Bild: Who Merkel and Esken are whispering about / Über wen Merkel und Esken hier tuscheln
FAZ: Signs of a Russian breakthrough in eastern Ukraine / Anzeichen für russischen Durchbruch in der Ostukraine
Funke: Job cuts at Lieferando in Berlin: A labor dispute now looms / Stellenabbau bei Lieferando in Berlin: Jetzt droht ein Arbeitskampf
Handelsblatt: North versus South / Nord gegen Süd
RND: Invasion in the „rat hole“: How Trump is bringing the military onto America’s streets / Einmarsch im „Rattenloch“: Wie Trump das Militär auf Amerikas Straßen bringt
SZ: The hardest part is still ahead for Merz / Das Schwierigste steht Merz noch bevor
Tagesspiegel: Before Trump–Putin meeting: EU shows solidarity with Ukraine – Hungary breaks ranks / Vor Trump-Putin-Treffen: EU solidarisiert sich mit der Ukraine – Ungarn schert aus
taz: Merz searches for his center / Merz sucht seine Mitte
Welt: Frenzied standstill after one hundred days / Rasender Stillstand nach hundert Tagen
Deputy leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group Norbert Röttgen sees less resistance within the Union to restrictions on arms deliveries: in the Bundestag group there were four to five critics from the CDU, Röttgen told DLF; from the CSU he knew of one MP, Stephan Mayer. Röttgen himself backed Chancellor Friedrich Merz; however, he said there was still a need for explanation.deutschlandfunk.de
- Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer defended the decision to halt the export of certain armaments to Israel. Within Europe, Friedrich Merz was the most loyal friend of Israel of all and had maintained a course of loyalty.
- Parts of the SPD criticised Merz. Andreas Schwarz told Der Spiegel: „The decision risks contributing to politically isolating Israel in this brutal conflict.“ SPD MP Markus Töns said weakening Israel’s defence was unacceptable and politically naïve in many respects. spiegel.de
- Israel’s ambassador Ron Prosor sees relations with Germany as severely strained. The ties had not been cut, but were „really under strain“, he said on Welt-TV. „This is a feast for Hamas.“ spiegel.de
- European Council warns against arms sales to Israel. In an appeal to its 46 member states, it urged refraining from arms deliveries to Israel that could lead to human rights violations in the Gaza war. Human Rights Commissioner Michael O’Flaherty referred, among other things, to the decision by Chancellor Friedrich Merz
Egypt is working on peace talks: Cairo wants to work again with the USA and Qatar on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip. With a new initiative, the three mediating countries were „working very hard“ to advance an existing plan for a 60-day ceasefire, said Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. The main goal was „to return to the original plan“. prosieben.de
- In the struggle for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya is expected in Cairo on Tuesday, according to Palestinian circles. Talks are to be held there on resuming negotiations. According to a Palestinian representative familiar with the matter, Hamas is ready to return to the negotiating table.
- Israeli opposition politician Yair Lapid joins the call by hostage families for a general strike. The population should participate in the planned walkout on Sunday in solidarity with those abducted by Hamas. The Histadrut trade union federation expressed solidarity but did not call on its members to stop work.
- Around 200 former and active Israeli combat pilots demonstrated in front of the military headquarters in Tel Aviv for an end to the Gaza war and an agreement to free the hostages.
According to Hamas civil defence, Israel is stepping up attacks on Gaza City: „For the third day in a row, the Israeli occupation is intensifying its bombardment,“ said civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal on Tuesday.
- 26 Western states and the European Commission are putting pressure on Israel to allow aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip. „All border crossings and routes must be used to enable a flood of aid into Gaza,“ a joint statement said. zdfheute.de
- Israel’s army last week killed five militant Palestinians disguised as humanitarian workers. The five men had been „standing next to a vehicle bearing the logo of the international humanitarian aid organisation World Central Kitchen, even though they had no connection to the organisation.“
UKRAINE
The EU insists on safeguarding Ukraine’s rights: Kyiv must be able to decide freely about its future, said a joint statement by 26 heads of state and government three days before the summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin; only Hungary refused to give its approval. zdfheute.de, tagesschau.de
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Donald Trump must not make agreements with Vladimir Putin without involving his country. He hoped the US president was aware of this. However, Friday’s meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska was „undoubtedly important for their bilateral relations“. welt.de
- Chancellery chief Thorsten Frei has issued a strong warning about Moscow’s aggressive policies. „The threat is there, and Putin has already significantly increased his armaments.“ As a consequence, Germany must be ready for defence.
