Bild: That was the summit / Das war der Gipfel
FAZ: Kyiv demands effective security guarantees / Kiew fordert wirksame Sicherheitsgarantien
Funke: Airport Express: Faster to BER with new rail connection / Flughafen-Express: Schneller zum BER mit neuer Bahnverbindung
Handelsblatt: Business mobilizes / Wirtschaft macht mobil
RND: Free: Coalition agreement foresees no tax increase / Frei: Koalitionsvertrag sieht keine Steuererhöhung vor
SZ: Europeans haggle with Trump / Die Europäer feilschen mit Trump
Tagesspiegel: Zelensky visiting Trump: Difficult negotiations despite good atmosphere / Selenskyj zu Besuch bei Trump: Schwierige Verhandlungen trotz guter Atmosphäre
taz: Fight against the right: This is where the music plays / Kampf gegen rechts: Hier spielt die Musik
Welt: Criticism of Klingbeil’s tax statement / Kritik an Klingbeils Steuer-Aussage
US President Donald Trump is seeking a bilateral meeting between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, preparations for such a meeting have begun. Trump said he had called Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin after meeting Zelensky and European leaders at the White House. A trilateral summit including Trump should follow the Zelensky-Putin meeting. tagesspiegel.de, zdfheute.de
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready for a bilateral meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. „I confirmed—and all European heads of state and government supported me – that we are ready for a bilateral meeting with Putin,“ Zelensky said after the White House talks. zeit.de
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised the open exchange with US President Donald Trump. These are „fateful days for Ukraine and for Europe.“ A Zelensky-Putin meeting would have to be accompanied by a ceasefire, and in any case, it remains to be seen whether Putin would have the courage for such a meeting, Merz said. handelsblatt.com
- Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov continues to speak of delegation talks in a one-minute audio message. Both the Kremlin and the White House support continuing direct negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations. The Kremlin wants to „examine the possibility of raising the rank of representatives.“
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described the Ukraine summit at the White House as very successful.
Security guarantees for Ukraine: At the meeting with Zelensky and European leaders at the White House, Donald Trump said a peace agreement was achievable in the near future. Russia had agreed to security guarantees, but territorial swaps would also have to be discussed. Trump again denied the need for a ceasefire in Ukraine. handelsblatt.com, zeit.de
- After his one-on-one with Trump in Washington, Zelensky called security guarantees for his country a priority for peace with Russia. Zelensky also hoped Trump would help on humanitarian issues, such as the return of children and teenagers abducted by Russia.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described Trump’s offer of security guarantees as a „breakthrough.“ Trump’s statement „I am ready to participate in the security guarantees“ was a big step and made the decisive difference, Rutte said, thanking him.
- Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said the details of the security guarantees could be clarified within a week. handelsblatt.com
- Ukraine wants to secure US security guarantees after a peace agreement with Russia by buying $100 billion worth of US weapons. Kyiv suggests purchasing about $90 billion in American arms, Zelensky said. The purchase is to be financed by Europe, reports the Financial Times.
- Moscow continues to reject NATO troops in Ukraine, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. She was reacting to statements by Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said his country was ready to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. Ukraine supports this as a security guarantee. n-tv.de
- SPD defense politician Adis Ahmetović told Der Spiegel he was open to the option of the Bundeswehr participating in a later peace mission in Ukraine. Ralf Stegner opposed the idea.
- Germany’s reservists’ association is open to Bundeswehr troops in Ukraine. welt.de
- Ukraine’s President Zelensky again signaled openness to elections in his country once Russia’s war of aggression is over. Elections cannot be held during the war, Zelensky said after meeting Trump at the White House. But it must be possible to hold a democratic, open, and legal vote.
A virtual EU special summit on the war in Ukraine will be held Tuesday: to review the White House meeting, all 27 EU leaders will meet via videoconference. European Council President Antonio Costa said he had convened the meeting for 1 p.m. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also expected to take part. faz.net
ISRAEL–GAZA
Hamas agrees to new ceasefire proposal: During a 60-day truce, ten living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 18 abductees are to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. In addition, talks on a permanent ceasefire are to be held. The plan is based on a proposal by US envoy Steve Witkoff. New ceasefire talks are underway in Egypt, mediated by Cairo and Qatar. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message that he had only „noted the media reports“ of Hamas’s positive response. He had previously demanded that all remaining hostages be released at once. zdfheute.de, welt.de, n-tv.de
- Israel’s army plan for the capture of Gaza City is to be presented to Defense Minister Israel Katz for approval on Tuesday. The plan by army chief Eyal Zamir foresees deploying at least 80,000 soldiers, reports the Israeli news site Walla.
- Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar revoked the visas of Australian representatives at the Palestinian Authority. Israel responded to Australia’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state in September. Saar also ordered the embassy in Canberra to carefully review future Australian visa applications.
- The US is pressing Israel for a permanent ceasefire in Lebanon. US envoy Tom Barrack said after meeting Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun that Washington would seek an economic plan for Lebanon’s reconstruction after the war. Beirut had approved a US-backed plan for disarming Hezbollah.
- The war between Iran and Israel could, according to Tehran, „break out at any time.“ „We must be prepared for confrontation at any moment – at the moment we don’t even have a ceasefire agreement,“ Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref told AFP.
Bild-Sonntag trend by Insa: Union 26 percent (-1), AfD 25 percent, SPD 14.5 percent, Greens 11 percent (+0.5), Left 9 percent (+0.5), BSW 4 percent (+0.5), FDP 4 percent (+0.5), Others 4.5 percent.
Union rejects tax increases: SPD leader Lars Klingbeil’s push to raise taxes for top earners in 2027 meets criticism from the Union. Parliamentary manager Steffen Bilger said it was right for the finance minister to think about budget consolidation, but tax hikes were the wrong way. Relief was needed, not further burden. Business associations such as the Central Association of German Crafts also reacted skeptically. rp-online.de, stern.de
Court of Auditors demands immediate action over the financial situation of statutory health insurance: In a letter to the budget committee it said the gap between revenues and expenditures grows by six to eight billion euros each year. The additional contribution, currently averaging 2.5 percent, could rise to over four percent by 2029. The federal government is putting off necessary measures.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul calls Japan „Germany’s premium partner“ in Asia: both countries share a long-standing friendship as well as common values and interests, Wadephul said after meeting his Japanese counterpart, Takeshi Iwaya, in Tokyo. Freedom, security, and prosperity in Europe and the Indo-Pacific are closely interlinked. Iwaya said cooperation between Japan and Germany as economically strong democracies, is becoming increasingly important. handelsblatt.com, zdfheute.de
Other reports:
- Spending on social assistance rose by almost 15 percent last year to more than 20 billion euros. rnd.de
- The Left calls for a special tax on so-called luxury villas, like those in Los Angeles. welt.de
- Business mobilizes—but the Bundeswehr reaches its limits. handelsblatt.com
Open IT jobs in Germany dropped 26% in 2024, especially for highly qualified experts, due to weak economic growth and frozen projects. Some sectors, like legal and tax consulting, bucked the trend with rising demand. Despite fewer postings, a shortage remains, with 13,500 IT positions unfilled, and forecasts point to record demand by 2028. heise.de
Former Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Eva Högl is set to become Interior Senator in Bremen: Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte wants to propose his party colleague at the state board retreat on September 7, reports Weser-Kurier and Radio Bremen. If approved, Högl could be nominated at the SPD state party conference on September 27. Ulrich Mäurer had announced he would step down at the end of the year. weser-kurier.de
Urgent motion by AfD candidate Joachim Paul against exclusion from the mayoral election in Ludwigshafen rejected: the applicant must „rely on the subsequent election review procedure, which rules out provisional admission as a candidate in this case,“ the Neustadt/Weinstraße administrative court stated. The election committee in Ludwigshafen had decided in early August not to admit Paul due to doubts about his constitutional loyalty. welt.de, tagesschau.de
More News:
- Berlin: Senate postpones planned decision to abolish several 30 km/h zones. tagesspiegel.de
- Berlin: Police break up spontaneous pro-Palestine rally at the Chancellery over banned slogans. tagesspiegel.de
- Saxony: New construction of Dresden’s Carolabrücke to be completed by 2031. n-tv.de
- Brandenburg: Over 80 bridges in poor or inadequate condition. maz-online.de
- Hesse: Frankfurt citizens can choose between ten concepts for the House of Democracy. faz.net
CHP supporters protest against mayor Özlem Cercioglu, who defected to the ruling party: Demonstrators called for her resignation. Cercioglu defected from the CHP to the ruling AKP party last week for reasons that remain unclear. She was re-elected mayor in last year’s local elections with around 51 percent of the vote. At that time, the CHP had achieved a surprise success in the nationwide local elections. In recent months, there have been raids on opposition-led city administrations. Sixteen CHP mayors are now in custody on charges including corruption.watson.ch
More News:
- Serbia: President Aleksandar Vucic announces tougher measures against protesters critical of the government; opposition sees rule of law in danger. tagesschau.de
- Spain: Worst forest fires in 20 years. tagesschau.de
- France: Curfew extended in Nimes due to escalating drug-related violence. kurier.at
