Bild: Pensioners to pay solidarity tax for pensioners! / Rentner sollen Soli für Rentner zahlen!
FAZ: EU Commission wants to increase spending to two trillion euros / EU-Kommission will Ausgaben auf zwei Billionen Euro erhöhen
Handelsblatt: Rheinmetall in talks with buyer for car division / Rheinmetall verhandelt mit Käufer für Autosparte
RND: Criticism of Spotify CEO: Why musicians and fans are threatening a boycott / Kritik am Spotify-CEO: Warum Musiker und Fans mit Boykott drohen
SZ: Brosius-Gersdorf angers the CDU/CSU / Brosius-Gersdorf erzürnt die Union
Tagesspiegel: Less old-age poverty, more justice? „Boomer solidarity tax“ meets resistance / Weniger Altersarmut, mehr Gerechtigkeit? „Boomer-Soli“ stößt auf Widerstand
taz: How do we come together? / Wie kommen wir zusammen?
Welt: Fierce controversy over „Boomer solidarity tax“ for pensions / Heftige Kontroverse über den „Boomer-Soli“ für die Rente
Israel Attacks Military Headquarters in Damascus: According to the Syrian news agency Sana, at least one person was killed and 18 injured. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Israel would intensify its attacks if the Syrian government did not withdraw its troops from the Suweida region, which Druze predominantly inhabit. Israel considers itself a protector of the minority. In Suweida, located in southwestern Syria, fighting has been ongoing for days between Druze and Sunni Bedouins. In the evening, Israel reportedly carried out additional airstrikes near the capital Damascus. faz.net, tagesspiegel.de, n-tv.de
- German and International Reactions: Germany has called on all sides to show restraint, stating that Syria must not be destabilized. The Foreign Office emphasized that it is in Israel“s interest for the Syrian government in Damascus to remain capable of governance.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres criticized the Israeli military’s attacks in Syria and urged all parties involved to cease violence.
- EU Council President António Costa called for respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Netanyahu’s Majority Crumbles: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition is weakening. After the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, the Shas party has also announced it will leave the government. This would leave Netanyahu heading a minority government. However, Shas stated it will continue to support the government on individual legislative proposals and remain part of the coalition. New elections are not expected for now. The background is the long-standing dispute over the exemption of Torah students from military service. zdfheute.de, spiegel.de
- Deaths at Gaza Aid Distribution Point in Khan Yunis: According to the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, 20 people were killed in a mass panic on Wednesday morning. Eyewitnesses reported shots fired by security personnel. zdfheute.de
- Airstrikes in Gaza: According to hospitals in northern and southern Gaza, at least 41 people were killed in Israeli attacks. The Israeli military stated that within 24 hours, it had struck more than 120 targets in Gaza, including tunnels and Hamas weapons depots. t-online.de
Dead and Injured After Glide Bomb Attack in Ukrainian Frontline City of Dobropillia: A 500-kilogram bomb was dropped on the busy center of Dobropillia, according to the local military governor Vadym Filashkin. Two people were killed and 27 injured have been rescued. However, more victims are believed to be trapped under the rubble of damaged buildings. The front line between Russian and Ukrainian forces is only about 15 kilometers from the city limits. n-tv.de
- Zelensky Condemns the Attack: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack on Dobropillia a „horrific, senseless act of Russian terror“ and expressed condolences to the victims“ families. He said there was no military logic behind the attacks, only „the intent to destroy as many human lives as possible.“
Ukrainian Parliament Approves New Government: Ukraine’s parliament voted in Kyiv to officially dismiss the current government. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is set to become Defense Minister. His successor as Prime Minister will be current Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. President Zelensky said the change is aimed at giving the economy fresh momentum. The 39-year-old Svyrydenko is regarded as an economic expert. New ministers are to be appointed on Thursday. dw.com
Ukraine Rejects Russian Peace Talk Claims: Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha strongly criticized Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Kyiv, he said, has declared its openness to negotiations for a just peace—but the key to a ceasefire lies in applying pressure on Russia through sanctions and international diplomacy. Peskov’s claim that Ukraine must be „pushed“ into new negotiations, Sybiha called „a blatant lie, manipulation, and distortion of the facts.“ He emphasized: Ukraine is not an obstacle to peace. tagesspiegel.de
- Kremlin Threatens with Nuclear Weapons Again: The Kremlin has accused European countries of open militarism and once again hinted at the possible use of nuclear weapons.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said European countries are spending vast sums on arms to fuel the war in Ukraine. He also referred to Russia’s recently revised nuclear doctrine.
