Local accounts of Germany's ruling party hacked; Merz and thousands of others received phishing emails.

Police in Heilbronn, Germany, said on October 17 local time that hackers breached the email account of the local branch of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Heilbronn and sent fraudulent emails to about 6,500 contacts, including German Chancellor Merz, government departments and other political contacts. According to a police spokesperson, some recipients are in security-sensitive areas. Police are currently investigating the matter, and it is not yet clear whether any actual losses were caused.