Wednesday's top story: Germany commemorates second anniversary of Hamas attack
Germany commemorated the second anniversary of the Hamas assault on Israel Tuesday with nationwide ceremonies and calls against antisemitism. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Leipzig’s Brody Synagogue with First Lady Elke Büdenbender, assuring Jewish community members that “our thoughts are with the victims and hostages.”
Flags flew at half-mast across the country, and silent vigils honored the roughly 1,200 people killed and 250 abducted during the October 7, 2023 attacks.
In Berlin, 1,100 empty chairs were placed at the Brandenburg Gate to represent victims and families, with the words “Bring them home now” projected onto the monument. Similar memorials took place in Hamburg and other cities, where officials pledged solidarity with Jewish citizens.
Security was tight, with about 1,500 police officers deployed in the capital. Authorities banned a pro-Palestinian protest at Alexanderplatz, though hundreds still gathered, leading to arrests.
Addressing the Gaza war’s toll, Steinmeier expressed concern for civilians but condemned hostility toward Jews, calling such acts “an attack on us all.”
READ ALSO: Germany sees rising number of antisemitism reports
German town mayor critically injured after knife attack
A newly elected German town mayor was badly wounded in a stabbing attack on Tuesday that Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned as a "heinous act".
Iris Stalzer, 57, mayor-elect of the town of Herdecke near the western city of Dortmund, was found at her home at around 12:40 pm with life-threatening injuries, said police.
"She was immediately treated in intensive care and taken to a hospital by helicopter," police said in a statement, adding that a homicide investigation had been launched.
"Investigations are underway in all directions, and a family connection cannot currently be ruled out."
According to Bild daily, Stalzer was found with stab wounds to her stomach and back in her home, where her adoptive children, a 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl, were present.
Prosecutors and police said in a statement later that there was "no sign that this was a politically motivated deed... On the contrary, we suspect it was a family dispute."
They added that the politician's children were at a police station as investigators "try to clarify the circumstances" of the attack.
Stalzer, of the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), had been elected mayor of the town in the industrial Ruhr area on September 28.
German factory orders drop in new blow to Merz
German industrial orders unexpectedly fell in August, marking a fourth straight month of decline, official data showed Tuesday.
New orders, closely watched as an indicator of future business activity, dropped 0.8 percent month-on-month, according to preliminary figures from federal statistics agency Destatis, after sliding 2.7 percent in July.
Europe's biggest economy has faced two years of recession due to a manufacturing slump and increasing competition, particularly from China, and the US tariff onslaught has added to headwinds.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office promising a blitz of spending on infrastructure and defence that many hoped would spark a turnaround for the export powerhouse.
But, after a promising start to the year, recent data have proved disappointing, and criticism is mounting that the plans are moving too slowly.
READ ALSO: How Germany plans to speed up skilled worker immigration
The August figures were pulled down by a steep fall in overseas orders, according to Destatis. The pharmaceutical sector as well as the crisis-hit auto sector saw hefty declines.
But there was an increase in domestic orders, driven by a boom in the defence sector at a time European countries are rearming due to the growing Russian threat.
BMW reports first increase in vehicle sales in 18 months but profits down
BMW has reported its first increase in vehicle sales in a year and a half, highlighting a strong third quarter in 2025.
The Munich-based automaker delivered 588,300 cars, an 8.8 percent rise compared to last year, effectively ending a five-quarter decline. The significant growth was fuelled largely by strong performances in Europe and the US, with sales in North America jumping 24.9 percent, and in Europe rising 9.3 percent.
Overall, sales in the US reached 96,886 vehicles in the third quarter, a 24 percent increase, with the brand's Mini division growing by 37.6 percent. The company’s total sales for the year are also positive, influenced partly by last year's downturn caused by supply chain issues.
At the same time, the group is lowering its financial forecast for the current year according to an ad hoc announcement by the company. Pre-tax profit is expected to be slightly below last year's level, partly because sales in China fell short of expectations in the third quarter.
One in five jobs in Germany offers working from home as an option
Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home (WFH) has become firmly established in Germany, with companies increasingly offering remote work options. According to a recent study by the ifo Institute and Stanford University, one in five new job listings in Germany now includes the possibility of WFH, a significant rise from just five percent in 2019.
READ ALSO: Why work-life balance in Germany ranks among the best in the world
The analysis reveals strong regional and sectoral differences. Digitalised industries, especially finance and insurance, lead the way, with 42 percent of their job openings allowing WFH. In contrast, rural eastern regions show far fewer opportunities for remote work, with some areas offering less than five percent.
Large cities such as Cologne, Stuttgart, and Düsseldorf present the highest rates, near 35 percent. The findings underscore that home office is no longer a temporary trend but a lasting feature of work culture in Germany, aligned with broader global shifts toward flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
With reporting by AFP and DPA.
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