Bild: Earth is getting darker every year! / Erde wird jedes Jahr dunkler!
FAZ: Broad approval for Trump’s peace plan for Gaza / Breite Zustimmung zu Trumps Friedensplan für Gaza
Funke: Wegner: Federal government is paying for the Olympic Games in Berlin / Wegner: Bundesregierung bezahlt für Olympische Spiele in Berlin
Handelsblatt: Germany to become Europe’s leading space nation / Deutschland wird Europas führende Raumfahrtnation
RND: With Bundeswehr soldiers for drone protection: What Chancellor Merz expects at the EU summit in Copenhagen / Mit Bundeswehrsoldaten zum Drohnen-Schutz: Was Kanzler Merz beim EU-Gipfel in Kopenhagen erwartet
SZ: The world hopes for peace in Gaza / Die Welt hofft auf Frieden in Gaza
Tagesspiegel: Trump sets Hamas a deadline – US plan for Gaza receives international approval / Trump setzt Hamas Frist – US-Plan für Gaza stößt international auf Zustimmung
taz: Finally a two-state solution / Endlich Zweistaatenlösung
Welt: US plan for Gaza receives international approval / US-Plan für Gaza stößt international auf Zustimmung
Qatar still sees need for clarification on the US peace plan for Gaza: The plan is still at an early stage and needs further development, said Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. What remains unclear above all is the mechanism for Israel’s troop withdrawal from the Palestinian territories. The plan requires a „discussion about details and how they should be implemented.“ Consultations with representatives of the militant Islamist Hamas were announced in Qatar for Tuesday. The terrorist organization has so far left open whether it will agree to Trump’s plan. apa.at
- US President Donald Trump has given the terrorist organization Hamas an ultimatum in its deliberations on the plan to end the Gaza war. Hamas will be given about three or four days, Trump said in Washington. If the Islamists reject the plan, they face „a very sad end.“ faz.net
- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar sees militant Islamist Hamas as having to act. In the past, the terror militia has tried to change conditions for agreements or failed to implement them, Saar said. One must wait and see whether Hamas is now ready to accept the Trump plan.
- Head of Hamas’s media office Ismail al-Thawabta criticized Trump’s plan, calling it an „attempt to establish a new trusteeship that legitimizes the Israeli occupation and deprives our Palestinian people of their national, political and human rights.“ He called for Palestinian national unity against the supposedly „dangerous“ plan. agesschau.de
- Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sharply criticized US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. Smotrich wrote on X of a „blatant diplomatic failure“; the plan was a departure „from all the lessons of October 7.“
Israel’s government confirms David Zini as head of the Shin Bet intelligence service: The senior army general will begin his five-year term on October 5. The appointment comes about three and a half months after the departure of former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who had been dismissed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; this had triggered a legal dispute. zeit.de
Hospitals report deaths in Gaza Strip: At least 27 people were killed by attacks from the Israeli army. Israel’s military said only that troops had killed several armed terrorists and attacked more than 160 targets of the militant Islamist Hamas, including weapons depots and observation posts.
Israelis injured in car attack in West Bank: The Israeli army spoke of a car attack at a junction south of Jerusalem. The perpetrator was „neutralized“ by security forces. He had also tried to attack people at the scene with a knife.
UKRAINE
US President Donald Trump again calls for a Zelenskyy-Putin meeting: „We must talk about peace and end the conflict, even if it requires concessions,“ Trump said. The proposal meets with international skepticism. Critics warn of legitimizing effects and conditions that could weaken Ukraine. n-tv.de
- The US is working with Belarus to keep communication channels with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin open, says US special envoy Keith Kellogg. Talks with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and the government in Minsk are primarily intended to ensure that messages to Putin are reliably transmitted.
- „Really a stupid person“ – US President Donald Trump attacks Dmitry Medvedev. welt.de
- Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal sees the intrusion of Russian drones and military aircraft into NATO airspace as a distraction maneuver. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin wants EU countries to be preoccupied with themselves rather than with further support for Ukraine. zeit.de
- Ukraine has begun sharing its experience in defending against Russian drones with European states. A delegation of the Ukrainian military has been sent to Denmark for this purpose, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
- Czechia largely bans entry of Russian citizens with diplomatic passports and business visas. At the country’s international airports, only accredited staff of the Russian embassy in Prague will be allowed in, said Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. diepresse.com
International Atomic Energy Agency seeks rapid restoration of external power supply to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant: The IAEA is in contact with both parties to the conflict, said IAEA chief Rafael Grossi. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had described the situation at the Russian-occupied plant as critical and warned of the risk of a nuclear disaster. Russian shelling is preventing repair of the power lines, which are necessary for reactor cooling and to avert a core meltdown. spiegel.de
AfD politician Robert Risch at far-right conference in Russia: The meeting in mid-September in St. Petersburg was organized by Kremlin-linked oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev, reports Radio Liberty. Malofeyev is under Western sanctions for supporting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Risch is a member of the Hamburg parliament. He appears in several photos of the event published by Radio Liberty. At the conference, the founding of an „international league of anti-globalists“ called „Paladins“ was announced. n-tv.de, rnd.de
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RTL/ntv Trend Barometer by Forsa: Union 24 percent (-1), AfD 27 percent, SPD 13 percent, Greens 12 percent (+1), Left 11 percent, BSW 4 percent, FDP 3 percent, Others 6 percent. n-tv.de
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul pushes for immediate conscription: „I am in favor of immediate conscription!“ Wadephul told the Funke newspapers; „But we have to discuss this within the coalition.“ Next week, the Bundestag will debate for the first time a draft law that initially provides for a new voluntary military service. If that does not cover the Bundeswehr’s personnel needs and if the security situation requires it, the government and Bundestag are to decide later on the introduction of compulsory service. morgenpost.de, rnd.de
Ministers discuss measures to strengthen the German economy: Germany must once again become attractive enough for investment so that the economy can grow again, said Chancellor Friedrich at Villa Borsig. On the first day of the cabinet’s closed meeting, no concrete decisions were made. On Wednesday, the cabinet plans to adopt a so-called „modernization agenda“ for the federal government and administration with more than 80 individual measures. tagesschau.de, sueddeutsche.de
- Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder suffered a circulatory collapse during the retreat; he was taken to hospital as a precaution. Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer had to leave the cabinet meeting at Villa Borsig early due to „a death in his immediate family.“welt.de
- The German Association of Towns and Municipalities hopes the cabinet retreat will bring positive impulses for local communities. With the topics of competitiveness and state modernization, the right priorities have been set, said chief executive Andre Berghegger.
