Bild: Heintje fears for his life! / Heintje in Sorge um sein Leben!
FAZ: SPD wants to continue paying citizen“s income to Ukrainians / SPD will Ukrainern weiterhin Bürgergeld auszahlen
Funke: Senate project aims to create „green wave“ for cyclists / Senatsprojekt soll „grüne Welle” für Radfahrer ermöglichen
Handelsblatt: Helsing’s secret offensive / Helsings geheime Offensive
RND: Less money for Ukrainian refugees? CSU leader Markus Söder’s citizen“s income demand falls flat / Weniger Geld für ukrainische Flüchtlinge? CSU-Chef Markus Söder läuft mit Bürgergeld-Forderung ins Leere
SZ: Ukrainian defense line is crumbling / Ukrainische Verteidigungslinie bröckelt
Tagesspiegel: New coalition dispute: CDU/CSU wants to cut citizen’s income for all Ukrainians – Klingbeil disagrees / Neuer Streit in Koalition: Union will allen Ukrainern Bürgergeld streichen – Klingbeil widerspricht
taz: Austria struggles to remember / Österreich versucht sich zu erinnern
Welt: Citizen’s income for Ukrainians becomes a point of conflict for the coalition / Bürgergeld für Ukrainer wird Konfliktstoff für die Koalition
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to order the reoccupation of the entire Gaza Strip. According to Channel 12 and the Jerusalem Post, citing government sources, the cabinet will adopt an updated strategy for the armed forces on Tuesday, which includes military operations in areas where hostages are suspected. According to the UN, Israel’s military already controls 88 percent of the coastal area. The Palestinian Authority has called on the international community to intervene to prevent the plan’s implementation. n-tv.de, welt.de
- Germany has not ruled out suspending parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s recent visit aimed to pressure Israel to improve humanitarian access. Further steps will be assessed based on developments.
- Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil called for Germany to take a balanced position, stating that pressure must be applied to all sides. He criticized the current debate for suggesting that people must choose between sympathizing with Palestinians or Israelis.
The UN criticized the aid situation in Gaza as still inadequate despite Israeli promises and tactical pauses. One week in, the humanitarian conditions remain unchanged, and the aid reaching the enclave is „far from sufficient“ for the starving population. Convoys continue to face delivery obstacles.
- Canada has delivered additional humanitarian aid to Gaza using a CC-130J Hercules aircraft to drop supplies in coordination with Global Affairs Canada. However, aid drops have led to chaos and clashes, with hundreds rushing to collect packages. Some supplies landed in the sea or in restricted zones where civilians had been told to evacuate.
Other News:
- Over 100 international journalists have signed a petition demanding immediate access to Gaza. They accuse Israel of imposing unprecedented restrictions on foreign media and preventing independent reporting from the territory.
- Israel’s right-wing religious government has voted to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, though the Supreme Court is expected to overturn the decision. The attorney general oversees the legality of government actions. spiegel.de
- Israel confirmed a strike in Lebanon. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, one person was killed and four injured. Israeli forces said they targeted and killed a „Hezbollah terrorist“ in southern Lebanon.
The Kremlin has warned the U.S. to show restraint after President Donald Trump announced the deployment of two nuclear submarines in response to remarks by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said nuclear rhetoric should be handled carefully and stated that Russia has no interest in a public dispute with Trump. n-tv.de
- Russia announced it will no longer adhere to its voluntary ban on land-based short- and intermediate-range nuclear missiles, ending a moratorium in place since the U.S. withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019. . n-tv.de
- Germany’s ambassador to Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, was summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which protested Germany’s refusal to recognize the southern Kuril Islands—claimed by Japan—as part of Russia. spiegel.de
- The Netherlands has become the first country to contribute to NATO’s new Ukraine funding mechanism, pledging €500 million for military aid through the „Priority Ukraine Requirements List.“
Bild Sunday trend by Insa: CDU/CSU 27.5 percent, AfD 25 percent (+1), SPD 14.5 percent, Greens 10.5 percent, Left Party 9.5 percent (-0.5), BSW 4.5 percent, FDP 3 percent (-0.5), Others 5.5 percent. bild.de
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil rejects Söder’s proposal on social benefits for Ukrainian refugees. The agreement in the coalition contract, under which newly arrived Ukrainian refugees will only receive asylum benefits and therefore less money, is correct and will be implemented as soon as possible, said Klingbeil. He added that some of the recent proposals are not helping the coalition move forward. CSU leader Markus Söder had called for the change to apply to all Ukrainian refugees who have entered Germany since the war began in 2022. tagesschau.de, tagesspiegel.de, spiegel.de
- Chancellery Chief Thorsten Frei said Söder is right in noting that Germany offers social benefits like no other country, which has also led to poorer labor market integration of Ukrainians compared to other states.
