published by Sigrid Arteaga
Contributor: Imogen Goodman and Ulrich Kraus
Bild: The poison duel | Das Gift-Duell
FAZ: FDP rules out coalition with the Greens after the Bundestag election | FDP schließt Koalition mit Grünen nach Bundestagswahl aus
Funke: Close race for first votes expected in several Berlin districts | Enges Rennen um Erststimmen in mehreren Berliner Bezirken erwartet
Handelsblatt: Risky bet on growth | Riskante Wachstumswette
RND: First TV debate: Merz puts Scholz under pressure – he reacts angrily | Erstes TV-Duell: Merz setzt Scholz unter Druck – der reagiert sauer
SZ: Bundeswehr on alert because of drones | Bundeswehr alarmiert wegen Drohnen
Tagesspiegel: The exchange of blows | Der Schlagabtausch
taz: We are more | Mia san mehr
Welt: After hostage release: Israel clears Netzarim corridor | Nach Geisel-Freilassung: Israel räumt Netzarim-Korridor
Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz irreconcilable in TV duel: Both campaigned for themselves with different approaches in the 90 minutes. Scholz was generally aggressive, Merz mostly countered confidently and did not allow himself to be carried away into rash answers. spiegel.de, tagesspiegel.de, rnd.de, stern.de
- Scholz has once again accused Merz of possibly wanting to work with the AfD after the election. He said that voting with the AfD on the migration bill in the Bundestag was a breach of a taboo and that Merz could no longer be trusted. Merz, on the other hand, once again categorically ruled out any cooperation with the AfD. waz.de
- Scholz advocated a reform of the debt brake and pointed to the necessity of increasing defense spending; this cannot be achieved without a reform of the debt brake. Merz countered that billions more new debt would be possible with the existing debt brake.
- Merz explained that he wanted to continue rejecting asylum seekers at the German borders. This was very much compatible with European law and the Basic Law. Scholz said the Union could alienate its European partners with this behavior and pointed to his own successes in migration policy.
- In a ZDF survey, 37 percent said Olaf Scholz had done better, 34 percent Friedrich Merz. 29 percent saw no difference. zdf.de
BamS-Sonntagstrend by Insa: CDU 29 percent (-1), SPD 16 percent (-1), Greens 12 percent, FDP 4 percent, AfD 21 percent (-1), Left Party 5 percent (+1), BSW 6 percent, other 7 percent. bild.de
Protests against right-wing extremism continue: Thousands of people have once again taken to the streets in several cities. The wave of protests was triggered by the decision of the CDU and CSU to accept votes from the AfD in order to form a majority in the Bundestag. spiegel. de, handelsblatt.com
- According to the police, around 14,000 people took part in a demo in Marburg and 4,500 in Bremerhaven on Sunday. Protests were also called in cities such as Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Kleve and Winterberg.
- On Saturday, at least 340,000 people demonstrated across the country. In Munich alone, police counted 250,000 people; the organizers had assumed 75,000 participants. In Bremen, around 35,000 people gathered, and in Hannover, around 24,000 demonstrators followed the organizers‘ call. Police in Nuremberg counted a similar number of participants.
FDP rules out renewed coalition with the Greens: The decision is part of a seven-page election appeal that contains the party’s core program, which the delegates unanimously adopted in Potsdam on Sunday. The FDP is aiming for the formation of a black-yellow coalition. A future government must focus on renewal, competitiveness and freedom. faz.net, zdf.de, zdf. de, t-online.de
CSU leader Markus Söder and CDU leader Friedrich Merz once again rule out any cooperation with AfD at CSU party conference. sueddeutsche.de
Judges‘ association calls for amendments to cannabis law: Federal managing director Sven Rebehn told the Funke newspapers that the law had proven to be the feared bureaucratic monster. Authorities and courts had a lot of unnecessary work. The law is full of contradictions and ambiguities. In addition, the new regulation is fueling the demand for cannabis on the black market, and drug gangs are increasingly using brutal violence. rnd.de
Spy drones over Patriot base near Husum: An air force base where Ukrainian soldiers are also being trained has been the target of an alleged espionage operation using drones, SZ reports; a total of six incidents have occurred at the base in Schwesing in Schleswig-Holstein. Apparently, highly professional drones were used, which hovered over the area for several minutes. It is said that attempts were made in vain to use jammers and other equipment to divert them from their course or force them to land. According to an internal paper from the BMVG, investigations are being carried out on suspicion of espionage. rnd.de, ndr.de
A meeting of suspected Islamists disguised as a sporting event with more than 250 participants in Hamburg has ended. According to a police spokesperson, the police were asked by the district office for assistance after indications of a misuse of a public sports hall emerged. Contrary to the official registration, discussions and lectures on Islamist content took place in the sports hall. A large-scale operation by state and federal police took place, during which the identities of the participants were established. abendblatt.de, ndr.de