Worldwide server network of a pro-Russian hacker group shut down: According to the BKA in Wiesbaden, a botnet comprising several hundred servers distributed worldwide was dismantled. It had been used for targeted digital overload attacks on websites. The attacks aimed to gain media attention and thereby influence political or social decisions in Germany. Six arrest warrants were issued nationwide, including against Russian nationals. haz.de, zdfheute.de, n-tv.de
YouGov Sunday poll: CDU/CSU 27 percent (-1), AfD 25 percent (+2), SPD 14 percent, Greens 11 percent (-1), Left Party 10 percent (+2), BSW 5 percent, FDP 3 percent, Others 5 percent. yougov.de
SPD Backs Constitutional Court Candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf: SPD leader Lars Klingbeil made it clear that his party continues to support the legal scholar Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, calling her a qualified and professional expert. Allegations raised by the CDU/CSU against Brosius-Gersdorf have been refuted by a brief legal opinion she commissioned herself. welt.de, zeit.de
- SPD Continues to Offer “Unconditional” Support: Parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch has called on the CDU/CSU to engage directly with Brosius-Gersdorf. tagesspiegel.de
- Wikipedia Entry Altered by Law Professor: Prominent legal scholar Ekkehart Reimer is said to have modified Brosius-Gersdorf’s Wikipedia article, adding her position on abortion. t-online.de
- TV Debate: Criticism and Political Fallout: During the Markus Lanz talk show, CDU politician Christoph Ploß defended the cancellation of the Constitutional Court vote, saying he would not have voted for Brosius-Gersdorf. In contrast, Green Party parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann criticized the decision and accused Jens Spahn of “blatant leadership failure.” zdfheute.de
Cabinet adopts financial plan through 2029: The government did not release specific details of the financial plan, citing its pending submission to the EU. Key points include over 500 billion euros in new debt for the core budget over the next five years. In addition, there is a credit-financed special fund amounting to another 500 billion euros. stern.de
- Civil lawsuits seeking monetary payment to be allowed as fully online court proceedings: Filing a lawsuit will be possible digitally. A change in the Code of Civil Procedure is intended to simplify proceedings without oral hearings and expand the use of video hearings. lto.de
- Better global pandemic preparedness planned: The cabinet approved plans to incorporate changes in international health regulations into national law. The focus is on information flows and maintaining laboratory capacities. Member states of the World Health Organization had agreed on the new regulations last year. boerse.de
Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer honors late theater director Claus Peymann: Weimer described Peymann as a titan of theater and a master of provocation and renewal. Berlin’s Governing Mayor Wegner called the former artistic director one of the most influential figures of modern German theater. Peymann passed away in Berlin at the age of 88. zdfheute.de, tagesspiegel.de, spiegel.de
Other News
- Germany and the United Kingdom sign a friendship treaty. stern.de
- AfD members in public service: federal states advocate for case-by-case review — in some cases stricter. tagesschau.deCDU workers’ wing warns against the blurring of work hour boundaries. tagesschau.de
- Tourism coordinator Christoph Ploß calls for a longer summer holiday window. finanznachrichten.de
Former RBB Director Patricia Schlesinger achieves partial success: The Berlin Regional Court ruled that Schlesinger is entitled to a pension payment of around €18,000 for January 2023. The lawsuit initially only concerned this specific month. At the same time, the court decided that Schlesinger must repay around €24,000 to RBB for, among other things, falsely claimed travel expenses. lto.de
- Baden-Württemberg: More than 1,400 teachers are missing due to an IT failure. tv.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: Kiel University revokes the rights of a student group following „Islam Week“; criminal charges are under review. kn-online.de
- Hamburg: Dispute in the city parliament over an overburdened judicial system. ndr.d
- Hamburg: Alliance plans demonstration against the closure of the Blue Mosque. abendblatt.de
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants a bigger EU budget: The budget for the years 2028 to 2034 is to total around 2 trillion euros. That’s about 700 billion euros more than currently allocated for the ongoing seven-year budget period. The goal is to enable additional investments in security and defense. The EU Commission also plans to significantly increase spending on border protection and migration in the coming years. Almost half of the budget is to flow to member states, including for agriculture and the weakest structural regions. spiegel.de, zdfheute.de, handelsblatt.com, n-tv.de, faz.net
- Germany Rejects Proposal for Significant Increase in EU Budget: Germany, as the largest economy in the EU, usually contributes about a quarter of the funds and has rejected the proposal for a significant increase in the long-term EU budget. spiegel.de
Debate on DIW proposal for “boomer solidarity tax” as a means of combating poverty in old age. tagesschau.de, faz.net
- The German Trade Union Confederation rejects the proposal; anyone who really wants to ease the burden on contributors must achieve this through greater tax fairness, said DGB board member Anja Piel.
