LONDON/LYON: German authorities have arrested a suspect in a long-running cold case following the identification of a murder victim whose body was discovered in the River Main nearly 25 years ago. 

The teenage girl has been identified as ‘Diana S’. It’s understood the German national suspect was born in Pakistan.

The arrest was carried out by the Hessian State Criminal Police Office, acting on the initiative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Frankfurt am Main. 

The suspect, a 67-year-old German citizen, and the victim’s father, has been placed in pre-trial detention on suspicion of murder, sources told Geo News.

The case was part of Identify Me, an international campaign coordinated by Interpol with six European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain), aiming to identify 47 women whose bodies were found across Europe over recent decades and to advance investigations.

One of those cases, known as The Girl in the River Main, dates back to July 31, 2001, when the body of a young girl was discovered floating in the River Main in Frankfurt by passers-by. Investigators later determined that the victim had been violently assaulted and was aged 16 at the time of her death.

For many years, the case remained unresolved. However, a significant breakthrough came following the Identify Me public appeal launched in October 2024, which called on the public to provide information relating to the victim’s identity and circumstances of her death.

Several tips from members of the public led investigators to pursue new leads, ultimately resulting in the arrest of the suspect. Investigations remain ongoing, and further details cannot be disclosed at this stage.

Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said: “This identification, followed by the arrest of a suspect, underscores how important it is to continue investigating unresolved cold cases. As part of the Identify Me campaign, the efforts of the German authorities, supported by information from the public, have helped advance a case that had remained open for a quarter of a century.

“Developments such as this highlight the benefits of combining public engagement with sustained investigative work and forensic capabilities. Interpol will continue to support its member countries in identifying unknown deceased persons and enhancing international cooperation in ongoing investigations.”

• PGSA to provide real-time updates on Hormuz operations: SC.
• Iran’s grip over waterway rattled global markets.
• Shipping through Hormuz remains blocked since Feb 28.

Iran’s top security body announced on Monday the formation of a new body to manage the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively closed and wants to charge ships to traverse.

On its official X account, the Supreme National Security Council shared a post for the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) saying it would provide “real-time updates on the Hormuz Strait operations and latest developments.”

The account of the Revolutionary Guards’ navy shared the same post.

It was not immediately clear what the new body would do but earlier this month, Iranian English-speaking broadcaster Press TV said it constituted a “system to exercise sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz” and that ships passing through the strait were sent “regulations” from the email [email protected].

Iran has largely blocked shipping through the vital strait since the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel on February 28. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8.

Iran’s grip over the waterway has rattled global markets and given Tehran significant leverage, while the United States has imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports.

In peacetime, the route accounts for roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, along with other key commodities including fertiliser.

Since the war began, Iran has repeatedly said that maritime traffic through the strait would “not return to its pre-war status”, and last month it said it had received the first revenue from tolls on the waterway.

On Saturday, Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, said Iran “has prepared a professional mechanism to manage traffic” through the strait, adding that it will be “unveiled soon”.

• US-Iran peace talks remain stalled.
• Washington offered no concessions, says Fars.
• Hormuz blockade rattles global oil markets.

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran on Sunday, saying it had to move quickly towards a peace deal or “there won’t be anything left of them.”

Washington, locked in conflict with Tehran since US and Israeli forces launched major strikes on the Islamic republic beginning February 28, has struggled to break an impasse and make any progress toward ending a war that has shaken the Middle East and sent energy prices climbing.

“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”

The war has led to an effective blockade of the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which some 20% of global oil exports pass in peacetime, and has drawn neighbours Israel and Lebanon into a deadly side conflict.

Iran’s clerical state, Hezbollah’s patron, has demanded a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon before any broader peace agreement with Trump, who has been frustrated by Tehran’s refusal to accept a deal on his terms.

An Israeli military official said Sunday that Hezbollah had fired around 200 projectiles at Israel and its troops over the weekend, despite Israel and Lebanon agreeing to extend a ceasefire.

Lebanon’s health ministry said new Israeli strikes Sunday on the country’s south killed five people, including two children.

Israeli attacks since the start of the war have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon, including 400 since the truce began on April 17, according to Lebanese authorities.

‘No tangible concessions’

Washington and Tehran agreed to a truce on April 8, but peace negotiations have stalled and sporadic attacks have continued.

On Sunday, Iranian media said the United States had failed to make any concrete concessions in its latest response to Iran’s proposed agenda for negotiations to end the war.

The Fars news agency said Washington had presented a five-point list which included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States.

Washington also refused to release “even 25%” of Iran’s frozen assets abroad or pay any reparations for the damage inflicted on Iran during the war, according to Fars.

The Mehr news agency, meanwhile, said: “The United States, offering no tangible concessions, wants to obtain concessions that it failed to obtain during the war, which will lead to an impasse in the negotiations.”

Sunday saw more unrest in parts of the region. A drone strike triggered a fire near a nuclear power station in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, authorities said, reporting no injuries or impact on radiation levels.

Iranian-backed armed groups equipped with drones are based in Iraq, while Tehran’s allies in Yemen — the Houthi rebels — also possess combat-grade UAVs.

Pakistan has been actively mediating in the peace talks between Iran and the United States, and its Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Sunday in Tehran with Iran’s chief negotiator and speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

In a social media post following the talks, Ghalibaf said the US and Israeli war with Iran had destabilised the entire Middle East.

“Some governments in the region believed that the presence of the United States would bring them security, but recent events showed that this presence is not only incapable of providing security, but also creates the grounds for insecurity,” he said.

Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed Iran during their high-stakes summit earlier this week, but there appeared to be little headway on Iran.

Trump said Xi assured him that China was not preparing military aid to Iran, while the Chinese foreign ministry said Friday in a statement on Iran that “shipping lanes should be reopened as soon as possible.”