January 30, 2026
Hamburg police have opened a murder investigation after two people were killed by an oncoming subway train at Wandsbek-Markt station on Thursday night. Authorities say preliminary findings indicate the incident was not accidental: a 25-year-old man grabbed an 18-year-old woman and both were thrown in front of the arriving train. The two victims, who are not believed to have known one another, have not been publicly identified. Investigators have set up a special murder commission to examine motive and background. Witnesses are being offered post-traumatic counselling. An editor’s note from officials urged anyone affected to seek support and said crisis helpline information was made available.
Other developments in Germany on January 30, 2026:
– Nationwide transport strikes called by Verdi: The Verdi union has announced walkouts across most municipal public-transport networks on Monday as part of collective bargaining talks. The action covers operators in 15 of 16 states and could disrupt local services; Deutsche Bahn and some suburban commuter trains are not affected. Union demands include better working conditions, shorter hours, longer rest periods and higher night and weekend allowances.
– Surge in winter injuries in Berlin: Charité Hospital reported an increase in winter-related injuries, including wrist (distal radius) fractures, shoulder and ankle injuries, femoral neck fractures and head injuries among older people. To reduce slipping risks during prolonged freezing conditions, local restrictions on using salt to de-ice pavements were temporarily relaxed in parts of Berlin and Hamburg.
– Court clears way for North Sea gas project: The Higher Administrative Court in Lüneburg allowed the immediate start of a contentious gas production plan near the island of Borkum. The scheme, which involves drilling from a Dutch platform into German territory and partly lies in Dutch waters, faced urgent legal challenges from island communities. The court dismissed those urgent applications, finding groundwater resources were not expected to be affected. Further operating permits are still required for production on the German side.
– Inflation edges up to 2.1%: Official figures showed Germany’s annual inflation rate rose to 2.1% in January. Food prices rose by about 2.1% year-on-year, while energy costs were down roughly 1.7% compared with a year earlier.
– Unemployment exceeds three million: Federal Employment Agency data recorded 177,000 more unemployed people in January, pushing total unemployment above three million and lifting the jobless rate by 0.4 percentage points to 6.6%. Agency head Andrea Nahles said the increase reflected the usual start-of-year rise in unemployment.
– Champions League draw spares all-German tie for now: Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen were drawn against different opponents in the upcoming Champions League playoff round, avoiding a domestic clash at this stage. If both teams progress, an all-German matchup could still occur in later knockout rounds.
– Berlin launches Olympics bid: Berlin formally launched a campaign to host the Summer Olympics in 2036, 2040 or 2044, arguing long-term benefits for youth sport and infrastructure. The bid is being promoted without a city referendum, unlike some other recent or pending local votes.
– Most part-time work is voluntary, data show: New Destatis figures indicate most part-time employees prefer their hours; only about 5% said they would rather work full-time. Women often cite family care responsibilities, while others point to education, health or personal reasons.
– Thomas Müller on Germany’s World Cup prospects: Former striker Thomas Müller praised young talents such as Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade but said he did not yet consider the side “title-ready” ahead of the 2026 World Cup, calling for consistency and stability among key national-team figures.
This round-up reflects events in Germany on January 30, 2026.