Russia is preparing a new offensive: Moscow is concentrating troops in three sectors of the front, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The targets of the offensive included the cities of Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka. The Russian plans, just days before the meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, showed that Moscow did not want an end to the war. welt.de, zeit.de, faz.net
RTL/ntv trend barometer by Forsa: Union 24 percent (-1), AfD 26 percent (+1), SPD 13 percent, Greens 13 percent (+1), Left Party 11 percent (-1), BSW 4 percent, FDP 3 percent, others 6 percent. n-tv.de
Chancellor Friedrich Merz convenes CDU leadership for crisis talks on Tuesday evening at short notice: the background is ongoing difficulties in the coalition with the SPD and internal party discontent over recent decisions, particularly regarding the arms export stop to Israel, electricity tax, and the election of judges. The meeting took place in a small circle; several prominent CDU representatives were not invited. Participants in the 9 p.m. meeting at the Chancellery included CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann as well as deputy party chairs Karin Prien, Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer, Parliamentary State Secretary for Agriculture Silvia Breher, and NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann. The aim was to analyse the current situation and discuss strategies to improve government work. tagesspiegel.de, rnd.de, welt.de
Germany pays 3.2 billion euros in advance child maintenance: last year, the federal and state governments paid around 3.2 billion euros in advance child maintenance to single parents. Compared to 2023, the amount paid out increased by 551 million euros, according to the Ministry for Family Affairs. Authorities were able to recover only 17 percent of the funds. Single parents can apply to the state for advance maintenance payments if the other parent does not pay or does not pay regularly. spiegel.de
Germany’s digital sovereignty is not in sight: The Federal Office for Information Security assumes that Germany will remain dependent on foreign countries for digital technologies shortly. „We have to be honest,“ said BSI President Claudia Plattner; some major US companies already had a ten-year lead. Authorities and companies in Germany will continue to require cloud solutions, AI models, and other tech products from abroad. heise.de
The US government attests to Germany’s lack of freedom of expression: In its annual report, the US State Department stated that the human rights situation had worsened over the past year. Restrictions on freedom of expression and antisemitic violence represented significant human rights problems in Germany. There was censorship on online platforms, the authors claim, referring to EU requirements to delete hate messages. The Trump administration makes similar criticisms of other European countries, such as France and the UK. zdfheute.de, spiegel.de
Smartphone ban for young people:
Child protection advocates and media educators criticise the discussion about mobile phone bans for children and young people. zdfheute.de
Thuringia’s Minister President Mario Voigt calls for a smartphone ban in schools. faz.net
Green politician Cem Özdemir supports a social media ban for children and young people under 16.spiegel.de
More NEws:
Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer: Standard language instead of gendering is a „recommendation, not an instruction“. welt.de
Health sector calls for more funding for heat protection for patients and staff. rnd.de
NRW: Open letter from anti-nuclear activists to politicians over upcoming Castor transports. welt.de
Hesse: State-run Islamic religious education may continue to be offered in schools zdfheute.de
Saarland: No evidence of racism in prison death; Justice Minister Petra Berg promises „full investigation“ into the death of a 15-year-old Black youth. tagesspiegel.de
Berlin: Police considering legal action against the founder of the Centre for Political Beauty after disruption of Weidel summer interview. tagesspiegel.de
Saxony: Dresden blocks off self-painted zebra crossing; DIY crossing had been used by children and residents. sspiegel.de
Europe News:
Several arrests in Istanbul and Antalya during crackdown on opposition city administrations: Investigators have once again taken action against opposition-led city administrations. There were 30 arrests. Among those arrested are employees of city administrations and companies, according to the opposition party CHP. The suspects are accused of bribery and membership in a terrorist organization, among other things. In March, the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu sparked nationwide protests. The CHP considers the action to be politically motivated. The Turkish government rejects this. nau.ch
- Greece: EU asked for help with forest fires. tagesspiegel.de