Further news from Germany:
- Brandenburg: Alleged AfD supporters threaten and injure demonstrators. n-tv.de
- Saxony: Cross-state, East German wiretapping center in Leipzig still not ready for use. mz.de
- Saxony: State security investigates incidents at party offices. n-tv.de
- Thuringia: SPD faction wants to continue „language daycare centres“. n-tv.de
Crisis summit over Trump’s move on Gaza: Egypt is apparently taking US President Donald Trump’s controversial plans for Gaza seriously and has invited the Arab states to a crisis summit on February 27 to discuss the situation of the Palestinians. US President Donald Trump had declared that the US would take over the Gaza Strip from Israel and rebuild it after relocating Palestinians to other countries. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has traveled to Washington to hold talks with representatives of the new US administration. Meanwhile, Israeli politicians have proposed establishing a Palestinian state on Saudi territory. spiegel.de
- Three freed Israeli hostages are in poor health. The two hospitals where the three men were examined diagnosed malnutrition and dehydration. Of all the hostages freed so far, they are said to be in particularly serious condition. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of shocking scenes in view of the emaciated men, which would not be accepted. faz.net
- Israeli military withdraws from Netzarim corridor in the Gaza Strip. The buffer zone is around seven kilometers long and divides the area into a northern and a southern half. The Israeli army’s withdrawal is part of the first phase of the ceasefire negotiated between Israel and the militant Islamist group Hamas. tagesschau. de, welt.de
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky offers the United States raw materials in exchange for security guarantees: Zelensky told Reuters that the Americans had helped his country the most, so they should also earn the most. The raw materials in question include rare earth elements, which are used to manufacture smartphones, electric cars and other high-tech products. handelsblatt.com
EU considers lower tariffs on US cars: Bernd Lange, head of the trade committee, has raised the possibility of lower tariffs on US-produced cars in order to avert an impending trade war with the US. He said that Germany was prepared to lower the current import surcharge of ten percent closer to the 2.5 percent that is levied by the US on European cars. They could also offer to buy more liquid natural gas and military equipment from the US. handelsblatt.com
Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Kosovo will depend on partners in the future: Unlike four years ago, the left-nationalist reform party cannot enter parliament in Pristina with an absolute majority. The party received about 40 percent of the vote. The liberal Democratic Party received a good 22 percent of the vote, and the conservative Democratic League around 20 percent. Critics accuse Kurti of having exacerbated tensions in the country with his anti-Serbian minority course. Their political representatives had previously boycotted elections, but this time they want to participate. tagesschau.de, handelsblatt.com
More news:
- EU: Five-point plan to reduce bureaucracy. handelsblatt.com
- Canada: Trade Minister Mary Ng wants stronger trade relations with the EU. focus.de
- France: AI summit in Paris: France announces 109 billion euros of investment. dw.com
- France: Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has reignited the debate on nationality. spiegel.de
- France: Former President Nicolas Sarkozy cancels public appearances due to electronic tag and goes to Human Rights Court. welt.de
- Great Britain: Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismisses Deputy Health Minister Andrew Gwynne for racist comments. spiegel.de
- Sweden: Gun laws to be tightened after fatal shooting. sueddeutsche.de
- Switzerland: Majority against strict climate regulations for industry. sueddeutsche.de
- Slovakia: Tens of thousands of people protest against the government and demand the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico. zdf.de
- Tanzania: Crisis summit seeks solution for conflict region in eastern Congo. zeit.de
- Libya: Mass graves discovered with migrants in the southeast. zdf.de
- Kenya: Herding cattle with a machine gun. zdf.de
- Lebanon: President Michel Aoun announces formation of new government.dw.com
Court bars Elon Musk’s advisers from accessing Treasury payment systems: There is a risk that sensitive and confidential data could be unlawfully accessed. Nineteen states had filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s decree, arguing that the agency led by entrepreneur Elon Musk lacked the necessary authority. Another hearing in the case is scheduled for mid-February. The Treasury’s payment system handles, among other things, the transfer of social security benefits, salaries and tax refunds to government employees. faz. net, tagesschau.de
- Federal judge halts plans to put more than 2,000 USAid employees on leave; the injunction is only temporary while the litigation continues. USAid is an independent agency established by law and cannot be closed without congressional approval. A total of around 10,000 people work for USAid, two-thirds of them abroad.
