Here’s your quick update on what’s happening around the city on Sunday, September 21 - 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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🇩🇪 How much rents for shared flats have risen

A study by the research institute Empirica finds that rents for rooms in student flat-shares in Germany have risen 74% since 2012, roughly twice the increase in consumer prices, with major city gaps (about €750 in Munich versus €350 in Siegen).

Housing shortages and rising student numbers have tightened the market, making rent a key factor in where students enroll. Limited building—especially around big-city suburbs—and more graduates staying in cities keep demand high and push shared-room prices up in line with broader rents.

Experts say only more construction and land development, largely in metropolitan outskirts, will ease pressures, but any relief will be gradual, so student housing affordability is likely to remain strained through upcoming semesters. (tagesschau.de, 3 minute read)

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🇩🇪 Assaults at sex-positive parties: when a no is not enough

Multiple attendees reported sexual assaults at Berlin’s sex-positive clubs; police recorded 87 club-related cases last year, compared with 16 in 2016, after a 2023 peak of 98. The KitKat club said it will make its previously undercover awareness teams more visible.

Advocates say consent violations persist despite the scene’s reputation for strong boundaries, with substance use complicating memories and many incidents going unreported. Experts argue safer-party measures help but cannot fix wider social attitudes about entitlement and gender norms.

Officials and club groups may expand visible awareness staffing and tailored safety protocols; watch for updates to club policies, potential public funding for training, and whether reporting increases. (rbb24, 6 minute read)

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🇩🇪 BER and Brussels Airport experience chaos Saturday after cyber attack

A cyberattack on Collins Aerospace, a provider of airport passenger processing software, disrupted check-in and baggage systems at several European airports Saturday, causing long lines and delays at Berlin-Brandenburg and cancellations and delays in Brussels.

Berlin cut connections to the affected systems and switched to manual processing; the airport said it was not directly targeted. RTX, Collins’ parent, confirmed the software disruption. The incident highlights rising cyber risks to aviation suppliers, which can ripple across multiple hubs.

Manual operations may continue Sunday, and Eurocontrol asked airlines to halve Brussels flights until Monday morning; expect delays and some cancellations while RTX works to restore service. (Spiegel, 2 minute read)

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⚡ Quick Hits

• 🇩🇪 New coronavirus variant XFG spreads in Germany (Telepolis, 4 minute read)

• 🇩🇪 Train cancellations and detour: Rail travelers to Berlin need more time until December (MDR, 2 minute read)

• 🇩🇪 New working time law reform by the Merz government - 48-hour week to come (Frankfurter Rundschau, 3 minute read)

• 🇬🇧 Germany Wants To Host An Olympics Sometime In The Next 20 Years (Forbes, 2 minute read)

• 🇩🇪 Berlin-Mitte: Knife attack at Humboldt Forum - 25-year-old seriously injured, perpetrator on the run (WELT, 1 minute read)

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📅 Events Today

• 🎟️ BMW Berlin Marathon | September 21 and 22, 2025 | At the end of September, the German capital hosts one of the biggest running events in the world: the Berlin Marathon. 

• 🎟️ City Film Days | September 19 - 21, 2025 | The City Film Days film festival takes a cinematic look at Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, in 2025. 

• 🎟️ BeMarket | September 21, 2025 | At this art design market, you will find handmade originals by Berlin artists and creators to look at and take home. 

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💬 What Berliners Are Talking About

• 🗣️ I can't seem to find a good art experience in Berlin on my own - where would you recommend? - Replies recommend everything from major museums to free local exhibitions and tours.

• 🗣️ Weird scam in metros? Young men who come way too close and ask for way then won’t leave alone - Women reporting repeated metro approaches that feel like distracting harassment or snatch theft.

• 🗣️ What's the best pages for getting know about Berlin events? - Newcomer asks for go-to event pages; replies list apps, sites and filtering tips.

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🎬 Fun Fact: Berlin hosts about 50 film festivals every year, and it has 99 cinema halls – the most of any single city in Germany (including the famous Berlinale film festival).

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