- Saxony’s Minister-President, Michael Kretschmer, stated on ZDF that Germany spends 47 billion euros on citizens‘ income and that this figure needs to be reduced. welt.de
- SPD parliamentary secretary Dirk Wiese argued that the expected savings are overestimated and that the bureaucratic effort would be immense.
- Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, said Söder’s remarks are difficult to understand. He stated that Ukrainians are not the problem with citizens’ income and that it’s wrong to make them scapegoats.
The CDU/CSU parliamentary group distanced itself from CDU MP Saskia Ludwig after her meeting with AfD leader Alice Weidel at a conference of the conservative think tank MCC in Hungary. A parliamentary group spokeswoman said Ludwig participated without the group’s knowledge. The CDU’s incompatibility resolution excludes any cooperation with the AfD. Ludwig defended herself, saying free exchange of opinions is central to a democratic society. MCC is seen as a training ground for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government. SPD and Greens criticized Ludwig, with the Green Youth calling for her expulsion from the CDU/CSU group. spiegel.de, tagesspiegel.de, tagesschau.de, faz.net
The German Red Cross aims to utilize the planned national service to recruit volunteers for its operations. DRK President Gerda Hasselfeldt said the upcoming questionnaire should also assess interest in civilian voluntary service. She emphasized that volunteer service should be recognized as an alternative to national service, properly funded, and expanded. evangelische-zeitung.de
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil hopes for customs exemptions during his visit to Washington. He aims to negotiate a quota system for the steel industry, allowing certain volumes to be traded at reduced or zero tariffs. . rnd.de
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche has promised the construction of gas-fired power plants in Lusatia. She assured that eastern Germany will not be disadvantaged in the energy transition and that the government will guarantee planning security for sites like Schwarze Pumpe. handelsblatt.com
SPD supports raising the legal drinking age for beer and wine to 18; CDU/CSU is cautious. Politicians from Germany’s governing coalition have expressed openness to raising the legal drinking age for beer and wine from 16 to 18, aligning it with the existing age limit for spirits. SPD health policy spokesman Christos Pantazis called underage alcohol use medically problematic and stressed the need for this measure to be part of a broader prevention strategy, including education and access restrictions. CDU health spokesperson Simone Borchardt said a general ban on alcohol for under-18s was appealing but would require careful evaluation. Both emphasized the goal of significantly reducing alcohol consumption among young people through education, prevention, and enforcement of youth protection laws. zdfheute.de
The German Air Force is deploying five Eurofighters to Poland for several weeks to help monitor the airspace. n-tv.de
The Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution sees the AfD as a threat. Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said the party poses a danger to internal security in Bavaria. A recent AfD strategy paper calling for moderation does not change this view. The report also names Islamism and foreign sabotage as ongoing threats. sueddeutsche.de
More News:
- Berlin: Mayor Kai Wegner wants a public survey on building around Tempelhofer Feld. morgenpost.de
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Hiddensee holds „Indian Festival“; the mayor wants to make a statement against „language policing.“ rnd.de
- Bremen: Greens propose pedestrian traffic lights featuring same-sex couple icons. welt.de
Border dispute talks between Thailand and Cambodia begin: Representatives from both countries have met for talks for the first time since agreeing to a ceasefire. Monday’s meeting of the joint border committee marks the start of four days of consultations. The aim is to prevent future clashes. Talks on disputed areas along the joint border were not on the agenda. The consultations were initially scheduled to take place in Cambodia but were then moved to Malaysia. fr.de
Europe News:
- United Kingdom: Labour wants to crack down on illegal crossings; more money and investigators. faz.net
- Switzerland: Government still wants to avert high US tariffs; a more attractive offer is to be made in a new round of negotiations. spiegel.de
- Turkey: Inflation falls unexpectedly in July.
- Italy: Giorgia Meloni on course for long-term record as Italian head of government. derstandard.at
- Spain: Municipality on Mallorca partially cuts water supply. zeit.de
USA News
- Argentina: President Javier Milei blocks approved pension increase; plan jeopardizes fiscal consolidation. welt.de
- Chile: No survivors after collapse of world’s largest copper mine. n-tv.de
- Brazil: Judge places former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest. zeit.de
US President Donald Trump threatens India with punitive tariffs: India continues to sell Russian oil on world markets and make huge profits, Trump wrote on Truth Social; the country does not care how many people in Ukraine are killed by the Russian war machine. He therefore intends to significantly increase the tariffs payable by India to the US. The Foreign Ministry in New Delhi stated that India’s trade volume with Russia was far lower than that of the EU; the US also imports raw materials and chemical products from Russia. India would take all necessary measures to protect its economic interests. zeit.de, spiegel.de
- Democrats leave Texas in protest against constituency vote. zdfheute.de
- The US wants to prevent visa overstayers with deposits of up to $15,000. tagesspiegel.de
- The German Armed Forces orders more than 1,000 military trucks from Rheinmetall; total value of around €770 million. n-tv.de
- Indian students: Germany is ill-prepared for boom table.media
- DRK President Gerda Hasselfeldt sees limited potential for robots in nursing homes.
