Bild: Afghan man attacks kindergarten children with knife | Afghane greift Kita-Kinder mit Messer an
FAZ: Scholz complains about cheap talk in the debate over aid to Ukraine | Scholz beklagt Sprücheklopferei in der Debatte über Ukrainehilfe
Funke: Verdi announces one-day warning strike at BVG next Monday | Verdi kündigt eintägigen Warnstreik der BVG für kommenden Montag an
Handelsblatt: Europe’s offer to Trump | Europas Angebot an Trump
RND: Blame game after an „appalling day“ – Dürr calls for crisis meeting | Schuldzuweisungen nach einem „entsetzlichen Tag“ – Dürr fordert Krisentreffen
SZ: „Europe will not duck out“ | „Europa wird sich nicht ducken“
Tagesspiegel: One month before the parliamentary elections: Almost one in three still undecided | Einen Monat vor der Bundestagswahl: Fast jeder Dritte ist noch unentschlossen
taz: ”A request, Mr. President” | „Eine Bitte, Mr. President“
Welt: Islamists have mixed in with the refugees from Ukraine | Islamisten mischten sich unter die Ukraine-Flüchtlinge
Chancellor Olaf Scholz summons heads of security authorities to the Chancellery after act of violence in Aschaffenburg: A 28-year-old man with Afghan citizenship killed a two-year-old boy of Moroccan origin and a 41-year-old man with a kitchen knife on Wednesday afternoon. Several people were seriously injured in the attack on the kindergarten group, including a two-year-old girl and a kindergarten teacher. So far, there is no evidence of the suspect’s radical beliefs, police said. Scholz said he is tired of such acts of violence happening in Germany every few weeks. He met with the heads of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Police on Wednesday evening. Scholz said he would quickly resolve the case and draw necessary conclusions. spiegel.de, tagesschau.de, zeit.de, faz.net
Islamic Jihad fighter killed in Gaza Strip: Despite the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, there have been several incidents involving armed or masked Palestinians. One man was killed who was said to be a fighter for the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad. In other cases, soldiers fired warning shots to keep masked suspects at a distance. The army is determined to abide by the ceasefire agreements, while taking all measures to avert threats to soldiers. It appealed to the Palestinians not to approach the troops.
US President Donald Trump threatens Moscow with high tariffs: If Moscow does not „now“ conclude an agreement with Kiev, he will have no choice but to impose high taxes, tariffs and sanctions. This applies to everything Russia sells to the US, Trump writes on his platform Truth Social; he does not want to harm Russia. He loves the Russian people and has always had a very good relationship with President Vladimir Putin. Trump had already threatened to tighten Russia sanctions on Tuesday. n-tv.de, handelsblatt.com
Chancellor Olaf Scholz describes the new term of US President Donald Trump as a challenge. At a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Scholz said that Europe would not cower and hide; it wants to be a self-confident partner. He said it is now necessary to analyze the decisions already made by Trump. Macron said it was more important than ever for Europe that France and Germany remain committed to a united and sovereign Europe – one that upholds the transatlantic partnership but also defends its own interests. rnd.de, welt.de, zdf.de
Nazi memorial sites launch campaign for democracy: Under the motto „#GeradeJetzt“, messages for democracy are being spread on social media. The images on the internet show sentences such as „Democracy needs remembrance“ or „‘What would you have done?’ is now ‘What are you doing?’“. The Hamburg Memorials and Learning Centers Foundation said that in the 80th year since the liberation from National Socialism, it also wanted to criticize current forms of extremism.
