Bild: Tragic incident during Stefan Mross’s live show — emergency doctor had to intervene / Todesdrama bei Stefan Mross! Notarzt kam während der Live-Sendung
FAZ: Poland plans border checks to curb illegal migration / Polen will mit Grenzkontrollen illegale Migration eindämmen
Funke: Trash bins left unemptied — illegal parking slows down BSR / Mülltonnen nicht geleert – Falschparker bremsen BSR aus
Handelsblatt: Business insolvencies on the rise / Firmenpleiten steigen drastisch
RND: No-confidence vote against von der Leyen: What’s really behind it? / Misstrauensvotum gegen von der Leyen: Was steckt wirklich dahinter?
SZ: Ursula von der Leyen under pressure / Ursula von der Leyen in Bedrängnis
Tagesspiegel: Elder care in crisis: Federal and state governments consider mandatory supplemental insurance / Pflege in der Krise: Bund und Länder prüfen verpflichtende Zusatzversicherung
taz: Tit-for-tat actions clog traffic / Retourkutschen halten den Verkehr auf
Welt: Tensions escalate between Trump and Musk / Kontroverse zwischen Trump und Musk spitzt sich zu
Donald Trump hosts Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House: zeit.de, spiegel.de
- According to Donald Trump, the Islamist Hamas wants a deal with Israel in the Gaza war. „They want to meet and they want this ceasefire,“ said Trump at the start of a joint dinner with Netanyahu. zeit.de
- U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff said regarding the current status of indirect talks on a ceasefire and the release of hostages that there was an opportunity to reach an agreement quickly.
- Government spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt praised Qatar and Egypt as „incredibly helpful partners in facilitating these negotiations and talks, to bring peace to the region and end this conflict once and for all.“
- Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at progress in the controversial efforts to relocate people from Palestinian territories. The U.S. and Israel were working with other countries that would offer the Palestinians a „better future,“ said Netanyahu.
- According to Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. At the dinner, Netanyahu handed Trump a letter he had sent to the Nobel Committee to nominate the U.S. President for the Peace Prize.
- Donald Trump announced talks between his administration and Iran. According to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, these could take place as early as next week. Trump said he might lift sanctions against Iran at a later date.
Palestinians say Israel’s refusal to allow aid is the main obstacle in talks: Ensuring safe and unrestricted delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip is one of the core issues in the ceasefire talks. According to two Palestinian insiders cited by Reuters, Israel’s refusal on this point is the main barrier to progress in negotiations in Qatar. Mediators have held an indirect round of talks between the militant Palestinian group Hamas and Israeli representatives.
Hamas has lost control over most of Gaza: Armed clans have filled the power vacuum, said a senior Hamas member to the BBC, speaking anonymously. „About 95 percent of the leadership is now dead.“ The Hamas official stated that the command and control system has collapsed due to months of Israeli attacks on its leadership. Israel has the upper hand. The security situation in Gaza has also completely broken down. n-tv.de
Iran“s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei open to U.S. investment: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, citing Khamenei, that the country is open to U.S. investment. Khamenei reportedly stated that U.S. investors could come to Iran and that there would be „no obstacles to their activities.“ „Unfortunately, it is Israel that is preventing peace in the region,“ Pezeshkian wrote on X.
- Iranian President Pezeshkian accuses Israel of assassination attempt: „They tried, yes,“ said Pezeshkian in an interview with U.S. host Tucker Carlson.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announces expansion of drone production: „We are also working with our partners to ensure that production in their countries is as efficient as possible — for our joint defense now and for the time after the war — for the arsenal of our partners,“ said Zelensky. Cooperation is taking place with all countries that can help with investments, components, and production facilities.
- U.S. President Donald Trump calls Russia“s war on Ukraine a „terrible thing“: He is „not happy at all“ with Vladimir Putin, Trump said during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Thousands of Russians and Ukrainians are dying each week, the U.S. president lamented.