- Estonia: Fewer violations since stricter border controls. nau.ch
- Iran: Two million Afghans deported. n-tv.de
- Pakistan: 211 people from the German reception program for particularly vulnerable Afghans deported to their country of origin. tagesschau.de
USA News
US President Donald Trump wants to abolish postal voting and voting machines before the 2026 congressional elections, arguing that voting machines are expensive and highly inaccurate. However, he primarily justified his decision with the aim of preventing alleged fraud by the opposition Democrats in the congressional elections. He did not provide any evidence to support his claims. Trump had already signed an executive order in March to change the voting law. However, this was blocked by the courts after Democratic-led states filed lawsuits. Under US law, elections are organized by the 50 states themselves. rnd.de
- Since US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took office, 6,000 student visas have been revoked. welt.de
Number of building permits for apartments rises slightly: In the first half of the year, 110,000 permits were issued, an increase of just under three percent compared to the first half of 2024, according to the Federal Statistical Office. At that time, however, the number of approved apartments was at its lowest level for a first half of the year since 2010. In addition, the increase mainly affects apartments in single-family homes. The situation remained virtually unchanged for multi-family homes, which are considered particularly important for alleviating the housing shortage. tagesschau.de
More from Business, Tech and Science:
- EU exports in June: Trade surplus with the US slumps – In June, it fell to €9.6 billion. A year ago, the EU still had a surplus of €18.5 billion with the US. tagesschau.de
- Pension provision: Fewer Germans are saving for their own house or apartment zeit.de
- Economic institute: IT specialists are significantly less in demand in Germany heise.de
- German bureaucracy and financing are the biggest hurdles for start-ups heise.de
- Production costs: Despite higher minimum wages, Germany imports a lot of vegetables from the Netherlands table.media/agrifood
- The future of animal husbandry: The transition to greater animal welfare requires reliable labeling table.media/agrifood
- Alcohol consumption: Gen Z spurns alcoholic beer – breweries adapt handelsblatt.com
- Contraception: Pill less popular among young women 65 years after its introduction zeit.de
- Obesity: Mother’s genetics influence child’s weight even without heredity aerzteblatt.de
- Study: Problems with social media are inherent – social media promotes outrage, enables radicalization, and generates filter bubbles. Spending too much time on social networks often not only puts you in a bad mood, it is also downright toxic. heise.de
- Seasonal publishing: How the Mediterranean came into being table.media/research
- Serbia: Protests – attacks on journalists on the rise deutschlandfunk.de
- Russia spreads fake news that looks like serious news rollingstone.de
- A new wave of book bans hits schools in Florida deutschlandfunkkultur.de
- For the first time, a children’s and youth theater has been awarded the Tabori Prize – “pulk fiction” deutschlandfunkkultur.de
- Burning man on Pink Floyd cover: stuntman Ronnie Rondell has died spiegel.de
- White flags over New York: How a German artist duo transformed the Brooklyn Bridge monopol-magazin.de
- Prince William and Kate move into Forest Lodge in Windsor giessener-anzeiger.de
- Prince Andrew’s ex-wife – author of tell-all book Lownie: “Fergie was deeply involved with Epstein” web.de
- “Walküre yesterday”: Alice Weidel shows up with partner – meeting with “Müller Milch” billionaire ksta.de
Green oases and German jam tradition: In this episode of Plus FortyNine, much revolves around plants: our guest Sophie from EasyBeeBerlin shares how to transform even small balconies or terraces into blooming oases – from choosing the right plants to winter tips and common plant myths. We also look at the new study on “welcome classes” for refugee children, the debate over reforming the eight-hour workday, and new figures on the wage gap between migrants and locals. In the culture section, we focus on a sweet tradition: why so many Germans make their jam and enjoy giving it as gifts.
- Hertha BSC Berlin: Nail-biting penalty shootout against Preußen Münster – Hertha BSC wins 5-3 on penalties despite a weak performance against second division rivals Preußen Münster. t-online.de
- Blues insist on permanent transfer: Nkunku move to Bayern in danger of falling through: Zahavi skeptical after Chelsea meeting transfermarkt.de
- Thomas Müller in North America: Welcome to a different sport sueddeutsche.de
- Title race in La Liga: How Xabi Alonso wants to beat Hansi Flick spiegel.de
- ”Eine Schande“: Neymar suffers the heaviest defeat of his career and cries – 0:6 debacle with Santos against Rio club Vasco da Gama n-tv.de
The Youth Word of the Year contest in Germany (‘Jugendwort des Jahres’) is an annual competition where young people nominate and vote on a word or phrase that reflects current trends, popular culture, and the way youth communicate. It highlights evolving language, slang, and social expressions among German-speaking youth.