Bild: Corona from China lab: What did Merkel know and when? | Corona aus dem China-Labor: Was wusste Merkel wann?
FAZ: Putin will only agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine under certain conditions | Putin will Waffenruhe in Ukraine nur unter Bedingungen zustimmen
Funke: Protection for clubs, rent cap for businesses – what Berlin wants from the federal government | Schutz für Clubs, Mietendeckel für Gewerbe – das will Berlin vom Bund
Handelsblatt: Reality shock – How the US president’s economic plans are plunging stock, bond and currency markets into chaos | Realitätsschock – Wie die Wirtschaftspläne des US-Präsidenten Aktien-, Anleihe- und Devisenmärkte ins Chaos stürzen
RND: Evacuation under fire: How Ukrainian aid workers are rescuing civilians from the hell of war | Evakuierung unter Beschuss: Wie ukrainische Helfer Zivilisten aus der Kriegshölle retten
SZ: Merz offers 50 billion euros for climate protection | Merz bietet 50 Milliarden Euro fürs Klima an
Tagesspiegel: Corona from the laboratory? Merkel rejects cover-up accusation | Corona aus dem Labor? Merkel weist Vertuschungsvorwurf zurück
taz: Democracy is the worst form of government – apart from all the other forms that Putin, Xi and Trump are currently trying out | Die Demokratie ist die schlechteste Regierungsform – abgesehen von all den anderen Formen, die Putin, Xi und Trump gerade ausprobieren
Welt: Merz offers the Greens billions for climate protection | Merz bietet den Grünen Milliarden für Klimaschutz an
Union and SPD start coalition negotiations: Representatives of the CDU, CSU and SPD met on Thursday evening at the CDU headquarters with the chairs of the 16 working groups that have been set up. The kick-off meeting lasted only half an hour. Now the working groups, each with 16 members, are to develop text proposals for the coalition agreement by March 24. The results will then be discussed by the party leaders. The basis for the negotiations is the exploratory paper, which, for example, proposes a tightening of migration policy and stronger sanctions on the existing unemployment benefit scheme. spiegel.de
Heated debates over billion-euro plans: In a special session, the Bundestag discussed the financial package planned by the CDU/CSU and SPD, which requires a change to the German constitution; a two-thirds majority is needed for this. The CDU/CSU and SPD are therefore dependent on votes from other parties. The vote on the plans is scheduled for Tuesday. tagesspiegel.de, zdf.de
Federal Audit Office criticizes CDU/SPD financial package: According to an audit report, the plans would significantly increase the federal government’s debt dynamics. The high-interest expenditures are economically and socially risky and could significantly restrict future generations in their options. The agency demands that core state functions such as defense and an efficient infrastructure should be financed from current revenues and not from debt. welt.de
Greens want to put paragraph 218 on the agenda: The Greens want to use additional sessions of the old Bundestag for debates on reforming abortion law, Der Spiegel reports. The faction has accordingly registered the topic as an agenda item in the legal committee. The aim is to get a rewrite of section 218 of the penal code through parliament on the scheduled meeting days for the financial package of the CDU/CSU and SPD. This part of the penal code enshrines abortion as a „punishable offence“, except in certain circumstances. The traffic-light coalition had planned a reform of the section, but the breakdown of the coalition meant they were unable to follow through on their plans. spiegel.de
UN report accuses Israel of sexual violence against Palestinians: A report presented in Geneva by a commission of experts lists cases of rape and other gender-based crimes. The incidents took place during the Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, but also in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. Palestinians were also forced to undress in public, the report said. In some cases, this was done on orders from or with the tacit approval of the military and civilian leadership. tagesschau.de
Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin is cautious in his assessment of the latest ceasefire proposal: He also wants a cessation of hostilities, he said, but it must be about lasting peace. With regard to the proposed 30-day ceasefire, Putin said that the question of Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region must first be clarified. Furthermore, it is unclear how a ceasefire could be monitored. In addition, the fundamental causes of the conflict must be addressed. Putin thanked US President Donald Trump for his efforts. Russia would have to discuss the details with Washington. There are still many questions that need to be discussed. derstandard.at, zdf.de
Police Commissioner Uli Grötsch has registered an increase in racial profiling in border checks: The number of reports has increased significantly, Grötsch said. Some commuters with dark skin have complained that they have been checked ten out of twelve times while crossing the border. It is his job to ensure that the federal police take a sensitive approach to this issue. No one should be checked just because they have an immigrant background. Police should decide who to check based on other criteria, Grötsch emphasized. That already happens as a general rule. tagesschau.de
Prison sentence for self-proclaimed „King of Germany“ Peter Fitzek is final: The Naumburg Higher Regional Court in Saxony-Anhalt has rejected the appeal of the defendant, who belongs to the right-wing extremist „Citizens of the Reich“ scene. In July 2023, the Wittenberg District Court had imposed a total prison sentence of eight months on the now 59-year-old for assault, battery and defamation. The incident relates to an altercation with a local government employee in an administrative office in Wittenberg. stern.de
More Germany News:
- Bavaria: Free Voters district administrators oppose leader Aiwanger’s course. sueddeutsche.de
- Brandenburg: Part of report on crime statistics withdrawn. tagesspiegel.de
- Thuringia: Blackberry coalition wants to change state budget; Left Party seeks concessions. mdr.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: Environmental organizations demand stronger protection of the Baltic Sea. n-tv.de