Investigations into BSW ministers Katja Wolf and Steffen Schütz in Thuringia for alleged corruption: The state parliament’s judiciary committee has lifted the immunity of Finance Minister Wolf and Infrastructure Minister Schütz. The allegations made by the Erfurt public prosecutor’s office relate to the time before they took office. Wolf was then the mayor of Eisenach and traveled to a private estate belonging to Schütz on Mallorca during this time. His marketing company was involved in an application by Eisenach for the Center for the Future of German Unity. faz.net, zdf.de
Saxony-Anhalt Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff promises investigation into the attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market: „Nothing should be swept under the rug,“ said Haseloff in his government statement. Possible mistakes should not be ignored or kept secret. Haseloff called for better communication between federal and state authorities. The state parliament unanimously approved the formation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry. Six people were killed and almost 300 injured in the attack. zdf.de, tagesschau.de
More regional news:
- Thüringen: CDU and BSW open to AfD concessions on appointments to judicial bodies. mdr.de
- Hamburg: First trial for 2025 state election ends in a draw. n-tv.de
- Thuringia: No agreement on coronavirus investigation committee. mdr.de
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Dispute over daycare financing between the state and districts. ndr.de
- Brandenburg: Landtag argues over smartphone ban at primary schools. tagesspiegel.de
- Saarland: Parliament launches hospital reform. n-tv.de
- Berlin: Senate considers bringing in private investors at Tempelhof Airport. rbb24.de
- NRW: Auditors are moving in on the state-owned construction company BLB due to corruption allegations. n-tv.de
- Berlin: Warning strike at BVG to paralyze public transport on Monday. spiegel.de
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk calls on Europeans to rearm: If Europe wants to survive, it must arm itself, Tusk said in the EU Parliament, calling on Europe not to dismiss US President Donald Trump’s call for defense spending equal to five percent of gross domestic product, but to see it as an incentive. At the same time, Europe should reflect on its own size and not bury its head in the sand. Poland spends more than four percent of its gross domestic product on defense and is therefore at the top of the EU countries. orf.at
Dutch government must significantly reduce nitrogen emissions: The state has done too little to curb the damage to nature, particularly from agriculture, the judges at the National Civil Court said. If the government fails to comply with the order, a fine of ten million euros will be imposed. In the Netherlands, many natural areas have been heavily polluted with harmful nitrogen compounds for years. The main culprit is considered to be the livestock industry. Countermeasures have so far failed due to resistance from farmers. tagesschau.de, taz.de
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns of climate crisis and artificial intelligence: In Davos, he addressed a number of financial institutions that had abandoned climate-friendly investment projects after US President Trump took office. He called such behavior short-sighted, selfish and self-destructive. The consequences of the climate crisis will be felt painfully by every economy in the world. At the same time, Guterres warned against an unlimited expansion of artificial intelligence. AI must not be used unchecked, but must become an instrument of equal opportunities, inclusion and progress for all people.
International Criminal Court demands explanation from Italy regarding release of wanted Libyan war criminal: The man was wanted with an international arrest warrant for crimes against humanity and war crimes and was arrested in Turin on Sunday. Italy’s government unexpectedly released him on Tuesday, apparently due to a legal technicality. The man then traveled to Libya. The ICC said the release was made without notice or agreement. spiegel.de, tagesschau.de
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani has promised a constitution for all: A committee of experts will draft a constitution that all of the country’s population groups can identify with. However, the process could take years, al-Shaybani said in Davos. No one should be penalized for their origin, their social or religious background or their affiliation to certain population groups. Al-Shaybani said women would play a crucial role in building the new Syria. At the same time, the foreign minister asked for help from the international community. The aim is to get support for this new experiment. zeit.de
US government sends employees on forced leave in diversity programs: The White House announced that the relevant deadline had been set for the ministries and federal authorities by Wednesday evening. All programs that promote the equality and inclusion of women and minorities in the US are affected. US President Donald Trump had decided to end such funding programs by decree after taking office on Monday. In addition, private companies that favor minorities when hiring will no longer receive government contracts. Trump argues that quota rules discriminate against white men.
