Bild: The secret salaries of the jungle stars | Die Geheim-Gagen der Dschungelstars
FAZ: Woidke elected as prime minister of Brandenburg in the second ballot | Woidke im zweiten Wahlgang zum Ministerpräsidenten gewählt
Funke: Berlin’s business community warns against cuts at universities | Berlins Wirtschaft warnt vor Kürzungen bei den Hochschulen
Handelsblatt: The big job cut | Der große Stellenabbau
RND: Mario Voigt faces nail-biter in Thuringia: Is disaster looming for the blackberry coalition? | Zitterpartie für Mario Voigt in Thüringen: Droht der Brombeer-Koalition ein Desaster?
SZ: Woidke remains Brandenburg prime minister | Woidke bleibt Ministerpräsident
Tagesspiegel: Tailor-made for Merz: Habeck wants to regulate wind power – trade associations rebel | Wie für Merz gemacht: Habeck will die Windkraft regulieren – Verbände rebellieren
taz: Divide and rule (Soccer World Cup in Saudi Arabia) | Zerteile und herrsche (Fußball-WM in Saudi-Arabien)
Welt: The fate of the CDU in Thuringia depends on the Left Party | Das Schicksal der CDU hängt in Thüringen von den Linken ab
Rebel leader wants those responsible for torture and murder in the Assad regime to be held accountable: Ahmed al-Sharaa, head of the HTS Islamist militia, said that they could not expect mercy. „We will prosecute them in Syria and we call on countries to extradite refugees so that we can administer justice,“ he wrote on Telegram. In the past few days, rebel fighters have freed thousands of people from torture prisons. Al-Sharaa told Sky News that the people were exhausted from the fighting. There will be no further war. The security forces of the overthrown President Bashar al-Assad are to be disbanded. tagesschau.de
Germany will help stabilize the country after Assad’s fall: It is important to stand by those who wanted to lead Syria down a better path with patience, but also with determination, said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during his visit to Jordan. After more than 50 years of Assad rule, Syria must not become a pawn of external powers such as Russia, Iran or the Lebanese Hezbollah militia again. Pistorius announced that he would travel to Turkey in January for talks to discuss the situation in the Middle East. zdf.de
Israel’s army withdraws from Chiam in southern Lebanon: The Israeli military announced that the Israeli forces had fulfilled their mission there and would now withdraw. In accordance with the ceasefire agreement, soldiers of the Lebanese army and the UN peacekeeping force Unifil will now take up positions there. spiegel.de, handelsblatt.com
Moscow threatens retaliation after alleged Kiev attack with US missiles: Russia’s defense ministry said that another attack with Western weapons would not go unanswered. According to Moscow, Ukraine attacked the base in the port city of Taganrog on the Sea of Azov with six American ATACMS missiles. They were intercepted. Several military vehicles and buildings were slightly damaged by debris. welt.de
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called on business representatives to invest in Ukraine: At the opening of the German-Ukrainian Economic Forum, Scholz said that anyone investing in Ukraine today and in the coming years is investing in a future EU member. He said that after the war ends, the country will see growth rates comparable only to those in Central and Eastern European EU countries. Ukraine could become a prosperous European state. boerse.de
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has requested a vote of confidence from the Bundestag, in order to pave the way for early new elections. Parliamentarians will cast their votes next Monday. If, as expected, Scholz loses the vote, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will have 21 days to dissolve the Bundestag and set the date for the new election. February 23 has already been agreed as the date. zdf.de, spiegel.de, handelsblatt.com
Germany’s centre-right Union makes withdrawal of electoral law reform a condition of joining a future coalition: As a result of the electoral law reform passed in March, not every constituency winner will move into the Bundestag. Instead, only as many successful direct candidates from one party will be elected in a federal state as are covered by their share of the second votes. The aim is to reduce the previously high number of members of parliament and to set it at 630 permanently. In an interview with the NOZ, CDU politician Johann Wadephul suggested that the number of parliamentarians could instead be reduced by having fewer, larger constituencies. noz.de
Climate adaptation strategy approved by cabinet: The strategy is specifically concerned with precautions against heat, drought, heavy rain and flooding. Among other things, the plan is to provide more effective warnings to the population in an emergency, for example by increasing the number of users of the Nina warning app or expanding the use of sirens. Municipalities are also to create maps showing which places are particularly at risk from heavy rain. The plans do not have to be approved in the Bundestag. handelsblatt.com
State prime ministers discuss national economic situation: Federal state leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss the economic situation in Germany. They will also discuss a way to more easily recognize foreign professional qualifications in order to attract skilled workers.rnd.de
More Politics:
- Criticism of budget management: Court of Auditors sees federal finances in „serious situation“. tagesschau.de
