Bild: A shark has mauled my leg | Ein Hai hat mein Bein zerfleischt
FAZ: Scholz in Kiev: Germany remains strongest supporter in Europe | Scholz in Kiew: Deutschland bleibt stärkster Unterstützer in Europa
Funke: 3000 police officers on New Year’s Eve | 3000 Polizisten im Silvester-Einsatz
Handelsblatt: Dax dividends fall | Dax-Dividenden sinken
RND: AfD wants to dissolve youth organization Junge Alternative – replacement organization planned | AfD will Jugendorganisation Junge Alternative auflösen – Ersatzorganisation geplant
SZ: Scholz makes surprise trip to Kiev | Scholz reist überraschend nach Kiew
Tagesspiegel: Deregulate like Musk and Milei – FDP focuses on state reduction in election campaign | Deregulieren wie Musk und Milei – FDP setzt im Wahlkampf auf Staatsabbau
taz: He still has a suitcase in Kyiv | Er hat noch einen Koffer in Kyjiw
Welt: FDP leader Lindner follows the motto: no experiments | FDP-Chef Lindner folgt der Devise: keine Experimente
Ceasefire in Lebanon increasingly unstable: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of seriously violating the ceasefire, to which he said Israel would respond with all its might. An army position on the Golan Heights was fired upon. Hezbollah said it had carried out an attack on an Israeli military position, justifying it as retaliation for Israel’s violations of the ceasefire. Israel’s military said it had attacked dozens of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The attacks were directed against fighters, vehicles and infrastructure of Hezbollah, which had violated the ceasefire, it said. However, Israel remains committed to implementing the ceasefire. n-tv.de, handelsblatt.com
- US State Department warned against overemphasizing violations of the ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah. „When there is a ceasefire, there are naturally violations,“ said spokesman Matthew Miller in Washington.
- Lebanon’s parliamentary president, Nabih Berri, has accused Israel of dozens of violations of the ceasefire with Hezbollah. Berri is an ally of Hezbollah and had negotiated the ceasefire for the terrorist militia.
- Israel has confirmed the death of another hostage abducted by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The 21-year-old soldier was killed on the day of the attack, and his body was taken to the Gaza Strip by the terrorists. There are still 97 hostages in the hands of Hamas, more than 30 of whom have already been declared dead. n-tv.de
- Hamas confirmed the death of a total of 33 hostages since the beginning of the war and blamed Israel for it, because Israel’s army continues the war in the Gaza Strip unabated.
- US President-elect Donald Trump has called for the release of the Israeli hostages and issued an ultimatum to Hamas. Trump said that if the terrorist organization does not release the hostages before he takes office on January 20, all hell will break loose for those responsible. zdf.de
- Gaza Strip is to be „completely“ controlled by the Palestinian Authority after the end of the war. Delegations from Hamas and the secular Fatah Party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which rules in the West Bank, have come together in Cairo in the sense of a „mutual understanding,“ said Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
Islamists in Syria continue to gain ground: Fighting between Islamist rebels and Syrian forces has reached the city of Hama. Attacks were also reported in the city of Homs. The Syrian army and Russian units, for their part, carried out air strikes on the outskirts of the city of Al-Safira, south of the regional capital Aleppo. After the lightning offensive by the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, the troops of ruler Bashar al-Assad are apparently preparing for a counteroffensive. Military forces have begun to move in several axes in the rural areas of Aleppo, Hama and Idlib to surround the insurgents. On Tuesday, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the latest escalation in the 13-year civil war. spiegel.de, rnd.de, derstandard.at
Bild-Sonntagsfrage by Insa: Union 31.5 percent (-1), SPD 16 percent (+1), Greens 13 percent (+2), FDP 4.5 percent, AfD 18.5 percent (-1), Left 3.5 percent, BSW 7.5 percent, others 5.5 percent. bild.de
Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commemorate fallen Ukrainian soldiers: Together with Zelensky, Scholz visited the provisional memorial on Independence Square. Prior to that, the two had spoken with wounded soldiers in a hospital. Upon his arrival in Kiev, Scholz had reaffirmed that Germany would supply Ukraine with armaments worth 650 million euros from previously pledged funds before the end of this year. These include tanks, missiles, drones and air defense systems. Scholz stuck to the no-go on the Taurus cruise missile. It was Scholz’s second visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. Scholz emphasized that Germany would remain Ukraine’s strongest supporter in Europe; Kiev could rely on that. zeit.de, sueddeutsche.de, zdf. de, faz.net
- The US has announced military aid worth 725 million dollars to ensure that Ukraine „has the necessary capabilities to defend itself against Russian aggression,“ explains US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. spiegel.de
- Norway wants to send fighter jets, air defense systems and soldiers to Poland to protect the airport in Rzeszow near the Ukrainian border, Norway’s Defense Minister Björn Arild Gram announced. handelsblatt.com
- Measures against Russia’s supporters: EU wants to sanction Chinese companies for the first time in the Ukraine war. rnd.de
- According to reports by military observers, Russian troops have captured large parts of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kurachove. The Russian military blog Rybar reports fighting in the city center.
