Bild: Hitzfeld speaks about his depression / Hitzfeld spricht über seine Depressionen
FAZ: Merz defends partial halt of arms deliveries to Israel / Merz verteidigt Teilstopp von Waffenlieferungen an Israel
Funke: Green Party top candidate: Small amounts of cocaine to remain unpunished / Grünen-Spitzenkandidat: Geringe Mengen von Kokain straffrei
Handelsblatt: Europeans strengthen Ukraine / Europäer stärken Ukraine
RND: Prison and ankle monitors: How Greece is increasing pressure on rejected asylum seekers / Gefängnis und Fußfesseln: Wie Griechenland den Druck auf abgelehnte Asylbewerber erhöht
SZ: Merz defends decision on Israel / Merz verteidigt Entscheidung zu Israel
Tagesspiegel: Merz defends arms halt: Chancellor fears „hundreds of thousands of victims“ in Gaza / Merz verteidigt Waffenstopp: Kanzler befürchtet in Gaza „hunderttausende Opfer“
taz: Ice-cold peace? / Eiskalter Frieden?
Welt: Fewer weapons for Israel: Pressure on Merz from the Union grows / Weniger Waffen für Israel: Unions-Druck auf Merz wächst
Chancellor Friedrich Merz defends Israel decision: Germany could not deliver weapons into a Gaza conflict that is to be resolved solely by military means, Merz said on ARD. He denied that there had been a fundamental change in German Israel policy. Solidarity, however, did not mean approving every decision of a government and supporting it militarily. The decision to no longer deliver certain weapons to Israel has drawn both praise and criticism from politicians. welt.de, rnd.de, tagesspiegel.de, faz.net
- SPD leader Bärbel Bas said on ARD that Israel must continue to be supported, but the people in the Gaza Strip must not be forgotten. Bas advised Merz to communicate better within his own parliamentary group on this issue.
- SPD leader Lars Klingbeil said the Israeli government bore great responsibility for the intolerable humanitarian suffering in Gaza. SPD deputy parliamentary group leader Siemtje Möller defended on Deutschlandfunk export restrictions on weapons to Israel. Israel of course, had the right to act against Hamas; however, international law applied.
- Saxony’s Minister President, Michael Kretschmer, said he considered it wrong to portray Merz’s position as a lack of solidarity. Merz had always made it clear that Germany stood firmly at Israel’s side; at the same time, he had always pointed to the principle of proportionality.
- CDU defense policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter called it a grave mistake.
- Young Union leader Johannes Winkel wrote on X, about a controversial quote from Merz, that Israel was now doing the dirty work for us, only without German weapons.
- Defense Committee chairman Thomas Röwekamp said on ARD that the decision had been made by the government. According to media reports, the CSU had not been informed of the plans.
- CSU politician Stephan Mayer told Tagesspiegel after meetings of the Union parliamentary group’s foreign affairs working group that he understood the chancellor’s concern. The question, he said, was whether the decision of a partial halt to arms deliveries was the right answer to it. On that point, he and many other colleagues had a different opinion.
- CSU politician Stephan Pilsinger fears that the Israeli government might in turn no longer support Germany in air defense or with intelligence information for counterterrorism.
- Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu criticizes Germany’s decision. In the conversation, he accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz of rewarding the Islamist Hamas. Instead of supporting Israel’s just war against Hamas, Germany was rewarding Hamas terrorism through an arms embargo on Israel.
