Bild: EU now wants to ban filter cigarettes / EU will jetzt Filter-Zigaretten verbieten
FAZ: Resistance within SPD parliamentary group against military service compromise / Widerstand in SPD-Fraktion gegen Wehrdienst-Kompromiss
Funke: „We are reallocating funds“ – Future of environmental projects secured / „Wir schichten Mittel um“ – Zukunft für Umweltprojekte gesichert
Handelsblatt: Debt without impact / Schulden ohne Wirkung
RND: How Family Minister Prien fuels the debate over income splitting for married couples – and why the SPD is pleased / Wie Familienministerin Prien die Debatte ums Ehegattensplitting befördert – und die SPD sich freut
SZ: IMF doubts German growth / IWF zweifelt an deutschem Wachstum
Tagesspiegel: Dispute over pension package – young CDU/CSU MPs threaten to block it in Bundestag / Streit um Rentenpaket Junge Abgeordnete der Union drohen mit Blockade im Bundestag
taz: Dear reading / Liebes Lesen
Welt: Surprise America, disappointment Germany / Überraschung Amerika, Enttäuschung Deutschland
MILITARY SERVICE MODEL
Coalition no longer united on military service: A joint press conference by the CDU/CSU and SPD was canceled at short notice after there was strong resistance within the SPD parliamentary group against a lottery system demanded by the CDU/CSU. According to the Union’s proposal, the controversial lottery would apply if not enough young people volunteer for military service. CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann and the SPD parliamentary group are sticking to the schedule for the first reading on Thursday. faz.net, handelsblatt.com
- Defense Minister Boris Pistorius criticized the lottery system, saying the amendment was not his idea. He also rejected accusations that he had sabotaged the compromise. tagesspiegel.de
- CSU parliamentary leader Alexander Hoffmann defended the lottery, referring to a legal opinion that found the regulation compatible with the constitution: „The process of drawing lots ensures equality because everyone has the same chance—or non-chance—of being selected.“ lto.de
- CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann expects that, despite the renewed dispute, the Bundestag will be able to debate the new military service law on Thursday. The Union insists on having the first reading this week. zdfheute.de
- According to a spokesperson, the SPD parliamentary group is still committed to holding the first reading. It is clear that some details still need to be discussed. The key point, they said, is to create a fair system of military service that reflects current security realities and relies on voluntarism. faz.net
ISRAEL–GAZA
Hamas hands over four more bodies of hostages: Twenty bodies remain in Hamas’ possession. U.S. President Donald Trump called on Hamas to immediately release all remaining bodies. The International Committee of the Red Cross said the handover could take weeks due to the destruction in Gaza. Israel, with Red Cross assistance, returned the remains of 45 Palestinians. A Gaza hospital reported signs of torture on some of the bodies. zeit.de, waz.de
The UN urges a rapid start to reconstruction in Gaza: An estimated 55 million tons of debris must be cleared. Around $20 billion will be needed over the next three years, while the World Bank, UN, and EU estimate long-term reconstruction costs at up to $70 billion.
- Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil pledged German support for Gaza’s reconstruction. Speaking before the IMF annual meeting in Washington, he emphasized the need to deliver humanitarian aid quickly and comprehensively and to initiate rebuilding.
- President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for swift European action to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying Europe must contribute to stabilizing the situation. Germany has already declared its willingness to do so.
- The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza will remain closed until Wednesday. Israeli officials announced that aid deliveries would be reduced for now, further worsening supply shortages.
- Hamas released a video showing the execution of eight alleged collaborators. The footage, published via Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV Telegram channel, shows public executions. The EU expressed concern over the violence in Gaza.
- U.S. President Donald Trump said he would disarm Hamas by force if it failed to comply with the ceasefire agreement, stating the U.S. was ready to act swiftly, including militarily. Hamas continues to refuse full disarmament
- Despite the truce, Israeli drone strikes have again killed people in Gaza. The Israeli army said those killed in Gaza City’s Shejaiya district had violated the ceasefire by approaching restricted areas.
Talks on Gaza’s future: Negotiations have begun in Qatar on the next phase, focusing on forming an international protection force and determining future administrative structures for the territory. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry described the talks as difficult and decisive for a lasting ceasefire. Delegations from Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. are meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss implementation. handelsblatt.com, zdfheute.de
- Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged China and Russia to support a UN resolution implementing the Gaza peace initiative, saying such a resolution would provide a legal framework for deploying multinational protection forces in Gaza.
UKRAINE
U.S. President Donald Trump accuses Russia’s Vladimir Putin of lacking the will for peace: Days before meeting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump said, „I’m very disappointed because Vladimir and I had a very good relationship—probably still do. I don’t know why he continues this war.“ Washington observers see this as a signal of Trump distancing himself from the Kremlin ahead of the talks. n-tv.de, focus.de, tagesschau.de
- The Kremlin expressed willingness to talk and welcomed Trump’s initiative to pursue a peace plan for Ukraine after the Gaza ceasefire. Moscow hopes for U.S. influence on Kyiv but stressed it can achieve its military goals independently if needed.
- According to the Financial Times, the U.S. can supply Ukraine with only 20 to 50 Tomahawk missiles—too few for sustained deep strikes on Russian territory. The U.S. military has about 4,150 Tomahawks in total.
- EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis urged the U.S. to consider the economic fallout of the war, noting that Russia’s aggression is hurting American firms with European interests. He called Moscow’s actions both a crime and a risk to the transatlantic economy.
The UN condemned a Russian attack on a humanitarian convoy in southern Ukraine, saying the strike violated international law. The convoy, part of the World Food Programme, was hit by Russian drones and artillery. One truck was destroyed; no injuries were reported.
- Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said drone warfare has extended the so-called „death zone“ along the front to 10 kilometers, making rescue operations harder.
- Ukraine ordered the evacuation of villages near the front lines.
- Russian units reportedly captured Doroshne near Dobropillia and advanced near Mykhailivka. Ukraine claimed limited gains near Stepove and repelled attacks near Kostiantynivka.
- President Zelenskyy stripped Odesa’s mayor, Hennadiy Trukhanov, of his Ukrainian citizenship over alleged dual Russian nationality. Trukhanov denied this and plans to appeal but automatically loses his office and may face deportation.
RTL/ntv Forsa poll: CDU/CSU 24%, AfD 26%, SPD 13%, Greens 12%, Left 12%, BSW 4%, FDP 3%, Others 6%. n-tv.de
- Satisfied with Chancellor Friedrich Merz: Yes 25%, No 71%.
- Citizen’s income restrictions: Right 74%, Wrong 24%.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz signals flexibility on long-term pension levels, saying the goal must remain stable financing with moderate contributions. The reform secures current levels only until 2031; cuts after that are not ruled out. The „Young Group“ of CDU/CSU MPs said they could not support the current draft, calling for more relief for younger contributors. Labor Minister Bärbel Bas said the reform would keep pensions 1% higher than current law, adding €115 billion in costs between 2032 and 2040. Despite internal dissent, the SPD insists on passing the package. spiegel.de, zdfheute.de
Rhineland-Palatinate Health Minister Clemens Hoch advocates extending the period before a doctor’s note is required for sick leave, up to two weeks. He supports the proposal by Andreas Gassen, head of the medical association, to require a certificate only after four days, saying it would cut red tape and ease pressure on clinics. Employers’ groups sharply criticized the idea. t-online.de
Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer warned at the Frankfurt Book Fair that AI poses a threat to the literary world. He accused major tech companies of „digital colonialism,“ saying they train systems on copyrighted texts without permission or payment. The fair, with over 90 participating nations, highlights growing tension between culture and technology. hessenschau.de
Further reports:
- Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul accuses China of undermining international order. zeit.de
- Drug commissioner Hendrik Streeck on media addiction in youth: „The dose makes the poison.“ heise.de
- Personal contributions in nursing care to remain despite reform. n-tv.de
- Antitrust office approves Biontech’s takeover of Tübingen-based vaccine developer Curevac. n-tv.de
- New central office and guidelines to simplify return of looted art. deutschlandfunkkultur.de
- CDU/CSU wants to resume unrestricted arms exports to Israel. focus.de
- Greens propose digital tax on ad revenues of major online platforms like Google and Meta. handelsblatt.com
- Pro-Russian hackers attack Germany’s public procurement portal. n-tv.de
- Crimes against the homeless rise; nearly 2,200 victims last year. rp-online.de
- Hamburg: City plans to buy 12 floors of the Elbtower for a natural history museum.
- Bremen: Environment ministry presents draft for future heating supply.
- Saxony: State government developing climate strategy.
- Rhineland-Palatinate: Lawsuit against Mainz city council election fails.
- Thuringia: Former SPD Interior Minister Holger Poppenhäger dies.
- Saxony: Theologian Friedrich Magirius, key figure in the peaceful revolution, dies.
- Brandenburg: Interior Minister Rene Wilke accuses AfD of inciting fear and hatred against migrants.
- Thuringia: State to streamline its 172 funding programs.
- Bavaria: New highways and federal roads to cost €32.4 billion.
- Bremen: Drug-sniffing dog Günni named best nose in local prison.
- Lower Saxony: British honorary consul wanted.
IMF raises global growth forecast to 3.2% but warns the increase remains fragile amid geopolitical uncertainty and U.S. tariff policy. Germany lags behind with projected growth of 0.9% in 2026. The IMF flags rising public debt and AI-driven labor shifts that could affect up to 60% of jobs in Western economies. handelsblatt.com, n-tv.de
EU to step up deportations to Syria and Afghanistan: EU interior ministers met in Luxembourg to tighten migration policy. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said there was broad consensus to resume deportations to Syria, citing improved security in parts of the country. Germany may also handle deportations to Afghanistan on behalf of other EU states. The ministers tasked the EU Commission with drafting a legal framework for external return centers and mutual recognition of deportation orders. ga-online.de, taz.de
More news:
- Global deforestation shows little decline.
- EU Parliament moves to block Trump’s planned tariff deal.
- Budget votes delayed due to internal disputes in EU Parliament.
- EU ratifies controversial UN Cybercrime Convention allowing broad evidence collection.
- EU reportedly plans to ban cigarette filters. t-online.de
- EU fines Gucci, Chloé, and Loewe millions. retail-news.de
Number of bookstores in Germany reaches historic low: In 2023, the Federal Statistical Office counted only around 3,000 retail bookstores—a decline of almost one-quarter within five years. At the same time, the number of employees in the sector fell by 19 percent to about 22,600. Rising rents, higher personnel costs, and the trend toward online shopping are considered the main causes. The publication of the figures coincides with the opening of the Frankfurt Book Fair, which thus begins against a difficult industry backdrop. tagesschau.de
Further news:
- Forsa survey: Germans want more flexible working arrangements. faz.net
- 20 days instead of 50: Chinese freighter reaches Europe on new Arctic route in record time. n-tv.de
- WHO: Tens of thousands of deaths in Europe linked to alcohol-related cancers. zdfheute.de
- Sharp criticism of EVG after call to dismiss DB Cargo head Sigrid Nikutta. wiwo.de
- Automaker Stellantis plans to invest 13 billion dollars in the U.S. handelsblatt.com
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