Bild: Spending bomb / Ausgaben-Bombe
FAZ: France’s parliament withdraws confidence from Bayrou / Frankreichs Parlament entzieht Bayrou das Vertrauen
Funke: Federal Agency for Technical Relief wants to expand civil protection in Berlin / Technisches Hilfswerk will den Zivilschutz in Berlin ausbauen
Handelsblatt: Private equity reinvents itself / Private Equity erfindet sich neu
RND: „Confuses car buyers“ – Söder’s combustion engine ban debate causes bewilderment / „Verunsichert Autokäufer“ – Söders Verbrennerverbots-Debatte sorgt für Verwunderung
SZ: Car policy divides coalition / Auto-Politik entzweit Koalition
Tagesspiegel: Vote of confidence lost – French government falls / Vertrauensfrage verloren – Frankreichs Regierung stürzt
taz: Greens zigzag / Grüne fahren Zickzack
Welt: At least six dead after attack in Jerusalem / Mindestens sechs Tote nach Anschlag in Jerusalem
Israel calls on residents to leave Gaza City: According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a ground maneuver by the Israeli army is imminent. Troops are currently gathering, Netanyahu said, urging residents of Gaza City to leave the area. This is only the prelude to the ground invasion. welt.de
- Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz has once again issued a sharp warning to Hamas ahead of an offensive in Gaza City, threatening the terrorist organization with a „massive hurricane.“ He said this was the last warning.
- Four Israeli soldiers were killed in the north of the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli media, the soldiers were killed in the morning during an attack by Hamas members on an army camp in an outlying district of Gaza City.
- According to Palestinian sources, there have once again been many deaths from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip. In Gaza City, the Israeli military destroyed another high-rise building; 90 minutes earlier, residents had been told to evacuate the building.
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk sharply criticized Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip. He called for a halt to arms deliveries to Israel, which he said were violating international law.
Suspect arrested after attack in Jerusalem: Authorities are investigating whether he helped prepare the attack. At least six people were killed and ten others injured Monday morning when shots were fired at people waiting at a bus stop. Two attackers were killed. They are said to come from near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. The terrorist organization Hamas claimed the attack was carried out by Palestinians. zdfheute.de, sueddeutsche.de, tagesschau.de
- Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul condemned the attack, calling it a „cowardly terrorist attack.“ French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that the spiral of violence must end. Only a political solution could restore peace and stability for everyone in the region.
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he condemned „all attacks on Palestinian and Israeli civilians“ as well as „all forms of violence and terrorism.“ At the same time, Abbas called for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories as well as a stop to „acts of genocide“ in the Gaza Strip and terrorism by Israeli settlers throughout the West Bank.
Five dead after Israeli airstrike in Lebanon: According to the Ministry of Health in Beirut, five people were also injured in the attacks in the Bekaa Valley in the east of the country. Lebanese security sources said the dead were members of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah. The militia initially did not comment. Israel’s military said it had carried out several airstrikes against Hezbollah positions. spiegel.de
Spain announces arms embargo against Israel: Ships carrying weapons for Israel are now banned from using Spanish ports. Aircraft bringing weapons to Israel are no longer allowed to fly through Spanish airspace. Other measures include an embargo on goods from Israeli settlements and additional funds for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). President Pedro Sanchez declared that Spain would be on the right side of history. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sanchez and his government of antisemitism. Madrid then recalled its ambassador in Tel Aviv for consultations.
UKRAINE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky focuses on improving air defense: „Strengthening air defense is goal number one for this ‘Ramstein meeting’ and for our contacts with Europe and the USA in general,“ Zelensky said in his evening video address. Russia has intensified its drone and missile attacks since late August, exposing gaps in Ukrainian air defenses. The Ukraine Contact Group meets on Tuesday to coordinate Western arms deliveries. Among the participants will be Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, and UK Defense Minister John Healey.
- Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul seeks to dispel doubts about Germany’s participation in security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace settlement. However, he did not specify what the guarantees might look like at the opening of the annual conference of German ambassadors at the Foreign Ministry.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned at the opening of the ambassadors’ conference of an expansion of Russian ambitions beyond Ukraine. Everything indicated that President Vladimir Putin’s „imperialist plan would not end with the conquest of Ukraine but would only begin with it.“
- According to diplomats, Germany and France are pushing for EU sanctions against Russian oil giant Lukoil. Berlin and Paris have submitted a joint proposal as part of preparations for a possible 19th sanctions package against Moscow.
Moscow used an Iskander missile in the attack on the Kyiv government building: Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said the enemy had used a ballistic missile in the attack. EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova said after visiting the damaged building that the missile had not fully detonated – only for that reason had the multi-story building not been destroyed. The government building had caught fire. stern.de
- A thermal power plant near Kyiv was damaged by a Russian drone attack. „The enemy knows exactly that he is shelling civilian infrastructure,“ the government said. Power outages were not necessary.
- Ukrainian troops have liberated the village of Zarichne in the Donetsk region and raised the national flag there, according to the Ukrainian General Staff. Zarichne is near the administrative border with the Luhansk region and is strategically important due to its proximity to key transport routes.