- Economics Minister Robert Habeck wants buyers of electric cars to be offered charging credits. handelsblatt.com
- Regulation by the BMEL facilitates research on consumer cannabis. lto.de
- Court of Auditors criticizes Transport Minister Volker Wissing for not exerting sufficient influence on the railways. n-tv.de
- Trade union federation urges CDU and CSU to support relief from electricity costs. noz.de
- Cocaine now most common illegal drug in Germany. rnd.de
- FDP leader Christian Lindner is concerned about prosperity and criticizes Germans‘ „apathetic mentality“. n-tv.de
- Defendants to be imprisoned for many years for planned coup and planned kidnapping of Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. n-tv.de
Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke confirmed by the state parliament in the second round of voting: the coalition of SPD and BSW can now start its work. Woidke received 50 of 87 votes; four votes more than the coalition has in the Potsdam state parliament. Because of the secret ballot, it remains unclear who from the opposition voted for the SPD politician. Woidke rejected the accusation that he had returned to office with votes from the AfD: Jan Redmann, head of the CDU in the state parliament, had stated that Woidke had not received any votes from the CDU and insinuated collusion between the SPD and AfD. faz.net, zeit.de, spiegel.de
More than 13,000 anti-Semitic incidents in Germany from 2019 to 2023: Most anti-Semitic crimes have a far-right background, according to the Association for Research and Information on Anti-Semitism. The willingness to use violence on the Right is not only evident in the attack on the synagogue in Halle in 2019, but also in the threats against Jews in everyday situations. According to the study, of the more than 13,500 recorded anti-Semitic incidents, 17 percent have an undeniably far-right background. Twelve percent can be traced back to a conspiracy ideology, nine percent to anti-Israel activism. In most cases, the motivation of the perpetrators cannot be clearly determined. zdf.de
More Regional:
- Thuringia: CDU, BSW and SPD sign coalition agreement. spiegel.de
- Thuringia: AfD brings debate about head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution to parliament. thueringer-allgemeine.de
- Lower Saxony: CDU leader Sebastian Lechner accuses the red-green coalition of letting problems get out of control. n-tv.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: SPD in Kiel requests access to files on Northvolt funding. shz.de
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: New Minister of Economic Affairs Wolfgang Blank to take questions on the economy for the first time. ndr.de
- Berlin: Senator for Culture Joe Chialo fears artists will leave the city. morgenpost.de
- Berlin: self-dissolution is not an issue for the youth wing of the AfD. rbb24.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: Education Minister Karin Prien is in favor of standardized parental contributions for all-day schools. n-tv.de
- Saxony: Free State to fund fewer cultural projects in 2025. mdr.de
- Bavaria: City of Nuremberg wants to remain in the alliance against right-wing extremism.
- Rhineland-Palatinate: Criticism is growing after an accident at a lock on the Moselle. n-tv.de
- Lower Saxony: Hanover police active on gaming platform Twitch. n-tv.de
EU fisheries ministers agree on catch limits for 2025 in the North Sea and Northeast Atlantic: Among other things, a ban on cod fishing in the Kattegat between Denmark and Sweden is to be maintained. The permissible by-catch will fall by 17 percent. There will be a six-month closed season for European eel. Fishing with trawl nets in the western Mediterranean will also be restricted. Stocks are in a poor state in many areas due to overfishing. de.euronews.com, ndr.de, n-tv.de
Pro-Western parties in Romania agree to form a government: the alliance includes not only the Social Democrats but also conservative and liberal parties, reports AP. The parties also want to put forward a joint candidate for the re-run of the presidential election. The Romanian Supreme Court annulled the election last week, citing massive Russian interference. derstandard.de
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier praises Nigeria as an important energy partner during his visit: The partnership with the oil-rich country has existed for a very long time, said Steinmeier in the capital Abuja. At the same time, he pointed out that renewable energies such as solar and wind power have also increased in importance in recent years. Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu sought to attract investment, saying that his country was very interested in doing business with Germany. Steinmeier is expected to visit South Africa and Lesotho during his trip to Africa. dw.com
Taiwan calls for an end to Chinese military action in surrounding waters: The Foreign Ministry in Taipei said that Beijing must immediately cease military intimidation and all irrational actions that endanger regional peace and stability. The presidential office also expressed concern. tagesschau.de
More News:
- EU: „Migration as a weapon“: EU allows temporary restriction of asylum law. diepresse.com
- EU: Protecting the environment while preserving the combustion engine: EPP faces a balancing act in the EU Parliament over the phase-out of combustion engines; e-fuels are to be recognized. n-tv.de
- EU: Number of deaths in the EU due to zoonoses at ten-year high. aerztezeitung.de
- EU: Environmental organizations are taking glyphosate approval in the EU to the European Court of Justice. zeit.de