- Saxony-Anhalt: Security authorities reportedly prevent an attack on Halle synagogue; 19-year-old arrested. tagesspiegel.de
- Baden-Württemberg: Driver who rammed car into pedestrians in Mannheim ‚likely not an extremist‘. n-tv.de
G7 foreign ministers discuss Ukraine war and trade dispute: At the first official meeting of the G7 with the participation of the new US government, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for a united front by the West against Russia. Peace in Europe, she said, can only be achieved through strength. The war in Gaza and the tariff dispute started by US President Donald Trump will also be discussed. In view of the tariff dispute between the US and its traditional partners and significant differences in dealing with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, it is unclear whether the group will be able to agree on a joint statement. handelsblatt.com
New corruption allegations in EU Parliament: The European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Brussels has announced suspicions of active bribery and forgery. Several people have been arrested in Belgium and Portugal. During raids, 21 houses were searched. Huawei lobbyists are suspected of bribing members of the EU Parliament. It was not disclosed whether former or active members of parliament were the focus of the investigations. zeit.de, spiegel.de, t-online.de
Armenia and Azerbaijan agree on peace deal: Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said the negotiations on the text had been completed. Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed the agreement. Among other things, the agreement stipulates that no soldiers from other countries may be stationed on the countries‘ borders. That was one of Azerbaijan’s key demands. The two former Soviet republics have fought several wars over the past few decades for control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. stern.de, spiegel.de
China describes further reports on the alleged cause of the corona pandemic as political maneuvering and refers to the WHO: WHO experts spoke with researchers from relevant laboratories in Wuhan and came to the conclusion that a leakage of the virus from there was highly unlikely, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing explained. However, the WHO has been emphasizing for years that all hypotheses regarding the origin of the Sars-Covid-2 virus remain on the table. In 2020, the German Federal Intelligence Service is said to have considered the scenario of a laboratory accident to be 80 to 95 percent likely. This was reportedly kept under wraps by Angela Merkel’s government, though a spokesperson for the former Chancellor has denied these claims. tagesspiegel.de, zdf.de
20 US states and Washington D.C. are taking legal action against the job cuts at the Department of Education: They have filed a lawsuit in federal court in Massachusetts against the mass layoffs. The action is said to be tantamount to the illegal dismantling of an agency created by Congress. The job cuts are so drastic that the department will no longer be able to fulfill its legally established obligations.
More news:
- Portugal: New parliamentary elections to be held on May 18. zeit.de
- Turkey: Attacks on PKK positions continue despite Öcalan’s call for disbandment. spiegel.de
- Switzerland: Country participates in NATO crisis management exercise. nau.ch
- France: Trump fears appears to stem rise of Marine Le Pen. derstandard.de
- Great Britain: Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces comprehensive health reform. euronews.com
- Poland: Military training for everyone. sueddeutsche.de
- Spain: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is alone in his decision to increase military spending. faz.net
- Hungary: Far-right conspiracy channel has account terminated. derstandard.de
- Congo: South African states withdraw troops. sueddeutsche.de
- Philippines: Former President Rodrigo Duterte on trial in The Hague on Friday. thueringer-allgemeine.de
- Argentina: Violence at protests against low pensions. sueddeutsche.de
Poor sentiment in the skilled trades: Creditreform’s business situation indicator fell to 45.8 points in the current year. Last year it was 48.3. The construction trade and the automotive industry, among others, expressed pessimism. In other areas, such as the metalworking trade or personal services, sentiment improved. According to its own information, Creditreform assesses the creditworthiness and solvency of companies and also handles the collection of outstanding debts. welt.de
More news:
- Deutsche Bahn needs 150 billion for renovations by 2034. zeit.de
- US carmaker Tesla withholds sick pay. handelsblatt.com
- Despite e-prescriptions: DocMorris will continue to make losses in 2024. heise.de
- Webasto says goodbye to CEO. sueddeutsche.de
- DLRG report for 2024: More than 400 people have drowned in bathing accidents. tagesschau.de
- Elon Musk’s DOGE takes on Radio Free Asia table.media/china
- How is Axel Springer’s Politico doing? In Germany, Döpfner is combining the transatlantic brands Politico and Business Insider for more journalistic relevance kress.de
- DAZN launches sports streaming in cars teltarif.de
- Concert fiasco: Sabrina Carpenter fans refused entry are said to have purchased fake tickets, many of them via the Viagogo platform promiflash.de
- Saxony on show in Paris: The first German state to be given an ‘exhibition’ at the Louvre n-tv.de
- „Something Barack had to learn“: Michelle Obama on an early marriage issue – her husband’s relaxed attitude to punctuality n-tv.de
- Ex-tennis star Boris Becker publishes book about his time in prison faz.net
- Scarlett Johansson remains on social media despite pressure promiflash.de
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- From the 2026/2027 season: DFL announces important innovation for the Bundesliga: From this point on, the official match ball will again be provided by sportswear manufacturer adidas sport.de
- After long negotiations: Kimmich extends contract with FC Bayern sportschau.de
- Suit fraud in ski jumping: Journalist publishes new recordings taken in the warm-up room rnd.de
- Biathlon World Cup: Strelow in seventh place and a surprise victory – Jakov Fak sportschau.de
- 21-year-old pulls off a coup: Aicher celebrates surprise victory in Super G sport.de
Excitement in Berlin: Police mistake Pistorius for Armin Laschet faz.net