- A federal prosecutor confirms another arrest in connection with the Nord Stream sabotage in Poland: Wolodymyr Z. is a Ukrainian citizen and a trained diver. According to the authorities, he was allegedly part of the group that placed explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines near the island of Bornholm. He is suspected of having taken part in the required diving operations. welt.de, n-tv.de, tagesschau.de
- Taxpayers’ Association criticizes waste: In its Black Book, the lobbying group denounced a total of 100 cases of waste by German authorities. The size of the Bundestag is also criticized. The association calls for reducing parliament by more than 100 members to 500. In addition, costs for buildings and offices are cited as reasons for high expenditures. faz.net
Other reports:
– Labor Minister Bärbel Bas announces reform law for October; citizen’s benefit to become basic security. welt.de
– Somali refugees win asylum proceedings in Germany. rnd.d
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Baden-Württemberg’s Minister President Winfried Kretschmann criticizes ongoing border controls: He hopes they have not already strained friendship between Germany and France, Kretschmann said during his delegation trip to Alsace. „This is causing a lot of anger and frustration,“ Kretschmann admitted after talks with the French side. suedkurier.de
Former Krah staffer Jian G. convicted of espionage for China: The Higher Regional Court of Dresden found him guilty of particularly serious intelligence agent activity and sentenced the German with Chinese roots to four years and nine months in prison. He was accused of passing confidential EU Parliament documents to Chinese authorities. He allegedly used his position as assistant to Maximilian Krah during his time as MEP in Brussels. The man denied the accusations. tagesschau.de
Other Germany news:
– Bavaria: Former Minister President Franz Josef Strauß and philosopher Hannah Arendt to be inducted into the Walhalla Hall of Fame. br.de
– NRW: CDU, Greens, SPD and FDP want to lower voting age to 16. welt.de
– Hesse: State government plans new law to reduce bureaucracy. faz.net
– Berlin: Maria-Leo Elementary School awarded this year’s German School Prize. tagesschau.de
EU summit in Copenhagen under heightened security measures: EU heads of state and government are meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday to discuss joint deterrence and defense measures. The informal meeting is taking place in the wake of Russia’s recent airspace violations. Among other things, the establishment of a so-called drone wall to detect and intercept flying objects at an early stage is under discussion. The summit will also focus on further support for Ukraine. Spain and other member states are also expected to push for sanctions against Israel because of its actions in the Gaza Strip. rnd.de, sn.at
- EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen makes “drone wall” a priority. handelsblatt.com
More reports:
- EU flagship project: A drone wall for the defense of Europe. faz.net
- EU and India seek closer ties in Russia’s shadow. de.euronews.com
- EU research ministers discuss increase in EU research budget. news.at
- EU Commission wants to turn citizens from savers into investors. sueddeutsche.de
- Green light for merger: EU Commission approves Prada’s takeover of Versace. spiegel.de
Electronic patient record becomes mandatory for doctors, hospitals and pharmacies: Lab findings, X-rays and medication plans will be stored in the record. The aim is for patients and doctors to access data more easily. This should make it possible to identify risks more quickly and avoid duplicate examinations. Statutory health insurance patients automatically received the electronic record unless they objected. An app is required to access the documents. This is usually provided by the health insurers. zeit.de
Other economy news:
- Inflation rate in Germany rises to 2.4 percent in September. ffaz.net
- Number of unemployed falls below 3 million again. sueddeutsche.de
- Share of skilled workers in daycare centers declining in many federal states. zdfheute.de
- People in West Germany still earn significantly more than in the East; wage gap has narrowed. n-tv.de
- Lufthansa pilots vote for industrial action.zdfheute.de
- Agreement reached for northwest German steel industry. focus.de
- Spotify and YouTube: Unauthorized AI songs flood streaming platforms. tagesschau.de
- German Cabaret Prize goes to satirist Christian Ehring. deutschlandfunkkultur.de
An Iliad – European premiere in Frankfurt
An epic solo piece about anger, war, and hope comes to Europe for the first time: An Iliad by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare. Actor Matt Posada brings Homer’s heroes and victims to life – powerful, gripping, and highly topical.
International Theater Frankfurt
October 9–11, 2025 | Additional dates in December & February
Performed in English
Why Germans Call It „Walhalla“ Today’s news mentions that Bavaria is adding Hannah Arendt and Franz Josef Strauß to the Walhalla. But what exactly is this?The Walhalla is not a mythical afterlife, but a real neoclassical hall overlooking the Danube near Regensburg, built in the 19th century by King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Modeled after the Parthenon in Athens, it was designed to honor „distinguished Germans“ with busts and plaques. Think of it as a kind of German „Hall of Fame.“The name Walhalla was borrowed from Norse mythology’s Valhalla, the majestic hall of the slain. By invoking it, Ludwig I wanted to place Germany’s intellectuals, artists, and leaders in the company of legendary warriors.