- Dutch F-35 jets to patrol Polish airspace starting this fall, to protect routes for humanitarian deliveries to Ukraine, said Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans on X.
Bild: Sunday trend by INSA — CDU/CSU at 28%, AfD at 23.5%, SPD at 14.5% (-1), Greens at 11% (-0.5), Left Party at 11% (+1.5), BSW at 4.5% (-0.5), FDP at 3.4%, Others at 4%. bild.de
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul praises cooperation with Prague on border issues: More order is needed in migration policy, said Wadephul in Prague after a meeting with his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavský. He described the current period as a transition phase until the decisions on the common European asylum system are fully implemented and better protection of the external borders is achieved. He thanked the Czech Republic for its pragmatic cooperation. Lipavský noted that since the change of government in Germany, the two countries’ views on migration have significantly converged. stern.de
- Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt praises Polish border controls as key step against illegal migration:Dobrindt also proposed joint border controls on the German side. tagesschau.de
- Poland rejected Germany“s proposal to organize joint controls at the border. Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said Germany had not proposed joint controls in 2023 and had introduced them unilaterally.
- Far-right citizen militias are monitoring Polish border guards; the PiS party praises the patrols. n-tv.de
- According to the Polish government, the controls have not caused significant disruptions so far; traffic is flowing smoothly without incident.
- Green Party leader Felix Banaszak called on the government to lift German border controls. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt triggered a domino effect with their national go-it-alone approach.
- Germany’s special envoy to Poland, Knut Abraham, told Reuters it was „not a good day for German-Polish relations“; both governments are engaging in political signaling. He welcomed Dobrindt’s invitation to a migration summit. rnd.de
- More asylum seekers file lawsuits against Dobrindt’s pushback. spiegel.de
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius plans higher pay and conscription assessments: According to a draft law reported by Der Spiegel, the conscription of military service members in Germany is to be made easier under certain conditions in the future. A mandatory draft could be possible even without the declaration of a state of tension or defense if the government and Bundestag deem a rapid expansion of the Bundeswehr necessary, and this cannot be achieved with volunteer personnel alone. Pistorius still fundamentally supports voluntary military service. Conscripts would be classified as temporary soldiers and therefore receive better pay, around €2,000 net per month. The plan is to start with 15,000 new conscripts and introduce mandatory assessments starting in 2027. Basic military service is initially set to last six months. stern.de, handelsblatt.com, n-tv.de
Reform proposals for long-term care insurance are expected by year-end: Health Minister Nina Warken is calling for a „bold reform“ of long-term care, ensuring that citizens can rely on receiving support without being overwhelmed. Following the first meeting of the federal-state commission, it was announced that proposals would be developed for the future financing of long-term care insurance and for enhancing outpatient and in-home care. Discussions will include incentives for individual provision and the further development of a pay-as-you-go system through a capital-funded care reserve. zdfheute.de, faz.net
The Left Party demands talks with CDU/CSU before electing constitutional court judges: Party leader Jan van Aken said that without negotiations, they will not support CDU/CSU’s candidate. A two-thirds majority is required to elect judges. Since CDU/CSU and SPD want to avoid a majority with the AfD, they depend on votes from the Left and the Greens. The CDU/CSU continues to uphold a resolution prohibiting cooperation with the Left Party. AfD leader Alice Weidel encouraged her party to support the CDU/CSU’s candidate. n-tv.de, derstandard.de
