Bild: Pensioner murdered for 0 euros loot | Rentnerin ermordet für 0 Euro Beute
FAZ: Israel and Hamas accuse each other of blocking their agreement | Israel und Hamas werfen einander Blockade ihres Abkommens vor
Funke: Refugee homes for students too | Flüchtlingsheime auch für Studenten
Handelsblatt: Who has the power in the White House? | Wer hat die Macht Im Weißen Haus?
RND: Exchange of blows in the nuclear committee: Robert Habeck in attack mode | Schlagabtausch im Atom-Ausschuss: Robert Habeck im Angriffsmodus
SZ: First hostages to be released on Sunday | Sonntag sollen erste Geiseln freikommen
Tagesspiegel: “Hamas wants to extort concessions” – Netanyahu questions Gaza agreement | „Hamas will Zugeständnisse erpressen“ – Netanjahu stellt Gaza-Abkommen infrage
taz: Uncertain with deadly certainty| Mit tödlicher Sicherheit unsicher
Welt: Gaza: hostage deal and ceasefire on the brink | Gaza: Geisel-Abkommen und Waffenruhe auf der Kippe
Obstacles to Gaza agreement removed: The final details have been clarified. Representatives of Israel, the Islamist Hamas, the United States and Qatar have signed an agreement to this effect. Israel recently accused Hamas of withdrawing from parts of the agreement in order to extort last-minute concessions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened the security cabinet for Friday, with final government approval scheduled for Saturday evening. spiegel.de
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his condolences to the relatives of the victims of the attack in Magdeburg: The city is wounded to the core, Steinmeier said at a memorial service; however, those who are mourning are not alone in their pain. He expressed his special thanks to all those who had provided help and comfort locally. Steinmeier called on people not to let themselves be paralyzed by fear and anger. He said that Magdeburg must remain a place worth living in and loving. faz.net, sued deutsche.de, zdf.de, tagesschau.de
CDU/CSU Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz defends plan to withdraw passports: In an interview with RTL, Merz promised swift measures to improve the economic situation and a tax reform that would, in his words, relieve the burden on everyone. He defends the debt brake and argues that the best social justice is a flourishing economy that secures full-time jobs and pensions. Merz criticized the short deadlines for naturalization and said he only wants to withdraw German citizenship from dual nationals in the case of serious crimes. Regarding potential coalitions, Merz is keeping a low profile, but emphasizes that there is no dispute between him and Markus Söder. He believes that the CDU will receive over 35 percent of the vote in the election. rtl.de, n-tv.de, web.de
Federal funds for problem schools barely tapped: According to the „Rheinische Post,“ citing the Ministry of Education, just under 840,000 euros had been paid out by the end of 2024 – significantly less than planned. The program, launched in August, aims to benefit around 4,000 schools nationwide with a high proportion of socially disadvantaged students. The federal and state governments are funding the project with 20 billion euros over a period of ten years. rp-online.de
Thousands protest against visit of AfD leader Alice Weidel in Hamburg: Police spoke of 17,500 participants, reports NDR. An alliance against the far-right had called for the protests. Weidel was invited to speak at an AfD event in the Great Festival Hall of the town hall. Police secured the area around the seat of the parliament. Mayor Peter Tschentscher, Transportation Senator Anjes Tjarks and CDU state leader Dennis Thering had declared on X that Weidel was not welcome in Hamburg. tagesschau.de, rnd.de
EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen sees no reason for panic over foot and mouth disease in Brandenburg: So far, he said, the cases are isolated. Hansen described it as problematic that some non-EU countries had already imposed import bans on meat from all of Germany. The EU Commission and German experts have jointly determined the necessary protection radius in the affected region. zdf.de
NOYB files complaint against Chinese-based companies such as Tiktok, Shein and Temu: The Austrian NGO accuses the companies of unlawful data transfers to China. NOYB is also taking action against the online retailers Shein and Aliexpress, the messenger service Wechat and the electronics manufacturer Xiaomi. Six proceedings have been initiated in different EU states. China is an authoritarian surveillance state, it was argued. horizont.net, handelsblatt.com
More regional news:
- Bavaria: Ex-MP Axel Fischer calls bribery accusation in Azerbaijan affair „baseless“ in court. n-tv.de
- Bremen: More anti-Semitic crimes registered. butenunbinnen.de
- Saxony: Attack on CDU parliamentary candidate Dietmar Link in Leipzig. mdr.de
- Berlin: Influencer remains in custody after New Year’s Eve attack with fireworks. spiegel.de
Britain and Ukraine sign security agreement: During his visit to Kiev, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced further support for the country, which is defending itself against Russian aggression. Russia’s efforts to tear Ukraine away from its closest partners are a „monumental strategic failure,“ Starmer said. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the billions in military aid pledges. This year alone, London is giving $6.6 billion – more than $3 billion of which is in the form of annual military aid as part of the 100-year strategic partnership agreement. n-tv.de, shz.de, handelsblatt.com
Bulgarian parliament approves new three-way coalition with 125 of 240 votes: The alliance consists of the pro-Western alliance Gerb-SDS, the pro-Russian Socialists and the populist ITN. The Turkish minority party DPS assured the three-way coalition of its support. Prime Minister Rossen Shelyashkov justified the coalition by pointing to the urgent need to lead the country out of the political crisis. faz.net, tagesschau.de
