Bild: How to get your active pension / So bekommen Sie Aktivrente
FAZ: Union insists on a lottery system for military service / Union besteht auf Losverfahren beim Wehrdienst
Funke: Berlin Senate plans „climate pact“ worth 13.6 billion euros / Berliner Senat plant „Klimapakt“ für 13,6 Milliarden Euro
Handelsblatt: Cry for help from industry / Hilferuf der Industrie
RND: Why health insurance contributions will continue to rise despite the savings package / Warum die Kassenbeiträge trotz des Sparpakets weiter steigen werden
SZ: Higher health insurance contributions are looming / Es drohen höhere Kassenbeiträge
Tagesspiegel: Federal cabinet approves savings package: Warken promises stable health insurance contributions / Bundeskabinett beschließt Sparpaket: Warken verspricht stabile Krankenkassenbeiträge
taz: Coalition draws lots / Koalition lost
Welt: CDU/CSU parliamentary group wants to stop the military service law / Unionsfraktion will Gesetz zum Wehrdienst stoppen
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier reprimands the government in the dispute over the military service model: In an interview with SWR, Steinmeier spoke of a „communication failure“ and expressed doubts about whether the proposed lottery system was a suitable instrument. The Union and SPD have been arguing for weeks about compulsory elements within the planned model; a joint press conference was cancelled at short notice. It is considered unusual for Steinmeier to intervene so directly in an ongoing government debate. In general, Steinmeier has long advocated for a social service requirement for young people. The Bundestag is debating the draft law for the first time.zeit.de, faz.net
- Armed Forces Commissioner Henning Otte calls on Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to show willingness to compromise. zeit.de
- Despite the uproar, the Bundestag is proceeding with the military service law. zeit.de
ISRAEL-GAZA
Israel threatens Hamas with a new offensive if bodies are not fully returned: Instead of the agreed 28 hostage bodies, Hamas handed over only the remains of nine people. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military was preparing operational plans should the Islamists continue to violate the agreement. Israel would act in close coordination with the U.S. in that case. Hamas had previously claimed to have returned all „recoverable“ bodies, citing logistical difficulties in retrieving others. spiegel.de, tagesspiegel.de, zeit.de
- One of the returned bodies was not a hostage. A genetic test showed that one of the corpses handed over did not belong to an Israeli hostage; it may be a Palestinian who was killed. Hamas had already handed over a wrong body in February.
U.S. Central Command calls on Hamas to end executions in the Gaza Strip: Commander Brad Cooper condemned the violence against civilians as unacceptable, contradicting President Trump’s earlier comments that appeared to justify Hamas’s actions. His remarks drew international criticism for appearing to legitimize the executions carried out by Hamas. Germany and the Palestinian Authority also strongly condemned the killings. Images of a public execution organized by Hamas caused outrage worldwide. rnd.de
WFP resumes aid deliveries to Gaza: For the first time since the latest prisoner exchange, World Food Programme trucks have entered the Gaza Strip again. The WFP confirmed the delivery and announced plans to expand access in the coming days. The aid is part of the agreed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. However, Israel said it would initially limit the number of shipments due to delays in the return of the bodies of hostages.
Israel had planned to reopen the Rafah border crossing for humanitarian aid to Gaza on Wednesday, but this did not happen by late evening. 600 trucks were supposed to bring aid supplies into the Palestinian territory.
- The EU emphasized its readiness to deploy border guards at the Rafah crossing once conditions allow. After ongoing delays, the EU urged full and prompt implementation of the agreements.
- The UN called on Israel to fully open all border crossings to Gaza for humanitarian deliveries. According to the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, unrestricted access must be guaranteed as part of the agreement.
- The World Health Organization stressed the urgent need for quick delivery of medical supplies and the rebuilding of destroyed hospitals in Gaza.
- Development Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan plans at least 200 million euros in immediate aid for Gaza’s reconstruction. The funds are to be strictly monitored to prevent them from reaching Hamas.