- Montenegro: Soldier dies while fighting forest fires. stern.de
- Austria: Deportation to Syria stopped by European Court of Human Rights. nau.ch
- United Kingdom: Environmental agency warns of water shortages. spiegel.de
USA News
First National Guard troops arrive in the capital at the request of US President Donald Trump: Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser pointed to a decline in violent crime. She declared her willingness to cooperate, but insisted that responsibility for the police department and its employees remains with the police chief. Trump left open how long federal oversight of the police would continue. Legally, this would initially be limited to 30 days. The decision would then be up to Congress. tagesspiegel.de, rnd.de
- White House threatens homeless people with prison. n-tv.de
- US military allegedly planning rapid response force for domestic use. spiegel.de
- Trump appoints E. J. Antoni, a confidant and critic of the statistics agency, as head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. handelsblatt.com
- US President Trump is reportedly considering legal action against US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell over the unexpectedly high cost of renovating the Fed’s headquarters, which is said to be running to $3 billion. handelsblatt.com
- Trump plans cage fighting event: White House to become MMA arena. n-tv.de
- Consumer prices: US inflation stagnates despite tariff disputes tagesschau.de
- “Competitors are simply better” – Tesla falls behind even Opel in Germany businessinsider.de„
- App Store: Elon Musk threatens Apple with lawsuit over discrimination against X and Grok zeit.de
- MediaMarkt-Saturn parent company: Ceconomy merges with JD.com amid growth tagesschau.de
- Dilapidated pools, too few staff: Germany’s outdoor swimming pools are going down the drain spiegel.de
- HIV: Gene therapy could protect infants from infection aerzteblatt.de
- Democracy education: How a school in Karlsruhe became a pioneer table.media
- Hardly any positive effect: Young refugees learn German less well in welcome classes n-tv.de
- Advertising Council’s half-year review: Complaints about sexist advertising on the rise horizont.net
- Media planning with attitude: Two-thirds of media decision-makers deliberately boycott certain advertising media on a case-by-case basis – for moral reasons meedia.de
- Businesspeople instead of filmmakers: Jackie Chan criticizes Hollywood spiegel.de
- “Before it’s too late”: Madonna pleads with Pope to visit Gaza Strip n-tv.de
- Before the defamation lawsuit begins: Macron’s lawyers had right-wing US influencer investigated n-tv.de
- Former world-class player: Ex-tennis star Monica Seles suffers from severe muscle weakness spiegel.de
ASK A GERMAN: How does Dating in Germany work?
HERMAN, THE GERMAN: Meeting someone in Germany can be tricky, especially if you’re new. Many Germans date within their social circle, so friends often play matchmaker. But if you’re an expat, online dating is a great option; apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge are widely used. When it comes to first dates, it depends on the generation. Older Germans might go for a restaurant dinner or a movie, while Gen Z prefers casual meetups, like a coffee, a walk, or just hanging out. Millennials fall somewhere in between, favoring a drink at a bar or a relaxed dinner. Where do people meet? Social events, cafes, parks, and even bookstores. But no matter where or how, honesty is key. Germans are usually straightforward about their interest (or lack of it). Dating here isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about taking things at a comfortable pace.
- Stuttgart gives Bayern ultimatum in Woltemade poker – A decision on the player’s future must be made by Saturday’s Super Cup match against the record-breaking soccer champions, VfB CEO Alexander Wehrle told spiegel.de
- Dutch U-21 international: For the right wing: Bayer signs Alkmaar’s Poku kicker.de
- From king to extra: PSG demotes regular goalkeeper Donnarumma – has signed a new number one sueddeutsche.de
- Home European Hockey Championship: Embarrassment in classic match – Germany stands no chance against the Netherlands, losing 1:5 spiegel.de
- Viral moment in Emma Raducanu’s tennis match: “It’s a child. Do you want me to send the child out of the stadium?” In the third set, the British player complained about a crying child. However, the umpire allowed play to continue. spiegel.de
Hitzefrei in Germany. When summer turns classrooms into saunas, some German schools give Hitzefrei — an early end to the school day, usually if indoor temps hit around 27–30°C. This mostly applies to younger students; older pupils are expected to stick it out. For jobs, there’s no official Hitzefrei, but employers must make conditions bearable above 26°C and take serious measures over 30°C. At 35°C indoors, work shouldn’t continue unless cooling measures are in place — though don’t count on an automatic beach day