Bild: Asylum crisis for 31,000 Afghans | Asyl-Panne bei 31.000 Afghanen
FAZ: Trump accuses Putin of „bad timing“ after attack on Kiev | Trump wirft Putin nach Angriff auf Kiew „schlechtes Timing“ vor
Funke: Berlin commemorates end of war – other countries not invited | Berlin erinnert an Ende des Krieges – andere Länder sind nicht eingeladen
Handelsblatt: Beijing’s best man: How Trump’s tariff chaos is strengthening China – and what that means for Germany | Pekings bester Mann: Wie Trumps Zollchaos China stärkt – und was das für Deutschland bedeutet
RND: US threatens to abandon Ukraine | USA drohen, Ukraine fallen zu lassen
SZ: The upturn fails to gain momentum | Der Aufschwung kommt nicht in Schwung
Tagesspiegel: Union in the Bundestag: CSU supports Spahn as future parliamentary group leader | Union im Bundestag: CSU unterstützt Spahn als künftigen Fraktionschef
taz: Grief, protest, and unanswered questions after fatal police shooting from behind | Trauer, Protest und offene Fragen nach tödlichen Polizeischüssen von hinten
Welt: German government investigates 2,000 cases of refugees returning home | Bundesregierung untersucht 2000 Fälle von Heimatreisen
Tens of thousands bid farewell to Francis’s body: More than 90,000 people had visited St. Peter’s Basilica by early Thursday evening. A long queue formed in front of the cathedral, which remained open until after midnight. On Friday, people will have the opportunity to pay their last respects to the head of the Roman Catholic Church, who died on Easter Monday, until early evening. On Saturday, the funeral service and burial of Pope Francis will take place in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in the center of Rome. According to the Vatican, believers will be able to visit Pope Francis‘ final resting place starting on Sunday. zdf.de, stern.de
Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir threatens to expand military operation: During a visit to troops in Rafah, he said that if the hostages held by Hamas were not released, the operation would be intensified. „Hamas is mistaken about our capabilities, our intentions, and our determination,“ Zamir said, referring to the Islamist terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. Israel resumed its attacks in the Gaza Strip in mid-March after a two-month ceasefire. n-tv.de
PLO decides to create a vice president position: In view of the need for a successor, 89-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will have a deputy in the future. The Palestinian Liberation Organization’s council decided to create the position after a two-day meeting. The president will select his deputy from among the 15 other members of the PLO’s Executive Committee. If Abbas dies, the vice president would take over his office, bypassing the need for an election. The last presidential election took place in 2005. Abbas‘ government controls only the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and is unpopular with the population. Compared to the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Abbas and his PLO are considered significantly more moderate. rp-online.de
Sirens wail on Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel: At 10 a.m., public life came to a standstill for two minutes; drivers stopped their cars and people paused in their activities to observe a moment of silence. The main ceremony then began at the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem. In his speech at Yad Vashem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew parallels between the Islamist Hamas and the Nazis. Both had the goal of destroying the Jewish people. zdf.de, zeit.de
US President Donald Trump speaks of Russian concession: Moscow has made a ‘pretty big concession’ by no longer seeking to take over the whole of Ukraine, Trump said. The US had exerted a lot of pressure on Russia to achieve this goal. Ukraine and numerous other countries see no concession whatsoever in this. Since invading Ukraine, Russia’s military has controlled about a fifth of its neighbor, a share that has changed little despite three years of fighting. There is no indication that Russian troops could completely take over Ukraine. The American proposal includes Russia retaining control over the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, as well as the Crimean peninsula, and a promise that Ukraine will not be admitted to NATO. In return, Russia would accept Ukraine’s right to have its own army and defense industry. n-tv.de
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shortens visit to South Africa after overnight missile attack: Zelensky returned to Ukraine immediately after meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. On Wednesday night, there were numerous drone and missile attacks that left at least ten people dead. Zelensky is calling for an immediate end to Russian airstrikes. Forty-four days ago, Ukraine agreed to a complete ceasefire, and for 44 days Russia has continued to kill our people, Zelensky said. welt.de
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praises exchange with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: Rutte said after the meeting that he had discussed with the Pentagon chief how to ensure a stronger, fairer, and more effective NATO. The talks also focused on preparations for the alliance summit in The Hague in June. They discussed how NATO could become stronger, fairer, and more lethal. Rutte assured that Europe and Canada would increase their defense spending. He was referring to US President Donald Trump’s demand that Europeans in particular invest significantly more in their own security. Trump, meanwhile, renewed his criticism of burden sharing in NATO. The US was paying far more than its fair share. welt.de