UKRAINE
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatens Russia with consequences for the ongoing war: At a Ukraine Contact Group meeting in Brussels, he warned of further steps if no path toward peace is seen in Moscow. The U.S. and its allies would greatly increase the cost of Russia’s aggression, he said. Hegseth added that peace could be achieved by „being strong.“
- The U.S. urges European allies to contribute more financially to military support for Ukraine. According to Hegseth, NATO states should buy more American weapons; NATO and the EU are jointly considering building a protection system against Russian drones.
- Kyiv has high hopes for the upcoming meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump. The Ukrainian leadership expects Washington to pave the way for a political solution to the conflict with Russia, centered on Kyiv’s wish to purchase U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles. Zelensky is expected at the White House on Friday.
- A Ukrainian government delegation has met with leading U.S. arms manufacturers to discuss potential arms deliveries, including Tomahawk missiles. Moscow warns that this could escalate the conflict dramatically.
Ukraine estimates its military aid needs for 2026 at up to 20 billion dollars. The funds are to expand drone production and finance the purchase of Western weapons under a NATO initiative. - Germany and Ukraine are expanding cooperation in the defense industry. An agreement signed by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal includes joint projects in air defense, training, and labor mobility. It is intended to strengthen Ukraine’s defense and deterrence capabilities while allowing Germany to benefit from Ukraine’s innovation potential.
- Germany is providing another military aid package for Ukraine worth more than two billion euros, including additional air defense systems, precision-guided missiles, and communication equipment.
YouGov Sunday poll: Union 27 percent (+1), AfD 26 percent (-1), SPD 14 percent (-1), Greens 11 percent, Left 10 percent (+1), BSW 4 percent (-1), FDP 3 percent (-1), Others 5 percent. yougov.de
Merz statement on migration sparks outrage – government spokesman responds. Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius described Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s controversial remark on migration as a political statement by the CDU leader rather than a government position. During a press conference in Potsdam, Merz referred to migration policy as „very advanced“ but added, „of course, we still have this problem in the cityscape,“ explaining that the interior minister was working to enable large-scale deportations. The comment triggered widespread criticism online, with many interpreting it as a rejection of migrants. Kornelius defended Merz, saying it was not fair to accuse him of racism. He stressed that Merz has always emphasized that migration policy should not be about exclusion but about orderly immigration. Kornelius added, „I don’t believe the Chancellor has a problem with the cityscape.“ welt.de
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil promotes Germany as an investment location at the IMF’s annual meeting in Washington, highlighting corporate tax reform and pro-growth measures to attract international investors.
Germany plans to expand national drone defense significantly amid growing threats from surveillance and hybrid attacks. State Secretary Florian Hahn and Deputy Defense Minister Nils Schmid announced a ten-year, ten-billion-euro investment plan to strengthen air defense and prepare the Bundeswehr for hybrid warfare.
Cabinet:
- The savings package for statutory health insurance aims to keep average additional contributions stable. Most cuts affect hospitals, which will be reimbursed under a new calculation model.
- The approved „active pension“ will allow retirees to earn up to 2,000 euros tax-free per month if they continue working beyond the regular retirement age.
- Extension of car tax exemption for electric vehicles by five years for cars registered before the end of 2030, lasting a maximum of ten years and ending no later than 2035.
- A new microelectronics strategy has been adopted in Germany to boost chip production over the next decade, with a focus on AI and industrial chips, and a preference for domestic suppliers.
