Today’s top story: Shooter in Dortmund surrenders to the police An armed violent offender shot a police officer in Dortmund and barricaded himself in an apartment with his children for hours on Wednesday morning. At around 3:30 am, the 51-year-old perpetrator surrendered, stepping outside the door of the building after hours of negotiations, police told the German Press Agency. The shooter was then arrested without resistance. Investigations into the background of the crime are ongoing. The police added that the three children involved were ok.
They’re now in the care of the youth welfare office. The officer that was shot was slightly injured. They were protected by a bulletproof vest. The incident began on Tuesday evening, when the perpetrator’s wife made an emergency call to the police and asked for help. According to a report in Bild, the man had first made a scene in a restaurant, threatened guests and sprayed pepper spray. He then fled in a car, shooting at the police and hitting an officer when they tried
to stop him. These events have not yet been confirmed by the police. Three seriously injured in tram accident in east Berlin A serious tram accident in Berlin left 20 passengers injured and three seriously injured on Tuesday. The accident occurred in the capital’s Neu-Hohenschönhausen neighbourhood where a tram derailed and was torn open. According to the fire department, part of the tram in the Lichtenberg district is thought to have hit a pole of the overhead line while taking a turn. The side of
the vehicle was torn open, and the last car of the tram jumped off the track. The tram lines M5 and M17 are interrupted, and a replacement service is to be set up until the railway can be recovered. Cologne Cathedral to charge visitors €12 Cologne Cathedral will begin charging most visitors €12 admission from July 1st, ending free access to one of Germany’s most famous churches. Cathedral officials say the fee is needed to cover rising maintenance, security and operating costs. However, several exemptions
will remain in place. Worshippers and people entering to pray will continue to have free access through a separate entrance, while the cathedral will also be free to all visitors on selected religious and public holidays, including Epiphany, Labour Day and German Unity Day. READ ALSO: Six things you have to do in Cologne in the spring Children aged 13 and under, people with severe disabilities and several groups, including students and apprentices, will either be exempt or eligible for reduced-price tickets, the cathedral said.
“We have been closely following the public debate over the past few weeks,” Cathedral Provost Guido Assmann. “In addition to critical voices, we have also received a great deal of supportive feedback that makes it clear: many people realise that preserving and maintaining the cathedral requires reliable and sustainable funding.” No injuries reported after roof collapses onto pavement in Sylt Residents and shoppers were startled with a loud bang on Tuesday after a 30-meter-long concrete canopy suddenly collapsed onto a pavement in Westerland, Sylt. Luckily,
no one was injured in the incident that happened on Tuesday afternoon. Emergency services and the fire department were among those first on the scene. The canopy broke off over a length of about 30 meters. The building is used as a mixed-use complex with retail space on the ground floor and vacation apartments on the upper floors. Residents were temporarily evacuated as a precaution but were later able to return to their apartments. Alternative accommodation has been provided for those who did not feel
safe returning to the building. A structural engineer determined that there was no danger to the building or its residents. Police believe construction defects were the cause of the collapse. Initial estimates put the damage in the five- to six-figure range. German arms maker Rheinmetall signs €5.7 billion deal with Romania German defence giant Rheinmetall said Tuesday it has signed a €5.7-billion deal to supply the Romanian armed forces, in the company’s biggest international contract in recent times. Air defence systems, almost 300 combat vehicles,
naval vessels and ammunition are to be sold to the NATO member on the alliance’s eastern flank, Rheinmetall said in a statement. The news came days after a drone smashed into an apartment building in Romania, which borders war-torn Ukraine, triggering furious condemnation from NATO allies. Russian President Vladimir Putin said there was no evidence to blame his country. Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger hailed Tuesday’s deal as a “significant success”. “Together with our Romanian partners, we will establish a far-reaching defence ecosystem here,” he said.
“This also confirms our ambition to further expand our role as one of the industrial pillars of European security.” With reporting from Rachel Loxton, AFP and DPA.
Dortmund police surrender, Berlin tram accident, Cologne Cathedral €12 admission, Sylt roof collapse, Rheinmetall Romania €5.7 billion deal