Bild: First tax scandal of the Merz government / Erste Steuer-Sauerei der Merz-Regierung
FAZ: NATO commits to five percent goal by 2035 at the latest / NATO verpflichtet sich auf Fünfprozentziel ab spätestens 2035
Funke: „Car-free Berlin“ referendum permitted – business sector warns of consequences / Volksbegehren „Berlin autofrei” zulässig – Wirtschaft warnt vor Folgen
Handelsblatt: Trump summit ends without scandal / Trump-Gipfel ohne Eklat
RND: Interview with the agriculture minister: Are you the Leberkäs minister, Mr. Rainer? / Interview mit dem Landwirtschaftsminister: Sind Sie der Leberkäs-Minister, Herr Rainer?
SZ: Nationwide raids against hate / Bundesweite Razzia gegen Hass
Tagesspiegel: NATO arms up: Member states approve record spending / Nato rüstet auf: Mitgliedsstaaten beschließen Rekordausgaben
taz: Five-percent goal already achieved! / 5-Prozent-Ziel schon geschafft!
Welt: Historic NATO decision: the five-percent goal stands / Historischer Nato-Beschluss: Das Fünf-Prozent-Ziel gilt
NATO agrees on military buildup: NATO member states plan to spend five percent of their economic output on defense and security in the future. The alliance formally decided that by 2035, member states will allocate 3.5 percent annually for strictly military purposes such as troops and weapons, with an additional 1.5 percent going toward areas like cybersecurity and infrastructure. U.S. President Donald Trump, along with the other heads of state and government at the summit in The Hague, reaffirmed the alliance’s mutual defense commitment. Trump called the summit’s outcome a historic milestone. tagesschau.de, zdfheute.de
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the increase in military spending is primarily aimed at deterring Russia. Merz again urged Donald Trump to increase economic pressure on Moscow, as the EU has done. So far, Trump has rejected sanctions against Russia. n-tv.de
According to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, nuclear facilities were heavily damaged in U.S. attacks. A government spokesperson told Al Jazeera the bunker-busting bomb strikes were significant but gave no details. Israel“s military stated that it is too early to assess the full extent of the damage. Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir expressed confidence that the strikes caused major damage to Iran“s nuclear program. tagesschau.de
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini considers dissolving the UN Palestinian aid agency. He told Die Welt the organization can no longer operate due to a lack of resources. Israel accuses UNRWA of being infiltrated by Hamas and has banned its operations on Israeli territory. The U.S. has cut its funding. Lazzarini criticized the humanitarian aid system established by Israel and the U.S. in Gaza, calling it demeaning and dangerous. Distribution centers, he said, have become death traps. spiegel.de
- Despite the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, the German Air Force has evacuated more citizens from Israel. A German Airbus A400M departed from Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening, according to the Foreign Office. In total, nearly 800 Germans have been flown out on special evacuation flights.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit. Zelensky said they discussed co-producing drones, but the main topic was the possible purchase of American Patriot air defense systems. He described the meeting as long and substantive. Trump also spoke positively about the conversation, praising Zelensky’s courage and reiterating his willingness to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war. Trump said he believes Putin may have territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine. n-tv.de, tagesschau.de
Sharp criticism of Jens Spahn over mask purchases: The investigation report is causing conflict within the coalition. CDU health politician Simone Borchardt called the report technically flawed during a Bundestag debate. SPD’s Christos Pantazis, on the other hand, warned against discrediting the report for political reasons. The Greens accuse Spahn of abuse of office. Green Party deputy parliamentary leader Andreas Audretsch cited damages of 11 billion euros. Special investigator Margaretha Sudhof accused Spahn of ignoring expert advice and acting inefficiently. The Left Party has called for Spahn’s resignation as CDU parliamentary group leader. web.de, zdfheute.de, spiegel.de
The COVID-19 pandemic is to be reviewed by a special commission: The CDU/CSU and SPD parliamentary groups have submitted a motion in the Bundestag, which was debated for the first time. If one-quarter of its members request it, the parliament is generally required to establish what is known as an enquête commission composed of experts and MPs. First, the responsible committee will issue recommendations before the final vote on the motion takes place. The aim is to review the government’s pandemic response and draw lessons for future health crises. zdfheute.de
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche criticizes predecessor Robert Habeck for funding Northvolt: Speaking in a government Q&A session in the Bundestag, Reiche said the investment decision was made with good intentions but had proven to be flawed. Now, she said, the priority is to safeguard taxpayer money. The Swedish battery manufacturer filed for insolvency in March. It remains unclear what will happen with the factory under construction in Schleswig-Holstein, for which the federal government had earmarked €900 million in subsidies. The Federal Audit Office accuses Habeck of carelessly distributing taxpayer money and underestimating economic risks.spiegel.de
Foreign Office ends financial support for civilian sea rescue: No further funding is planned for NGOs in this area. In the first quarter of this year, €900,000 was distributed, including to SOS Humanity and Sea-Eye. For all of 2024, the total was €2 million. zdfheute.de, zeit.de, n-tv.de
Labor Minister Bärbel Bas advances pension reform: The draft law will now be submitted to other ministries for review. According to an ARD report, the pension level is to be fixed at a minimum of 48 percent of the average wage until 2031. The „mother’s pension“ is also set to be expanded, with payments beginning in 2028. In addition, certain barriers will be lowered to allow older workers to remain employed if they wish. The federal subsidy for the pension fund must rise to €15 billion annually by 2030, and even further thereafter. tagesschau.de, spiegel.de, handelsblatt.com
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche announces plan for industrial electricity pricing: Reiche welcomed the new EU aid framework that permits government subsidies. A discount of up to 50 percent on the wholesale electricity price is allowed. The measure is limited to three years per company and must end by 2030. Her ministry will now present a formal plan for implementing industrial electricity pricing in Germany. rnd.de, zdfheute.de
Criticism over electricity tax cut only benefiting industry and agriculture: Retail association president Alexander von Preen said the sector had expected the tax cut to apply to all. If this promise is broken, companies will face costs in the millions. The German Confederation of Skilled Crafts, the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, and consumer protection groups also expressed disapproval. Economy Minister Reiche defended the move by citing limited budgetary resources. CDU Secretary General Carsten Linnemann stated the tax cut must apply to all, calling it compensation for CO₂ pricing. n-tv.de, faz.net
- Baden-Württemberg: Durchsuchungen wegen Fortführung von verbotener Neonazi-Vereinigung „Blood & Honour Division Deutschland“.
