Bild: Asylum row escalates | Asyl-Zoff eskaliert
FAZ: EU heads of government demand even more debt for defense | EU-Regierungschefs fordern noch mehr Schulden für Verteidigung
Funke: Hospitals and civil defense prepare for war | Krankenhäuser und Zivilschützer bereiten sich auf Krieg vor
Handelsblatt: Are we ready? Europe faces more threats than ever. Here’s what Germany must do to be prepared for war | Sind wir bereit? Europa ist bedroht wie nie. Was Deutschland jetzt tun muss, um kriegstüchtig zu werden.
RND: Merz and Scholz at the EU summit: Between Ukraine aid, nuclear umbrella plans and Orban’s veto | Merz und Scholz beim EU-Gipfel: Zwischen Ukraine-Hilfe, Atomschirm-Plänen und Orbans Veto
SZ: EU peace plan for Ukraine | EU-Friedensplan für die Ukraine
Tagesspiegel: Pressure from all sides Merz fights for historic debt package | Druck von allen Seiten Merz muss um historisches Schuldenpaket kämpfen
Welt: CDU and SPD argue over migration policy | Union und SPD streiten über die Migrationspolitik
EU leaders pave way for rearmament: The 27 member states showed themselves willing to significantly increase their defense spending at the EU crisis summit in Brussels. On behalf of all 27 member states, the declaration was adopted, which welcomes the push by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a rearmament of Europe; von der Leyen was instructed countries to make detailed proposals in a timely manner. In the future, defense spending will no longer be counted towards EU debt limits. The European Investment Bank is to support the expansion of the security and defense industry and mobilize private financial resources. In a second statement, 26 EU countries once again condemned Russia’s war of aggression and expressed their full support for Ukraine in its efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace. zdf.de, tagesschau. de, spiegel. de, faz.net, zdf.de
US President Donald Trump again expresses doubts about NATO’s mutual defense commitment. „If they don’t pay, I won’t defend them,“ Trump replied when asked by a journalist about a possible alliance case. Although he emphasizes that the member states are his „friends,“ he questions whether they would actually stand by the US in an emergency. The collective defense clause has only been triggered once in NATO history – namely to support America after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. web.de, spiegel.de
USA considers meeting Ukraine representatives for ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia: The idea is to define a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire, said Special Envoy Steve Witkoff; details are still being coordinated. Witkoff was positive about the letter that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had written to US President Donald Trump. In this context, Trump had said that Ukraine was ready for peace negotiations. rnd.de
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is „cautiously optimistic“ about a rapprochement between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- France is providing Ukraine with its own intelligence information. Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu told „France Inter“ that his country’s intelligence services are sovereign and have their own capacities. Ukraine could also benefit from this. n-tv.de
Hamas threatens to kill hostages if fighting in Gaza resumes: According to Israeli intelligence, Hamas is still holding 24 hostages and 35 bodies of abductees in the Gaza Strip. The first phase of a ceasefire agreement expired last weekend. So far, the parties to the conflict have not been able to agree on an extension of the agreement. Israel had threatened that if more hostages were not released, it would resume bombing in the Gaza Strip. zeit.de
Union and SPD continue exploratory talks on migration and internal security: Both sides have agreed not to disclose the content of the negotiations and will not announce any interim results. Further decisions on the budget, competitiveness, internal security and migration are scheduled for Friday. The exploratory talks should be completed by Friday evening; however, it is also conceivable that they will continue over the weekend. rnd.de, zdf.de
Bundestag to hold special sessions on March 13 and 18 to discuss debt brake and special fund for infrastructure: This was decided by the Council of Elders because one third of the members of parliament had requested it. The meetings will focus on easing the debt brake for defense spending and the special fund for infrastructure. A two-thirds majority is required for both projects. In the old Bundestag, the CDU and SPD, together with the Greens or FDP, have a sufficient number of votes. Following the February 23 elections, the new Bundestag will form on Tuesday, March 25. n-tv. de, tagesschau.de
ARD-Deutschlandtrend by Infratest-Dimap: CDU/CSU 29 percent, SPD 16 percent, Greens 12 percent, FDP 3 percent, AfD 21 percent, Left Party 9 percent, BSW 5 percent, others 5 percent. tagesschau.de
- Future Chancellor Merz: Will be a good chancellor 33 percent (-3), Will not be a good chancellor 48 percent (+1).
