Bild: What we demand from Merz | Was wir von Merz verlangen
FAZ: Union does not see climate neutrality as a new national goal | Union sieht Klimaneutralität nicht als neues Staatsziel
Funke: Senate fights pub death – relief planned for landlords | Senat bekämpft Kneipensterben – Entlastung für Wirte geplant
Handelsblatt: Merz’s shaky majority | Merz‘ wackelige Mehrheit
RND: Ex-prisoner of war describes Russian torture: „Inhuman and degrading treatment“ | Ex-Kriegsgefangener über russische Folter: „Unmenschliche und erniedrigende Behandlung“
SZ: Hard struggle for financial package | Hartes Ringen um Finanzpaket
Tagesspiegel: Before debt package vote Merz rejects accusation of voter deception | Vor Schuldenpaket-Abstimmung: Merz weist den Vorwurf der Wählertäuschung zurück
taz: People’s uprising over roof collapse in Serbia | Volksaufstand wegen Dachschaden in Serbien
Welt: Experts call for far-reaching reforms to the healthcare system | Experten fordern tiefgreifende Reformen im Gesundheitssystem
The CDU/CSU and SPD have reached an agreement with the Greens on a planned debt package worth billions: 100 billion euros from the special fund for infrastructure are to flow into the climate and transformation fund. The 100 billion euros already promised to the federal states is now primarily earmarked for the upcoming municipal heating and energy projects. In principle, current household expenses should not be paid from the special fund. The parties also agreed on defense spending; the exception to the spending cap for defense will apply if investments exceed one percent of the gross domestic product. The definition of what is included in defense spending will be broadened in the future. spiegel.de
Budget committee recommends approval of debt package: After the special session, Sven-Christian Kindler, the budget policy spokesperson for the Green Party, said that the way had been cleared for investments in the future. Helge Braun, head of the budget committee, called it a really good package. He explicitly praised the amendment by the Greens. According to this amendment, the funds will be used exclusively for additional purposes and not for items that are already in the regular budget. This makes it easier to give the go-ahead as a budget officer. The decisive session will then follow on Tuesday, when the plenary of the Bundestag will vote on the debt package. The CDU/CSU, SPD and Greens had agreed on new debt. tagesspiegel.de, n-tv.de, tagesschau.de
Local authorities are pushing for a share of the infrastructure package: the managing director of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, Andre Berghegger, said on DLF radio that the money was urgently needed. He spoke of a so-called investment backlog of 186 billion euros at the municipal level. At the same time, Berghegger warned against placing too many conditions on the money; a basis of trust must be created. Steffen Jäger, President of the German Association of Towns, pointed out that the amount earmarked for municipalities was far too small in view of the level of investment for which cities, municipalities and districts are responsible. spiegel.de
CDU leader Friedrich Merz expects difficult coalition talks after the loan package agreement: „Above all, we will now have to talk about reforms and possible savings in the federal budget. The leeway has not increased,“ Merz told ARD. An appropriate investment rate must be maintained in the core budget. The new projects, such as the mothers‘ pension or tax cuts in the catering industry, cannot be paid for out of debt via indirect means. tagesschau.de
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses head of domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet: There is a lack of trust in Ronen Bar, Netanyahu said in a video address. The secret service must be rebuilt in order to achieve all military objectives and „prevent the next catastrophe“. Bar had recently admitted his failure to prevent the attack and the subsequent mass murder of Israelis by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. spiegel.de
US special envoy Steve Witkoff expects Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to work together: He has described his talks with Putin as positive and said he hoped to see an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine. At the same time, he expressed his expectation on CNN that Putin and Trump would talk on the phone again this week. handelsblatt.com
BamS Sunday trend from Insa: CDU 28 percent, AfD 22 percent (+1), SPD 16 percent, Greens 11 percent, Left 10 percent, BSW 5 percent, FDP 3 percent (-1), others 5 percent. bild.de
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock calls on Europeans to be more assertive in standing up for their interests: We live in a new age of lawlessness, Baerbock said; in her view, the US has not yet decided which side it is on. This is precisely why the G7 talks are more important than ever. At the same time, Baerbock called for a decisive response to the tariff dispute with the US; here, she said, Europe could learn from Canada. The country had made it clear at the first US threat of tariffs that they would not hesitate to respond with multiple tariffs of their own. web.de
