Bild: Bayern star in love with Scholl’s daughter (17) / Bayern-Star liebt Scholl-Tochter (17)
FAZ: Merz wants to discuss Germany’s contribution to Ukraine’s security / Merz will über deutschen Beitrag für Sicherheit der Ukraine sprechen
Funke: Senate cuts all funding for protection of green spaces / Senat kürzt alle Mittel für Schutz von Grünanlagen
Handelsblatt: N26 founder steps down / N26-Gründer tritt ab
RND: „It’s reality TV“: How Trump uses the Selenskyj meeting for his staging / „Es ist Reality-TV“: Wie Trump das Selenskyj-Treffen für seine Inszenierung nutzt
SZ: Is Berlin sending soldiers to Ukraine? / Schickt Berlin Soldaten in die Ukraine?
Tagesspiegel: Struggle for peace in Ukraine: US and Europe push forward – Russia slows down / Ringen um Frieden für die Ukraine: USA und Europa drücken aufs Tempo – Russland bremst
taz: Trump’s new peace plan: man against man / Trumps neuer Friedensplan: Mann gegen Mann
Welt: Trump preparing meeting between Putin and Selenskyj / Trump bereitet Treffen zwischen Putin und Selenskyj vor
Hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Gaza have little to eat: the danger of famine is a „direct result of the Israeli government’s policy of blocking humanitarian aid.“ The UN criticizes Israel’s evacuation orders for large parts of the population of the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have little or no access to food, water, electricity, and tents. Residents of the Gaza Strip have been told by Israel to move to the Al-Mawasi area, even though airstrikes continue there and catastrophic humanitarian conditions prevail. handelsblatt.com
- A ship carrying about 1,200 tons of food for the Gaza Strip has approached Israel’s port city of Ashdod. From there, further transport into the Gaza Strip is planned, where World Central Kitchen is supposed to handle distribution.
- The UN has accused Israel of blocking the delivery of tents into the Gaza Strip. Israel has been halting such aid deliveries for about five months. During that time, more than 700,000 people in the Gaza Strip have been displaced, some of them multiple times.
- Israel has carried out attacks in Deir al-Balah in the center and in Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. Several people were killed near distribution points for relief supplies.
Israel’s army and domestic intelligence service Shin Bet have killed a fighter of the Hamas terrorist organization who is said to have been involved in the abduction of family father - Yarden Bibas on October 7, 2023. Bibas was the only member of his family to survive captivity and was released during a ceasefire in February. rnd.de
Israel’s response to a mediation proposal is still pending: The US continues to discuss a ceasefire proposal for a 60-day truce, which radical Islamist Hamas has accepted, says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Israel is sticking to its demand for the release of all 50 hostages still held by Hamas, reports TV channel Kan. The proposal includes a 60-day truce and the release of half of the hostages. zeit.de
UKRAINE WAR
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin agrees to meet with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy: White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Putin had „promised“ a direct meeting in the coming weeks. Russia reacted cautiously to US president Donald Trump’s efforts for a quick meeting. Moscow is in principle open to any format of talks, said foreign minister Sergei Lavrov; „But all contacts involving heads of state must be prepared with the utmost care.“ zdfheute.de, tagesspiegel.de, spiegel.de
- U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed doubts about Russia’s President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to reach a peace deal with Ukraine. It was possible that the Russian president did not want to sign an agreement, Trump said on Fox News. spiegel.de
- Donald Trump has consulted with Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban on Ukraine. The talks on Monday dealt with Ukraine’s negotiations with the EU on membership in the union.rnd.de
Details of security guarantees for Ukraine: Following the videoconference of EU heads of state and government to review the Ukraine summit in Washington, EU Council president Antonio Costa spoke of growing momentum regarding security guarantees for Ukraine. Now was the time to accelerate efforts and create a protection pledge; furthermore, the EU enlargement process regarding Ukraine needed to be advanced. de.euronews.com
- U.S. President Donald Trump sees no problem with European ground troops in Ukraine. France, Germany, and the UK are considering sending soldiers to Ukraine to secure a possible peace. He did not believe this would be a problem for Russia’s president. „Putin is war-weary,“ Trump stressed. spiegel.de
The US could provide air support for European peacekeeping troops, Donald Trump said on Fox News. He again ruled out sending US soldiers to Ukraine. Trump said about the so-called coalition of the willing in Europe: „When it comes to security, they are ready to put people on the ground.“ - Britain’s prime minister Keir Starmer said after the videoconference of the „coalition of the willing“ that they wanted to meet with US partners to specify the security guarantees. The White House in Washington declared that US president Donald Trump had instructed the National Security Council to take over discussions with the Europeans.
- Defense minister Boris Pistorius said they were working intensively with partners on the details of security guarantees. Germany would participate; however, the German contribution still needed to be determined politically and militarily.
