Bild: Chancellor’s clear message: We need to work harder in this country | Kanzler-Klartext: Wir müssen in diesem Land mehr arbeiten
FAZ: German armed forces to become „strongest conventional army in Europe“ | Bundeswehr soll „konventionell stärkste Armee in Europa“ werden
Funke: Hacker attack: Data stolen from 180,000 BVG customers | Hacker-Angriff: Daten von 180.000 BVG-Kunden gestohlen
Handelsblatt: Major restructuring at Lufthansa | Großumbau bei Lufthansa
RND: The dark side of AI: Musk’s company xAI pollutes the air in Memphis | Die dunkle Seite von KI: Musk-Unternehmen xAI verpestet Luft in Memphis
SZ: Merz wants to massively expand the Bundeswehr | Merz will Bundeswehr massiv ausbauen
Tagesspiegel: Merz’s first government statement: Chancellor wants to renew promise of prosperity for all | Merz‘ erste Regierungserklärung: Kanzler will Versprechen vom Wohlstand für alle erneuern
taz: „I’ve gotten a lot of bloody noses“ (Saskia Esken) | „Ich habe mir viele blutige Nasen geholt“ (Saskia Esken)
Welt: „Prosperity for all“ and a „new intergenerational contract“ | „Wohlstand für alle“ und ein „neuer Generationenvertrag“
Chancellor Friedrich Merz sees many challenges ahead for Germany: In his first government statement, Merz also expressed confidence that Germany can overcome these challenges on its own. However, this will require a rethink and new priorities in many areas. Merz thanked his predecessor Olaf Scholz of the SPD, whose traffic light coalition had guided Germany through times of extraordinary crisis. n-tv.de, zdf.de, weser-kurier.de
- Germany is a country of immigration; ”That was the case, that is the case, and that will remain the case.” Merz pointed out that Germany had allowed too much low-skilled migration into the social welfare system for over a decade. Immigration would be better managed in the future and in line with Germany’s European neighbors.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticizes announced military offensive: „I doubt that a new massive military intervention will solve the problem,“ he said, calling for the „immediate and unconditional release of all hostages“ held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, unhindered access to humanitarian aid for the population in the Gaza Strip, and an immediate end to the fighting.
Many dead in Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip: According to Palestinian sources, at least 80 people have been killed in air strikes. Israel’s army had called on residents of a neighborhood in Gaza City to leave. Israel’s army was reportedly attacking Hamas fighters there.
Ukraine talks in Turkey without Russian President Vladimir Putin: On Wednesday evening, the Kremlin published a list of the names of the Russian delegation. The delegation is led by presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky, who is considered a political lightweight. The list also includes Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galusin, General Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. Putin’s name is not on the list. Putin himself had proposed direct negotiations but did not say whether he would travel there in person. rnd.de, sueddeutsche.de, zdf.de
Three Ukrainians arrested for attack plans in Germany: According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, they had allegedly agreed to carry out attacks on freight transport in Germany. They had planned to send packages containing explosive or incendiary devices to recipients in Ukraine, which were to be detonated during transport. One of the men is said to have posted two test packages containing GPS trackers in Cologne at the end of March. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig reacted with concern to the arrest of three Ukrainians accused of spying for Russia. If the allegations are confirmed, they would have serious ramifications. Russia is trying to destabilize Western democracies by any means necessary. zdf.de, noz.de
Digitaltag am 27. Juni 2025. Erlebe Digitalisierung!
