Bild: 15 euros per doctor’s appointment / 15 Euro pro Arzt-Termin
FAZ: Wüst sharply criticizes the federal government’s budget policy / Wüst übt scharfe Kritik an Haushaltspolitik des Bundes
Funke: One ticket for four euros – BVG and S-Bahn becoming more expensive / Ein Ticket für vier Euro – BVG und S-Bahn werden teurer
Handelsblatt: What can still help against the AfD? / Was hilft jetzt noch gegen die AfD?
RND: Security of energy supply: How close is a blackout really? / Sicherheit der Energieversorgung: Wie nah ist ein Blackout wirklich?
SZ: Germany ticket remains, but gets more expensive / Deutschlandticket bleibt, wird aber teurer
Tagesspiegel: 63 euros from next year: Transport ministers make Germany ticket more expensive / 63 Euro ab kommendem Jahr: Verkehrsminister machen Deutschlandticket teurer
taz: Democracy dies in Late Night Shows / Democracy Dies in Late-Night Shows
Welt: Brutality is growing in German metropolises / In deutschen Metropolen wächst die Brutalität
Bundestag passes 2025 budget with second-highest new debt at 324 yes and 269 no votes: The budget provides for expenditures of around 502 billion euros and new debt of 143.2 billion euros. This is the second-highest borrowing in Germany’s history. In addition, there are multi-billion loans for the Bundeswehr and infrastructure. After the breakup of the traffic-light coalition, the federal government had so far worked with a provisional budget. Next week, deliberations in the Bundestag will begin on the budget for the coming year, which is to be passed at the end of November. spiegel.de, zeit.de, zdfheute.de, tagesschau.de
ISRAEL-GAZA
US President Donald Trump demands hostage release by Islamist Hamas: „I want the hostages released immediately, right now,“ said the Republican during his state visit to Great Britain at a joint press conference with Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In the Gaza Strip there are 48 hostages, of whom, according to Israeli information, 20 are still alive.
- According to its own statements, Hamas has distributed the hostages across several districts of Gaza City. The Israeli offensive in the city means that none of the abducted will return to Israel—neither dead nor alive, said Hamas’s military wing. spiegel.de
- With the start of the ground offensive in Gaza City, the families of the hostages have intensified their protests. „It is hard for me that the Prime Minister gave the order to bomb the hostages,“ said freed hostage Ilana Gritzewsky; her partner Matan Zangauker is still being held by Hamas.
Jordan halts passenger traffic at border crossing to the West Bank: After the suspected attack at an Israeli-controlled border crossing, Jordanian authorities temporarily suspended passenger traffic from their side. The crossing had already been closed on the other side. Two Israelis were killed in the attack. According to the Israeli army, the attacker arrived at the scene in a truck from Jordan carrying aid supplies for the Gaza Strip. derstandard.de
USA once again blocks Gaza resolution with veto in UN Security Council: The USA was the only country in the most powerful UN body to vote against the draft of the ten non-permanent members. The text expressed deep concern about famine in Gaza and called on the Israeli government to „immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on the import of humanitarian aid into Gaza.“ zeit.de
Israel intercepts rocket from Yemen: In several areas of Israel, alarms were triggered Thursday evening. The rocket was intercepted, Israel’s army announced. A drone was also intercepted. Earlier, according to the military, a „drone launched from the east“ struck in the city of Eilat in southern Israel. There were no reports of casualties.
Israel continues strikes in Lebanon: The army has again attacked targets of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia. Previously, residents of several areas in the south of the country had been urged to take cover. The attacks were a response to Hezbollah’s attempts to resume its activities in the region. No information on possible casualties is available. nau.ch
UKRAINE
US President Donald Trump disappointed with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin: Putin had let him down in efforts for a peace solution, said Trump during his state visit to Great Britain; in addition, he was „killing many people.“ Trump stated that Russian soldiers were being killed at a higher rate than those of Ukraine. For that, Putin was responsible. He had thought the conflict in Ukraine would be the „easiest“ to solve because of his „relationship with President Putin,“ said Trump, repeating his view that Russia would not have attacked Ukraine in 2022 had he already been in office. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer agrees with Donald Trump on increasing pressure on Putin. spiegel.de, welt.de
- Slovakia and Hungary stick to Russian oil as long as the EU does not sufficiently secure alternative energy supplies, reports Bloomberg. The countries are reacting to Donald Trump’s recent remarks in which he announced tougher sanctions against Moscow if European allies completely stop buying Russian oil.
- Russia is ready to seek a compromise solution to the Ukraine war, said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a political talk show on state television. Moscow was ready if its own interests were taken into account. Lavrov praised US President Donald Trump; his administration understood the problems surrounding NATO expansion.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius wants to accelerate plans for a „drone wall“: In the coming weeks he will hold talks with the defense ministers of the member states about building a „drone wall“ along the EU’s eastern border. The project has gained urgency after the recent Russian drone attack on Poland, said Kubilius.