- Economist Monika Schnitzer supports the idea; the basic idea of the DIW is correct, even if the specific details certainly need to be discussed.
- Union SME representative Gitta Connemann said that a “boomer solidarity tax” would rob people of reliability.
International students: Many come to stay. table.media/research
More from Business, Tech and Science:
- Another year without growth? Bundesbank sees Trump’s tariffs as a major threat to Germany n-tv.de
- DAK report: Gen Z struggles with generational conflicts and rising sick days cash-online.de
- Germany’s high-tech agenda: AI to account for 10 percent of economic output heise.de
- Equality: Proportion of women on supervisory boards falls slightly again manager-magazin.de
- Ifo Institute: Housing developers more confident about the future zeit.de
- Auto industry: Record high for new registrations of electric cars manager-magazin.de
- Meta boss in court: Shareholders demand billions from Zuckerberg n-tv.de
- Digitization of the justice system: New law to enable online lawsuits t3n.de
- How AI browsers are becoming the new gatekeepers of the internet faz.net
- Astronomy: The beginning of planet formation observed for the first time heise.de
- After data hack at Nius: Julian Reichelt makes serious accusations against Spiegel and T-Online, accusing them of misusing personal data to contact those affected and scare them. kress.de
- State reform initiative led by Julia Jäkel concludes: Some social media platforms have “acquired enormous political power.” kress.de
- Legendary theater director and artistic director Claus Peymann has died spiegel.de
- Music streaming services: We need less music zeit.de
- Bregenz Festival begins wdr.de
More from Culture, Media and People
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- Leona Lewis: Sängerin erhält Orden von König Charles gala.de
- Romantisches Dinner: Jeff Bezos und Lauren zurück in den USA promiflash.de
Berlin Talent is an initiative by Berlin Partner, the city’s economic development agency, dedicated to connecting skilled professionals with job opportunities in Berlin’s vibrant labor market. Through services like the Talent Portal and joint recruiting campaigns, Berlin Talent helps companies attract, recruit, and onboard both local and international talent, offering support with everything from job postings and work permits to welcome packages and integration resources.
For job seekers and new Berliners, Berlin Talent guides navigating the city’s job market, understanding employer expectations, and settling into life in the capital. With a strong network and tailored support, the initiative strengthens Berlin’s reputation as a diverse, innovative, and welcoming city for professionals from around the world.
- Sports event in Germany: The World University Games as a test run for the Olympics faz.net
- War of aggression against Ukraine: UEFA confirms further exclusion of Russian teams – money will still flow to the Russian Football Union. sportschau.de
- Loan returnee to leave Frankfurt: HSV and Union Berlin keen on SGE ace Aurélio Buta sport.de
- Shares in FC Brentford: Claudia Schiffer joins Premier League club n-tv.de
- Tour de France, stage 11: Abrahamsen wins turbulent stage – Pogacar crashes sportschau.de
- Eastern Germany plans to host the start of the Tour de France – only the organizers know nothing about it welt.de
- Volleyball – VC Wiesbaden: Small core group, big goals faz.net
In Germany, it’s illegal to run out of fuel on the Autobahn. Yep — stopping on the Autobahn without a valid reason (like a breakdown) is considered a preventable hazard, and running out of gas doesn’t count as an emergency. So if you misjudge your tank, you could end up with a fine and some serious side-eye from speeding Audis.