- Russia has repeatedly attacked regions around Nikopol and Kryvyi Rih in southeastern Ukraine with artillery and combat drones. web.de
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warns China against supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine: Russia is dragging East Asia into the Ukraine war; supporting Russia would have consequences, Baerbock said after meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. It has already been made clear that the delivery of combat drones to the Russian armed forces would be a new dimension. Baerbock added that it could not be in China’s interest for Russia to draw East Asia into the Ukraine war by deploying North Korean soldiers. rp-online.de, n-tv.de
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius describes Russian Navy as „clear threat“: He considers the purchase of four additional new submarines for more than 4.5 billion euros as indispensable. He hopes the budget committee will agree to the project on Wednesday. He said that the Russian navy is „extremely active and poses a significant threat“ in the Arctic Ocean, the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. rnd.de, handelsblatt.com
Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck sees great potential for German companies in the African economic area: Habeck called on the German economy to focus more on Africa during a visit to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. This is especially true in view of the fact that China and the USA are increasingly isolating themselves. For example, Kenya is an interesting market in the renewable energies sector. zdf.de
More Politics:
- SPD politician Katja Mast is pushing for the decriminalization of abortions. spiegel.de
- Electronic tags and compulsory courses: government plans more protection for victims of domestic violence. n-tv.de
- Now Chancellor Olaf Scholz needs the FDP: the CDU wants to postpone the reduction of the cold progression. n-tv.de
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder offers millions for the automotive industry: Söder met with industry representatives for a crisis summit and subsequently announced a transformation offensive for corporations and suppliers. This is expected to cost around 100 million euros and will be increased if necessary. So-called digitization clusters are to be created through universities and AI to develop the cars of the future. Bavaria will also push ahead with the expansion of the charging infrastructure. tagesspiegel.de, handelsblatt.com
More Regional:
- Brandenburg: BSW state leadership votes for alliance with SPD. rbb24.de
- Brandenburg: BSW member of the Brandenburg state parliament, Sven Hornauf, does not resign. tagesspiegel.de
- Brandenburg: Number of politically motivated crimes more than doubled. n-tv.de
- Thuringia: The Left Party insists on an agreement with the „bramble coalition“. n-tv.de
- North Rhine-Westphalia: Long prison sentences for fatal knife attack on young Ukrainian basketball player in Oberhausen. n-tv.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: Northvolt bankruptcy could cost taxpayers 620 million euros. handelsblatt.com
- Hesse: Prime Minister Boris Rhein wants to recruit skilled workers from Vietnam. hessenschau.de
- Hesse: AfD files suit against coronavirus investigation committee. n-tv.de
- Hamburg: Exhibition hall to become emergency accommodation for refugees. ndr.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: Scarlet fever among children has multiplied in the past year. n-tv.de
- Thuringia: Police want to improve drone defense. mdr.de
International Criminal Court sees its existence threatened by pressure from the USA and Russia: At the opening of the annual conference of the court’s contracting states in The Hague, ICC President Tomoko Akane said that the court’s legitimacy and ability to function were being undermined by attacks from Washington and Moscow. She said the USA was threatening draconian economic sanctions as if the court were a terrorist organization. She also criticized the Russian arrest warrants against Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan and other staff members. tagesspiegel.de