Research Minister Cem Özdemir praises Germany as research alternative to US: Anyone in the US who feels restricted because of President Donald Trump’s administration can hope for support and open doors here, Özdemir told the Funke newspapers. He accused the US government of putting tight restrictions on free science and of trying to remodel it according to its own ideological ideas. He said he was very concerned about how funding for renowned research institutions was being cut and how scientists were being put out on the street. Özdemir warned of dramatic consequences for the US itself, but also for the whole world. sueddeutsche.de
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is calling for a review of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some things went well in this exceptional situation and some things did harm, Steinmeier said at a discussion at Schloss Bellevue. The strict measures were necessary, but they were also a strain on democracy. During lockdown, it was not possible to discuss or protest. Steinmeier warned that the lost trust of the people must now be regained. zdf.de
Bundeswehr has set up a new division for homeland security: approximately 6,000 soldiers will be under the command of the army in the future. Their tasks include protecting infrastructure, securing the deployment of allied troops, and providing assistance in the event of disasters. Due to the changed security situation after Russia’s attack on Ukraine, homeland security has become more important. Another homeland security regiment will be set up in April. tagesschau.de, mdr.de
Frigate „Brandenburg“ sets out from Wilhelmshaven for mission in the Mediterranean: Around 200 soldiers on board are on their way to a UN mission off the coast of Lebanon. The frigate was already involved in the Unifil mission last year. The navy is helping to secure sea borders and prevent arms smuggling in the sea off Lebanon. In addition, the soldiers are helping to train the Lebanese navy. The „Brandenburg“ is replacing the „Baden-Württemberg“ and is to remain in the Mediterranean for six months. ndr.de
More Germany News:
- Thuringia: Woman in Gera doused with flammable liquid and set on fire; police seek husband. zdf.de
- Berlin: Senate fights pub closures; relief planned for landlords. morgenpost.de
- Thuringia: BSW politician Steffen Quasebarth appears on AfD podcast „Ab durch die Brandmauer“. spiegel.de
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Counter-demonstration at „Reich Citizens“ meeting in Schwerin. n-tv.de
- Rhineland-Palatinate: Free Voters expel two MPs from the party. n-tv.de
- Saxony: BSW wants special session of the state parliament on the financial package. mdr.de
- Hamburg: Hanseatic city plans its own bid for the Olympic Games without Berlin; with Saxony, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein. ndr.de
- Berlin: RBB program director Günther and editor-in-chief Biesinger resign from their posts after the Gelbhaar affair. kress.de
- Berlin: Pankow Greens say not a word about the Gelbhaar affair at their annual general meeting. morgenpost.de
- Saarland: CDU parliamentary leader Stephan Toscani calls for a significant expansion of the defense industry. saarbruecker-zeitung.de
- Hessen: Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is temporarily relocating his official residence to the Marburg-Biedenkopf district from Wednesday. faz.net
- Berlin: Criticism of the newly renovated Gendarmenmarkt. stern.de
Foreign ministers of G7 countries support call for ceasefire in Ukraine: In a joint statement, they appeal to Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire, as has Ukraine. Otherwise, Moscow faces further sanctions. At the same time, the declaration insists on security guarantees for Ukraine after the end of the war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a strong statement by the G7. There is reason for cautious optimism regarding an early peace. zdf.de
Estonia calls for Hungary’s voting rights in the EU to be suspended: The government in Budapest is systematically working against Europe’s common security interests, said Foreign Minister Magnus Tsahkna in Tallinn. Therefore, a corresponding procedure should be initiated. Hungary had previously forced the lifting of EU sanctions against several Russians. According to diplomats, leverage was provided by the extension of Russia sanctions against more than 2,200 other individuals and organizations. The decision to do so required a unanimous vote by the 27 EU member states. Hungary threatened to block the decision if several Russians were not taken off the list. tagesschau.de
Russia manipulates Western chatbots for its propaganda: More than a third of the responses examined, for example in the case of computer-controlled dialogue systems such as ChatGPT, which communicate with people on the basis of artificial intelligence, contained pro-Russian fake news. Experts from „NewsGuard“ suspect the Russian Pravda network behind the manipulation. This network floods the internet and specifically also Western AI systems with fake news. In 2024, there were about 3,600,000 such propaganda articles. spiegel. de, t-online.de
