Bild: The death drama (Gene Hackman) | Das Todes-Drama (Gene Hackman)
FAZ: ÖVP, SPÖ and Neos want to form a coalition in Austria | ÖVP, SPÖ und Neos wollen Koalition in Österreich bilden
Funke: Rebuilding dilapidated bridges will get significantly more expensive for Berlin | Neubau maroder Brücken wird für Berlin deutlich teurer
Handelsblatt: Crisis chancellor | Krisenkanzler
RND: Before the start of the exploratory talks: Where the CDU/CSU and SPD disagree – and where there could be compromises | Vor Start der Sondierungen: Wo Union und SPD über Kreuz liegen – und wo es Kompromisse geben könnte
SZ: Öcalan calls for the dissolution of the PKK | Öcalan ruft zur Auflösung der PKK auf
Tagesspiegel: Coalition exploratory talks: Talks between the CDU/CSU and SPD will begin as early as Friday | Koalitions-Sondierungen: Gespräche von Union und SPD beginnen bereits am Freitag
taz: Creating Kurdistan without weapons | Kurdistan schaffen ohne Waffen
Welt: Jewish students complain of „state of emergency“ | Jüdische Studenten beklagen „Ausnahmezustand“
The CDU/CSU and SPD will begin exploratory talks on Friday. Nine representatives each will take part. The meeting in the morning will set out the first guidelines and a timetable for the coalition negotiations. The talks are taking place in the Jakob-Kaiser-Haus in Berlin. After Sunday’s election, there initial meetings between the Union’s chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz and the SPD leadership took place. Merz has set himself the goal of forming a government by Easter. Difficult negotiations are expected, because there are significant differences in migration, the debt brake and Ukraine policy between the two parties. spiegel.de, handelsblatt.com, tagesschau.de, zdf.de
Israel’s army admits complete failure in October 7 attack: It failed to protect the people of Israel, according to an internal investigation report that has been published. The Gaza Division, responsible for the area along the Gaza Strip border, was „overrun“ during the attack. Hamas „surprised“ Israel, the report continued, not only in terms of the size and scale of the attack, but also in terms of its brutality. The army was „overconfident“ and misjudged Hamas‘ military capabilities. n-tv.de, spiegel.de
US raw materials deal does not include further military aid for Ukraine: The agreement is to be signed by Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyi in Washington on Friday. A US government representative has clarified that the agreement does not include a commitment to further military support for the country. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s government has given the green light for the signing of the commodity agreement negotiated with the US. faz.net
US President Trump received British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House: The topic was the need for security guarantees for Ukraine; a lasting peace is not possible if there is no effective deterrent mechanism against Moscow. Trump said he supports Article 5 – the mutual assistance article of the NATO treaty – but does not believe that the conditions for triggering it will be met. Trump reiterated his opposition to Ukraine joining NATO. tagesschau.de
- Trump no longer remembers calling Zelenskyi a dictator. „Did I say that?“ Trump replied when asked by a journalist, adding that he could not believe he had called him that. spiegel.de
Bild Sunday poll Hamburg state parliament by Insa: CDU 17 percent, SPD 32 percent, Greens 16 percent, FDP 3 percent, AfD 11 percent, Left Party 13 percent, BSW 3 percent, others 5 percent. bild.de
ZDF Politbarometer Extra on the Hamburg state election from the Forschungsgruppe Wahlen: CDU 18 percent, SPD 33 percent, Greens 17 percent, AfD 9 percent, Left Party 12 percent, others 11 percent. zdf.de
State prime ministers support reform of the debt brake:
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig told Reuters that Germany is already unable to adequately fulfill its economic, security and infrastructure obligations. She emphasized that she would support a resolution in the current Bundestag to address this issue.
- Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther and Hesse’s Prime Minister Boris Rhein are calling for both a quick decision in favor of a new special fund for the Bundeswehr in March and a reform of the debt brake under the new government.
