Bild: The wild battle in the mob parliament | Die wilde Schlacht im Pöbel-Parlament
FAZ: Netanyahu threatens Hamas with “fierce fighting” | Netanjahu droht Hamas mit „heftigen Kämpfen“
Funke: Berlin’s economy fears US tariffs | Berlins Wirtschaft fürchtet US-Zölle
Handelsblatt: German companies are buying in the US | Deutsche Unternehmen kaufen in den USA zu
RND: Heating in winter: No stopping the gas prices | Heizen im Winter: Der Gaspreis ist nicht zu bremsen
SZ: Harsh attacks and quiet courting | Harte Attacken und leises Umwerben
Tagesspiegel: Experts sound the alarm: Far too little new housing construction in big cities | Experten schlagen Alarm: Viel zu wenig Wohnungsneubau in Großstädten
taz: Women bang their head against a brick wall | Frauen beißen auf Granit
Welt: Merz mocks Scholz: “What was that?” | Merz spottet über Scholz: „Was war das denn?“
Exchange of blows in Bundestag in last debate before election:
- Chancellor Olaf Scholz accused Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz of endangering European integration with his migration plans. Scholz repeated his accusation that Merz could be making common cause with the AfD. welt.de
- Union candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated that working with the AfD was out of the question for him. He blamed the rise of the right-wing populists on Olaf Scholz and the SPD. The CDU leader offered to work with the “democratic center” parties after the election. handelsblatt.com
- Green Party Chancellor candidate Robert Habeck spoke primarily about climate protection. He said the federal election was also a decision on the direction of social justice. The Greens wanted to relieve the burden on lower household incomes and, among other things, increase parental benefits. n-tv.de
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatens to end the Gaza ceasefire: If the next Israeli hostages are not released as agreed on Saturday, Israel’s military will resume fighting. They will fight the terrorist organization until it is finally defeated. Hamas postponed the release indefinitely and accused Israel of violating the terms of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. For example, Israel is delaying the return of Palestinians to the north of the Gaza Strip and hindering the import of aid. spiegel.de, tagesschau.de
US President Donald Trump defends ‘his claim’ to the Gaza Strip: He leaves it completely open on what basis he wants to bring the war-torn coastal area under his control. „We will have Gaza. We don’t need to buy it,“ Trump said at a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House. The US would simply ‘take’ Gaza, get it going again and turn it into a ‘diamond’. Trump said he knew a lot about real estate. The Gaza Strip is right by the sea. Hotels, apartments and offices should be built there, and the reconstruction will create many jobs in the region. zeit.de, faz.net
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky doubts security guarantees without the US: There are voices that say that Europe can offer security guarantees without the Americans; he always says no. Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees, Zelensky told the Guardian. Trump recently said he wanted to end the war; skeptics fear that a US-brokered deal could force Ukraine to capitulate to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands. Selenskyj said he was willing to exchange the territory controlled by Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region for Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia. t-online.de
RTL/ntv trend barometer by Forsa: CDU 29 percent (+1), SPD 16 percent, Greens 14 percent (-1), FDP 4 percent, AfD 20 percent, Left Party 6 percent (+1), BSW 4 percent, others 7 percent. n-tv.de
Transport Minister Volker Wissing warns against abolishing the Deutschlandticket: On Phoenix, Wissing said that doing so would mean a financial burden for the middle class. Oliver Wittke, head of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr transport association, criticized Bavaria’s move to withdraw from the financing in the DLF; Bavaria had agreed to the introduction of the ticket and also to the 50-50 financing by the federal and state governments. CDU budget policy expert Christian Haase told Politico that the Deutschlandticket could no longer be financed beyond 2025. CSU leader Markus Söder told the RND that the CDU would find a solution for the Deutschlandticket after the election. phoenix.de (Wissing), politico.eu (Haase), rnd.de (Söder)
German Navy reports a series of cases of sabotage on warships: Navy Inspector Jan Christian Kaack said in Berlin that there had been destruction on more than one unit. Appropriate measures have been taken in the shipyards. In addition, people have entered naval bases. Kaack did not comment on a report by WDR, NDR and SZ, according to which an attempt at sabotage on the warship “Emden” was uncovered at the last moment. handelsblatt.com, ndr.de (Emden)