- Satisfaction with Donald Trump: Very satisfied 5 percent (+4), satisfied 9 percent (+5), less satisfied 9 percent (-4), not satisfied at all 71 percent (-8).
- Support for a European army: I would support it 71 percent (+12), I would not support it 19 percent (-11).
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to compensate for the loss of US aid to Ukraine: Germany and Great Britain would take a leading role in arms deliveries and aid, Pistorius said in Berlin. He had met with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umjerow there. At the same time, Pistorius confirmed that the exploratory talks with the CDU and CSU on forming a new federal government would also include a long-discussed aid package worth three billion euros for Ukraine. If the financing is successful, the delivery of additional air defense systems with guided missiles would be possible, among other things. t-online.de, spiegel.de
Social Affairs Minister Hubertus Heil announces a 3.74 percent pension increase from July: The pensions of the approximately 21 million pensioners in Germany are once again set to rise significantly faster than inflation. The statutory minimum pension level of 48 percent of the average wage expires this year; the SPD wants to push through an extension in the exploratory talks with the CDU/CSU. Heil said that the good wage development is once again leading to an adjustment that will strengthen the purchasing power of pensioners. Stable pensions are a matter of fairness for people who have worked hard all their lives. In 2024, pensions rose by 4.57 percent. n-tv.de, spiegel. de, tagesschau.de
German Red Cross sees major gaps in civil defense: Civil defense is not prepared to defend the country. There is a lack of accommodation for up to 1.7 million people, emergency capacities in hospitals, as well as a secure supply of antibiotics, said DRK Secretary General Christian Reuter; the Red Cross and the other aid organizations urgently need more support to ensure the protection of the population. spiegel.de, faz.net
Employees in hospitals, emergency rooms and nursing homes go on strike: The Verdi trade union called the warning strike, with around 20,000 workers taking part on Thursday. On Friday, daycare workers and social service employees are called upon to take part in a warning strike. With its industrial action, Verdi wants to increase pressure on government employers in public-sector pay negotiations. The third round of negotiations will take place in Potsdam next week. tagesschau.de
Long prison sentences for four who planned coup and Lauterbach kidnap plot: Four ringleaders of the „United Patriots“ were sentenced to prison terms ranging from five years and nine months to eight years; a fifth defendant was sentenced to two years and ten months. The court found that it was proven that the four men and one woman were members of a terrorist organization and had planned a coup. They wanted to trigger civil war-like conditions in Germany and eliminate democracy. rnd.de, n-tv.de
More Germany News:
- Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser reports significantly fewer asylum applications since the beginning of the year; controls have been effective. n-tv.de
- Social Minister Hubertus Heil: Pensions to rise by 3.74 percent on July 1. cash-online.de
- Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann does not want to be FDP leader and speaks out against Wolfgang Kubicki. tagesspiegel.de
- Public prosecutor’s office is investigating accusations against Olaf Scholz due to his „court jester“ comment. zeit.de
- Hamburg: SPD and Greens begin exploratory coalition talks spiegel.de
- Thuringia: AfD candidate Jörg Prophet has once again failed to be elected as deputy speaker in parliament. otz.de
- Brandenburg: Minister of the Interior Katrin Lange criticizes the acceptance of Afghan refugees; the selection of the persons in question is not transparent, and there are considerable doubts about the verifications that have been carried out. rbb24.de
- Saxony: Uncertain future for electronics repair bonus due to tight financial situation. mdr.de
- Berlin: Despite criticism, Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch wants to stick with the trial day for grammar schools. rbb24.de
- Hessen: Patrick Kunkel, the mayor of Eltville, returns his Tesla company car, stating: „It represents autocratic thinking.“ hessenschau.de
US President Donald Trump again suspends tariffs against Mexico and Canada: Neither country will have to pay tariffs on goods covered by the North American Free Trade Agreement until early April. This was agreed in 2018 between the US, Canada and Mexico. Trump justified the temporary suspension by saying that he was showing consideration for his Mexican counterpart Claudia Sheinbaum. After a phone call with her, Trump emphasized that he had a „very good relationship“ with her. Sheinbaum announced further cooperation with the US in the areas of migration and security, as well as in the fight against drug trafficking. spiegel. de, tagesspiegel.de, n-tv.de