Criticism of Israel in the UN Security Council: The five European participant states in the special session called for the military operation there not to be expanded as planned; they urgently called on Israel to reconsider and not to implement its decision. The US sided with Israel in the meeting. The meeting was being unjustly used to accuse Israel of genocide. It was, they said, a propaganda action by the militant Islamist Hamas. rnd.de, spiegel.de
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes for a quick victory over the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip: He wants to end the war as quickly as possible. „That is why I have instructed the Israeli armed forces to shorten the timetable for capturing the city of Gaza,“ Netanyahu said. His country had no choice but to completely defeat Hamas. Israel’s security cabinet decided on Friday that the military should capture Gaza City, possibly to take control of the entire coastal area. spiegel.de, faz.net
- In an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City, several people were killed, according to the Al-Shifa hospital. According to Palestinian media reports, two journalists from the Al Jazeera network were killed when a rocket hit their tent near the hospital. Israel’s military reported that it had killed Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif in Gaza City; Al-Sharif was said to be the leader of a „terror cell“ of the militant Islamist Hamas. spiegel.de
- Fighters of the Palestinian terrorist organization Islamic Jihad have attacked Israeli border towns with rockets. The Al-Quds Brigades said they had shelled Kibbutz Nahal Oz and Kibbutz Saad. The Israeli army had reported that apparently two rockets had been fired at Israel from Gaza.
- European states warn of famine in the Gaza Strip. An expansion of military operations would worsen the situation and endanger the lives of all civilians, including the hostages held by Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the army to allow more foreign journalists access to the Gaza Strip. They must see Israel’s efforts to allow humanitarian aid into the coastal strip for the people of Gaza.
- According to Defense Minister Israel Katz, Israel’s army is to remain in Palestinian refugee districts in the West Bank at least until the end of the year. The districts had been „breeding grounds of terror“ that served as a front against Israel.
- In Tel Aviv, tens of thousands again protested against the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Relatives of the hostages still held by the terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip once again called for the rally.
UKRAINE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky might still come to Alaska: The White House is undecided as to whether and in what form Zelensky could take part in a summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in the US state of Alaska, CNN reports. The White House has not yet completely ruled out including the Ukrainian president in some talks in Alaska. Trump is also willing to hold a three-way summit with Zelensky, the White House said; so far, however, only a meeting with Putin is planned. tagesspiegel.de
- Several European states have called in a joint statement that the path to peace could not be taken without Ukraine. In a joint position from Germany, France, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, Finland, and the European Commission for ending the Ukraine war, it was stated that the current front line should be the starting point for negotiations. Robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine were also necessary. n-tv.de
- EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas has reiterated calls that Ukraine must be included in any possible agreement between the US and Russia to end the war. On Monday, the EU foreign ministers will coordinate and discuss next steps. spiegel.de
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized on ARD that Ukrainian President Zelensky must be included in the announced talks between US President Trump and Russian President Putin. It could not be accepted that territorial issues were discussed over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainians.
BamS Sunday trend by Insa: CDU/CSU 27 percent, AfD 25 percent, SPD 15 percent, Greens 11 percent, Left 9 percent (-1), BSW 4 percent, FDP 4 percent (+1), Others 5 percent. bild.de
Labor Minister Bärbel Bas defends maintaining the pension level: Men receive an average of 1,405 euros upon retirement, women around 955 euros. She could not send the message to these people now that the pension level would be further lowered, because then they would end up on basic security, Bas said on ARD. tagesschau.de
- Economic expert Veronika Grimm told the Funke newspapers that benefit cuts were unavoidable given the tense financial situation in the social insurance system. „In pensions, long-term care, and health insurance, we need more honesty about which benefits we can really afford and which we cannot.“ t-online.de
- SPD parliamentary group manager Dirk Wiese told Tagesspiegel it was too simplistic to look for solutions only through cuts to citizens’ benefits. His party rejected such a neoliberal approach. Green Party deputy parliamentary group leader Andreas Audretsch criticized that pension cuts would plunge many people, especially in the East, into poverty. Instead, other levers should be considered to stabilize the social systems. Grimm should explain who should no longer receive care or support. n-tv.de
- CSU criticizes Reiche’s considerations on retirement age
- In the debate about extending working life, there is still no unified position within the CDU/CSU. CSU regional group leader Alexander Hoffmann criticized the recent proposal by Economics Minister Katherina Reiche on extending working life. His party favored voluntary measures and the „active pension“ anchored in the coalition agreement.
