Bild: How to save smart money while shopping / So schlau können Sie beim Einkauf sparen
FAZ: Hundreds of demonstrators killed or injured in Iran / Hunderte Demonstranten im Iran getötet oder verletzt
Funke: Hope for the ICC: Senate negotiates with a potential investor / Hoffnung für das ICC: Senat verhandelt mit einem Interessenten
Handelsblatt: Europe’s trade offensive / Europas Handelsoffensive
RND: Protests in Iran: „We fear a brutal massacre“ / Proteste im Iran: „Wir befürchten ein brutales Massaker“
SZ: Protests in Iran spread further / Proteste in Iran weiten sich aus
Tagesspiegel: Power grid attack: Dobrindt declares fight on left-wing extremists / Strom-Anschlag: Dobrindt sagt Linksextremisten den Kampf an
taz: Iran protests fully veiled / Iran-Proteste voll verschleiert
Welt: EU seeks solution in dispute over Greenland / EU bemüht sich um Lösung im Streit um Grönland
The UN Security Council is addressing Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure: Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrij Sybiha announced that at the emergency meeting on Monday, the Ukrainian side would point out Russia’s blatant violations of the UN Charter. Recently, Russia has significantly expanded its attacks on Ukrainian cities. According to information from Kyiv, a hypersonic missile was also used near the Polish border.
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the United States have once again discussed a joint position for possible talks with Russia. Zelenskyy did not disclose the content or results of the talks.
- EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is urging Russia to show its willingness for peace. She referred to a 20-point plan by Ukraine that is to be implemented after a ceasefire and supported by the United States and European partners with security guarantees.
- Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants a special EU envoy for Ukraine and has suggested Mario Draghi for the role. faz.net
- The head of the UK’s foreign intelligence service, Blaise Metreweli, sees Russia pursuing a strategy of deliberately exporting instability and dismantling existing rules governing conflicts; Russia is pushing Europe into an era of strategic uncertainty. Moscow is increasingly relying on covert actions such as cyberattacks, sabotage, and intermediaries like former Wirecard manager Jan Marsalek, whose contacts with the GRU are considered part of Russian influence operations, the new MI6 chief said.
- The United Kingdom is launching the development program „Nightfall“ for a new ballistic missile with a range of over 500 kilometers. The Ministry of Defence aims to use it to give Ukraine greater striking power against distant targets.
Cold wave worsens the situation in Ukraine: The widespread power outage in the Zaporizhzhia region has largely been resolved, according to the energy provider Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo. More than 382,000 people were temporarily without electricity following Russian drone attacks. Repair teams were able to restore supplies quickly, the company said. At the same time, frost temperatures of up to minus 17 degrees Celsius are worsening conditions in the country – in many places, heating, electricity, and water are lacking. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko spoke of the most severe infrastructure damage since the start of Russia’s war of aggression. web.de, tagesspiegel.de
IRAN
The number of deaths and arrests during protests in Iran continues to rise: The extent of repression against the protests in Iran is increasing further. According to the US-based human rights network HRANA, more than 500 people have been killed so far, including nearly 50 members of the regime’s security forces. More than 10,000 people have been arrested. CNN reports, citing HRANA, that at least 490 demonstrators have been killed in the past two weeks alone. Axios correspondent Barak Ravid also quoted a government source saying the death toll could already be over 1,000.focus.de, faz.net, n-tv.de
- Despite massive repression, tens of thousands of people have once again gathered in Tehran and other locations to protest against the government. Police and Revolutionary Guards are responding with increasing violence; authorities have shut down internet access. The prosecutor general threatened participants on state television, calling them „enemies of God“ and warning they could be punished with death. stern.de
- Iranian government calls for rallies in support of the Islamic Republic. President Massoud Pezeshkian announced nationwide rallies called a „March of Resistance“ for Monday to support the Islamic Republic; he spoke of „urban terrorists.“ The government imposed three days of national mourning and pointed out that members of the security forces had been killed during the protests.tagesschau.de
- Solidarity rallies in European cities. In Paris, London, Berlin, and Frankfurt am Main, several thousand people protested in solidarity with Iranian demonstrators. At the rallies, support for the freedom movement in Iran was emphasized.rbb24.de
- Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has called on Germany and the EU to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization. He justified this by pointing to their central role in suppressing protests in Iran. Saar also assured the people of Iran of support; Israel stands behind their fight for freedom.
- EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has demanded the immediate release of all demonstrators detained in Iran and the restoration of internet access. She stated that Europe stands firmly by the people of Iran and strongly condemned the violent repression.
- EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola has called on Iranian demonstrators to continue their resistance against the regime. She urged Tehran to stop the killings and release political prisoners.
- Chair of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee Armin Laschet has called for tougher sanctions against Iran’s regime. The leadership must face consequences for violence, torture, and murder of its own people, he told the Funke newspapers; the people in Iran have lost their fear.
- Bundestag Vice President Omid Nouripour wants to help demonstrators in Iran with Starlink. n-tv.de
- US President Donald Trump is being briefed on possible military and non-military options in dealing with the situation in Iran, CNN reports. He assured demonstrators of support but left open what concrete assistance the United States would provide. Trump had pledged support to participants in the ongoing mass protests against the regime. faz.net
- Iran has warned the United States and Israel against supporting the protest movement and threatened attacks on US bases and Israeli targets in the event of military intervention. Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf described such targets as „legitimate.“
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BamS Sunday trend from Insa: Union 24 per cent (-1), AfD 26 per cent, SPD 15 per cent, Greens 12 per cent (+1), Left Party 11 per cent, BSW 3 per cent (-1), FDP 4 per cent, others 6 per cent.bild.de
Chancellor Friedrich Merz travels to India with a business delegation. Merz has begun his first major trip to Asia in New Delhi, a move that is being interpreted in Berlin as a foreign policy signal to what is now the world’s fifth-largest economy. The two-day visit includes a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his home state of Gujarat. Merz is accompanied by a large business delegation pressing for closer cooperation in industry and trade. Both countries in particular want to deepen their defense cooperation; Berlin also sees this as an opportunity to reduce New Delhi’s dependence on Russian military equipment. faz.net, welt.de, faz.net, tagesspiegel.de
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil promotes closer cooperation with the United States on critical raw materials: Ahead of his departure for Washington, Lars Klingbeil called for stronger international cooperation on access to critical raw materials. In Washington, finance ministers from several major industrialized countries are meeting at the invitation of the US government to discuss trade in strategic materials such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earths. These raw materials are central to key technologies but are currently heavily dependent on a small number of supplier countries such as China. Klingbeil emphasized that Germany and the EU are committed to fair, rules-based, and reliable trade. tagesspiegel.de
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announces tougher measures against left-wing extremism after the Berlin power attack: The package includes increased staffing for the intelligence services and expanded digital powers, Dobrindt told Bild am Sonntag. This is intended to enable better monitoring of extremist networks and faster analysis of online traces. In addition, laws to protect critical infrastructure are to be tightened. faz.net, derstandard.at, spiegel.de, tagesschau.de
- „Volcano groups,“ „Switch off,“ and the „Angry Birds Command“: investigators are groping in the dark. faz.net
The Association of German Cities calls for a national emergency reserve with mobile power plants. It is not enough to equip only individual facilities with emergency generators – a federal-level reserve is needed, said Christian Schuchardt, Chief Executive, to the Rheinische Post. Budget funds for civil protection must also increase significantly. The German Civil Servants’ Federation also called for consequences; chairman Volker Geyer warned that the Berlin case had shown Germany was not prepared for crises of this kind. web.de
Bavaria’s Agriculture Minister Michaela Kaniber calls for stronger precautions for food security in crises: Germany is insufficiently prepared for crises, Kaniber told Merkur. Food security must receive greater focus as part of civil defense. Agriculture must become more independent of imports in order to be able to supply the population and the armed forces in an emergency. According to Kaniber, Germany must be capable, in a defense scenario, of supplying hundreds of thousands of NATO soldiers with food. stern.de