- Trump’s vice president J.D. Vance attacks US courts. n-tv.de
- US government suspends work of consumer protection agency for financial products. zeit.de
- US President Donald Trump is withdrawing access to intelligence information from his predecessor Joe Biden, saying there is no need for Biden to continue to have access to secret information. The security clearance for former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other top politicians has also been withdrawn. n-tv.de
- US government has announced a significant reduction in funding for universities and other research institutions. US research institutions warn that the cuts are a sure way to paralyze life-saving research. Max Planck Society President Patrick Cramer told Der Spiegel that Trump’s policies could give Germany an influx of top researchers. tagesschau.de
- US President Donald Trump has announced that he will reimpose tariffs of 25 percent on steel and aluminum imports. n-tv.de
- America wants to accept white South African refugees. faz.net
- Trump pledges to end ban on plastic straws. web.de
- Numerous states criticize the sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump on the International Criminal Court. In a joint statement, 79 countries warned that the sanctions could increase the risk of impunity for the most serious crimes and undermine the international rule of law.
German meat production rises for the first time since 2016: According to the Federal Statistical Office, commercial slaughterhouses produced around 6.9 million tons of meat in 2024, 1.4 percent more than in the previous year. Steffen Reiter, head of the German Meat Industry Association, spoke of a trend reversal. Consumers are increasingly turning to meat again. Investments by agriculture and the meat industry in climate protection and animal welfare are showing success. zdf.de
Value of German exports drops by one percent in 2024: The value of German exports fell to 1,559 billion euros. The value of imports fell by 2.8 percent to 1,318 billion euros over the same period. tagesschau.de
More business news:
- Airbus has to postpone the development of hydrogen-powered aircraft. sueddeutsche.de
- Edeka boss criticizes high prices of brand manufacturers. n-tv.de
- Employers‘ association president Rainer Dulger calls for more 40-hour weeks. handelsblatt.com
- Nokia wins patent dispute against Amazon Prime; users will hardly notice though. faz.net
- Fight against counterfeits: Counterfeit products cause billions in damage. zdf.de
- Key witness in cum-ex process recants confession and attacks former defense attorney. handelsblatt.com
- Second-hand goods market: Late effects of corona cause prices to rise wiwo.de
- Elon Musk doesn’t want TikTok, but Amazon and Microsoft supposedly do heise.de
- Dramaturg Matthias Lilienthal is to be the new artistic director of the Berlin Volksbühne, according to tagesschau.de.
- Burda Verlag launches online bakery new-business.de
- Nova Gorica and Gorizia celebrate the start of the European Capital of Culture year wdr.de
- Despite criticism of AI art: Christie’s is sticking to its planned exhibition t3n.de
- The presentation of the Spanish Goya film awards in Granada is becoming political: Richard Gere calls Trump a „bully and gangster“ n-tv.de
- Operndorf by Christoph Schlingensief in Burkina Faso: A place to listen to the land monopol-magazin.de
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- Philadelphia Eagles win Super Bowl by a clear margin – embarrassment for Kansas City Chiefs faz.net
- World Cup 2026: Fifa excludes three countries from the World Cup – Russia, Republic of Congo and Pakistan – Congo due to a power struggle between the Ministry of Sport and the national football association, Pakistan due to a required change of statutes welt.de
- Bundesliga’s record referee Felix Brych ends his career faz.net
- Schalke lose in Cologne: The royal blue tends towards grey faz.net
- NOFV should advocate for new regulations: „The football east is rising“ – 17 regional league teams demand promotion reform kicker.de
- Basketball: FCBB have already lost the first leg – Vechta win again against Bayern and consolidate their lead kicker.de
- Basketball – Eighth win of the season in the BBL: Alba continues its upward trend and beats Hamburg comfortably kicker.de
- F1 record champion „in Ferrari form“: Hamilton’s familiarization with Ferrari is going better than expected sport.de
- Over 3000 meters and a mile: Fisher and Nuguse run indoor world records in New York kicker.de
- World Para-Alpine Skiing Championships: Recktenwald takes gold ahead of Walter sportschau.de
- European Championships in Lillehammer: Lochner wins German duel in four-man bobsleigh sportschau.de
- European Championships in Lillehammer: Nolte leads German triple victory in two-man bobsleigh sportschau.de
- German ski jumpers continue to struggle web.de