More than 125,000 refugees have returned to Syria: However, after years of exile, the returnees in Syria have encountered very difficult living conditions, UNHCR warned. Many families have no shelter and weak economic prospects. After nearly 14 years of war, the extent of the destruction in Syrian cities is becoming increasingly clear. Outside of Syria, several million people continue to be displaced by the violence in their home country. evangelisch.de

Lebanon’s parliament elects army chief Joseph Aoun as new head of state: He had failed to obtain the required two-thirds majority in the first round. The chief of staff went into the second vote as the favorite; here, Hezbollah and its allied Amal movement voted for him. As commander, Aoun is currently also responsible for monitoring the ceasefire agreed in November between the Hezbollah militia and Israel. Lebanon is stuck in a political power vacuum. The country has been without a head of state for more than two years. Aoun said a new phase in the history of Lebanon had begun. derstandard.at, sn.at, dw.com, faz.net, n-tv.de

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock concerned about developments in the Gaza Strip: Baerbock appeals to the Israeli government that the humanitarian situation cannot remain as it is. „Winter hits the weakest the hardest, children are dying of hypothermia and malnutrition.“ Israel’s government is called upon „to finally adjust its military approach and to stop the heavy fighting“. Access for humanitarian aid must be improved. Only a ceasefire and the release of the hostages from Hamas‘ control could finally put an end to the terrible suffering.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to stick with the Ukraine contact group: Even after the upcoming change of government in the US, the Ukraine contact group – an international coalition coordinating aid to Ukraine – considers support for the country to be indispensable. Pistorius advocated for the preservation of the format; what has been achieved so far must be an incentive to make every effort for what is to come. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at the meeting at the US base Ramstein that everything must be done to ensure that Ukraine receives the necessary equipment to survive in combat. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that ending aid would only encourage Russia to engage in even more aggression; he called on his country’s supporters to work more closely together. tagesschau.de, rp-online.de, welt.de

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius calls Trump’s 5-percent target too high: Five percent of Germany’s gross domestic product would mean around 40 percent of the total federal budget for Germany; „I don’t know which country can afford that,“ Pistorius said at the meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group in Ramstein. The question is not about percentages, but about how NATO’s capability goals are defined and fulfilled. Great Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed similar reservations. n-tv.de

Number of asylum applications in 2024 down by almost a third: According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, a total of almost 230,000 initial applications were received, the majority from people from Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey. This means that almost 100,000 fewer people applied for asylum than in 2023. The statistics do not include the refugees from Ukraine, who do not have to go through an asylum procedure in Germany. n-tv.de, tagesschau.de

Foreign Office expresses concern about deportations of Afghan refugees in Pakistan: The situation has deteriorated significantly since the fall of 2023. The German Embassy in Islamabad is in close contact with the Pakistani authorities. They are continuously working to maintain protection for refugees. According to the Foreign Office, people who are in the process of being accepted by Germany or other countries are not the target of these deportations. The FAZ reported that on New Year’s Day, Pakistan deported six Afghans who are in the process of being accepted by Germany.

SPD, CDU/CSU, Green and FDP parliamentary groups condemn political developments in Georgia: The decision to suspend accession negotiations with the EU goes against the aspirations of the vast majority of the Georgian people for integration into the European Union, according to a joint statement by foreign policy experts. Instead of advancing the accession process through reforms, the ruling party „Georgian Dream“ has taken an increasingly authoritarian course. The application of force against demonstrators is condemned by the factions in the letter. They also call for a return to democratic principles. At the end of the process, free and fair parliamentary elections should be allowed to take place.

Network agency head Klaus Müller advises calmness in dealing with X and Meta: In election campaigns, you also have to endure things that you personally find inappropriate, indecent or unacceptable, Müller told Deutschlandfunk. The excitement surrounding the live conversation between X-owner Elon Musk and AfD leader Alice Weidel is understandable, he said. The situation will be carefully monitored and the actors will be reminded of European laws. deutschlandfunk.de

Left Party local politician attacked FDP leader Christian Lindner in Greifswald with foam: The Left Party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania condemned the action. Such actions are not part of political debate and should be consistently rejected, explained the state chairman Hennis Herbst. The attacker was taken to the ground by security guards. Linder reacted with humor and complained that the cake was not made of cream but of soap; he then continued his speech. Politicians from all parties have reacted with sharp criticism of the attack. spiegel.de, tagesschau.de, ndr.de, welt.de

CDU wants to go into the election campaign with their „Agenda 2030“ economic program: The program is to be decided at a closed-door meeting of party leaders in Hamburg on Friday. The plan is to gradually implement a major income tax reform by 2029, making overtime allowances tax-free and abolishing the solidarity surcharge. Pensioners will be allowed to earn up to €2,000 tax-free in the future. Relief is also planned for companies. zdf.de, faz.net, handelsblatt.com