No growth for the third year in a row: The government has lowered its economic forecast. Economics Minister Robert Habeck announced that gross domestic product is expected to stagnate for the current year. In January, the government had forecast growth of 0.3 percent. Habeck expects growth of one percent for the following year. Habeck explained that the German economy is in choppy waters after two consecutive years of recession. Habeck pointed, among other things, to the trade policy of US President Trump. This affects Germany, which has a heavily export-based economy. The EU Commission must now negotiate confidently with the Trump administration. waz.de, welt.de
German financial package ’not compatible with EU debt rules‘: According to the Brussels think tank Brügel, the planned billion-euro investments in infrastructure and defense do not comply with current EU financial regulations. According to the experts, the package would only be feasible if savings were made elsewhere in the budget. Although the special fund for infrastructure does not fall under Germany’s debt brake, it does fall under EU debt rules. These stipulate, among other things, that a member state’s debt level must not exceed 60 percent of its economic output. focus.de, handelsblatt.com
One in six road fatalities in 2024 was a cyclist: 441 cyclists were killed in accidents, according to the Federal Statistical Office; almost half of them were riding e-bikes. This represents an increase of 11 percent compared to ten years ago. During the same period, the total number of traffic fatalities fell by more than 22 percent. Statisticians attribute the increase in fatal accidents involving cyclists to the boom in electric bikes, among other things. n-tv.de
Germany has an alcohol and tobacco problem: Several million people are addicted, and thousands die every year from the consequences of alcohol consumption and smoking, according to the „Yearbook of Addiction 2025.“ According to the latest available figures from the German Center for Addiction Issues in Hamm, around 99,000 deaths per year are attributable to smoking and around 47,500 to alcohol consumption. Among other things, experts are calling for higher taxes on alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is more affordable in Germany than in any other European country. n-tv.de, faz.net
Right-wing extremist crimes in schools at record high: According to a survey conducted by Stern magazine among the state criminal investigation offices of the federal states, the number of cases reported to the police in schools has more than doubled in the last ten years, and in some federal states it has even quadrupled. A comparison with the previous year also shows a significant increase. The most frequently reported offenses were the use of symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. This includes, for example, swastikas carved into school desks or displaying the Hitler salute on school grounds. spiegel.de
State integration ministers demand that promises to accept vulnerable Afghan workers be upheld: Germany must not break its word, said Lower Saxony’s Social Affairs Minister Andreas Philippi after a conference in Göttingen. From a constitutional point of view alone, those affected must be able to trust that promises of admission already made will be kept. Following criticism from within the Union, the acting federal government had declared that it would not take any more Afghans to Germany. rp-online.de
Red-Green coalition presents coalition agreement in Hamburg: First Mayor Peter Tschentscher pledged investments of 30 billion euros by the end of the legislative period in 2030, including in climate protection, transportation, schools, and infrastructure. The SPD state party conference on Saturday and the Green Party conference on Monday still have to approve the agreement. Tschentscher could stand for re-election in the state parliament on May 7. Hamburg’s second mayor, Katharina Fegebank, is to take over the environment authority; she will be succeeded as science senator by state chair Maryam Blumenthal; all other senators are to remain in office. ndr.de, zdf.de
More News:
- Lower Saxony: Designated Minister President Olaf Lies wants to dissolve the Ministry for Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development. sueddeutsche.de
- Rhineland-Palatinate: According to Interior Minister Michael Ebling, cannabis legalization has eased the burden on the police. echo-online.de
- Bavaria: Three non-commercial cannabis cultivation associations approved; state government still considers legalization a mistake. faz.net
- Hesse: State Constitutional Court to hear AfD lawsuit in June. n-tv.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: No bids presented for Kiel-Hamburg railway line. kn-online.de
- Berlin: Charges brought after attack on SPD campaigner. zeit.de
ICC Appeals Chamber upholds Israel’s appeal in trial for alleged war crimes in Gaza war: The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court in The Hague overturned a first-instance ruling. Israel had challenged the court’s jurisdiction. When the judges rejected this, however, the Appeals Chamber found that the reasoning was based on a legal error. The court of first instance must now reconsider the issue. The decision has no impact on the international arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The judges accuse Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Joav Galant of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. Israel rejects the allegations. stern.de
EU Commission wants older cars to undergo more frequent general inspections in future: Instead of every two years, cars that are at least ten years old will have to undergo a general inspection every year. The EU Commission wants to introduce new testing methods for particulate matter and nitrogen oxide to prevent fraud. Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said the move would be a major step forward in making roads safer and the air cleaner. The proposals must now be negotiated by the EU Parliament and the Council of the 27 member states. stern.de, rnd.de