Ukraine attacks refineries: Drone strikes took place in two Russian regions near the Volga. While the governor of Volgograd, Andrei Bocharov, reported only minor damage to some residential buildings, the Ukrainian military spoke of a hit on the refinery there. Another attack targeted the Bashkortostan region, where a chemical plant belonging to Gazprom in Salavat was hit by two drones. n-tv.de
- On Thursday night, air raid sirens wailed in Kyiv. Overhead power lines for buses were damaged by debris from a downed Russian drone.
- Russia repeatedly floods Ukraine with large swarms of drones to overload air defenses. Therefore, Ukraine will soon also deploy hundreds of defense drones, announced Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal at a press conference with his Polish counterpart Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.
- According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian forces have liberated 160 square kilometers of territory in the east of Donetsk Oblast in recent weeks. The Russian military has been successfully pushed back. Russian troops had recently advanced towards a strategically important highway near the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.
- According to the Kremlin, more than 700,000 Russian soldiers are currently fighting in Ukraine. According to President Vladimir Putin, gains in territory have been made in some areas of Ukraine in recent months.
Russia has handed over numerous additional bodies of Ukrainian soldiers to Ukraine as part of an exchange. - The authorities in Kyiv stated that they were one thousand fallen soldiers, who are now to be identified. According to Moscow, 24 Russian bodies were handed over from the Ukrainian side.
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for his support in the repatriation of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. Zelensky invited representatives from
- Qatar to attend a summit that Ukraine is organizing together with Canada in New York.
- Russian oil and gas revenues collapse by almost a quarter. They are expected to be around 23 percent below last year’s level, according to Reuters calculations. The basis for this is data on oil and gas production, refining, and deliveries to domestic and international markets.
- Longtime Putin confidant Dmitry Kozak leaves the Kremlin. He is leaving his post as deputy head of the presidential administration „of his own accord,“ emphasized Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Most recently, he led the Russian delegation in negotiations over the fate of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
The price of the German ticket is set to rise from the current 58 euros to 63 euros: The transport ministers of the federal states agreed on this at a special meeting in Munich. The approval of the Bundesrat is still required. From 2027, the price is to be determined according to a fixed mechanism. Bavaria’s transport minister Christian Bernreiter announced that from 2027 the ticket price will be set based on a cost index. This will consider, among other things, wage and energy costs. The „political price-finding“ will soon come to an end. spiegel.de, zdfheute.de
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt defends his migration policy, stating that investments in security are increasing, while the number of illegal migrants is decreasing, he said. At the same time, Germany remains an open country for scientists, skilled workers, and people who want to integrate. CDU budget politician Klaus-Peter Willsch said illegal entries must be reduced to zero, also to relieve the financial burden on municipalities. SPD MP Martin Gerster praised the creation of 1,000 new positions in the federal police with the budget. tagesspiegel.de
Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel urges a faster pace of reforms in Germany and Europe: One must move from the „modus vivendi of analysis“ into action and implementation much faster; so far, one has been too weak. In this context, Nagel also raised the idea of a separate legal framework so that investments could be made more quickly. With regard to the planned special borrowing, Nagel said the necessary money was now available. Now Germany must also show that it has the courage to implement bold projects. faz.net
Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants a solution for the FCAS armaments project by the end of the year: During his inaugural visit to Spain, Merz criticized delays in the planned European fighter jet project FCAS. He wanted a solution by the end of the year, said Merz at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Along with Spain, France is the third partner in the multibillion development project. It was agreed that all three partners would each participate one-third in the development. However, French arms company Dassault Aviation is demanding a larger share of the joint project. From 2040, FCAS is to replace the Eurofighter.
- Merz relies on alliance with Spain – especially in the EU Parliament. handelsblatt.com
Bavaria’s Minister President Markus Söder sees great savings potential in state social benefits: At the 25th anniversary of the „Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft“ Söder primarily mentioned citizens’ benefit. He spoke of an „inequality gap.“ Contributions to statutory health insurance should not continue to rise, Söder said; that would be an additional burden. Söder called for a necessary reform package. n-tv.de
Federal states push for smoking bans in cars with children or pregnant women as passengers: The motion will be introduced to the Bundesrat at the end of September, the NRW Ministry of Health announced; the motion is also supported by Lower Saxony, among others. NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann explained that unborn children and minors cannot protect themselves from the dangers of passive smoking. Lung damage, increased cancer risk, and growth disorders are just some of the risks. The state, therefore, has a special duty of protection here. handelsblatt.com
Other reports:
- More deportations: The Number of refugees living in Germany falls for the first time since 2011. rnd.