CDU/CSU defends minor interpellation on NGO funding: The CDU/CSU parliamentary secretary Thorsten Frei told ARD television that the CDU did not want to intimidate anyone and was not intimidating anyone. Of course, one is allowed to protest against the CDU, just as one is allowed to protest against anything and anyone in Germany. But if one has the status of a non-profit organization and directly receives state funds, there are other rules. Then you are not allowed to get involved in general politics. welt.de
Initiators of AfD ban request want to make a new attempt in the next Bundestag: The ban request was submitted by 120 members of parliament and was first discussed in plenary in January. However, no further discussion is planned in the outgoing legislative period, which means the motion will lapse. However, Green MP Till Steffen and SPD MP Carmen Wegge said they planned to launch another procedure in the next legislative period. CDU politician Marco Wanderwitz said that the AfD was becoming more radical. He pointed to the inclusion of the two far-right MPs Maximilian Krah and Matthias Helferich in the new faction. Wanderwitz will no longer be a member of the new Bundestag. tagesschau.de
Green Party politician Sven Giegold describes planned relaxation of supply chain law as „bitter“: The fact that significantly fewer companies in the EU would have to provide information in the future about the impact of their business activities on the environment and society would enable continued exploitation. “This is unacceptable and diametrically opposed to the original purpose of the supply chain law,“ he told DLF. deutschlandfunk.de
Hamburg’s mayor Peter Tschentscher wants to continue red-green coalition: He wants to continue the Hanseatic city’s current course and create stable conditions,
Tschentscher said in an NDR debate. The leading candidate for the Greens, Katharina Fegebank, explained that her party sees itself as the driving force behind the current coalition. CDU candidate Dennis Thering spoke out in favor of a coalition between his party and the SPD; he ruled out cooperation with the Greens. spiegel.de
Green Party politician Stefan Gelbhaar is demanding 1.7 million euros from RBB as compensation for the consequences of inaccurate reporting: The station called the sum unreasonable. Contrary to what was reported, Gelbhaar had already renounced his place on the Green Party’s national list for the Bundestag at the time of the reporting. However, RBB admitted serious mistakes in their publication of harassment allegations against Gelbhaar. The identity of an alleged witness had not been sufficiently verified. Mr. Gelbhaar had always rejected the accusations against him; however, thes accusations ultimately prevented his possible re-election to the Bundestag. dwdl.de
More Germany News:
- Berlin: Demonstration against event with right-wing extremist Martin Sellner. rbb24.de
- Hessen: Outrage and fine after AfD statement in asylum debate. hessenschau.de
- Brandenburg: BSW politician Sven Hornauf remains in faction despite voting for AfD motion. rbb24.de
- Hessen: Increase in civil servants‘ pay postponed. hessenschau.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: Landtag rejects adjustments to Baltic Sea protection for fishing. n-tv.de
- North Rhine-Westphalia: Murder charge filed against attacker at Solingen festival. tagesschau.de
- Thuringia: Jena Higher Regional Court sentences two IS supporters to several years in prison; attack on the Swedish parliament planned.
- NRW: Mongolia issues special postage stamp with Cologne carnival motif. ksta.de
G20 finance ministers‘ meeting ends without concrete results: South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana criticized the fact that there was no joint final declaration. He said the participants had merely made it clear that they wanted to take action against increasing protectionism. He said there should continue to be a rules-based system with the World Trade Organization at its center. In addition, the importance of international cooperation was reaffirmed. Regarding the implementation of a global tax reform, it was merely stated that discussions should continue. n-tv.de
ÖVP, SPÖ and Neos agree on first three-way coalition in Austria: ÖVP leader Christian Stocker said at the presentation of the planned government program that the budget should initially be consolidated with high priority in order to avoid EU deficit proceedings. Tougher asylum rules will be implemented. SPÖ leader Andreas Babler declared that rents would be frozen for a year, and in the long term a rent brake would be introduced. Neos leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger said that all three parties had faced up to their responsibility for the state. The swearing-in of the new government could take place on Monday if the respective party committees give the green light. tagesschau.de, faz.net, zdf.de
UN nature conference agrees on financing plan for protecting species: Concrete arrangements have now been made for how funds for biodiversity are to be collected and distributed in the future. The compromise provides for the existing UN funds and institutions to be reviewed, reformed and, if necessary, supplemented by new financial instruments by 2030. Countries of the global South are to be given more access and a greater say in the distribution of aid. welt.de
Detained PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan calls for an end to the armed struggle: Öcalan has called on his supporters to end the armed struggle against the Turkish state and disband the group. The statement was read by representatives of the pro-Kurdish DEM party in Istanbul. A delegation had previously visited Öcalan in prison on Imrali Island in the Sea of Marmara. The PKK has been fighting against the Turkish state and for Kurdish autonomy since 1984. More than 40,000 people have fallen victim to the conflict. Turkey, the EU and the US classify the PKK as a terrorist organization. spiegel.de, tagesschau.de