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is calling for higher defense spending in Europe: Hegseth visited the US garrison in Stuttgart on Tuesday, where the headquarters of the European and African commands of the US military are located. Europe deserves to be free from any attack, he said, referring to the war in Ukraine. But the countries in the immediate vicinity should spend the most on collective and individual defense. Hegseth endorsed US President Donald Trump’s statement that European states should spend five percent of their annual economic output on defense. On Wednesday, Hegseth is expected to make an inaugural visit to NATO and will first attend a meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group. On Thursday, a meeting of NATO defense ministers will take place. stern.de, n-tv.de
Germany’s ranking in Transparency International’s annual corruption index has deteriorated: In the current ranking, Germany is only in 15th place, having previously reached 9th place. Transparency International sees room for improvement in Germany, particularly in the financing of political parties. There is insufficient transparency and uncontrolled large donations. As progress, Transparency praised the reform of the lobby register law. A total of 180 countries were examined. For the seventh year in a row, Denmark is the front-runner when it comes to the least corruption, followed by Finland and Singapore. The highest levels of corruption were found in South Sudan, Somalia and Venezuela. zdf.de, tagesschau.de
Saxony’s domestic intelligence agency has warned against the far-right co-opting of the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden: President Dirk-Martin Christian said that the anniversary has a become a prominent date for extremist groups throughout Germany. Various far-right events have been announced for February 13-15. In addition, left-wing extremists are likely to try to disrupt the rallies. Mutual provocation between the two camps is an integral part of the confrontation. The police are also expecting a “confrontational situation”. saechsische.de
More News from Germany:
- Saxony: Minority government sets out key points for double budget. mdr.de
- NRW: Deportation of Syrians and Afghans to Bulgaria. rp-online.de
- Rhineland-Palatinate: CDU state parliamentary group sues Minister President Alexander Schweitzer for violating the requirement of neutrality. swr.de
- Hamburg: SPD and the Greens want a central point of contact for excessive rents. ndr.de
- Hamburg: CDU wants to halve parking fees. n-tv.de
- Baden-Württemberg: Cutting wages of Reichsbürger teacher was lawful. spiegel.de
- Bavaria: Munich residents to vote on an Olympic bid in the fall. augsburger-allgemeine.de
- Brandenburg: Fewer controls due to foot-and-mouth disease. n-tv.de
- NRW: Broad coalition in favor of new forest pact. n-tv.de
- Hamburg: One dead and several injured after ICE train collides with a semitrailer. ndr.de
Summit wants ethical use of AI: More than 60 countries, including France, Germany and China, have spoken out in favor of the ethical and sustainable development of artificial intelligence. The US and UK did not join the final declaration of the AI summit. In it, more than 60 states call for a “global dialogue” to avoid market concentration and make the technology more accessible. heise.de, faz.net
World Health Organization sends free medication for children with cancer to six low-income countries: The first deliveries were sent to Mongolia and Uzbekistan. In the pilot phase, Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal and Zambia will also receive supplies. A total of 5,000 children in the six countries will benefit from the program. The aim is to increase the survival rate of children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries. This rate is currently less than 30 percent in some cases, compared to 80 percent in high-income countries.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announces countermeasures to Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs: The bloc will respond firmly and proportionately and protect European workers, companies and consumers. Von der Leyen described the US’s 25-percent tariffs as disproportionate. Trump had ordered the tariffs by decree. They are scheduled to take effect on March 4. handelsblatt.com, nzz.ch, tagesschau.de
Coalition negotiations between FPÖ and ÖVP continue: On Tuesday evening, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen received the two party leaders Herbert Kickl and Christian Stocker for separate talks at the Hofburg. Van der Bellen said he had demanded a quick clarification of whether it would be possible to conclude the negotiations. FPÖ leader Kickl said that they would continue talking, the atmosphere was good. ÖVP leader Stocker was cautious; foreign policy issues such as the attitude towards the EU and Russia were controversial and there are disagreements over the distribution of departments. tagesspiegel.de