- More than 10,000 hotels are suing Booking.com, demanding compensation for years of forced price fixing. heise.de
- Germans spend ten hours a day sitting down.
- Change from September: Spotify is increasing its subscription prices. rnd.de
- Ideas for the climate: How algae could power aircraft table.media
- Batteries from electric cars with secondary use are more environmentally friendly golem.de
- Tesla salary package: $29 billion for Elon Musk faz.net
- Digital health data: TK calls for easier access to electronic patient records sueddeutsche.de
- Catching drones: Federal police and Fraunhofer develop system to combat drones golem.de
- Indian film star Aamir Khan: Bollywood king takes on Netflix – his new work will only be shown on YouTube. Can he break the power of streaming services? spiegel.de
- China: Science fiction – visions of the future to boost technological advancement and soft power table.media
- Years of investigation: Two fake Picassos sold at auction house in Stuttgart >a href=“https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/stuttgart-zwei-falsche-picassos-in-auktionshaus-verkauft-a-0c1bbd66-de9d-457c-b5a3-06091b10652c“>spiegel.de
- Art Cologne prize goes to gallery owner Sfeir-Semler wdr.de
- Popular satirist back on television: Donald Trump isn’t off Stephen Colbert’s radar just yet – guest role in the third season of the dramedy crime series “Elsbeth” spiegel.de
- Rod Stewart’s bizarre AI tribute video for Ozzy Osbourne draws criticism and ridicule – During Rod Stewart’s performance of “Forever Young,” Ozzy is seen in heaven taking selfies with Kurt Cobain, Freddie Mercury, and, um, XXXTentacion rollingstone.de
- Duchess Meghan turns 44: Between royals, Hollywood, and a new beginning web.de
- Biathlete killed in accident: Home town creates special place of mourning for Dahlmeier – the spa gardens are being renamed Laura Dahlmeier Park. n-tv.de
- Summer auction: Highest bid in Ahrenshoop for Ebert painting monopol-magazin.de
Educational inequality, youth slang, and the job market: In this episode of PlusFortyNine, we take a look at current developments in Germany and Europe. PISA director Andreas Schleicher criticizes that schools too often fail children with migrant backgrounds. The EU is launching its new digital border control system, and Poland is extending controls at the German-Polish border. In the culture section, we explore the Top 10 candidates for Youth Word of the Year 2025 – from „lowkey“ to „tuff.“ In our interview, Andreea Lungulescu from The Principal Recruiter discusses job hunting in Berlin, how gender impacts careers, and how to negotiate salary with confidence. And in Ask a German we ask: Why is it so hard to make friends in Germany?
- New guidelines this year: Bundesliga teams face marathon extra time as standard – VAR assistant records time for interruptions n-tv.de
- After just one season: FC Bayern loans Palhinha to Tottenham sportschau.de
- Another million for BVB! Borussia Dortmund has a new sponsor – Swedish electric car manufacturer Polestar spox.com
- “He’s not very popular in the team”: Robert Lewandowski is being pressured to leave FC Barcelona goal.com
- Tour de France (F): Ferrand-Prévot no role model for Tour runner-up – Vollering: “Don’t want to be just skin and bones” radsport-news.com
- Bold deception in the Tour de Guadeloupe: Two cyclists take a shortcut and hide behind a car. But they get caught.
Why is public peeing kind of… legal in Germany? In Germany, relieving yourself in public—known as Wildpinkeln—is technically not a crime, but rather an administrative offense (Ordnungswidrigkeit). That means it’s not a criminal act, but you can be fined—typically between €35 and €100, depending on where and how publicly you go about it. So why the relaxed attitude? It partly comes down to cultural pragmatism: Germans value practical solutions and personal responsibility. In many cities, especially during large festivals or in nightlife areas, public toilets can be scarce or cost money. While authorities don“t encourage wild peeing, there“s often an unspoken understanding—just don’t be too obvious about it, and definitely avoid peeing on buildings, monuments, or in highly visible spots. That said, repeat offenders or particularly gross cases (e.g. near schools or in broad daylight) can face steeper fines—or even charges for property damage.