- Estonia has once again reported a violation of its airspace by Russia. An MI-8 helicopter entered Estonian airspace near the Baltic Sea island of Vaindloo for about four minutes on Sunday afternoon, the army in Tallinn reported.
- Latvia has ordered around 840 Russian citizens to leave the country by October 13. The move follows stricter residency rules introduced in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. merkur.de
- Former Kremlin chief Dmitry Medvedev accuses neighboring Finland of pursuing a war course against Russia. Medvedev complained that staff structures for army units were being created in Lapland „in the immediate vicinity of the Russian border.“ It was clear against whom these structures were directed, he said, since NATO had declared Russia an enemy.
- In Poland, border guards discovered the wreckage of an unarmed drone in a village near the border with Belarus. No one was injured, according to the reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to withdraw from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture.
Bild Sunday Trend by Insa: CDU/CSU 25.5 percent, AfD 25.5 percent (+0.5), SPD 14.5 percent, Greens 11 percent, Left Party 10 percent (-1), BSW 4.5 percent (-0.5), FDP 3.5 percent, Others 5.5 percent. bild.de
Chancellor Friedrich Merz sees the „liberal world order under pressure“: Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and global crises, Merz has called for a new security architecture for Europe. Speaking at the Ambassadors’ Conference at the Foreign Ministry, he pointed to a new systemic conflict between democracies and an axis of autocracies. What is needed, he said, is a pragmatic foreign and security policy guided by German and European interests. Merz rejected accusations that his numerous trips abroad meant he was neglecting domestic policy. „We can no longer speak of domestic and foreign policy as two neatly separated spheres,“ Merz said. spiegel.de, tagesspiegel.de, handelsblatt.com
CSU leader Markus Söder warns against an AfD takeover of government: There was good reason why the Office was monitoring many AfD members for the Protection of the Constitution, Söder said at the Gillamoos folk festival in the Lower Bavarian town of Abensberg. The party’s goal was to divide, weaken and develop a different form of democracy. Söder again rejected proceedings to ban the party, saying that would only grant the AfD martyr status. Söder also positioned himself against opening the Union to cooperation with the Left Party. „I want nothing to do with the Left Party,“ he said. n-tv.de, spiegel.de
- SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch accepts the Greens’ offer of talks on a possible motion to ban the AfD.
The firefighters‘ association calls for a special pension for members of the volunteer fire department. The aim is to honor first responders and make volunteering more attractive, said association head Karl-Heinz Banse to NOZ. Additional pension points or the option of retiring earlier without deductions are conceivable. Banse pointed to the consequences of demographic change and warned of looming staff shortages. noz.de
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner welcomes the start of work of the Corona inquiry commission: The investigation should be very thorough, transparent, and self-critical, Klöckner said. Government containment measures during the pandemic had divided people. The commission’s work, she said, was an opportunity to achieve social reconciliation. The Bundestag’s inquiry commission on the review of the Corona pandemic has begun its work with 14 MPs and 14 experts. rnd.de, rp-online.de
More News:
- SPD wants to abolish income splitting for married couples. handelsblatt.com
- Interior Ministry gives Turkish mosque association an ultimatum after an antisemitic resolution by Islamic clerics. welt.de
- Bundeswehr to buy 300 more Patriot missiles. n-tv.de
- Hospital summit: Health Minister Nina Warken announces €35 billion for hospitals. tagesschau.de
- Polish President Karol Nawrocki to demand reparations during visit to Germany. spiegel.de
Germany is no longer the EU’s top destination for asylum seekers: Applications fell 43% in the first half of 2025 – much faster than the EU average. France and Spain now receive more applications. Experts credit Merz and Dobrindt’s stricter border controls, deportations, and tougher EU external border measures for the drop. Bild.de
Brandenburg’s Commissioner for the Reappraisal of the GDR, Maria Nooke, warns against trivializing GDR history: The younger generation only knows GDR history through family stories. There is therefore a great need for education. The younger generation must be made aware of the value of democracy and the rule of law, and how much courage it took to overcome the dictatorship. Nooke advocated giving the subject more space in history lessons. tagesspiegel.de
Other News:
- Brandenburg: Environment Minister Hanka Mittelstädt relieves State Secretary Gregor Beyer of his duties; trustful cooperation no longer possible. rbb24.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: Raid on the Kiel Canal; suspected espionage. ndr.de
- Bavaria: 300 tons of illegally dumped waste in the Czech Republic to be brought back. deutschlandfunk.de
- Berlin: Sahra Wagenknecht plans a „peace rally“ with Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters, rapper Massiv, and Dieter Hallervorden. rnd.de
Asylum applications in the EU fell by 23 percent in the first half of the year compared to the previous year: By the end of June, the EU Asylum Agency (EUAA) had counted 399,000 new applications. The decline is a direct consequence of Assad’s fall; within a few months, the number of Syrian asylum seekers fell by two-thirds. For ten years, Syrians had made up the largest group. Most asylum seekers in the EU now come from Venezuela. Overall, France received the most applications during the period in question, with around 77,000, just ahead of Spain and Germany. zdfheute.de
