Bild: Merz prepares us for shrinking wages / Merz schwört uns auf Schrumpf-Lohn ein
FAZ: Political crisis in France after Lecornu’s resignation / Politische Krise in Frankreich nach Rücktritt Lecornus
Funke: Berlin police investigate Hamas propaganda linked to October 7 / Berliner Polizei ermittelt wegen Hamas-Propaganda zum 7. Oktober
Handelsblatt: France in crisis / Frankreich in der Krise
RND: Relatives want Nobel Prize for Trump – „Like in a horror movie“: Israel’s trauma two years after October 7 / Angehörige wollen Nobelpreis für Trump – „Wie in einem Horrorfilm“: Israels Trauma zwei Jahre nach dem 7. Oktober
SZ: Israel and Hamas negotiate peace / Israel und Hamas verhandeln über Frieden
Tagesspiegel: Only 48 hours left: Macron asks Lecornu for a last rescue attempt for the government / Nur 48 Stunden Zeit: Macron will von Lecornu letzten Rettungsversuch für die Regierung
taz: Two years – One hope / Zwei Jahre – Eine Hoffnung
Welt: We will dance again / Wir werden wieder tanzen
First round of mediation talks on the Gaza plan: Egypt’s Al-Qahera TV spoke of a „positive atmosphere.“ The negotiations are to continue on Tuesday. In Egypt, a delegation from the militant Islamist Hamas met with mediators from Qatar and Egypt; the Israeli delegation is led by Minister Ron Dermer. In the first phase, Hamas is to release the remaining hostages. In return, a ceasefire and the release of hundreds of Palestinians from Israeli prisons are planned. Disputes remain over issues such as disarming Hamas and Israel’s troop withdrawal from Gaza. faz.net, zdfheute.de
- Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has spoken with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. Netanyahu and Putin also discussed Iran’s nuclear program and ways to stabilize Syria.
- Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul spoke in Israel with his counterpart Gideon Saar about the state of mediation. Wadephul offered Israel and the Palestinians German support in implementing the Gaza peace plan. Germany plans to organize a reconstruction conference for the Gaza Strip and to contribute its own funds.
- The International Committee of the Red Cross offered to assist in the event of an agreement on hostage release. Teams acting as neutral humanitarian mediators could help return hostages and prisoners to their families. The organization also called for a stable ceasefire in the embattled Gaza Strip.
- While negotiations take place in Egypt, Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip reportedly continue. On Monday, seven people were killed in bombings and shelling. At least two deaths occurred near a distribution point for aid run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the south.
- Hostage relatives are calling for the Nobel Peace Prize to go to U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump, they wrote in a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, deserved the award because he had vowed not to rest until every hostage was home.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz assures Israel of solidarity two years after the terror attack: Merz spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, expressing sympathy and solidarity. Germany stands for Israel’s existence and security, he said—an „expression of enduring historical responsibility.“ rnd.de
- Rabbis call for more action against extremism in Europe. Across the continent, synagogues are under armed guard and Jewish schools behind barricades, said Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt. True peace will only be restored when Jews no longer need protection from their own neighbors.
- Germany’s domestic intelligence service sees a „significant threat situation“ for Jews in the country. Extremist groups are trying to exploit the Middle East conflict for their ideologies.
- The Federal Association of Research and Information Centers on Antisemitism laments that calls for Israel’s destruction and support for Hamas terror have become normal at protests; antisemitism increasingly connects political camps and social milieus.
UKRAINE
Components in Russian weapons come from the West: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy complained that, despite sanctions, many parts of Russian weapons still come from abroad. He accused more than a dozen countries, including the U.S. and Germany, of failing to stop such deliveries. The components include converters, sensors, and microcomputers. Russian ballistic missiles like Iskander or Kinzhal reportedly use U.S.-made technology. zdfheute.de
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz says Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is waging a „hybrid war“ against Germany. „He’s conducting an information war against us. He’s waging a military war against Ukraine, and that war is directed against all of us,“ Merz said on ntv.
- The EU estimates Ukraine’s needs for the next two years in the hundreds of billions. The IMF calculates 51 billion euros in budget aid for 2026–2027, plus at least 80 billion for weapons and ammunition.
Russia claims to have intercepted more than 250 Ukrainian drones. A refinery in Krasnodar was hit again, and power outages occurred in thousands of households in Belgorod. Ukraine’s military said it had struck one of Russia’s key explosives factories.
Bild-Sonntag poll by Insa: CDU/CSU 24.5% (-0.5), AfD 26.5% (+0.5), SPD 14.5% (-1), Greens 11% (-0.5), Left 11.5% (+0.5), BSW 4%, FDP 4.5% (+0.5), Others 4.5%. bild.de
Government divided over 2035 combustion engine ban:
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants to push at the EU level for continued production of combustion-engine vehicles after 2035, rejecting what he calls a „wrong ban.“
- Environment Minister Carsten Schneider countered that many companies have already adapted to climate rules and deserve legal certainty. tagesspiegel.de
- IG Metall welcomed the extension of tax exemptions for electric cars but said more was needed to secure jobs.