- The Pestel Institute proposes that civil servants should work five and a half years longer than they currently do. Statistically, civil servants draw pensions significantly longer than employees receive retirement benefits. This aspect has been hardly or not at all considered in the current pension debate.
Union criticizes conscription bill from Minister Pistorius: CDU/CSU parliamentary group deputy Norbert Röttgen told Welt that the draft had „serious shortcomings.“ There were no concrete figures or deadlines for when Germany should achieve its troop build-up goals. The minister also limited the plan to voluntary service and did not include an automatic trigger for conscription if annual troop strength targets were not met. welt.de, tagesspiegel.de
- The new conscription draft strengthens parliamentary rights. Unlike the previous version, parliamentary approval is required. In addition, the planned mandatory medical examinations were moved forward by six months to July 2027. This will apply to all conscripts born in 2008 or later. The government plans to pass the law at the end of the month.
Research Minister Dorothee Bär courts US scientists Germany offers good alternatives for scientists from the USA who are considering leaving. During a visit to the Geomar Helmholtz Centre in Kiel, Bär pointed to the constitutional guarantee of academic freedom. Germany was attractive as a new home for professors as well as for post-docs and students. She referred to the new „1,000 Heads Plus“ program and the constitutional freedom of science, research, and teaching. The background is the increasingly anti-science climate in the US under President Donald Trump. zeit.de
Culture Minister of State Wolfram Weimer recommends a ban on gender language for public institutions. Anyone receiving public funds should not use gendered language. It was a matter of shared responsibility for the comprehensibility of state-funded communication, Weimer told DPA. Museums, foundations, and broadcasters should choose language that is understandable to all and widely accepted. zeit.de, tagesschau.de
- Following Weimer’s proposal: No other ministry is planning a gender language ban. tagesspiegel.de
More News
- Economics Minister Katherina Reiche questions subsidies for private solar systems; prices for systems and storage have fallen significantly. sueddeutsche.de
- CSU health policy spokesman Stephan Pilsinger wants ketamine in its various forms to be subject to narcotics law.welt.de
- Green Party health policy spokesman Janosch Dahmen calls for measures against technical problems with electronic prescriptions. apotheke-adhoc.de
- Preparations for wartime dangers: reform of precautionary and supply security laws is proceeding slowly. rnd.de
Palantir defends itself against criticism in Germany The US company has ruled out any data leakage when its „Gotham“ analysis software is used by German police. Gotham is operated exclusively on police servers, giving them full data control. The software allows police to analyze large amounts of data and identify connections. heise.de
More News
- Saxony: 3,000 people at Christopher Street Day and 270 counter-protesters in Bautzen. mdr.de
- North Rhine-Westphalia: Memorial concert for victims of knife attack in Solingen. zdfheute.de
- Rhineland-Palatinate: Historic Laurentius Church in Ahrweiler reopens after restoration following the 2021 flood disaster.
- Lower Saxony: Unknown individuals scatter banknotes on the A1; drivers stop. ndr.de
- Negotiations on international agreement on plastic waste are stalling. stern.de
- Ongoing discussion about how to deal with PFAS in the EU. sn.at
- EUdi-Wallet: EU plans digital wallets. focus.de
- EU country comparison: Germany is digitally mediocre. faz.net
- EU agencies want to combat hepatitis in European prisons. euronews.com
Europe News:
- Belarus: Alexander Lukashenko is not seeking another term in office; his current term ends in 2030. fr.de
- Poland: Hundreds of supporters of the Belarusian opposition in exile demonstrate against dictator Alexander Lukashenko. dw.com
- France: Migrants rescued from refrigerated truck. dw.com
- France: Government wants to negotiate abolition of public holidays. wort.lu
- Italy: Meloni’s cabinet is one of Italy’s longest-serving governments. derstandard.at
USA News
- Crypto advisor Bo Hines resigns; returns to private sector. spiegel.de
- Obama speechwriter: “Americans are looking for people from outside the system.” Obama speechwriter: “Americans are looking for people from outside the system.”