Berlin: Grüne kündigen Missbilligungsantrag gegen Bildungssenatorin Katharina Günther-Wünsch an. rbb24.de - Berlin: Verfassungsgerichtshof Berlin nennt Volksbegehren „Berlin autofrei“ zulässig. tagesspiegel.de
- Brandenburg: SPD und BSW verlieren in RBB-Umfrage; AfD steigt auf 32 Prozent. rbb24.de
- Bremen: KI-Chatbot für Schüler und Lehrkräfte im Unterricht. (butenunbinnen.de)
- Hessen: Ungewohntes Lob für Gesetzentwürfe gegen Wohnungsmisere und ein DDR-Vergleich für Wirtschaftsminister Kaweh Mansoori. hessenschau.de
- Niedersachsen: CDU will verdächtige Drohnen von der Polizei vom Himmel holen lassen. n-tv.de
- Niedersachsen: Massiver Polizeischutz nötig, um AfD-„Kinderschutzkongress“ zu schützen. noz.de
- Saarland: Landtag verbietet Handys an Grund- und Förderschulen. lessentiel.lu
- Saarland: Ministerpräsidentin Anke Rehlinger betont Eigenständigkeit des SR. n-tv.de
Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends his first EU summit: At the meeting of the 27 EU member states, discussions are expected to focus on continued support for Ukraine and developments in the Middle East. The extension of the EU-Israel partnership agreement is also likely to be debated, following a review that found Israel’s actions in Gaza violate key principles required for close cooperation.
Other EU news:
- Youth protection: EU initiative for online age verification divides tech companies. heise.de
- EU plans to allow two pieces of hand luggage on flights. sueddeutsche.de
- EU eases rules: Europe’s gas storage to be filled more flexibly. tagesschau.de
- Confusion at „Summer Davos“ over China’s stance toward the EU. handelsblatt.com
- Mars acquires Pringles company – EU Commission warns of higher prices. spiegel.de
Foreign trade via German seaports expected to increase by 50 percent by 2040: Germany’s seaports play a strategically vital role for the export-oriented nation, according to the IHK Nord Chamber of Commerce. The ports require long-term, reliable, and adequate federal funding. Over 90 percent of globally traded goods are transported by sea. The forecast was commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Transport. thb.info
Discrimination is on the rise in Germany: Over 3,300 cases were reported last year, a 14 percent increase, according to the Anti-Discrimination Association of Germany. Racist discrimination accounted for two-thirds of all incidents, reaching a record high, and primarily affected Muslim and Black individuals in schools and workplaces. Discrimination based on social status and age also increased. evangelisch.de
German Tenants’ Association warns of social risks from rising rents: Households are now spending 30 to 40 percent of their income on rent, said President Lukas Siebenkotten at the German Tenants‘ Day in Rostock. Rent increases could push many into poverty. At the same time, he welcomed the federal government’s extension of rent control measures. n-tv.de
- Actors‘ union and Netflix establish rules for AI use faz.net
- Local TV and radio stations: “Trust remains unbroken” augsburger-allgemeine.de
- Music industry: Using AI to combat AI music sueddeutsche.de
- Day of action against hate: Make platforms liable and users identifiable deutschlandfunk.de
- Cabaret artist Thomas Maurer in Munich: Social media is disgusting sueddeutsche.de
- Offline meeting in Berlin: €8.50 for a normal evening without smartphones spiegel.de
- imi Blue Ochsenknecht arrested at Hamburg Airport spiegel.de
- YouTube dream couple is history: Bibi and Julienco are divorced n-tv.de
- Boris Becker complains about “cheerleaders and parasites” spiegel.de
- Surprising twist before verdict: Several charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs dropped n-tv.de
- Comeback on stage: Amber Heard is now taking off in theater n-tv.de
- Aaron Sorkin shoots sequel to “The Social Network” quotenmeter.de
- Film star Zarah Leander: From Nazi diva to LGBTQ icon spiegel.de
- On the death of Italian actress Lea Massari: Master of solitude faz.net
Relatable is a Berlin- and Paris-based relationship app designed to help couples navigate tough conversations and strengthen their connection. Created by Tapas and Katerina, who drew on personal experience and professional expertise in therapy, the app guides users—either alone or with a partner—through real-time, AI-powered conversations that foster reflection, better communication, and emotional clarity.
- Summer fairy tale trial: The DFB was incompetent, corrupt, and wasteful faz.net
- U21 reaches European Championship final: Even France can’t stop Germany faz.net
- 1-0 in Club World Cup: Borussia Dortmund cruises to group victory faz.net
- JD Vance at Club World Cup: Trump’s deputy visits BVB amid tight security n-tv.de
- EuroBasket exit for women’s basketball team: After the break, the quarterfinals turn into a horror movie for Germany spiegel.de
- ”20 damn years“: Football star Aaron Rodgers announces retirement n-tv.de
Beer is officially considered food in Bavaria. In Bavaria, beer isn’t just a beverage — it’s regulated as a basic food staple, thanks to the 500-year-old Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law), the oldest food regulation still in use.