The UK and the EU want closer cooperation: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met ahead of more concrete talks. Von der Leyen spoke of a security and defense agreement that they wanted to work on; the agreement could pave the way for joint procurement of defense equipment. A government spokesperson in London said that „good progress“ had been made in the talks on issues such as „Ukraine, energy security, the global economy, and defense.“ However, European hopes for a visa program for young people were dampened by the British. stern.de, diepresse.com
Iran wants negotiations with European countries on its controversial nuclear program: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was prepared to travel to France, Germany, and the UK for talks. Last December, these countries agreed to lift all sanctions against Iran that had been imposed to prevent the country from building a nuclear weapon. zeit.de, n-tv.de
India expels all Pakistani citizens from the country: Following the terrorist attack in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir, the conflict between the two countries has escalated. The Indian government revoked all visas for Pakistani citizens; all affected persons must leave the country by the end of the month. The government in Pakistan responded by revoking all visas for Indian citizens and declaring some diplomats persona non grata. In addition, Indian airlines have been banned from flying in Pakistani airspace and trade with India has been suspended. t-online.de, spiegel.de
More news:
- Hungary: US President Donald Trump urges Prime Minister Viktor Orban to leave the EU. sn.at
- Norway: Sovereign wealth fund starts the year with billions in losses. spiegel.de
- Romania: Court wants to reverse election annulment, causing confusion. derstandard.at
- France: President Emmanuel Macron tells Madagascar that France will address its colonial past. unternehmen-heute.de
- France: According to the European Court of Human Rights, the justice system does not provide sufficient protection against sexual violence. spiegel.de
- Spain: Purchase agreement for ammunition from Israel canceled. spiegel.de
- Kosovo: Three months after the election, parliament has still not been formed; incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti is playing for time. stuttgarter-nachrichten.de
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Police fail to arrest separatist leader Milorad Dodik. zeit.de
- Denmark: Infantry deployed to Bornholm to ensure security in the Baltic Sea region. taz.de
- Austria: Investigators accuse FPÖ of „deliberate concealment“ in embezzlement scandal. spiegel.de
- Switzerland: Swiss and Chinese officials call for dialogue on US tariffs. nau.ch
- Saudi Arabia: 88 executions carried out so far this year; significant increase compared to last year. t-online.de
- South Korea: Former President Moon Jae-in charged with corruption. zeit.de
- Brazil: Condition of former President Jair Bolsonaro worsens after abdominal surgery. spiegel.de
Ifo business climate index rises slightly despite tariff dispute with the US: The index rose by 0.2 points to 86.9 in April, marking its fourth consecutive increase. Economists had expected a decline. Ifo President Clemens Fuest said that the approximately 9,000 companies surveyed were less concerned about the current situation but somewhat more pessimistic about their future business. Overall, uncertainty has increased. n-tv.de
More news:
- 1.6 million employees have no vocational training. n-tv.de
- Workers sue Starbucks for forced labor at supplier. spiegel.de
- US chemical company Dow puts two East German plants under review. n-tv.de
- Pepsi returns to Edeka shelves after years of dispute. faz.net
- Merck apparently set to acquire US cancer specialist Springworks. handelsblatt.com
- WEF founder Klaus Schwab faces a barrage of new accusations. handelsblatt.com
- Journalism under government pressure in Turkey fr.de
- Coronavirus and the lab theory – After being denied information, Tagesspiegel takes BND to court t-online.de
- „A debt must be paid“: Zeitverlag boss Rainer Esser takes a tougher stance against public broadcasting kress.de
- Willingness to pay for streaming services on the decline teltarif.de
- 50 works of art „lost forever“: Andy Warhol print belonging to Princess Beatrix ends up in the trash ksta.de
- Oberhausen Short Film Festival: Discussions about fascism wdr.de
- French actress Camille Razat leaves „Emily in Paris“ spiegel.de
- Designer Conner Ives: The statement shirt everyone is talking about – his „Protect The Dolls“ slogan for trans rights is the garment of the moment monopol-magazin.de
- „Has to feed her“: US talk show host Jay Leno takes care of his wife ksta.de
Wahlheymat is a Berlin-based, community-driven grassroots initiative launched on the International Day of Democracy. Rooted in the belief that inclusivity is the foundation of coexistence, it brings together locals, newcomers, and citizens to co-create and co-own a more vibrant, democratic Berlin—one where diverse identities, traditions, and values are actively recognized and celebrated.
- Special transfer rules: Müller and the MLS – how a move to the US could work sportschau.de
- „Last games anything but convincing“: Is HSV’s performance collapsing again? sport.de
- Home-grown player signs for Bundesliga club: Ibrahim Maza will leave Hertha BSC at the end of the season and is expected to join Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. sport.de
- Kölner Haie don’t stand a chance: Eisbären Berlin just one win away from the title faz.net
- ATP Masters: Altmaier suffers clear defeat in the first round in Madrid sportschau.de
- Judo European Championships in Montenegro: Surprise Gold for Seija Ballhaus sportschau.de
Google: Invented proverbs and AI errors – „You only stroke a badger once“ sueddeutsche.de