- EU: Open letter: EU investigators want to bypass encryption – and mathematics. heise.de
- EU: EU parliamentarians consider TikTok ban possible. derstandard.at
- France: Socialists want to participate in the formation of a government. faz.net
- France: FN leader Marine Le Pen ahead in presidential poll. tagesanzeiger.ch
- Poland: Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder commemorates war victims. pnp.de
- Austria: Immunity of far-right FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl lifted on suspicion of making false statements and further FPÖ politicians on suspicion of violating the Prohibition Act. orf.at
- Lithuania: Investigators have read the flight data recorder; information is being analyzed. faz.net
- Switzerland: Council of States wants to allow digital signature collections. nzz.ch
- Italy: Rescuers save 11-year-old girl after days in the Mediterranean. spiegel.de
- Poland: TV stations are to be protected from Russian influence by means of a directive. n-tv.de
- Greece: Ex-fiancée of Donald Trump’s son and former presenter nominated as US ambassador. ksta.de
- South Korea: Detained Defense Minister Kim Yeon Chul survives suicide attempt; presidential office searched. web.de
- Singapore: The government wants to block the accounts of victims of online fraud for up to six months. faz.net
- Brazil: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has to undergo further surgery. spiegel.de
- Mexico: Mourning the murder of congressman Benito Aguas Atlahua. web.de
- USA: After the death of two pregnant women: Vice President Kamala Harris attacks Trump head-on on the issue of abortion. zdf.de
- USA: FBI Director Christopher Wray wants to resign in January, thus forestalling his dismissal. faz.net
- USA: Nighttime sightings over New Jersey: FBI investigates mysterious drone flights. spiegel.de
- USA: Coup of satire magazine foiled: Judge rejects sale of conspiracy portal Infowars. n-tv.de
Deutsche Post is suing because the postage increase for letters and parcels was too small: The network agency had allowed an increase in letter postage of 10.5 percent from January, and 7.2 percent for DHL parcels. The postal company now wants to clarify which costs can be taken into account in the postage increase and how. This could then result in higher price increases in the future. The proceedings will have no effect on the new postage rates that take effect in January. Standard letters and postcards will then cost 95 cents. A package up to five kilograms will cost 7.69 euros instead of 6.99 euros. zeit.de
More from Business, Tech and Science:
- Massive disruptions at Meta: WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram are back up and running. zdf.de
- Fashion retailer Zalando wants to acquire About You. faz.net
- Bosch works council fears up to 10,000 job cuts. faz.net
- Mercedes-Benz is reorganizing its board of management. sueddeutsche.de
- US inflation rate rises slightly in November – from 2.6 percent to 2.7 percent. wiwo.de
- DIW study: German motorists are said to have paid around one billion euros for fake climate projects in China – paid at gas stations for the projects. welt.de
- Volkswagen to consider moving Golf production from Wolfsburg to Mexico. manager-magazin.de
- Legal dispute lost: Family must return house purchased during Nazi era. n-tv.de
- 2024 edition: „Time“ magazine again names Trump „Personality of the Year“. spiegel.de
- Young voters: politicization without newspapers, TV and radio. table.media
- Local journalism: In a number of regions, the spread of „news deserts“ is looming. mmm.verdi.de
- Andreas Conradt leaves „Bild“ to take on new professional challenges. meedia.de
- Kunsthalle Hamburg Award: Lydia Ourahmane receives Rosa Schapire Prize. monopol-magazin.de
- Stromberg returns: new movie announced. waz.de
- Elvis turns 90: Big celebrations in Memphis. web.de
- Max Verstappen: His moving love story with Kelly Piquet. gala.de
- In favor of ETF savings plan: Christian Lindner does not want to take parental leave. faz.net
Community News
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- FIFA confirms host sextet and Saudi Arabia – Official: World Cup 2030 in Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay and 2034 in Saudi Arabia awarded by acclamation. kicker.de
- Awarding the World Cup to Saudi Arabia: „Football is supposed to whitewash a bad image“. tagesschau.de
- Supercup to be named after Franz Beckenbauer. sport.de
- New reports make you sit up and take notice: Müller hammer at FC Bayern is becoming more concrete – The signs of the end of Thomas Müller’s (player) career at FC Bayern are increasing. sport.de
- Alleged corruption: Spanish soccer club is suing referee Eder Mallo Fernández for five million euros in damages – accusation of intentionally falsifying the result of the game. sportschau.de
- National coach in the future? Guardiola does not want to be a club coach after ManCity: „I feel it is enough“. sportbuzzer.de
- Same placement as in 2022 – Slovenia distanced with 35:16: German handball players seventh in the European Championship. kicker.de
- „Berlin is perfect for the NFL“ – Official! The NFL is coming to Berlin. sport.de
- Ambitious goals for 2025: Tadej Pogacar wants to go one step further – defending the Tour de France and World Championship titles. sportschau.de
- Draw in the World Chess Championship: It comes to a showdown in the last game. spiegel.de
Ulm then only in second place – extension planned: Sagrada Família in Barcelona will have the world’s tallest church tower. rnd.de