Health Minister Nina Warken calls for a balance in planned sick leave reform, stating that both doctors’ and employers’ interests must be carefully weighed. tagesschau.de
Ukrainian refugees are increasingly integrating into the German labor market: their share has tripled within two years and stood at 0.6 percent at the end of 2024. This was announced by the Institute for Employment Research. Compared to other refugee groups, integration is thus proceeding much more quickly. According to the researchers, the qualifications of many Ukrainians are particularly well suited to the requirements of the German economy. Nevertheless, obstacles remain, such as psychological stress as a result of the war. The growth is mainly concentrated in small and medium-sized enterprises. spiegel.de
The dispute over the broadcasting fee continues: The Federal Administrative Court has dismissed a lawsuit against the payment of broadcasting fees to the lower court. A plaintiff from Bavaria had challenged the broadcasting fee on the grounds of a lack of balance in public service broadcasting. However, according to the Leipzig judges, there is no direct connection between the obligation to pay fees and the fulfillment of the programming mandate in terms of content. A violation of constitutional law would only exist if diversity of opinion and balance were clearly disregarded over a longer period of time. The case must now be reheard before the Bavarian Administrative Court. sueddeutsche.de, dwdl.de
The Ifo Institute identified over 500 social benefits at the federal level, calling for more data to evaluate their effectiveness. spiegel.de
Other news:
- Young CDU/CSU members still refuse to support the pension package. welt.de
- SPD wants purchase bonuses only for low-cost European electric cars. sueddeutsche.de
- Government plans major staff cuts at the Federal Environment Agency. welt.de
- Health insurance contributions remain stable, according to estimates. zeit.de
- Media authorities warn that AI search tools threaten information diversity. kress.de
Schleswig-Holstein: Kiel mayoral candidate Samet Yilmaz under pressure over possible ties to Turkish extremists. kn-online.de
Berlin: Green politician Stefan Gelbhaar to run in 2026 Berlin election against a party colleague in Pankow. tagesspiegel.de
Rhineland-Palatinate: Measures to protect relatives from online hate. zeit.de
Hessen: Calls grow for structural police reform after Frankfurt scandal. faz.net
Berlin: Left MP Cem Ince accused of hitting police officer during a demonstration. tagesspiegel.de
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Deputy Interior Minister Wolfgang Schmülling resigns. ndr.de
Hamburg: Cable damage disrupts northern train traffic until Thursday. spiegel.de
Rhineland-Palatinate: President Steinmeier awards Orders of Merit to dedicated citizens. zeit.de
NATO and EU plan joint defense wall against drone threats: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced a joint project to strengthen protection against attacks, with NATO providing systems and the EU financing. The plan follows Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace. augsburger-allgemeine.de, faz.net
IMF defends restrained reaction to U.S. tariffs as stabilizing: IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said avoiding retaliation supports global economic stability and resilience amid geopolitical tensions. zdfheute.de
Other reports:
- EU Commission denies plan to ban filter cigarettes.
- Ursula von der Leyen visits the Western Balkans to promote EU enlargement.
- EU politicians push for more ambitious climate targets ahead of the climate summit.
- EU Commission proposes stricter rules for Airbnb to combat high rents.
- Green MEP Daniel Freund allegedly spied on; complaint filed against Hungary’s PM Viktor Orbán.
- EU aims to double the share of young farmers.
- EU sanctions harm Kosovo.
What does it really mean to adapt – not just to a new place, but to a whole new culture? In our latest, we sit down with Nancy Bravo, founder of Bravo Intercultural, who has spent the last 24 years in Germany helping others navigate the emotional and practical challenges of migration. From her own journey as a Mexican living in Hamburg to creating workshops and writing her book Bravo Soy Internacional, Nancy shares powerful tools for adaptation not just for migrants, but for host communities too. She reminds us that interculturality is more than coexistence. It’s about meeting each other at eye level, embracing differences without fear, and co-creating something new together. Along the way, we talk about cultural shock, why rules in Germany often stem from fairness, and even how a single word – Apapacho (a hug with the heart) can change how we think about belonging. Listen now here.
The German Art of „Schuhplatteln“ – Slapping Your Way Through Tradition.If you ever find yourself at a Bavarian folk festival and see men in lederhosen slapping their thighs, knees, and even the soles of their shoes to the rhythm of an accordion – don’t be alarmed. You’re witnessing Schuhplatteln, a traditional Alpine dance that dates back to the 11th century. Originally a courtship ritual (yes, the slapping was meant to impress potential partners), it’s now a proud part of Bavarian and Tyrolean culture. Today, Schuhplatteln groups perform it at weddings, beer festivals, and national celebrations – often with a mix of serious athleticism and good humor.