The EU Commission criticizes the poor state of Germany’s ecosystems: The condition of many rivers, forests, and other ecosystems has deteriorated. Despite various efforts, 63% of species and 69% of habitats are in poor or inadequate condition. Only 9% of German water bodies are currently in good ecological condition. The main causes, according to the EU Commission, are pollutants from agriculture and industry — especially high nitrate levels in groundwater. Germany’s high packaging recycling rate was highlighted positively. n-tv.de
President Steinmeier commemorates Nazi victims during visit to Lithuania: Together with Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, Steinmeier laid a wreath at the Paneriai Holocaust Memorial near Vilnius. During the Nazi occupation of Lithuania in World War II, around 120,000 people were murdered in the Paneriai forest, including at least 70,000 Jews. Steinmeier and Paluckas had previously laid a wreath at the national memorial for victims of Lithuania’s independence struggle. spiegel.de
Other News:
- Justice Ministry to impose stricter regulations on environmental advertising claims. spiegel.de
- Draft law: Biological fathers to gain more rights. zdfheute.de
- Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder criticizes driving license costs. heise.de
- Slight decline in drug-related deaths; however, a 14% rise among users under 30. faz.net
- Brandenburg: Nearly €100,000 allocated to AfD-affiliated foundation. tagesspiegel.de
- Berlin: Governing Mayor Kai Wegner wants to prevent Islamist demonstrations. rbb24.de
- Berlin: Senate does not plan to cut police training programs. rbb24.de
- Hesse: Interior Minister Roman Poseck accuses AfD of political agitation after alleged sexual harassment incidents at a public pool in Gelnhausen. hessenschau.de
- Hesse: FDP leaves Frankfurt city coalition after vote on crack addiction treatment center. hessenschau.de
Chancellor Friedrich Merz coordinates with EU partners on the tariff dispute with the USA. Merz held several phone calls, including with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The EU Commission stated that Ursula von der Leyen spoke with US President Donald Trump on Sunday and had a constructive exchange on tariff issues. The EU remains committed to reaching an agreement in the trade dispute with the US by July 9. This was the original date for the planned tariff increases, which Trump has now postponed to August 1. spiegel.de, zdfheute.de, handelsblatt.com
More news:
- NATO chief Mark Rutte warns: Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are planning a potential double strike. t-online.de
- Eurogroup chair Paschal Donohoe confirmed for a third term. tv.de
- Apple files complaint against multimillion fine over antitrust violations. derstandard.de
- EU data toll: pushback against planned dispute settlement process for peering. heise.de
- EU anti-money laundering authority AMLA launches. rnd.de
Turkey: Turkish prosecutors launch investigation against opposition leader Özgür Özel. Following his criticism of the arrests of several mayors from his party, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party CHP faces criminal proceedings for allegedly insulting the president. He is also accused of publicly inciting criminal acts. Özel is already the subject of a lawsuit for insulting the president. Over the weekend, the mayors of Adana, Adiyaman, and Antalya were detained in connection with corruption allegations. Turkish authorities have been increasingly targeting CHP members for several months. tagesspiegel.de
- United Kingdom: Commemoration of the London bombing victims 20 years on. srf.ch
- Hungary: No investigation against Budapest Pride participants. watson.ch
- Bulgaria: High hopes, but also fear over joining the euro. sueddeutsche.de
- Austria: Research institutions targeted by Chinese espionage.diepresse.com
- Greece: Athens faces potential multi-billion euro fine over subsidy fraud. handelsblatt.com
- South Sudan: UN food program delivers aid by air. sueddeutsche.de
- Iran: Increasing number of families deported to Afghanistan. n-tv.de
USA: President Donald Trump extends tariff dispute deadline. For countries where no agreement is reached, high tariffs will take effect next month. Affected first are countries in Asia and Africa. Imports from Japan and South Korea will face a 25% tariff. Trump warned both governments against retaliation and urged them to make concessions in the trade dispute. Similar letters, but with different tariff rates, were posted on Trump’s social media platform for Myanmar, Laos, South Africa, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan. For South Africa, for example, a 40% tariff will apply. rnd.de, zdfheute.de