France’s minority government under Prime Minister Michel Barnier is facing the right-wing nationalist Rassemblement National will support a motion of no confidence from the left faction. Together, both camps have enough votes to bring down the government. The background to this is his decision to push the law on the social budget through parliament without a vote, on the basis of a controversial constitutional article. In the dispute over planned austerity measures, Barnier had already made concessions to Marine Le Pen’s right-wing nationalist party; however, the FN made further demands. spiegel.de, t-online.de, faz.net
Renewed protests against the Georgian government: For the fifth evening in a row, thousands of opponents of the Russia-friendly government took to the streets. Police arrested the prominent leader of the pro-Western opposition Zurab Japaridze. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. There were also protests in the second largest city, Batumi. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania imposed sanctions on the Georgian leadership because of the crackdown on demonstrators and banned Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri from entering the countries, among others. During a visit to Latvia, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced that she would follow the example of the Baltic states. spiegel.de, zeit.de, web.de, faz.net
Romania’s Supreme Court rejects annulment of first round of presidential election: There is no evidence of electoral fraud; the recount of votes ordered by the court had confirmed the election result. This means that the runoff vote between the radical right-wing and pro-Russian first-round winner Calin Georgescu and the second-placed liberal-conservative politician Elena Lasconi will take place as planned next Sunday. The Social Democrats emerged from the parliamentary elections at the weekend as the strongest force with around 23 percent of the vote. Several right-wing parties made significant gains and have made it into parliament for the first time. The winner of the presidential election will decide who is given the task of forming a government. spiegel.de, web.de, zdf.de
Belgium convicted of colonial crimes: Five women who were born between 1945 and 1950 in the former Belgian colony of Congo as the daughters of white men and black women had filed the lawsuit. They were forcibly separated from their mothers as children and placed in religious institutions. There they were victims of abuse, according to their own statements. The Court of Appeal overturned the 2021 ruling by the court of first instance, saying there was no statute of limitations. The Belgian state is obliged to make amends for the moral damage, it said. vrt.be
More News:
- Digital threats: EU Council approves cyber protection shield and early warning system. heise.de
- Vulnerable submarine cables: new working group to help. heise.de
- Migration: EU plans easier returns. diepresse.com
- Italy: Right-wing politician Tommaso Foti is the new Minister for Europe; successor to the new EU Commission Vice-President Raffaele Fitto. rainews.it
- Lithuania: Recovery work after DHL crash completed; debris to be further examined in a hangar. tageblatt.de
- Ireland: Difficult coalition negotiations expected after parliamentary elections. de.euronews.com
- Greece: Refugee numbers on the rise; closer cooperation on migration with Germany. rnd.de
- Norway: Deep-sea mining plans suspended. tagesschau.de
- Guinea: At least 56 dead after violence and stampede at football match. faz.net
- Sudan: Refugee camp with hundreds of thousands of people under attack. nau.ch
- Iran: Those who don’t wear headscarves should be reported. faz.net
- USA: US President Joe Biden in Angola: The US wants to stand up to China in Africa, too. faz.net
- USA: US President-elect Donald Trump has chosen investment banker Warren Stephens to become US ambassador to London. handelsblatt.com
- USA: Donald Trump travels to Paris for the reopening of Notre Dame. stern.de
