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Here’s your quick update on what’s happening around the city on Wednesday, October 15 - from urgent alerts to stories in the subreddit. Today we went through 100+ articles, posts and events so you don't have to.
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🇩🇪 Increasing pollution: almost all Berlin districts affected by rat infestation
Berlin reported widespread rat infestations across nearly all districts, with thousands of annual complaints, according to a Senate response to a Green party inquiry.
Food waste, open bins, and pigeon feeding are sustaining high numbers, prompting closures of some playgrounds in neighborhoods such as Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. Rats are considered public health pests, though officials report no confirmed cases of transmission to humans in Berlin.
Districts will continue managing high complaint volumes, while observers watch whether the Senate revives a citywide roundtable and coordinates stronger sanitation and feeding controls. (rbb24, 3 minute read)
🇩🇪 How fast are the new security checks at BER?
Berlin Brandenburg Airport’s new computed tomography security scanners have not consistently sped screening, as liquids over 100 milliliters still trigger manual inspections due to pending software updates and national rules, causing post-scan bottlenecks not captured in posted wait times.
The devices were added to let liquids and electronics stay in bags and speed lines. The airport reports higher hourly throughput on computed tomography lanes, but figures cover different terminals and periods, and reported wait times exclude delays from manual rechecks.
Software updates are being rolled out; once complete and approved by the Federal Police (Bundespolizei), bottles up to two liters should pass without routine rechecks, which could shorten screening, but until then travelers should follow the 100 milliliter rule and allow extra time. (rbb24, 6 minute read)
🇩🇪 At Berlin drug park: residents build their own barriers against junkies
Residents in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district built wooden barriers along Wiener Street by Görlitzer Park to deter drug users from congregating on flowerbeds, after securing about 1,300 euros from a neighborhood funding program.
The area has struggled for years with open drug use and discarded syringes, leaving many locals feeling unsafe, especially at night. Residents say authorities have not addressed the issue, reflecting broader tensions over public order and social services in parts of Berlin.
A district lawmaker criticized local officials and called for action; watch for whether the district increases enforcement, sanitation, or outreach around Görlitzer Park, and whether the resident-built barriers remain in place. (BILD, 2 minute read)
⚡ Quick Hits
🇩🇪 Age-appropriate housing: Analysis shows extreme development | Berlin's older residents confront a costly shortage of accessible, barrier-free homes.
🇩🇪 Apartment instead of shared flat? Technical University awards Airbnb coupons to first semester students from abroad | Technical University of Berlin offers limited Airbnb vouchers to international freshmen amid housing crisis.
🇩🇪 Local public transport in Berlin: CDU proposal for access barriers in Berlin subway stations meets with widespread rejection | Berlin conservatives’ subway turnstile plan draws criticism over cost and practicality.
🇩🇪 Rio ghost movie theater has been decaying for 30 years in a prime Pankow location | Once-beloved century-old Rio cinema in Pankow has lain derelict despite redevelopment plans.
🇩🇪 Injured after apartment fire in Berlin-Neukölln not yet identified | A Berlin apartment blaze with reported blasts left many hurt and one man unidentified.
🇩🇪 Sick leave remains at a high level according to AOK analysis | High sick leave persists in Germany, fueled by respiratory infections and growing mental illnesses.
📅 Events Today
🎟️ Festival of Lights | October 08 - 15, 2025 | Free | City monuments morph into giant projection canvases—spectacular light and video art, music-driven installations and live audiovisual concerts that transform familiar façades into immersive, communal spectacles. Bring curiosity and a camera.
🎟️ Berlin Autumn Carnival | September 19 - October 19, 2025 | Free | A sprawling autumn fair with 80+ rides—from giant Anubis propeller and Hyper X swing to mirror mazes and a haunted ghost train—serves adrenaline, cotton‑candy nostalgia and neon-soaked chaos.
🎟️ This weekend: Spooky Fall Festival | October 18, 2025 | On a donation basis | Dress up and dive into family-friendly pre-Halloween fun: kids' films, hands-on crafts, autumn games and a roaring campfire for storytelling under the stars.
💬 What Berliners Are Talking About
🗣️ Weekly Event Advisor - Upcoming Events that are NOT at Berghain | Weekly community-curated roundup of alternative Berlin parties, respecting underground events' privacy.
🗣️ Best family-friendly restaurants in Berlin with vegetarian options? | Mum asks for child-friendly vegetarian restaurants in Berlin; locals say veg options abound.
🗣️ Place to fit subscription glasses | Most opticians will refit old frames with new lenses; some recommend new frames.
🍽 Fun Fact: Berlin now boasts 21 Michelin-starred restaurants (including one 3-star) – more than any other German city – reflecting its rise as a gourmet destination.
👋 That's a wrap! Thanks for reading Berlin News Daily!
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