Debate on military service: The Bundeswehr says it needs about 80,000 more active soldiers. Parliamentary debate was postponed due to objections from the CDU/CSU.
- Defense Chief Carsten Breuer urged quick adoption of the new service law, saying Germany must become defense-ready. rnd.de
- Defense Committee Chair Thomas Röwekamp pressed Minister Boris Pistorius to decide on reinstating conscription by mid-2027.
- Merz said he doubts a voluntary model will recruit enough soldiers but supports trying it first.
- CDU Secretary-General Carsten Linnemann called for a mandatory social service year, warning of declining social cohesion.
- Defense Minister Pistorius expects Germany to reach its target of 100,000 reservists.
- SPD’s Tim Klüssendorf insisted military service must remain voluntary, as agreed in the coalition.
- SPD’s Dirk Wiese noted that a mandatory service year would require a two-thirds Bundestag majority, which is unlikely.
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche called for domestic drone production, saying Europe’s security will also be decided in German factories. rnd.de
The European Court of Justice will rule on Facebook’s business model after a German consumer lawsuit arguing that „free“ services cost users their data. Meta argues that „cost“ only means monetary payment. stern.de
Further news:
– CDU’s Jens Spahn says retirement age must rise gradually.
– Coalition agrees on hospital reform adjustments. n-tv.de
– Cannabis legalization has reduced drug law cases.
– Merkel criticizes Poland and the Baltics for blocking talks with Putin. n-tv.de
Brandenburg: BSW invites Russian ambassador to state parliament; coalition dispute. t-online.de
Bavaria: Government presents law for shooting down drones. handelsblatt.com
Schleswig-Holstein: Drone sightings cause uncertainty. ndr.de
Rhineland-Palatinate: Greens want easier access to the volunteer card. echo-online.de
Berlin: Police stop protest action at CDU headquarters. spiegel.de
Schleswig-Holstein: Greens call for quick introduction of the sugar tax; CDU under pressure. kn-online.de
Schleswig-Holstein: State administration’s emails switched to open source. n-tv.de
Lower Saxony: Support program for newcomers in agriculture. n-tv.de
Thuringia: No departure from paper and official seals in administration for now. n-tv.de
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen defends herself against no-confidence motions in Strasbourg. Right-wing and left-wing factions accuse her of poor transparency and weak action on Gaza. The vote on Thursday is unlikely to pass. wiwo.de
France’s resigned Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is tasked with finding a way out of the political crisis by Wednesday. Macron’s move is seen as buying time. Lecornu quit after just four weeks amid disputes over cabinet posts. Macron said he would „take responsibility“ if talks failed.
Other News:
– Czech far-right party demands ministerial posts. stern.de
– Austria’s foreign minister says there’s no place for antisemitism. handelsblatt.com
– Ex-EU envoy in porn blog scandal kept in office. netzpolitik.org
– Greece’s ex-premier Tsipras quits parliament.
– Lithuania arrests suspects in Vilnius balloon incident.
– ICC convicts Darfur militia leader of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
– Syria’s first post-Assad election yields almost no women or minority representation.
Further world news:
– Madagascar appoints new prime minister.
– Franco-German cyclist freed in Iran.
– U.S. Supreme Court rejects Ghislaine Maxwell appeal.
– Trump and Brazil’s Lula seek alignment on trade.
– Trump imposes 25% truck tariffs starting Nov 1.
– Jane Fonda calls for resistance against Trump.
Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to immunologists Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for discoveries explaining how the body regulates its immune system to prevent self-damage, paving the way for new cancer and autoimmune therapies. zdfheute.de, tagesschau.de
Other news:
– New agency to speed up skilled worker immigration. sueddeutsche.de
– Electric car registrations rise to 19.3% market share. ecomento.de
– Electricity exchange introduces 15-minute trading intervals. heise.de
– 128,000 demand reintroduction of family seat reservations. faz.net
– Biotech sector gains momentum. faz.net
– Youth hostels open to students and apprentices. spiegel.de
My Relocator is an Indo-German brand of N2L Gmb that helps German employers hire, relocate, and onboard highly skilled talent from India, offering end-to-end support. One of its key initiatives today is training and supporting Opportunity Card visa holders in their job search and integration into the German job market.
Ever noticed how Germans take their Hausschuhe (house slippers) very seriously? It’s not just about comfort — it’s a whole cultural ritual. When you visit someone’s home, shoes off at the door isn’t just polite, it’s practically law. Many hosts even keep a basket of guest slippers ready, so no one’s left walking around in socks.
It’s a small but telling habit: order, cleanliness, and a dash of cozy efficiency — all in one quiet gesture.