More news:
- EU: EU secret services: Russian attack possible from 2028. n-tv.de
- EU: EU Environment Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra: Europe must fill „the vacuum“ after the US withdraws from the Paris climate agreement. euronews.com
- EU: EU Digital Commissioner Henna Virkkunen wants to take action against Elon Musk and Co. sueddeutsche.de
- Bulgaria: New government has plenty of potential for conflict. derstandard.de
- Bosnia-Herzegovina: Nationalism as a poison for cultural spaces. derstandard.at
- Austria: Talks with the Taliban about deportations to Afghanistan. faz.net
- Ireland: Chaos prevents election of prime minister; adjournment until Thursday. faz.net
- Serbia: Mysterious attacks on demonstrators taking to the streets to protest against President Aleksandar Vucic and his government. spiegel.de
- Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is once again clamping down on the opposition. sueddeutsche.de
- Switzerland: Free trade agreement signed with Kosovo. sarganserlaender.ch
- Switzerland: Schools for girls or boys only are discriminatory, according to the Federal Court. diepresse.com
- Democratic Republic of Congo: President Felix Tshisekedi announced a huge rainforest reserve in Davos. tagesschau.de
- Iran: Tightening of dress code laws is postponed. spiegel.de
- Thailand: Schools closed due to smog. zdf.de
Industrial companies are relocating research and development abroad: Around a third of the 270 companies surveyed by the BDI have already done so, while others are planning to take such steps. The main reasons given are personnel costs and bureaucracy. The companies surveyed also stated that there is greater openness to innovation abroad than in Germany. zeit.de
The German Economic Institute warns of significant losses in foreign trade if the EU and the US impose reciprocal punitive tariffs: In a model calculation with tariffs of 20 percent, the research institute, which has close ties to employers, puts the damage at around 200 billion euros; this would correspond to up to 1.5 percent of economic output. deutschlandfunk.de
More from the worlds of business, technology and science:
- Economy in stagnation phase: Bundesbank sees no turnaround. n-tv.de
- Consumer advocates find fewer deceptive packages. tagesspiegel.de
- Unicredit wants clarity on Commerzbank by the end of the year. wiwo.de
- Technology: Nio enters the market for AI robots. table.media/china
- Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel calls for a reform of the debt brake. faz.net
- German arms exports to peak at 13 billion euros in 2024. zdf.de
- World Economic Forum: 370 super-rich demand higher taxes for themselves in Davos. manager-magazin.de
- AfD network: The entrepreneur with the swastika – The AfD receives 1.5 million euros from the entrepreneur Winfried Stöcker. wiwo.de
- E-Cars: Exports from China to the EU rose in December.table.media
- Livestock farming: How high the emissions from the largest meat and dairy companies are. table.media
- Fight for naming rights: Dubai chocolate – Lidl can continue selling, but not Aldi Süd. t-online.de
- Adidas figures: Billions in profits – thanks in part to retro models. tagesschau.de
- Boxing and football: Netflix is booming thanks to live sports. faz.net
- The proportion of women in top positions at leading German media outlets is slightly down as of January 2025. new-business.de
- Bild deputy Paul Ronzheimer: „X is still the best platform for gathering information“. kress.de
- NOZ/mh:n buys Rheiderland Zeitung. new-business.de
- Bertelsmann announces „strategic collaboration“ with OpenAI. meedia.de
- Golden Raspberry: Seven nominations for „Joker: Folie à Deux“. musikexpress.de
- Ryan Gosling in talks for new „Star Wars“ movie. musikexpress.de
- Berlin Stage Festival: Holzinger production ‘Sancta’ invited to city’s Theatertreffen event. ksta.de
- Belated gift for his 250th birthday: Virtual gallery shows Caspar David Friedrich in Pirna. monopol-magazin.de
- Trial against Rihanna partner Asap Rocky begins. web.de
IABC Gift of Communication Berlin 2025: Amplify Your Impact
In collaboration with Zalando, IABC is excited to host a 3-hour workshop on Thursday, 30 January 2025, at Zalando Berlin. The event kicks off at 8:30 AM and runs until 12 PM, with an opportunity for optional networking afterward. This unique initiative empowers professional communicators to give back by supporting local non-profits and community groups. Participants will provide expert guidance on messaging, outreach, and strategy, helping organizations with limited resources thrive and achieve their goals more effectively.
- DFL and other leagues considering ending the transfer period before the first matchday. kicker.de
- Champions League: Bayern despair at 0:3 at Rotterdam’s goalkeeper – now the playoff round looms. welt.de
- Tullberg takes over at BVB on an interim basis: „A big deal“: High praise for Sahin’s successor. sport.de
- From San Diego to Chelsea: Naomi Girma apparently the first million-dollar transfer in women’s soccer. spiegel.de
- Australian Open: Sinner and Swiatek in the semi-finals – Svitolina out. faz.net
Winter weather in the US: Nuns have snowball fight with priest. web.de