Retail sentiment slightly improved before Christmas: The business climate index of the Ifo Institute rose from -25.2 to -22.1 points in November. Companies assess their current situation better than in October. The outlook for the coming months also brightened somewhat. Ifo expert Patrick Höppner said that although the general conditions are difficult, retailers are looking at the current Christmas business with a little more hope. n-tv.de, handelsblatt.com
More from Business, Tech and Science:
- Defeat for the Kremlin’s economic policy – Ruble on a downward slide: What caused the exchange rate to slide – Russia’s foreign exchange earnings are under threat. rnd.de
- Trump’s tariff plans: Exporters from China, Mexico and Canada are bringing forward deliveries. manager-magazin.de
- France’s situation „dangerous“: Is a new euro debt crisis looming?. tagesschau.de
- Real estate: Vonovia shares on the rise, tenants in a bind. t-online.de
- SIPRI report: nuclear weapons spending a major source of income for arms companies. table.media
- Alphabet: Chrome to go. deraktionaer.de
- Coinbase hopes for swift crypto legislation under Trump. deraktionaer.de
- Interpol lands major blow against cybercrime – more than 5,500 suspects arrested worldwide and funds and digital assets worth more than 400 million US dollars seized. golem.de
- No more listening to voice messages: Whatsapp introduces transcription for iOS. t3n.de
- Ballot for doctors at municipal hospitals to strike has begun. n-tv.de
- National Health patients spend significantly more on IGEL self-pay services than assumed. rnd.de
- Volkswagen: 66,000 employees on token strike. ndr.de
- Production at Opel in Rüsselsheim suspended. faz.net
- Insolvency at motorcycle manufacturer KTM. faz.net
- Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger unexpectedly leaves company. zeit.de
- Munich Re: 133 billion dollars in damage from hurricanes. faz.net
- Bitkom survey: the majority of children from the age of ten have a smartphone. tagesschau.de
- „Inappropriate and sexist“ – BBC under pressure over allegations against presenter Gregg Wallace. welt.de
- Debacle surrounding Jochen Schweizer „Mydays: ProSiebenSat.1 and two subsidiaries have to pay a fine of almost four million euros. meedia.de
- „Open farewell letter“: „eXit“ by Dunja Hayali and Sawsan Chebli – Dozens of celebrities leave X. welt.de
- NZZ Deutschland launches morning newsletter – how editor-in-chief Serrao wants to stand out – „There are many morning newsletters, but none with our bourgeois-liberal view of things“. kress.de
- UNESCO discusses intangible cultural heritage. wdr.de
- National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine in Cologne: Messages of freedom, humanity and indomitability. ksta.de
- Middle East conflict: Rogers Waters attacks Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood – insults are inevitable. musikexpress.de
- „Lost my sight“: Elton John can no longer see. n-tv.de
- Ellen DeGeneres: „Our farmhouse was not flooded“ – after leaving the US, she moved to the English Cotswolds region. web.de
- „Differences“ with Boris Becker: Anna Ermakova rarely loses her temper with her father. n-tv.de
Today on Xpat Berlin on JazzRadio: Tune in at 7 PM as we welcome Nikos Nakos from IamExpat.de! He’ll share the inspiring story of how he and his co-founder brought this vibrant platform to life. In our Cultural segment, we’ll dive into the traditions of St. Nicholas Day. Plus, stay informed with the latest news, discover exciting events around town, and, as always, enjoy an unforgettable mix of smooth jazz. Don’t miss it!
- Russia postpones World Friendlies. web.de
- Before awarding the 2034 World Cup: Fan alliance demands Neuendorf say no to Saudi Arabia. faz.net
- Defeat 2-1 as European Championship year begins: DFB women slip up against Italy. spiegel.de
- Dominant victory against Manchester City: Liverpool can now only lose the title. sportschau.de
- Crisis of dramatic proportions: Pep Guardiola is ridiculed. n-tv.de
- Tennis: Davis Cup men play against Israel. web.de
- World Cup in Ruka: On the fast track – ski jumpers and Nordic combined are stronger than ever. sportschau.de
- Sailing: Boris Herrmann in the Vendée Globe – „I was suddenly standing still. It hurt“. spiegel.de
Mysterious bug: ChatGPT has a problem with this name – it cannot process requests containing the name David Mayer. t3n.de