- Foreign minister Johann Wadephul announced talks on the subject also with the opposition in the Bundestag.
- France’s president Emmanuel Macron called Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin a „predator.“ Russia had become a permanently destabilizing power and a potential threat. Since the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, Putin had rarely kept his promises. Europeans must not be naive in dealing with Putin. n-tv.de
Discussion in Germany on security guarantees for Ukraine:
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Europeans strongly welcomed US president Donald Trump’s announcement to give Kyiv security guarantees in case of a peace agreement. Whether Germany would eventually also provide ground troops would only be clear at the end of the debate. sueddeutsche.de
- Foreign minister Johann Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk that US participation in security guarantees was a new quality. With regard to a possible deployment of the Bundeswehr, Wadephul said it first had to be clear what it was capable of. deutschlandfunk.de
- SPD foreign policy expert Rolf Mützenich was cautious. It was unclear what tasks national troops would have exactly. Mützenich argued that the UN or OSCE should first be involved.
- Left Party leader Jan van Aken criticized that the debate was currently only about stationing NATO soldiers, who would then directly face Russian soldiers. He had advocated for a UN peacekeeping force as an observer mission. zdfheute.de
RTL/ntv trend barometer by Forsa: CDU/CSU 25 percent (+1), AfD 26 percent, SPD 13 percent, Greens 12 percent (-1), Left Party 12 percent (+1), BSW 3 percent (-1), FDP 3 percent, Others 6 percent. n-tv.de
Dispute over tax increases: Finance Minister and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil did not rule out tax increases, especially for high earners, considering the budget gap. zdfheute.de, faz.net
- CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann told Stern that people „just shake their heads when, after the insane debts, we now also come up with tax increases.“
- Union parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn rejected tax increases in Focus: „We have to make do with the resources we have.“
- CSU leader Markus Söder also strictly rejected tax increases; that would not happen with the CSU. Tax increases were poison for the economy and, for good reason, were not included in the coalition agreement. zeit.de
- SPD deputy parliamentary group leader Wiebke Esdar said, „To categorically reject tax increases for the richest means endangering the agreed relief for millions of people and the urgently needed growth stimulus.“
Bundeswehr participates in the emergency exercise „Quadriga 2025“: Approximately 8,000 German soldiers will train alongside the armed forces of 13 other NATO partners in the coming weeks to defend the Baltic Sea region in times of crisis and war. According to the Bundeswehr, the exercise includes moving troops and equipment by sea, land, and air to NATO’s eastern flank in Lithuania. The transfers may cause traffic restrictions in northern and eastern Germany. t-online.de
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul calls for the rapid conclusion of the EU trade agreement with Indonesia. In light of the tariff dispute with the US government, Wadephul wants closer trade and economic cooperation with Asian countries such as Japan and Indonesia. During a visit to Osaka, he said Germany wanted to broaden its trade and supply chains by strengthening existing partnerships and building a robust network. In this context, he advocated the rapid conclusion of the EU free trade agreement Cepa with Indonesia.
CSU state parliamentary group wants to equate e-cigarettes, e-shishas and heated tobacco products with traditional tobacco smoking: The aim is to consistently extend protection against health risks, especially for children and adolescents. Since 2008, Bavaria’s Health Protection Act has banned smoking tobacco in public buildings such as schools, restaurants, or airports. This ban has not yet applied to e-cigarettes, e-shishas and heated tobacco products. CSU parliamentary group leader Klaus Holetschek said health protection must have no loopholes; these were not harmless lifestyle products. sueddeutsche.de
Other reports:
- Constitutional protection warns about Iran’s intelligence services. tagesspiegel.de
- German Foundation for Monument Protection complains about increasing loss of monuments.faz.net
- Federal Environment Agency warns Merz about false climate promises. welt.de
- Deportations from Pakistan: sponsorship network criticizes „irresponsible policy.“ rnd.de
Berlin raises fines for dog waste and cigarette butts: Anyone who litters in Berlin faces significantly higher fines. Dumping old tires will cost 700 euros each, and a discarded mattress will cost 100 euros. Environmentally harmful cigarette butts carelessly thrown on the ground will cost 250 euros in the future, as will uncollected dog waste. Improperly disposed of disposable cups or drink cartons can also be fined 250 euros. welt.de
Other News:
Berlin: Justice senator Felor Badenberg victim of cyberattack; personal data stolen. tagesspiegel.de
Bavaria, Saxony, Thuringia: Raids in biker scene; investigations linked to extortion. tagesschau.de
