Bild: AfD dispute over Putin / AfD-Krach wegen Putin
FAZ: Economic experts expect 0.9 percent growth for 2026 / Wirtschaftsweise erwarten 0,9 Prozent Wachstum für 2026
Funke: A state social office for Berlin – districts to hand over responsibilities / Ein Landes-Sozialamt für Berlin – Bezirke sollen Aufgaben abgeben
Handelsblatt: The tax revolution of the economic experts / Die Steuerrevolution der Wirtschaftsweisen
RND: AI floods streaming services: Study finds listeners can hardly tell AI songs from real music / KI flutet Streamingdienste: Studie: Hörer können KI-Songs kaum von echter Musik unterscheiden
SZ: Economy expected to grow again in 2026 / Wirtschaft soll 2026 wieder wachsen
Tagesspiegel: „Don’t waste opportunities“ – economic experts call for investment and reforms / „Chancen nicht verspielen“ – Wirtschaftsweise fordern Investitionen und Reformen
taz: Finally some movement at the climate conference / Endlich Bewegung auf der Klimakonferenz
Welt: The biggest corruption scandal in Ukraine since the start of the war / Der größte Korruptionsskandal der Ukraine seit Kriegsbeginn
Gaza
Israeli forces killed four armed Palestinians in an operation east of the „yellow line“ in southern Gaza and one more in Khan Yunis. According to the Jerusalem Post, about 200 armed militants, including Hamas members, remain in Rafah tunnels and are seeking safe passage through indirect negotiations.
- Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir condemned violent attacks by extremist settlers in the West Bank, after settlers firebombed a dairy, injuring several people.
- Israel reopened the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza for humanitarian aid to deliver more food and medicine.
- Former U.S. President Donald Trump suggested in a letter to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused of corruption, should be pardoned.
- Former Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Israel, including the Nova music festival site, where Hamas carried out a massacre on October 7, 2023. Israeli officials briefed her on sexual violence during the attack.
- A Berlin court rejected lawsuits from Palestinians seeking to halt German arms exports to Israel, citing existing export restrictions and the changed situation in Gaza. zeit.de
UKRAINE
Resignations shake Kyiv amid corruption investigations: Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko stepped down as Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency investigates a network influencing government decisions. A former Zelensky ally is the main suspect and has reportedly fled. Both ministers deny wrongdoing. Zelensky and the EU reaffirmed support for reforms. derstandard.at, handelsblatt.com, faz.net
- Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged Ukraine to take firm action against corruption to maintain international support.
- Bundestag Vice President Omid Nouripour called for sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
- G7 foreign ministers criticized China for supporting Russia militarily and economically, and condemned aid from North Korea and Iran.
- Russia expressed readiness for new peace talks in Istanbul, which Kyiv dismissed as disingenuous.
- Ukraine’s army chief denied reports that Pokrovsk was encircled, saying fighting continues but Ukraine has regained 7.4 square kilometers.
- Ukrainian troops repositioned in Zaporizhzhia to avoid heavy shelling and later stopped a Russian advance.
- Russia’s drone strikes in Dnipro and Kharkiv killed one and injured several. Ukraine claimed drone strikes on a Russian oil refinery in Orsk.
Ipsos Sunday poll: CDU/CSU 24 percent (+1), AfD 26 percent (+1), SPD 15 percent, Greens 12 percent (+1), Left 11 percent (-1), BSW 4 percent (-1), FDP 4 percent, Others 4 percent. (Compared to the previous month. ipsos.com
Union and SPD agreed on a new military service model: all men will be screened, volunteers prioritized, and if too few sign up, a lottery will follow.
Germany marked the Bundeswehr’s 70th anniversary with an oath ceremony in Berlin. zeit.de, n-tv.de, handelsblatt.com
- President Steinmeier renewed his call for mandatory civic service.
- Parliament President Julia Klöckner praised the Bundeswehr as the „airbag of democracy.“ Defense Minister Pistorius defended the army’s reputation and said modernization is progressing.
Germany’s Council of Economic Experts cut its 2026 growth forecast to 0.9% (from 1.0%), projecting only 0.2% for 2025. They criticized that special funds were being used for consumption instead of investment and proposed inheritance tax reform to ease business taxation. Economist Achim Truger suggested a „solidarity levy“ on top earners to avoid social cuts. rnd.de, zeit.de
- Chancellor Merz called for cheaper electricity to restore competitiveness.
- Green MP Paula Piechotta urged clearer spending rules for special funds, while Left Party MP Janine Wissler called the report a „slap“ for the government. SPD’s Armand
- Zorn said funds haven’t yet been deployed.
- Housing Minister Verena Hubertz proposed surcharges for high earners in social housing, based on the „misallocation fee“ model from Hesse.
- Federal Police Chief Dieter Romann called for reducing migration incentives to only what is constitutionally required.
- The cabinet adopted a new memorial site concept for Nazi and GDR crimes, focusing on digital preservation, holograms, and protection from denial campaigns.
The Association of German Cities demanded federal and state funding for Christmas market security after last year’s Magdeburg attack. pnp.de
Regional updates:
- Brandenburg: BSW finance minister admits coalition strain; Wagenknecht pushes continuation with SPD.
- Hessen: Police cleared protest camp in Langen forest.
- Saxony-Anhalt: Magdeburg Christmas market to open with stricter safety measures.
- Hamburg: Cyberattack on Miniatur Wunderland.
- Schleswig-Holstein: Construction of A20 near Bad Segeberg resumes after BUND withdraws lawsuit.
COP30 / CLIMATE
UNEP launched a global „Beat the Heat“ initiative to reduce deaths from extreme heat—currently around 500,000 annually—and improve living conditions in vulnerable urban areas. stern.de
EUROPE & WORLD
- At the G7 summit, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken rebuked: „The EU does not define international law.“ tagesspiegel.de
- The EU is setting up a resilience center to promote EU values via influencers.
- Data protection authorities warn the EU Digital Reform weakens privacy.
- A study found the Digital Markets Act hasn’t led to cheaper app prices.
- EU lawmakers oppose dismissals by AI systems.
- Germany’s police union chief Jochen Kopelke will lead the European police federation.
According to calculations by the Bertelsmann Foundation and the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), introducing an “active retirement” scheme could increase employment among older people in Germany by up to ten percent — the equivalent of around 33,000 full-time jobs. The study stresses that achieving this potential would require clear and targeted communication from policymakers. zdfheute.de
The coalition’s draft law proposes allowing retirees to earn up to €2,000 per month from non-self-employed work tax-free. However, contributions to health and long-term care insurance would remain mandatory, and employers would still have to pay pension and unemployment insurance contributions.
Other news:
- Inflation rate fell to 2.3 percent in October.
- Dutch-Belgian rail company European Sleeper plans to launch a night train service between Berlin and Paris.
- Siemens to spin off its Healthineers division.
ICE DIPPERS. We are a Berlin-based community finding connection and resilience through cold water immersion. For us, dipping is more than a ritual—it’s a way to embrace nature, ourselves, and each other. We also support Kältehilfe, raising awareness and funds for those facing the cold not by choice, but by circumstance.
In Germany, “retirement” doesn’t necessarily mean stopping work — at least not for everyone. With the new “Aktivrente,” many seniors may soon swap coffee breaks for conference calls again. It’s a very German kind of retirement: even when stepping back, people still want to stay produktive und pünktlich.