016 and 2022.

At his Berlin apartment, he spiked their drinks with sedatives before attacking them. The women only discovered what had happened during the police investigation.

Investigators found a camera aimed at his bed that ran "24/7," alongside meticulously kept records of recordings, a police officer told the court.

An investigator described "extreme dehumanization" in online groups the man used, saying women were "traded as commodities."

The defendant admitted the rapes at the start of his trial. A psychiatric expert found no evidence that his ability to control his actions was diminished.

Investigations into suspected offenses involving another 44 women are continuing. The ruling can still be appealed.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

German chemicals giant BASF has stepped up its push to acquire rival Evonik, arguing that a combination would create a more competitive and resilient global business.

BASF CEO Markus Kamieth said the companies' strengths complemented each other and a deal would make sense as consolidation gathers pace across Europe's chemical industry .

But he stressed that any takeover must benefit BASF shareholders. "We will not pay an excessive price," he said, declining to discuss the status of talks or a timetable.

BASF has raised its offer for Essen-based Evonik to €24 per share, valuing the company at just over €11 billion, the German dpa news agency reported.

The proposal has drawn criticism from Dennis Radtke, who heads the workers' wing of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He warned that thousands of jobs could be lost and called for the takeover attempt to be abandoned.

Evonik's largest shareholder, the RAG Foundation, holds around 43% of its shares, giving it a key role in any deal.

An eight-year-old girl was seriously injured in an animal attack at a wildlife park south of Berlin , police said.

The girl was inside an enclosure with two other children and a staff member when at least one animal attacked her. The others suffered no visible injuries.

The girl, who was visiting Wildpark Johannismühle near Baruth/Mark in Brandenburg , was airlifted to hospital. Police are investigating whether negligence was involved.

The privately run park said it was cooperating fully with investigators and supporting the girl's family. It declined to provide further details while proceedings were ongoing.

A 30-year-old German tourist has been found dead on the Seychelles island of La Digue after leaving his hotel at night to look for swimming goggles, police said.

The man went out at around 9 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) on Monday to retrieve goggles he had left on a beach. His wife alerted authorities when he failed to return.

A search team found his body in a rocky area away from a hiking trail leading to Anse Coco beach.

Police said the circumstances remained unclear and an investigation was underway to establish the cause of death.

German carmaker Mercedes-Benz has lowered its annual profit forecast as falling sales in China and rising costs overshadow a sharp increase in quarterly earnings.

The Stuttgart-based company now expects earnings before interest and taxes to remain at last year's level, having previously forecast a substantial increase.

Market conditions had become more challenging, particularly in China, CEO Ola Källenius said. Mercedes also expects higher costs in the fourth quarter, including for raw materials.

Third-quarter net profit rose 28% to €1.52 billion, although the comparison reflects restructuring costs that weighed on earnings a year earlier. Revenue fell 4.5% to €30.7 billion.

Car sales in China plunged 31%, pushing overall sales down 8% to 407,200 vehicles. Outside China, sales rose 1%.

Fully electric car sales provided a brighter spot, climbing 61%. Källenius also pointed to continued sales growth in Europe and the US.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed a global alliance to defend international trade rules and coordinate responses to economic pressure.

Speaking in Tokyo, Merz called for like-minded countries to strengthen and reform the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to his speech manuscript.