YouGov Sunday poll: Union 27 percent (+1), AfD 25 percent (-1), SPD 15 percent (+1), Greens 12 percent, Left 9 percent (-1), BSW 4 percent (-1), FDP 3 percent (-1), others 4 percent. (Changes compared to April 30) yougov.de
Ipsos Sunday poll: CDU/CSU 25 percent (+1), AfD 25 percent, SPD 15 percent, Greens 12 percent (+1), Left Party 10 percent (-1), BSW 5 percent, FDP 4 percent, others 4 percent. (Change compared to previous month) ipsos.com
Number of politically motivated crimes against refugee shelters rises significantly: Last year, 255 crimes related to refugee shelters were recorded, according to the response to a question posed by the Left Party to the government, reports the NOZ. In 2023, the number was significantly lower at 176. In 2017, it was 284. zeit.de
Ministry of the Interior leaves open possible consequences for media after publication of secret AfD constitutional protection report: In response to DPA enquiry, the ministry simply referred to the legal background on breaches of the obligation of confidentiality. What this means in concrete terms is unclear. Among other media sources, „Cicero“ has offered the document for download in its entirety to its subscribers.
Ecological Democratic Party fails in Thuringia with lawsuit against five-percent threshold: The Constitutional Court rejected a motion by the ÖDP to oblige the state parliament to abolish or at least lower the threshold clause. The judges ruled that the motion was inadmissible. The five-percent threshold is part of the state constitution. The state parliament is not obliged to change the clause. stern.de
More regional news:
- Hamburg: AfD party leader Dirk Nockemann takes over as chair of the interior committee. abendblatt.de
- Thuringia: Left warns against election of AfD deputy state parliament president. n-tv.de
- Saxony-Anhalt: Right-wing extremist Marla-Svenja Liebich to serve jail time for insulting behavior and incitement to hatred. n-tv.de
- Hamburg: Initiative „Hamburg Werbefrei“ (Ad-Free Hamburg) fails in referendum. n-tv.de
- Saarland: Young business leaders see alarming deficiencies in schools. saarbruecker-zeitung.de
- Rhineland-Palatinate: New Education Minister Sven Teuber does not want a general ban on cell phones. saarbruecker-zeitung.de
- Bavaria: State parliament prevents appearance of neo-right-wing publisher. n-tv.de
- Saxony: Demolition of Carolabrücke bridge to be completed sooner than planned. n-tv.de
Number of irregular border crossings in the EU declines significantly: According to data from the EU border protection agency Frontex, the total number fell by almost 30 percent to around 47,000 in the first four months. The sharpest decline was recorded on the Western Balkan route, with a drop of 58 percent. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner interpreted the decline as proof of the success of Brussels‘ policy. dw.com
EU Commission wrongly refused to hand over text messages to the New York Times: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen loses court case over text messages to Pfizer CEO in connection with vaccine deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic. The text messages exchanged between von der Leyen and the head of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer during the coronavirus pandemic concerned vaccine deliveries. A journalist from the US newspaper requested the release of the text messages, but the EU Commission refused. Brussels justified its decision by stating that the text messages had not been archived. The court in Luxembourg has now declared this null and void. An appeal against the ruling can be lodged with the European Court of Justice. tagesschau.de, heise.de, zdf.de
New dispute between France and Algeria: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that Algerian representatives without diplomatic passports would be expelled. Algeria had previously demanded the departure of several French embassy staff. Last month, both countries expelled embassy personnel from each other’s countries. spiegel.de
Dutch army raises alert level: According to the Ministry of Defense, the reason for this is an increased threat and possible sabotage. Military personnel should therefore be on high alert at the country’s borders for suspicious persons, vehicles, and drones. The alert level has been raised from „Alpha“ to „Alpha Plus.“ At the same time, the ministry emphasized that there was currently no specific threat against any military site.
US President Donald Trump warns of escalation in conflict with Iran: „The unfriendly path is a violent one, and I don’t want that,“ Trump said Wednesday evening during a state banquet in Qatar. The decision now lies with the leadership in Tehran, he said. Trump called on his host country, Qatar, to support an agreement.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa promises an open Syria for investors: Al-Sharaa has called for investment in his country to drive reconstruction and enable economic recovery. Syria should become a country of work and prosperity, he said. Investors from home and abroad are welcome. The speech was preceded by a spontaneous meeting between al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia. Trump called on Syria’s interim president to recognize the state of Israel. Al-Sharaa did not comment in his speech on a potential normalization of relations with Israel, which has been an enemy for decades. zdf.de, n-tv.de
China expands investment project to Colombia: In the presence of Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Chinese President Xi Jinping, both countries signed an agreement in Beijing. China has been investing heavily in infrastructure projects such as ports, railways, and airports around the world for years. More than a hundred countries are already part of the prestigious project, including two-thirds of the countries in Latin America.