Saxony-Anhalt: Indictment against driver in deadly Magdeburg Christmas market crash. zeit.de
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: State government simplifies hiring of new civil servants. n-tv.de
Saxony: Liaison office opened in Santiago, Chile to recruit students and skilled workers. bildungsklick.de
Cologne: World’s largest computer games fair „Gamescom“ opens. zdfheute.de
383 humanitarian workers killed in 2024: Last year, more humanitarian workers were killed worldwide than ever before, around a third more than in the previous year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on World Humanitarian Day. Another 308 were injured, 125 kidnapped and 45 arrested. The devastating trend continues; this year, 265 aid workers have already been killed while working or at home. orf.at, spiegel.de, derstandard.at
More News:
- EU Commission defends funding for research on Islam and Islamophobia. de.euronews.com
- Entrepreneurs criticize EU’s billion-euro plan for AI gigafactories. capital.de
- Serbia: Demonstrators attack ruling party headquarters again. zeit.de
- Spain: More than 1,100 dead since the beginning of August due to heat wave. orf.at
- Belgium: Continued investment in global health. grenzecho.net
- Nigeria: Several dead in attack on mosque in Unguwan Mantau. spiegel.de
- Congo: Amnesty accuses warring parties of human rights violations. zeit.de
- Iran: Man publicly hanged after murder conviction. t-online.de
- Afghanistan: Water conflict between Iran and the Taliban threatens to escalate. n-tv.de
- India: Flight connections between India and China agreed; three border crossings reopened for goods traffic. table.media/china
- North Korea: Kim Jong-un announces expansion of nuclear weapons program. faz.net
USA News
USA extends steel and aluminum tariffs: The US government under President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on hundreds of additional products made of steel and aluminum. According to a statement, tariffs of 50 percent have been applied to the 407 product categories since the beginning of the week. The products include motorcycles and mopeds, door and window frames, sports equipment, crane vehicles, and railroad cars. The tariffs will also apply to imports from Germany and the EU. handelsblatt.com, zdfheute.de
- US Congress receives Epstein files. web.de
- Donald Trump threatens to withdraw funding from state museums. spiegel.de
- The US wants to screen immigration candidates for „anti-American“ views. welt.de
- Recruiting with AI: Artificial discrimination in human resources golem.de
- Possible end to subsidies: Solar industry warns of wave of layoffs tagesschau.de
- Emergency physician calls for nationwide introduction of first aid courses in schools. deutschlandfunk.de
- The future of electric cars: How electric cars are becoming attractive for long distances faz.net
- Farmers respond to drought: More soy, more irrigation – plants need less water tagesschau.de
- From coronavirus to influenza: mRNA cocktail for universal virus defense – research team from New York presents concept pharmazeutische-zeitung.de
- Tropical viruses: Italy particularly affected – Coronavirus cases on the rise in Europe t-online.de
- Cyberattack on Gmail: A quarter of the world’s population affected netzwelt.de
- Gamescon: World’s largest computer game fair kicks off in Cologne n-tv.de
- Contradictory and complicated: the CDU, Reichelt & Nius kress.de
- Literary award: These 20 titles are competing for the German Book Prize spiegel.de
- Eurovision Song Contest: Zero Points – For its 70th birthday, the Eurovision Song Contest is getting a new logo. Fans are appalled. But from a design perspective, one might also ask: What’s the point? sueddeutsche.de
- Streaming services: How Spotify is jeopardizing the value of music – The value chain has been destroyed by streaming, criticizes music producer Johann Scheerer. deutschlandfunkkultur.de
- Ticket scandal surrounding Taylor Swift: Resellers sued over million-dollar deal rollingstone.de
- Leipzig author writes novel “Die Wut ist ein heller Stern” (Anger is a bright star) about the Nazi era in the Reeperbahn milieu mdr.de
- Cup match against BVB: Essen professional player racially abused after foul – RWE player Kelsey Owusu committed a nasty foul in the cup match against Borussia Dortmund. Afterwards, he was insulted hundreds of times online. spiegel.de
- Contract terminated: Boateng’s time in Linz already over sportschau.de
- “He asked me how much I earn”: Former LaLiga star Walter Pandiani criticizes “very arrogant” Cristiano Ronaldo goal.com
- US Open: Mixed competition becomes a show tournament – The US Open does not start until next week. However, the mixed tournament is already underway. This is part of a reform that will bring more attention to the competition, but also more criticism. spiegel.de
- Cycling – Preview of the 2025 Tour of Germany: Lipowitz has no chance against Milan and Co. radsport-news.com
One of the hottest contenders for Jugendwort des Jahres 2025 is sybau – short for „Shut your b*** a** up!“. Sounds harsh? In practice, it’s usually the opposite: teens and twenty-somethings toss it around on TikTok and in chats with a wink, more playful clap-back than insult. Part of the charm is that the word looks and sounds almost cute, even though the literal meaning is anything but. Think of it as the 2025 way of saying „oh, please“ – just with a cheekier edge.