- US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shares video calling for the abolition of women’s suffrage. rnd.de
Number of tax audits in companies down 60 percent since 2015: A survey conducted by the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper in the federal states revealed that the tax authorities checked 140,000 corporate tax returns last year. This represents a decline of almost 60 percent compared to 2015. The federal states attribute this development to increasingly complex audit procedures and a shortage of skilled personnel. sueddeutsche.de
More from Business, Tech and Science:
- Booking defends itself against hotels‘ best price claims with ECJ ruling. merkur.de
- Volkswagen and Bosch aim to make autonomous driving suitable for mass production. heise.de
- Confidence in the German healthcare system has fallen dramatically. t-online.de
- Between dissatisfaction and self-discovery: More and more Germans are leaving their homeland for good. tagesspiegel.de
- How AI is changing the world of work – and what matters now table.media
- German space start-ups are booming table.media
- Suddenly the number one heating system – the story behind the German heat pump miracle welt.de
- Electronic health card: Pharmacists complain about failures in the e-prescription system gn-online.de
- Exploitation in the tech sector: The AI revolution is eating its gig workers taz.de
- ECJ: Reduced VAT applies to Sudoku publishers new-business.de
- ZDF acquires rights to Women’s Champions League new-business.de
- Wolfram Weimer, Minister of State for Culture: Those who receive public money should not gender monopol-magazin.de
- “Memorial concert” one year after the attack: Solingen commemorates the victims deutschlandfunkkultur.de
- Gzuz documentary on Amazon Prime: Ghetto stuff, poorly censored spiegel.de
- Did Bob Dylan send another political message with “Masters of War”? rollingstone.de
- Royals popularity ranking: Prince William overtakes Kate promiflash.de
- „Thank you very much. I’ll be in touch“: Donald Trump reportedly asked Emma Thompson out on a date spiegel.de
- Sean Combs wants to counsel abusers – alleged victims are appalled rollingstone
- “Didn’t want to share him with the world”: Freddie Mercury’s “secret daughter” breaks her silence bunte.de
Imted is a Stuttgart-based startup co-founded by Asheka, dedicated to making large buildings more sustainable through the power of artificial intelligence. The company’s platform analyzes real-time consumption data from non-residential buildings—such as offices, universities, and factories—to detect anomalies in heating, cooling, electricity, and water usage. By identifying issues like leaks or system malfunctions early, Imted helps organizations reduce both energy costs and environmental waste.
With a strong focus on actionable insights and user-friendly technology, Imted empowers businesses and institutions to take immediate steps toward greater efficiency and sustainability. The company’s mission reflects the founders’ commitment to a cleaner future, combining engineering expertise with a passion for responsible resource management in Germany and beyond.
- Footballer of the Year: Wirtz is Footballer of the Year – Berger and Gwinn tied for Women’s Player of the Year sportschau.de
- Bitter news for FC Bayern Munich: Midfield talent Paul Wanner is out with an injury for the time being spox.de
- Catalans confirm U-turn: Ter Stegen signs medical report and is Barca captain again kicker.de
- European Hockey Championships: German hockey teams get off to a promising start in the European Championships n-tv.de
- Tragedy in Japan: Two boxers die after fights at the same event spiegel.de
- Marius Lindvik wins ski jumping competition in Courchevel sueddeutsche.de
In some parts of Germany, it’s considered normal to reserve your spot at the public swimming pool… with a towel, hours before you intend to swim. The pool opens at 8:00. At 7:59, a wave of determined retirees surges in, each armed with a towel. Within 60 seconds, every prime poolside chair is „claimed.“ Then… they leave. For breakfast. For errands. For a long chat with their neighbor about the weather.
By the time you arrive at 11:00, the chairs are still empty — but the towels remain, silently guarding their territory like fluffy little sentinels. It’s the same instinct behind the German beach towel wars on holiday in Spain or Italy… just relocated to the local Schwimmbad.