Germany news: Mysterious explosions reported in Frankfurt

Figures from the ADAC motoring organization released on Thursday show German diesel prices have surged to a new record, reaching an average price per liter of €2.45 ($2.81).

For US readers, that is equivalent to over $10.60 per gallon. 

Since the Iran war started, fuel prices in Germany have surged. On Wednesday, the ADAC reported the price of ordinary gasoline at another record high of  €2.314 ($2.65) per liter on average.

Measures to provide price relief in the spring expired in June, but German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday that the government would "react to price gouging." 

No new measures have yet been announced. Coalition partners the Social Democrats (SPD), have called for a windfall tax on oil companies, an idea Merz has rejected.

Residents in two Frankfurt neighborhoods were shaken from sleep early Thursday morning by mysterious explosions.

Police said explosives were set off shortly after 4 a.m. in front of a cafe in the city's "Nordend" neighborhood, and a few minutes later in front of a kiosk in the city center. 

No injuries were reported. Images of the cafe showed a shattered glass facade and shards blown out onto the street. 

"We have officers on the scene," a police spokeswoman told Germany's DPA news agency. "We're working hard on it," she added, referring to the ongoing investigation.

Police have not released any information about a motive or possible suspects.

In the past few days, there had been two explosions in Frankfurt and one in nearby Offenbach. Both caused minor damage and no injuries.  

Early Monday morning, there was an explosion at an apartment building in Frankfurt-Bockenheim.

Early Sunday morning, there were also explosions in Frankfurt's Sachsenhausen district and in Offenbach. A bar, a cafe, and a newsstand were damaged in the incidents.

Following the explosion in Sachsenhausen, a 15-year-old suspect was arrested and is currently in pretrial detention.

This week's blasts come after repeated explosions in the Rhine-Main region over the past weeks and months.

Police have attributed several of these incidents to organized crime and the phenomenon of "violence as a service," in which teenagers and young adults are specifically recruited to carry out these acts, local public broadcaster HR reported. 

Authorities have not said whether they consider Thursday morning's explosions to be one of these cases. 

Guten Morgen from Bonn as we launch our coverage of what Germany is talking about today. 

Overnight in Frankfurt, two separate explosions caused minor damage to small businesses. Police have not released information on suspects or a possible motive.

And in Berlin, Chancellor Friedrich Merz will attend a conservative campaign event ahead of a critical state election on Sunday.