Berlin wants to hold car rental companies more accountable for illegal races and drug-related driving: Justice Senator Felor Badenberg announced that she would introduce a draft bill to the Bundesrat in February to close gaps in criminal law relating to illegal street racing and drug driving. The aim is to hold car rental companies accountable if they knowingly or through gross negligence provide vehicles to criminal groups. Specially established companies would provide customers with high-end vehicles that are then used as tools for crimes – not only illegal races but also, for example, drug distribution. According to Badenberg, it has so far been almost impossible to prove negligence or intent without their active involvement. tagesspiegel.de
Health policymakers push for higher alcohol taxes: The SPD and the CDU/CSU want to raise taxes on alcoholic beverages to reduce consumption and ease the burden on the healthcare system. SPD health expert Christos Pantazis referred to international experience showing that even moderate price increases counter risky drinking behavior. He described the current taxation as no longer up to date. CDU politician Simone Borchardt called for a particular focus on spirits, as the risk of addiction and illness is especially high in this segment. welt.de
Health Minister Nina Warken and her predecessor Karl Lauterbach reject US criticism of Germany’s handling of Covid: US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had accused Germany of violating patient autonomy during the Covid pandemic. Warken described the accusations as „factually incorrect“ and emphasized that she would personally explain the German legal framework to Kennedy. Lauterbach pointed to structural problems in the American healthcare system, such as low life expectancy, high costs, and high numbers of drug- and homicide-related deaths. He made it clear that courts in Germany are independent and that doctors are not persecuted by the government. handelsblatt.com, spiegel.de, tagesschau.de
Further reports:
- CDU politician Klaus Wiener calls for more tax competition among the federal states. deutschlandfunk.de
- 32 Afghans brought to Germany from an admission program. zeit.de
- New intelligence warning about the use of German technology in Russia alarms politicians. handelsblatt.com
- Gas supply remains stable despite cold weather, according to the Federal Network Agency. n-tv.de
- Federal government rejects states’ proposal for boarding-pass identity checks. handelsblatt.com
- Environment Minister Carsten Schneider: „I’m not the type to make others feel guilty while on vacation.“ rp-online.de
- SPD: „Germany basket“ intended to help counter expensive food. rp-online.de
- IG Metall chairwoman Christiane Benner: Employers’ associations are undermining social partnership. faz.net
- Civil Servants’ Federation DBB: Skills shortage in the public sector is growing. tagesschau.de
- Online public administration services are hardly used. n-tv.de
German Weather Service warns of widespread black ice at the start of the week: At the beginning of the week, dangerous black ice threatens many regions of Germany. The DWD initially expects snowfall moving in from the west, followed by rain that freezes on frozen ground. Several federal states will be affected, in some cases with severe weather-like conditions. The weather situation could significantly disrupt commuter traffic on Monday and Tuesday.
- Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder has called on drivers and pedestrians nationwide to exercise particular caution. The ADAC urged motorists to leave their cars parked if there is a risk of flash ice.
- Numerous schools in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen, and Lower Saxony are switching to distance learning due to the risk of icy conditions; in some cases, only emergency care is being offered.
- Deutsche Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla defended crisis management during winter storm „Elli.“ Despite weather-related disruptions in the north, the safety of passengers and employees had taken priority; no train was stranded on open tracks. CDU politician Christoph Ploß and Green transport policy expert Matthias Gastel criticized the multi-day restrictions on rail services. zeit.de
- Berlin’s municipal cleaning service has rejected the Greens’ proposal that it should also take over sidewalk snow clearing in winter in the future. The additional route of around 12,000 kilometers could not be handled with existing resources; outsourcing to external companies was also not an option due to a lack of capacity. The Greens justified their proposal by arguing that the current rule, under which each property owner must clear their own section of sidewalk, is evidently not working.