More News:
- France: Prime Minister François Bayrou rejects allegations in boarding school scandal. faz.net
- Hungary: Orban government wants to introduce blacklist for NGOs. n-tv.de
- Portugal: Corruption becomes a factor in political instability. deutschlandfunk.de
- Belgium: Almost half of all residents would boycott US products. vrt.be
- Switzerland: EU states approve participation in defense project. nau.ch
- Luxembourg: International raid on officials of NATO procurement agency NSPA. tageblatt.lu
- Spain: Power outage at substation likely caused nationwide blackout. tagesschau.de
First approval for ship recycling in Germany: In future, seafaring vessels can also be scrapped in Emden, East Frisia. Lower Saxony’s Environment Minister Christian Meyer said it was disastrous that decommissioned industrial ships had been sent to Southeast Asia in recent decades. There, they had been scrapped under the worst environmental and social conditions. Experts see ship recycling not only as a new line of business for the German maritime industry, but also as a way to conserve resources through recycling. ndr.de
More from Business, Tech and Science:
- Commerzbank: Social plan agreed for job cuts. handelsblatt.com
- Digitalization: Deutsche Bahn prepares layoffs. sueddeutsche.de
- Largest takeover in eight years: Samsung buys FläktGroup. heise.de
- Tennet apparently starts partial sale of German power grids. handelsblatt.com
- Local Journalism Day: Ippen Media calls for partnerships in local journalism horizont.net
- Bitter pill: Burda magazines reprimanded for concealing involvement in pharmacy portal uebermedien.de
- 30 minutes instead of 15: ARD tests longer version of „Tagesschau“ internally welt.de
- Jimmy Kimmel’s appeal to advertisers: „Support journalism, it can’t function without you.“ dwdl.de
- Honored in Cannes, Robert De Niro gets straight to the point on Trump: „America’s philistine president has appointed himself head of one of our most important cultural institutions.“ n-tv.de
- Farewell to his stage name: The Weeknd no longer wants to be called The Weeknd – he will only perform under his real name, Abel Tesfaye, in future spiegel.de
- Pope receives tennis star Jannik Sinner: „Do you want to play?“ faz.net
- Trial against US rapper: Sean Combs‘ ex-girlfriend reports serious abuse spiegel.de
Alto Matchmaking is pleased to announce its first in-person event for Berlin-based, internationally-minded singles who are ready to connect offline and with intention. Taking place on June 4th, 2025 from 5pm at a welcoming venue in Moabit, this early evening gathering will bring together a carefully curated group of 20 guests, evenly split by gender, for a relaxed and engaging experience. The event will feature a custom welcome drink created by a partner bar, a short talk and Q&A on dating across cultures, lightly guided conversation rounds, and a surprise take-away gift. To maintain a balanced and meaningful atmosphere, attendance is by application only. More info: https://www.altomatchmaking.com/
- Ahead of the FIFA Congress: Palestinian Football Association makes new push for sanctions against Israel sportschau.de
- PSG interested: FC Bayern likely to make transfer decision on Upamecano sport.de
- Blow for Goretzka at FC Bayern: Bosses have informed Goretzka that he is still considered a candidate for sale. t-online.de
- Italy – Goalless draw for Juve Stabia: Sampdoria relegated to Serie C for the first time kicker.de
- Basketball: Playoffs in detention – Alba Berlin beats MBC and faces Ulm in the quarterfinals sportschau.de
France is having an existential debate: How long should a baguette be? zofingertagblatt.ch