Qatar wants to support reconstruction in Syria: „We will provide the necessary technical support to restore the required infrastructure and to support the electricity sector,“ said Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during his first visit to Damascus since the Islamist-led forces came to power. The agreement includes the supply of electricity with a capacity of 200 megawatts and the gradual increase of production. n-tv.de
Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro is not allowed to travel to Washington for Donald Trump’s inauguration. Brazil’s Supreme Court rejected Bolsonaro’s request to have his confiscated passport returned. There is still a risk that the former president could flee abroad and thus evade prosecution. Bolsonaro is accused of planning a coup together with allies in order to stay in power after his election defeat in October 2022. spiegel.de
More news:
- France: Prime Minister Francois Bayrou survives vote of no confidence. zdf.de
- France: Countermeasures announced in dispute with Venezuela; representation reduced. n-tv.de
- Greece: Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner calls for repatriation during a visit to Athens. diepresse.com
- Turkey: At least 34 dead from adulterated alcohol. t-online.de
- Great Britain: Nurses complain about unbearable conditions in hospitals. n-tv.de
- Italy: Ratings portals to require IDs and proof of visit in the fight in the fake reviews. spiegel.de
- Belgium: Dispute in the liberal party. wort.lu
- Slovakia: 18-year-old stabs schoolgirl and teacher. rnd.de
- Iceland: Volcanic eruption imminent at Europe’s largest glacier. stuttgarter-zeitung.de
- Austria: FPÖ and ÖVP put together a billion-euro austerity budget and make cuts to the state and climate. n-tv.de
- Austria: Right-wing government collects e-car drivers. faz.net
- Sudan: Ruler Fattah al-Burhan is said to have authorized the use of chemical weapons. spiegel.de
- Sri Lanka: Left-wing President Anura Kumara Dissanayake promises change. derstandard.at
- Canada: Ex-central bank chief Mark Carney wants to be Justin Trudeau’s successor. rnd.de
- USA: Biden receives the Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service from the Pentagon as a farewell. spiegel.de
- USA: Meteorologists expect a brief reprieve for Los Angeles; higher fire danger again from Sunday. zdf.de
- USA: Trump camp considers deadline extension for TikTok sale. tagesschau.de
- Venezuela: 14 American states from Argentina to Canada condemn the swearing-in of Nicolas Maduro as president. rnd.de
Financial assets of Germans rise to nine trillion euros: Since the end of 2023, the Bundesbank has observed a sustained growth in wealth. The largest increases are in investment funds and equities. How the wealth is distributed is not clear from the data. The debt ratio of households fell by 0.2 percentage points to 50.3 percent. tagesschau.de
Inflation rate continued to rise in December: Consumer prices were 2.6 percent above the level of the same month last year, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Compared to November, an increase of 0.4 percent was registered. Among the price drivers were again services such as insurance, workshop costs or travel, in addition, many foods became more expensive. schwaebische.de
More from the worlds of business, technology and science:
- SMEs are finding it increasingly difficult to get bank loans. handelsblatt.com
- Study: More undeclared work due to poor economic situation. tagesspiegel.de
- More meat from better kept animals in supermarkets. handelsblatt.com
- Home textiles market stabilizes after difficult years. faz.net
- Tesla sales in Germany collapse by 40 percent. faz.net
- Dispute over coffee prices: Tchibo loses against Aldi Süd. handelsblatt.com
- US filmmaker David Lynch dies at 78. faz.net
- China: Minimum wage: Up to €26.50 more per month should stimulate consumption. table.media
- Study shows worrying trend: Most employees are dissatisfied with their jobs. t-online.de
- Daimler Truck’s Japan merger moves closer. faz.net
- Agricultural entrepreneur from the Odenwald: German milk producer Dürr receives Russian order of friendship. spiegel.de
- Israel: “Attack on media freedom” – the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz is known for its critical stance towards the government. Government authorities are apparently no longer communicating with the newspaper, and TV station Al Jazeera has been banned from broadcasting. mmm.verdi.de
- Acclaimed director: Filmmaker David Lynch is dead. zdf.de
- “Washington Post” employees want to meet with Bezos. web.de
- TikTok analysis: How the reach of German publishers has developed. medieninsider.com
- Saudi Arabia apparently wants to join DAZN. new-business.de
- Nominations for Grimme Award: Clear criticism of German film. web.de
- Robbie Williams says he turned down chance to perform at King Charles‘ coronation. musikexpress.de
- Diss track by Kendrick Lamar: Drake sues his record label for defamation. spiegel.de
- „Never met in person“: Prince Harry’s ghostwriter spills the beans. n-tv.de
- Ivanka Trump lost friends because of her father’s politics. promiflash.de
- Celebrity love: Travis Kelce raves about girlfriend Taylor Swift. rnd.de
Berlin & Me: couple’s therapy for your relationship with the city If you forget what you love about Berlin, feel frustrated by the little things, or wonder if you should stay or leave (and where to!?) this workshop is for you. Come to play with creative exercises, and share with a small group of Berlin’s lovers to talk about how to make peace with your situation or, if necessary, move on to sunnier places.
- Extraordinary DFL general meeting: “Has brought us closer as a league”: Constructive debate about money distribution. kicker.de
- FC Bayern? FC Barcelona? Tah decision allegedly made – wants to join FC Barcelona next season. sport.de
- 35:28 Win against Poland: German handball team celebrates successful World Cup start. kicker.de
- Last year’s finalist knocked out: Medvedev’s early exit from the Australian Open. sport.de
- Davis Cup against Israel: Marterer completes the DTB team. sportschau.de
- Many top riders at the start: Tour Down Under – the first highlight of the year in women’s cycling. sportschau.de
- Alpine skiing: Lindsey Vonn crashes in training – shouts “all good!” a short time later and leaves the finish area. sportschau.de
In Budapest: McDonald’s turns into a club at night. rnd.de