French President Emmanuel Macron plans to appoint a new prime minister soon: On Tuesday, he will meet with Prime Minister François Bayrou, who failed to win a vote of confidence in parliament, to accept his government’s resignation, the Élysée Palace announced. Macron has so far ruled out new elections and his own resignation. Bayrou himself had initiated the vote of confidence in order to secure support for his austerity plans worth €44 billion. 364 MPs voted against him, 194 in favor. tagesschau.de, welt.de, rnd.de
More News
- European Court of Auditors: EU budget should become more flexible in light of numerous crises. zeit.de
- EU plans to extend the third-country principle in asylum policy. euractiv.de
- ECB and Fed face delicate interest rate decisions. faz.net
- EU Parliament: Dispute over criteria for low-carbon fuels. energate-messenger.de
- German space industry warns against European bureaucracy. handelsblatt.com
- New code of conduct for accommodation: EU cracks down on fake reviews. fvw.de
USA News
Court upholds millions in defamation fine against Donald Trump: The judges ruled that the penalty payment of approximately €71 million to author Jean Carroll was fair and appropriate. Trump had repeatedly disparaged her on social media after she accused him of rape. In another case, Carroll had already been awarded approximately €4.3 million in damages. The jury found it proven that Trump had sexually assaulted her in a changing room in the 1990s. Trump’s lawyers had also appealed this verdict, but without success. zdfheute.de, spiegel.de
- Supreme Court allows suspicion-free checks of migrants in Los Angeles again for the time being. tagesspiegel.de
- US government announces crackdown on migrants in Chicago. zeit.de
- Democrats publish salacious letter Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein. rnd.de
- US President Donald Trump takes foreign aid cuts to the Supreme Court. spiegel.de
Auto industry calls for flexibility on combustion engine phase-out: At the International Motor Show, the German auto industry is launching its electric offensive, but at the same time warning against the planned EU combustion engine phase-out from 2035. Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius and Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung spoke out in favor of technological openness and emphasized the importance of hybrid models beyond 2035. Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume also considers the goal of a complete switch to electric mobility by then to be unrealistic and calls for regular reviews of the political guidelines. Industry representatives warn that Europe must not fall behind in international competition. handelsblatt.com
More from Business, Tech and Science:
- Exports to the US fall to lowest level since December 2021 zeit.de
- Opinion: Housing is the cornerstone of a climate-friendly society table.media/climate
- Natural disasters and new risks: Reinsurers expect rising demand cash-online.de
- Robotaxis: Uber wants to test autonomous taxis in Munich golem.de
- A bumpy ride into the future of the subway – New cars for Berlin welt.de
- Trains without air conditioning ordered: Berlin sweats over the future of its subway spiegel.de
- Analysis: Germany’s real water problem and what measures are needed heise.de
- 1,400 filmmakers want to boycott Israeli institutions deutschlandfunkkultur.de
- Coldplay are taking a short break—and then simply continuing their tour rollingstone.de
- New graffiti by Banksy appears in London watson.ch
- Positions art fair in Berlin: Into the morning sun monopol-magazin.de
- “It’s unlikely”: Reconciliation between Charles and Harry seems to be hanging in the balance t-online.de
- The internet is in turmoil: Is Jennifer Aniston showing off her boyfriend? n-tv.de
Asylum lawsuits, apple festivals, and Mallorca: In the new episode of Plus Forty Nine, we dive into key topics from Germany. We discuss the rising number of asylum lawsuits, even as overall asylum applications decline. We also look at the demographic challenges Germany will face in the coming years. Culturally, we celebrate apple season: from Lake Constance Apple Weeks to traditional harvest festivals, there’s plenty to discover and taste. Our guest is Kevin Wu, CEO of Leaping AI. He explains how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing call centers and talks about the opportunities and concerns surrounding AI and jobs. We also compare Berlin’s tech scene with that of the U.S. And of course: why do so many Germans keep returning to Mallorca – the so-called “17th federal state”? Tune in and find out more here.
- European Basketball Championship: Germany to play Slovenia in quarterfinals – Co-favorites Serbia and France eliminated deutschlandfunk.de
- National coach Mumbrú at the European Basketball Championship: A pledge of loyalty between sliding doors and the hotel bar spiegel.de
- Empty stands, hotel problems: European Basketball Championship in Riga in front of a ghostly backdrop sportschau.de
- Insights from Monza: Verstappen makes “everyone look stupid,” McLaren is “scandalously” fair n-tv.de
- After finishing 18th in Monza: Lance Stroll refuses to answer almost any questions motorsport-total.com
- Ultra runner Florian Neuschwander breaks world record: 20 hours, 29 minutes, and 31 seconds – That’s how long it takes him to run around Lake Constance allgaeuer-zeitung.de
The Quiet Rule. In Germany, Sundays are Ruhetag (rest day)—which means no mowing the lawn, no loud DIY projects, and no blasting music. Many shops are closed too. The idea is to give everyone a real day of rest (and peace and quiet!). For newcomers, it can feel strange—but for Germans, it’s part of protecting the quality of life.