- Elon Musk’s chaos: US epidemic protection asks dismissed employees back. stern.de
- Donald Trump urges Elon Musk to „use a scalpel, not an ax.“ rnd.de
Danish Post does not want to deliver letters at the end of the year: Public letterboxes in the country will be dismantled by the end of the year. The volume of post has fallen by 90 percent in the past decades. Delivering letters is no longer profitable. The company wants to focus on transporting parcels. Authorities and companies in Denmark communicate almost exclusively digitally. The cheapest postage fee for a letter costs almost four euros. heise. de, n-tv.de
Albania’s government decides to ban TikTok for a year: The government says it wants to prevent bullying and violence among young people. In the run-up to the decision, the government spoke with around 65,000 parents, who were in favor of restricting or banning the platform. According to Education Minister Ogerta Manastirliu, however, the government is still in talks with TikTok. tagesspiegel.de
Heavy fighting with Assad supporters in western Syria: The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the fiercest fighting since the change of power. At least 16 soldiers were killed and many injured in ambushes and attacks in the area of the city of Jableh. According to Syrian media, the rebels are led by Suhail al-Hassan, a former commander of Assad’s special forces. stern.de
More news:
- European Central Bank: ECB lowers its key interest rate to 2.5 percent manager-magazin.de
- Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, UN says women’s rights are at risk worldwide zdf.de
- EU climate service Copernicus: Sea ice shrinks to historic low zdf.de
- Romania: Six arrested for planning coup, Moscow allegedly involved. t-online.de
- Serbia: Parliament lowers tuition fees. derstandard.at
- Iran: Iranian protest singer released after being whipped. stern.de
Defense contractors Leonardo of Italy and Baykar of Turkey want to collaborate on drone production: Both companies signed an agreement in Rome to develop unmanned technologies. Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani estimated that the market in Europe would be worth more than 100 billion euros within the next decade. Leonardo is already working with Rheinmetall and is also involved in the development of the „Eurodrone“ with Airbus and Dassault. The Turkish Baykar group is one of the largest manufacturers worldwide and also supplies Ukraine with drones. faz.net
German wealth belongs mainly to men: According to a study by Oxfam and the Tax Justice Network, more than two-thirds of the billions in assets in Germany are in the hands of men. The unequal distribution of wealth between the genders is said to be more pronounced with increasing wealth. Only 29 percent of billions in assets belong to women. Women not only have lower incomes and assets than men, they also receive large inheritances and gifts less often. stern.de
More news:
- Germany’s lithium reserves could meet domestic demand. spiegel.de
- For the first time, more women are working part-time than full-time. faz.net
- BGH decisions: Rights of real estate buyers strengthened tagesschau.de
- Deutsche Post to cut 8,000 jobs. t-online.de
- Thyssenkrupp wants to cut jobs in the automotive supply division. zeit.de
- Bayer considers halting sales of glyphosate products in the USA. handelsblatt.com
- Ariane 6 launch vehicle to launch military satellites into space. n-tv.de
- Regional newspapers struggle for survival in eastern Germany. mediummagazin.de
- Research & Development: RTL is working with the Fraunhofer Institute on AI dwdl.de
- New dominance: Television series sweep the board at the Grimme Awards faz.net
- „Godfather of Neo Soul“: Musician Roy Ayers dies aged 84 n-tv.de
- Caspar David Friedrich in New York: A conversation with nature monopol-magazin.de
- Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit forced to pare back royal schedule amid daily battle with pulmonary fibrosis n-tv.de
- Gigi Hadid surprises with bob hairstyle at Paris Fashion Week promiflash.de
- Yvonne Catterfeld: Start of career was „destructive“ vip.de
- Leonardo DiCaprio and Sacha Baron Cohen in the audience at NBA game web.de
- FIFA world rankings: USA still top, DFB women remain third, and Japan climb in rankings kicker.de
- FC Bayern: Manuel Neuer hurts himself while celebrating – „He’s getting old…“ welt.de
- 0:3 at FC Bayern: Leverkusen needs a football miracle kicker.de
- German Ice Hockey League hits another attendance record sportschau.de
- Nino Ehrenschneider as good as ever: the late German tennis starter is getting better and better sport.de
- Biased judge? Public prosecutor calls for retrial in the Luis Rubiales kiss scandal rnd.de
- Malaika Mihambo concerned about AfD and shift to the right in Germany t-online.de
- Easter dispute in the Palatinate: Bakery saleswoman and customer throw eggs at each other spiegel.de
- World premiere: Hamburg radio station broadcasts anti-mosquito sound hamburg.t-online.de