Armed men attack villages in the DR Congo, killing more than 50 people: Police and local community representatives said the attackers raided several villages in Ituri province in the east of the country. They killed residents with machetes and guns and raped women and girls. The attacks are reportedly attributed to the Codeco militia. This is one of numerous militant groups fighting for control over land and resources in eastern Congo. spiegel.de
Pope Francis criticizes US President Donald Trump’s migration policy. True rule of law is shown in the dignified treatment of the poorest and most marginalized, the Pope wrote in a letter to the US bishops. Protecting migrants has been a priority for the Pope for a long time. Trump’s border commissioner Tom Homan rejected the Pope’s criticism. tagesschau.de
More European news:
- Netherlands: Council of State sharply criticizes asylum reform plans; doubts the effect of the planned measures. faz.net
- Turkey: Nine opposition politicians arrested on terrorism charges. welt.de
- Switzerland: Council of States against mandatory EU referendum. srf.ch
- Czech Republic: Opposition leader Andrej Babis wants to nationalize public media. focus.de
- Sweden: Discussion of growing xenophobia after school massacre in Örebro; perpetrator had possible racist motive. spiegel.de
- Italy: 183 suspected Mafiosi arrested in police raids in Sicily. derstandard.at
- Italy: Journalists and activists spied on with spyware via WhatsApp. faz.net
- Belgium: Population is growing, but aging rapidly. grenzecho.net
- Iran: Journalists Nilufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi pardoned; Hawar Help organization thanked SPD member of parliament Annika Klose and Left Party politician Heidi Reichinnek. dw.com
- Ecuador: President Daniel Noboa speaks of “irregularities” after the election. zeit.de
Dax climbs above 22,000 points for the first time: At the close of trading, the Dax stood at 22,038 points. Hopes of further interest rate cuts, among other things, have been driving stock markets worldwide upwards for months. On the day of US President Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony in January, the Dax broke through the 21,000-point mark for the first time. It was only at the beginning of December that it rose above the 20,000-point mark. spiegel.de, zdf.de
More from the worlds of business, technology and science:
- Verdi threatens to escalate warning strikes in public sector. tagesschau.de
- 2024 sets new record for number of overnight stays in Germany. zdf.de
- Deutsche Bahn is investing billions in network technology. n-tv.de
- Debate instead of hate: Majority would like to see social media better moderated. n-tv.de
- Half of Germany’s self-employed lack work: The country’s self-employed are in an “economic nosedive” n-tv.de
- New Chinese auto giant? Dongfeng and Changan are said to be on the verge of a merger electrive.net
- iPhone: Apple is reportedly developing AI for China with Alibaba wiwo.de
- What the Berliner Zeitung makes of the Politico conspiracy – serves the spin of the US government medieninsider.com
- Video-first strategy: Radio station Kiss FM is now focusing fully on video horizont.net
- Kennedy Center: Former US ambassador in Berlin, Grenell, is now to direct “show business” for Trump spiegel.de
- Rejected at the airport: Ai Weiwei is not allowed to enter Switzerland. When asked, the cantonal police stated that he did not have the necessary entry documents. monopol-magazin.de
- Response to practice letter: Senior English student in Munich receives mail from King Charles ksta.de
- After anti-Semitism scandal: US rapper Kanye West advertises swastika shirts at the Super Bowl t-online.de
- New lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs: Rape of a street musician musikexpress.de
This week in ASK A GERMAN: If you enter a German sauna in a swimsuit, expect some surprised looks, because here, saunas and nudity go hand in hand. It’s not about exhibitionism but hygiene, tradition, and a relaxed attitude toward the body. Swimsuits trap sweat and bacteria, making them unhygienic. This is why Germans always use a towel to sit on—it keeps both you and the wooden benches clean. For many people unfamiliar with German sauna culture, the idea of getting naked around strangers might feel awkward or even inappropriate. But here’s the key difference: in Germany, nudity is not automatically linked to sexuality. Saunas are about relaxation, wellness, and health. If full nudity feels uncomfortable, you can wrap in a towel or visit on designated “textile” days.
- Sexism scandal: Luis Rubiales claims to have asked female player for permission to kiss her zeit.de
- Champions League opponents of FC Bayern: Celtic’s fans‘ solidarity with Palestine crosses the line into hatred for Israel and anti-Semitism for somernd.de
- Armin Veh in a chatty mood: VfB Stuttgart wanted to sign Mesut Özil sport.de
- Alpine Ski World Championships 2025: Team combination – Dürr dashes medal hopes sportschau.de
Westminster Dog Show: Who is the most beautiful dog? faz.net