Everyday destinations in Germany are reachable within 15 minutes in many areas. Facilities and services such as supermarkets or doctors’ offices are often more accessible than assumed, according to a study by the Federal Institute for Urban and Regional Research. It is a common misconception that only large cities or trendy historic districts offer short distances. However, the likelihood of good local accessibility generally increases with higher population density.welt.de
More economic news:
- Antisemitism, lies, errors: Elon Musk’s AI Grok goes completely off the rails. tv.de
- Finance Ministry clarifies mandatory e-invoicing starting January 2025, confirming it also applies to invoices issued to small business owners, farmers, and entrepreneurs with only tax-exempt sales. verband-e-rechnung.org
- Millions of square meters unused: Office vacancies continue to rise in major cities. n-tv.de
- Retail sector remains under pressure.zdfheute.de
- Struggling automotive supplier Webasto puts everything under review. faz.net
- U.S. company Dow Chemical shuts down chemical plants in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt due to energy and operating costs and weak demand. n-tv.de
- Saison 2023/24 – Bühnenverein: 20 Millionen Zuschauer an deutschen Bühnen ksta.de
- Wagner Moura: Juliette Binoche überrascht ihn mit Preis – überreichte ihrem brasilianischen Kollegen den Darstellerpreis der Filmfestspiele von Cannes. gala.de
- Die Blue Man Group verlässt Berlin: Schluss mit dem Kindergeburtstag tagesspiegel.de
- Festival in New Orleans: Lauryn Hill spielt vor fast leerem Stadion – Fans von Lauryn Hill haben am Wochenende mehrere Stunden auf die Sängerin warten müssen. Nachts um drei kam sie endlich auf die Bühne spiegel.de
- Drei Oktaven mühelos: Samara Joy in der Elbphilharmonie: Geburt eines großen Jazzstars abendblatt.de
- Shakira spendet Konzert-Einnahmen an Opfer der Flutkatastrophe in Texas viply.de
- Carole und Michael Middleton: Stilvoller Auftritt in Wimbledon gala.de
- König Willem-Alexander + Máxima: Angestellter verschwunden! Jetzt reagiert der Palast – „fühlen mit seinen Angehörigen in dieser unsicheren Zeit mit und hoffen gemeinsam mit ihnen auf einen guten Ausgang.“ gala.de
Political tensions and explosive legacy issues – in the new episode of Plus Forty Nine, we take a look at the topics that are moving Germany. While fierce forest fires rage in eastern Germany, old World War II bombs are hampering firefighting efforts. At the same time, Poland is reintroducing border controls, the SPD wants to prepare proceedings to ban the AfD, and former Chancellor Angela Merkel is publicly criticizing the current federal government’s asylum policy. Our guest is Theodora, founder of the travel app Velout. Born in the US and raised in Germany in a Greek family, she talks about growing up between cultures, solo travel, and how being on the road can change not only the world but also yourself. Listen now at plusfortyninepodcast.podigee.io
- WM 2026: Die Fifa lässt der deutschen Fußball-Nationalelf eine Hintertür offen – Kein Vorrundenduell gegen Argentinien oder Spanien welt.de
- PSG-Torwart Donnarumma: „Ich bin sehr erschüttert über das, was Musiala passiert ist“ faz.net
- Urteil bereits rechtskräftig: Wegen Pyrotechnik-Vergehen: Hohe Geldstrafe in Höhe von 128.800 Euro für den FCK kicker.de
- Kommentar: Die Lehren aus dem Wimbledon-Blackout – Beim Tennis-Klassiker in Wimbledon versagt das elektronische Linienüberwachungssystem. Der Schiedsrichter sieht es, ist aber machtlos. faz.net
- Kein Doppel trotz guter Chancen: Siegemund überrascht mit Rückzug in Wimbledon – Sie ordnet ihrem überraschenden Einzug ins Viertelfinale von Wimbledon alles unter. sport.de
- Fehlstart, Frust, Happy End: Djokovic übersteht Nervenschlacht gegen de Minaur sportschau.de
Not a morning person? Then „Morgenmuffel“ is the perfect word for you. This wonderfully specific German term literally means „morning grump“ and describes someone who’s irritable or sluggish after waking up. If you need coffee before you can speak in full sentences, congratulations — you’re a certified Morgenmuffel.