- Deportations to Afghanistan – Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt: Greens and Left „are on the side of criminals.“ welt.de
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz is looking for a „Chief Investment Officer“ for the country. handelsblatt.com
- Health Minister Nina Warken calls for new care models for general medical care. zdfheute.de
- Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer advocates breaking up Google. handelsblatt.com
Schleswig-Holstein: Public prosecutor investigates anti-Semitic notice in Flensburg spiegel.de
NRW: Higher Regional Court Düsseldorf sentences IS terrorists to six and seven years in prison wnoz.de
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Container asylum accommodation in Upahl to be vacated and dismantled. spiegel.de
Baden-Württemberg: AfD argues over which foreigners they want to expel from the country faz.net
Hesse: Frankfurt am Main wants to decriminalize fare-dodging. spiegel.de
Brandenburg: Eisenhüttenstadt planning second round of trial living in 2026. n-tv.de
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announces further free trade agreements: At an event hosted by business associations in Berlin, she said an agreement with India should be concluded this year. Further talks are being held with South Africa, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates. Von der Leyen added that although the trade conflict with the USA creates uncertainty, 80 percent of trade is conducted by European companies outside the USA; the goal must be to expand commitments there. spiegel.de
EU environment ministers agree on emergency solution in dispute over climate targets: Ahead of the next World Climate Conference, the environment ministers were unable to agree on a specific target, but instead adopted a declaration of intent in the form of a target corridor. Greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced over the next ten years by between 66 percent and 72 percent compared with 1990. EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said the agreement was ambitious by international standards. zeit.de, tagesschau.de
Other reports:
- Brussels approves Germany’s multi-billion state aid for bioenergy. handelsblatt.com
- Progress in fight against non-communicable diseases is slowing. tagesspiegel.de
- Criticism of Brussels plans: tobacco industry warns of black market boom. n-tv.de
- UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen resigns unexpectedly. zeit.de
- Pressure from the USA: IAEA member states do not condemn attacks on Iran. spiegel.de
- UN establishes Government Blockchain Academy. heise.de
Great Britain and USA sign multi-billion technology partnership: US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed an economic agreement in the fields of technology and nuclear energy. Starmer said at the meeting at his Chequers residence that it was the largest investment package of its kind in British history. Trump emphasized that the agreement allowed for the creation of new cooperation between government bodies, universities, and the private sector in areas such as artificial intelligence. zeit.de, zdfheute.de, faz.net, rnd.de
Other European news:
- France: Nationwide strikes against austerity plans. welt.de
- Italy: Prison sentences possible for distributing AI-generated fake recordings. lessentiel.lu
- Poland: Damage to house likely caused by own rocket. n-tv.de
- Albania: AI-powered “virtual minister” assists with administrative tasks. handelsblatt.com
- Great Britain: Police arrest three suspected spies for Russia. faz.net
- Greece: Deputy mayor of Chania in Crete, Eleni Zervoudaki, calls refugee situation dramatic.zdfheute.de
- France: Macrons want to show pregnancy photos in court; trial over lie about identity as a man.spiegel.de
Democrats warn of loss of fundamental rights: In Congress, Senator Chris Murphy announced a bill against political persecution. US President Donald Trump is currently instructing the Justice Department to hunt down his political enemies. Government officials should face consequences if they suppress expressions of opinion protected by the US Constitution. The trigger for the initiative is the temporary cancellation of TV host Jimmy Kimmel’s show after his remarks on the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel, a known Trump critic, had suggested the attacker could have come from Trump’s supporters. The bill has little chance of success in Congress, where Democrats are in the minority in both chambers. zeit.de
- “Opposite of what Charlie Kirk wanted”: Even Tucker Carlson now warns against restricting freedom of speech in the USA. tagesspiegel.de
- Fight instead of “gag order”: Former President Barack Obama calls on US media to resist. n-tv.de
- Erika Kirk takes over Turning Point USA: widow of Charlie Kirk assumes leadership of his right-wing youth organization. spiegel.de
- US President Trump wants to classify Antifa as a terrorist group. zdfheute.de
- US Senate confirms 48 Trump candidates for diplomatic and military posts at once. zeit.de
- US government takes Fed official Lisa Cook to Supreme Court. spiegel.de
Damages of around 289 billion euros from espionage, sabotage, and data theft for the German economy: Bitkom reports an increase of around eight percent. Increasingly, traces of the attackers lead to Russia and China. Domestic intelligence chief Sinan Selen explained that Russia is stepping up hybrid attacks, while China is focusing on industrial espionage. tagesspiegel.de
Other business news:
- Long-term study: financial worries once again the greatest fear of Germans. zdfheute.de
- The number of university degrees in 2024 increased. . tagesschau.de
- Construction industry warns of consequences of multi-billion funding gap for new highway projects. . n-tv.de
- More than one in five commercial vehicles fails TÜV inspection. zeit.de
- Federal Cartel Office approves takeover of MediaMarkt/Saturn by JD.com. zeit.de
- Nvidia invests in Intel. zeit.de
ZenZen is a Berlin-born wellness app helping expecting mothers navigate the challenges of gestational diabetes with confidence and care. Co-founded by Susa Horvath, who experienced the condition herself, ZenZen combines expert medical guidance with personalized nutrition plans, easy blood sugar tracking, and emotional support.
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In Germany, the concept of Datenschutz (data protection) is not just a legal framework but almost a cultural value. Many Germans are highly sensitive about privacy — for example, some blur their house number on Google Street View or refuse to share their birthday online. This attitude has deep roots: the Stasi’s surveillance in East Germany and Nazi-era data abuses left lasting scars. So while in some countries people casually share personal details, in Germany you’ll often see a cautious, almost instinctive protection of private information.