Information appointment in the morning, October 17th: Rent cap is to be extended

The draft law is available to the German Press Agency. Die
In tense housing markets, the rent cap is intended to ensure that the rent in rental agreements is not more than ten percent above the local comparative rent. It currently runs until the end of next year. The respective state government decides where the rent control is applied.

Draft for storing communication data also in coordination

At the same time, a draft law was put to the departmental vote that would allow law enforcement authorities to provide certain communication data in the event of serious crimes. No data retention is planned, but rather a process in which the data is only saved if there is suspicion of a crime such as murder or manslaughter.

Ship collides with the Diffené Bridge in Mannheim

In Mannheim a ship got stuck on a bridge late in the evening – which is still causing problems this morning. Shipping traffic on the Old Rhine is restricted – the affected Diffené Bridge is also closed. The skipper probably wanted to sail through the opened bridge around 11 p.m. However, the wheelhouse got stuck and was torn down. Two cars were pulled from the ship into the water. Nobody was injured.

Structural engineers have to inspect the bridge

The damage is already in the millions, although it is not clear how much the repairs to the bridge will cost. This will now be assessed by a structural engineer. It is also being investigated how the accident could have occurred. A fire brigade spokesman said that if a skipper miscalculated the water level, for example, there would not be enough space for the wheelhouse when passing under the bridge.