In Germany, a man broke into a bank and took a hostage

In Rimbach, Germany, in the federal state of Hesse, an unknown man broke into a bank and took at least one person hostage. RTL reported on January 7, citing law enforcement authorities.

"Currently [the intruder] is there with at least one person who is being held there against his will. A large number of police officers, including "specialized emergency services," are on the scene," the report said.

The area around the bank has been cordoned off.

On January 3, an inmate took five people - four medical staff and a guard - hostage at the central prison in the commune of Arles in southern France. The captor was a 37-year-old man, serving a sentence for rape since 2023. It was also specified that the prisoner had pronounced mental problems.