Investigations against Poland’s former head of government Mateusz Morawiecki: Polish prosecutors said the politician from the national conservative PiS party was accused, among other things, of overstepping his authority. Morawiecki had ordered that the presidential election be held in May despite the lockdown during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The vote was to take place as a postal vote only. Morawiecki described himself as a victim of political persecution. tagesspiegel.de, handelsblatt.com
EU Commission wants to expand strategic relations with India: The first talks between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Indian ministers took place in New Delhi. Von der Leyen is accompanied by all EU commissioners on her trip. A meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planned for Friday. The focus will be on a possible free trade agreement, trade and economic policy, international security, climate and technology. de.euronews.com
More news:
- EU: EU politicians announce backlash to US tariffs. spiegel.de
- EU: In the shadow of Trump’s tariff threats, the EU has made an important breakthrough on the Mercosur agreement. welt.de
- Bosnia-Herzegovina: Bosnian Serbs pass separatist laws. welt.de
- France: Massive budget cuts for cultural institutions. faz.net
- Great Britain: Significantly more asylum applications despite deterrence policy. tagesschau.de
- Greece: Human error was responsible for a train crash in 2023 that killed almost 60 people, investigation reveals. tagesanzeiger.ch
- Romania: Putin ally Calin Georgescu hoarded weapons and cash. derstandard.at
- Serbia: Cellebrite withdraws forensic tools from law enforcement authorities following allegations by Amnesty International. heise.de
- Switzerland: High number of unreported cases of anti-Muslim racism; little trust in reporting centers. srf.ch
- Italy: The sunken luxury yacht „Bayesian“ is to be salvaged. faz.net
- Czech Republic: German man arrested for fleeing the GDR more than 40 years ago. spiegel.de
- Italy: The municipality of Salo on Lake Garda withdraws Mussolini’s honorary citizenship. spiegel.de
Professional soccer brings the state almost 5 billion euros in taxes: According to a study by management consultants McKinsey, tax revenues have risen by a total of 25 percent since 2018. The study not only took into account the 36 Bundesliga clubs, but also included tax revenues from areas directly related to professional soccer, such as TV broadcasters, sponsors and the hospitality industry. rnd.de, gn-online.de
More news:
- Renewable energies: Germany builds most new wind turbines in the EU. wiwo.de
- Pharmaceutical industry warns of shortage of skilled workers in STEM subjects. handelsblatt.com
- Biontech does not have to pay damages for alleged vaccine-related harm. hessenschau.de
- Financial regulator shuts down Munich-based bank Obotritia. handelsblatt.com
- OpenAI introduces new version on ChatGPT. handelsblatt.com
- Political influence and transparency: Study points to shortcomings in public bodies. dwdl.de
- Peter Würtenberger resigns as head of Springer’s Premium Group due to ill health. dwdl.de
- The rail operator’s rival: How Claus Weselsky continues to annoy Deutsche Bahn even as a pensioner – With the Fair Train cooperative, he wants to embarrass the state-owned company and give the board members a hard time once again manager-magazin.de
- Discount campaign: Deutsche Bahn wants to lure customers back on board with bargain offers wiwo.de
- Real estate investor René Benko remains in custody manager-magazin.de
- Amazon, Ebay, Temu & Co.: Stiftung Warentest uncovers defects t-online.de
- Mercedes-Benz: Job cuts announced in China table.media/china
- Censorship at the Washington Post: Jeff Bezos and freedom of the press – a declaration of moral bankruptcy horizont.net=
- „Daily Show“ rant against DOGE: Elon Musk would let Jon Stewart interview him – but only on his terms – uncut and on X spiegel.de
- False reporting on Member of Parliament Stefan Gelbhaar: RBB broadcasting council demands structural and personnel-related consequences uebermedien.de
- Study finds excessive political influence on broadcasting councils zeit.de
- „heute journal“ starts news podcast quotenmeter.de
- Exhibition 2026: Catherine Nichols is curating the next Lyon Biennale monopol-magazin.de
- On April 4, there will be a nationwide Night of the Libraries for the first time wdr.de
- Bavaria’s Minister of Art under pressure: Blume apologizes in debate about Nazi-looted art monopol-magazin.de
- New in theaters: Timothée Chalamet on course for Oscar with film about Bob Dylan wdr.de
- Recovery continues: Pope Francis continues therapy vip.de
- Oscar winner Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa found dead in their home vip.de
- On Jeff Bezos‘ rocket: Katy Perry will fly into space in spring zdf.de
- Vienna Opera Ball: Leni Klum drops by and surprises her companion – father Flavio Briatore ksta.de
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- Semi-final in the DFB Cup – More than 48,000 tickets sold: HSV and Werder set attendance record for women’s soccer sportbuzzer.de
- A bombshell at the star team? FC Bayern withdraws contract offer for Kimmich rnd.de
- „Thinking about leaving“: Thomas Müller confirms rumors of his departure sport.de
- Denmark sets an example: Equal pay is once again an issue for the national women’s team because the men’s and women’s national teams will now be paid the same in the Nations League. Germany’s female soccer players are now being asked questions sportschau.de
- Early exit for the tennis pro in Acapulco: Teenager, US-American Learner Tien, takes Alexander Zverev by surprise faz.net
- Nordic Skiing World Championships: Nathalie Armbruster and the pressure of the World Championships – favorite has to wait for medal sportschau.de
- Partner took banned substance – Triathlete Imogen Simmonds claims sex is to blame for positive doping test sportbuzzer.de
More than 40 years later: German arrested in the Czech Republic – for fleeing the GDR spiegel.de