Many dead and injured in nightclub fire in North Macedonia: At least 59 people have died and almost 150 others have been injured, the interior ministry said. The fire broke out in the nightclub in the small town of Kocani. Around 1,500 people, mostly young, were at a concert there. A spark machine used for lighting effects started the fire. Several people have been arrested, including the concert organizers. According to the interior ministry, the club did not have a legal operating license. The country has declared a seven-day period of national mourning. faz.net, spiegel.de, n-tv.de
More than 100,000 people take part in anti-government protests in Serbia: The demonstrators demanded, among other things, the consistent enforcement of the rule of law and the punishment of corrupt politicians. The wave of protests, which has been going on for several weeks and is being led by students, was triggered by an accident in the city of Novi Sad. A station canopy collapsed there at the beginning of November, killing 15 people. welt.de, tagesschau.de
US President Donald Trump has called critical reporting about him by some media outlets illegal. Speaking at the Department of Justice, Trump said television channels such as CNN and MSNBC were the political arm of the Democratic Party and corrupt. He also accused the media of coordinating their critical reporting on him and influencing the actions of judges. welt.de
More news:
- France: majority of residents favor reintroduction of military service. spiegel.de
- Poland: Warsaw suspends right to asylum. moz.de
- Denmark: Demonstrations in Greenland against US President Donald Trump. deutschlandfunk.de
- Hungary: Protests against government; Prime Minister Viktor Orban threatens opposition with „annihilation“. taz.de
- Romania: far-right candidate Diana Sosoaca not allowed to stand in election. zeit.de
- United Kingdom: Empty coffers, expensive armaments; problems with rearmament. tagesschau.de
- Finland: Russian neo-Nazi gets life sentence for attacking Ukrainian. faz.net
- Netherlands: No wind turbines next to the world-famous windmills of Kinderdijk. spiegel.de
- France: Telegram founder Pawel Durow is allowed to leave the country; investigations have been ongoing since August.
- Zambia: River in the copperbelt „dies“ overnight due to acid waste from Chinese mine. spiegel.de
- China: Domestic economy to be energetically boosted with action plan for more consumption. n-tv.de
- Canada: New Prime Minister Mark Carney sworn in. tagesschau.de
Progress in collective bargaining for public service: According to reports, the unions have made a new offer. The talks were interrupted during the night and will continue in the morning. No details were disclosed. Negotiations on the incomes of 2.5 million employees have been ongoing in Potsdam since Friday. tagesspiegel.de
More news:
- Deutsche Post: 420,000 complaints about parcels and letters. handelsblatt.com
- Restructuring of the branch network: Post Office machines are now officially branches. spiegel.de
- Survey on reasons for installation: 90 percent of owners satisfied with their heat pump. n-tv.de
- Air taxi company Volocopter remains in Bruchsal despite Chinese takeover. zeit.de
- SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to ISS. spiegel.de
- US foreign channel: Donald Trump smashes „Voice of America“ faz.net
- „Sometimes I was ashamed to be a journalist“: How the Germanwings crash changed Andreas Spaeth’s life kress.de
- Director of the Jewish Museum in Frankfurt, Mirjam Wenzeler, receives the Hessian Culture Prize faz.net
- Art projections in Offenbach: dystopia in the rearview mirror monopol-magazin.de
- Not seen in public for weeks: Pope is on the mend, according to the Vatican spiegel.de
- Ex-partner of Elon Musk: Grimes writes desperate post about the situation of her children
- Kim Kardashian is horrified: Kanye West lets his daughter rap in a song with imprisoned Sean Combs n-tv.de
More First-Year Students in Germany – Rising Share of International Students
Germany has seen an increase in university enrollments compared to the previous year. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of first-year students rose by approximately 2% to around 491,000 in 2024.
This growth is largely driven by an increase in international students, whose numbers surged by about 10%. As a result, nearly one-third of all new university entrants do not hold a German passport. The Federal Statistical Office attributes this trend to demographic changes in Germany.
Overall, there are currently around 2.8 million students enrolled in universities and higher education institutions across the country.
- From the 2026/2027 season: DFL announces important innovation for the Bundesliga: from this point on, the official match ball will again be provided by sportswear manufacturer Adidas sport.de
- After long negotiations: Kimmich extends contract with FC Bayern sportschau.de
- In the warm-up room of the ski jump – suit fraud in ski jumping: journalist publishes new recordings rnd.de
- Biathlon World Cup: Strelow in seventh place and a surprise victory – Jakov Fak sportschau.de
- 21-year-old with the next coup: Aicher celebrates surprise victory in Super G sport.de
Statue of Liberty: French politician wants the Statue of Liberty back from the USA spiegel.de