Further news:
- Hamburg: CDU wants more funding for military tasks at the port. abendblatt.de
- Berlin: 8,500 participants at memorial march for murdered communist leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. rbb24.de
- Brandenburg: Motion for new elections after coalition collapse in the state parliament fails. n-tv.de
- Thuringia: CDU wants funding not to be tied to job retention. thueringer-allgemeine.de
- Brandenburg: Independent candidate Thomas Nützsche becomes new mayor of Schipkau. rbb24.de
- Hesse: Thousands of helpers sought for local elections in 2026. hessenschau.de
- Baden-Württemberg: Burglars vandalize schools and daycare centers in the Stuttgart area. spiegel.de
- NRW: Savings bank chief Michael Klotz defends security measures in Gelsenkirchen. rnd.de
EU states approve trade agreement with Mercosur: After decades of negotiations, the trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur countries is to be signed in Paraguay. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa plan to travel to Asunción for the occasion. The agreement with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay received approval by a qualified majority of member states in Brussels on Friday, while France, Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Ireland voted against it as expected. Whether the treaty will enter into force immediately remains unclear – the European Parliament still has to approve it. handelsblatt.com, derstandard.de
Trump’s claims to Greenland rejected once again: Ahead of their trip to the United States, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil rejected Washington’s territorial claims to Greenland. Wadephul emphasized that only Greenland and Denmark can decide issues of territory and sovereignty. Klingbeil expressed a similar view. US President Donald Trump justifies his demands by citing concerns about Russian or Chinese influence on the island.
- Five Greenlandic party leaders jointly rejected US President Donald Trump’s takeover plans. In their statement, they emphasized citizens’ right to self-determination and called for an end to all discussions about a possible purchase or military takeover by the United States. zdfheute.de
- Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul signaled openness to a greater German contribution to military security in the Arctic. Solutions must be found within NATO, he said during a stop in Reykjavík, where he met Iceland’s Foreign Minister Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir. handelsblatt.com
- Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is traveling to Washington for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The focus will be on the situation in Ukraine and Trump’s threats to seize Greenland by force. Meetings with UN Secretary-General António Guterres are also planned. web.de
- Green Party politician Jürgen Trittin calls for the Bundeswehr to be deployed in Greenland.t-online.de
Further reports:
- EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius recommends a 100,000-strong European army, which could potentially replace US troops. n-tv.de
- EU recorded a significant decline in asylum applications in 2025. ksta.de
- WhatsApp: EU Commission continues to review classification as a VLOP. heise.de
- Because of a nude-images feature: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen threatens platform X with consequences. spiegel.de
- EU cyber agency secretly uses AI for reports – and gets caught. heise.de
Winter weather and a wave of colds are leading to shortages in blood reserves: Several university hospitals are warning of declining blood supplies. Leipzig University Hospital reports significantly reduced stocks, especially of blood group O Rh-positive. Freiburg University Hospital also speaks of a strained supply situation. The reasons are the high number of people who are temporarily unable to donate due to illness, as well as weather-related cancellations. According to the health insurer AOK, the number of regular donors has been declining for years. n-tv.de
Further news:
- Mercedes changes its strategy on autonomous driving. handelsblatt.com
- Survey: Majority can imagine changing jobs. n-tv.de
In Germany, even blood donations run on punctuality and paperwork. You can faint heroically on the donation chair, but heaven forbid you forget your ID or show up with a mild cold — rules are rules. The result? Winter weather plus sniffles equals empty fridges at hospitals. So if you’re healthy, hydrated, and properly documented, this might be the most German good deed you can do this week: book an appointment, be on time, and save a life — efficiently.