Bild: More and more sick days at work due to alcohol | Immer mehr Krankentage im Job durch Alkohol
FAZ: South Korea’s President Yoon announces the lifting of martial law | Südkoreas Präsident Yoon kündigt Aufhebung des Kriegsrechts an
Funke: More violence in the arrival center | Mehr Gewalt im Ankunftszentrum
Handelsblatt: Dax above 20,000 points | Dax über 20.000 Punkte
RND: State crisis in South Korea: Opposition demands immediate resignation of President Yoon | Staatskrise in Südkorea: Opposition fordert sofortigen Rücktritt von Präsident Yoon
SZ: Power struggle in South Korea | Machtkampf in Südkorea
Tagesspiegel: Crisis in South Korea: President imposes martial law – and then withdraws it | Krise in Südkorea: Präsident verhängt Kriegsrecht – und zieht es wieder zurück
taz: Labilité, Fragilité, Keineidée | Labilité, Fragilité, Keineidée
Welt: The Dax at record high – and what that means | Der Dax auf Rekordhoch – und was das bedeutet
Israel threatens Hezbollah with greater war if ceasefire fails: During a visit to the border region, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would then advance deeper into the country; the army would then no longer distinguish between Hezbollah and Lebanon. Beirut must ensure that the Lebanese army does its part of the agreement. At a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hezbollah had seriously violated the agreement, in response to which Israel had attacked numerous targets in Lebanon in retaliation. n-tv.de
- People from the embattled south of Lebanon who had returned to their homes after the ceasefire began fled north again. On the highway to Beirut, cars piled up with mattresses on the roof.
- According to its own information, Israel’s military attacked vehicles in the occupied West Bank, killing three members of Hamas‘ Al-Qassam Brigades from the Gaza Strip. This had thwarted an imminent attack.
- According to the Israeli army, it has killed seven Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who were allegedly involved in the massacre in Israel more than a year ago. The men were killed in attacks together with other Hamas fighters.
- The United States has called on Israel to investigate allegations that aid workers were killed in the Gaza Strip during air strikes. The US State Department expressed outrage over the recent killing of a Save the Children employee.
- Hospitals and doctors in East Jerusalem are calling for the immediate reopening of the humanitarian corridor to the Gaza Strip. Around 25,000 people there need life-saving medical care; the situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic.
- France and Saudi Arabia want to hold a summit next year on the two-state solution in the Middle East conflict, announced French President Emmanuel Macron during a trip to Saudi Arabia.
- US administration tightens sanctions against Iran and is now targeting oil shipments. The expansion applies to 35 objects and ships that illegally transported Iranian oil to foreign markets. These belonged to Tehran’s so-called shadow fleet.
- Israel’s air strike on a car near the Syrian capital Damascus apparently killed senior Hezbollah official Salman Jumaa, who was reportedly responsible for liaising with the Syrian army, Reuters reports.
Syrian rebels report new successes: The military administration of the Islamist rebels announced that fighters had taken control of the cities of Halfaja, Tajbat al-Imam, Maardis and Soran. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the capture. Syrian government troops reported military successes; for example, attempts by rebels to advance into areas north of the city of Hama were repelled. tagesschau.de
RTL/ntv Trendbarometer by Forsa: CDU/CSU 32 percent, SPD 16 percent (+1), Greens 12 percent, FDP 3 percent (-1), AfD 18 percent, Left Party 4 percent, BSW 4 percent, other 11 percent. n-tv.de
- Chancellor preference: Olaf Scholz 16 percent (+3), Friedrich Merz 28 percent (-2), Robert Habeck 24 percent (+2), Neither/nor 32 percent.
- FDP: Capable of governing 17 percent, not capable of governing 77 percent.
Ukraine asks for anti-aircraft systems at NATO meeting in Brussels: Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha said his country’s energy infrastructure needed to be better protected from Russian attacks during the winter. During his visit to Kiev, Chancellor Olaf Scholz had agreed to deliver two Iris-T systems and other anti-aircraft weapons before the end of this year. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sees no indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin is interested in ending the war; Putin is intensifying his rhetoric and continues to act recklessly. Rutte did not raise hopes for a quick invitation to join NATO. The focus is currently on more military aid and less on discussions about what a peace process would look like. zdf.de
- Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the end result must be a just peace, not just a freezing of the conflict. Security guarantees are needed for this. She did not rule out a Bundeswehr peacekeeping mission.
- Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged continued support for Ukraine against Russia. He justified this by saying that the country needs a strong negotiating position.
- Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. The city of Ternopil in western Ukraine has once again lost power. The population has also been asked to stock up on water. Energy supplies were also attacked in the Rivne region.
- Russia’s army says it has gained control of two more Ukrainian villages in the Donetsk region and in the Zaporizhzhia region.
- According to Russia, the air defense was deployed in a Ukrainian drone attack on Novorossiysk on Tuesday night. Novorossiysk is located in the south of Russia on the Black Sea and is an important port for Russian oil exports.
- According to Ukraine, Russia is fending off an important waterway in eastern Ukraine. The enemy units were prevented from crossing the Oskil River near the village of Novomlynsk in the Kharkiv region. n-tv.de
Cabinet makes push to relieve electricity costs: On the initiative of Economics Minister Robert Habeck, a bill for a billion-euro subsidy to reduce electricity grid costs was introduced by circular resolution. To amend energy industry law, they need the support of other parties. CDU leader Friedrich Merz said that the Union would not agree to any bill from the SPD and the Greens that would have an impact on the budget. There is neither a supplementary budget for this year nor a budget for next year, Merz said. This would rule out any budget-related resolutions. According to Merz, other laws could be passed if the Union was convinced of them. spiegel.de, n-tv.de (Habeck); tagesschau.de (Merz)
- FDP brings Lindner idea on pensions to the Bundestag. t-online.de
- FDP demands fundamental reform of the Heating Act. handelsblatt.com
- Minister of Justice Volker Wissing wants to make electronic tags possible for restraining orders. rnd.de
327 members of parliament supported a cross-party group application for a new regulation of abortions: The Green member of parliament Ulle Schauws described the support for the bill as a strong signal from the center of parliament. The law aims to legalize abortions up to the twelfth week. The initiators want the proposal to be voted on before the new Bundestag election, which is planned for February 23. tagesschau.de
The federal and state governments must do more to combat violence against women: A key finding of the study commissioned by the government is that all too often violence against women is played down by the police, the judiciary and the public. The „German Institute for Human Rights“ called the situation in the digital space problematic. Women are sexually insulted and threatened online, and secretly taken photos of them, for example in toilets, are posted online. tagesschau.de
Patient protection foundation calls for a cooling-off period for IGeL services: Patients should have a 14-day cooling-off period before their doctor provides such services. According to the foundation, taking patients by surprise and stirring up fears are part of the business model. According to the statutory health insurance funds, their policyholders pay 2.4 billion euros annually for so-called IGeL, i.e. individual health services. Most of them have no proven benefit or are even proven to be harmful. mdr.de
Federal Criminal Police Office reports smashing of illegal trading platform: More than 100,000 users were recently registered on the „Crimenetwork“ platform. Among other things, stolen data, drugs and forged documents were traded there. According to the BKA, payments were made using crypto currencies. A 29-year-old man was arrested during the investigation. He is accused of being the technical administrator of the platform. Extensive user and transaction data as well as assets worth around one million euros were also confiscated. zdf.de, heise.de
Environment Minister Steffi Lemke sees wolf ‘by no means released to be shot’: Lemke warns against hasty conclusions after the decision of the Council of Europe. The member states would have more leeway in dealing with the predator in the future. However, the guiding principle remains a sufficient wolf population. The Council of Europe had lowered the wolf’s protection status; it is now only considered „protected“, no longer „strictly protected“. This means that the EU can in principle allow the hunting of wolves to control their population. tagesschau.de
More Politics:
- In 2023, the Bundeswehr dismissed 62 soldiers from the service because of right-wing extremism. welt.de
- Freight railways: Transport Minister Volker Wissing must deliver on infrastructure fund. handelsblatt.com
- Privacy campaigner Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider wants to end „data protection lethargy“. faz.net
- Bundestag election campaign: CDU leader Friedrich Merz sees common ground with the Greens. zdf.de
- No agreement with Merz: CSU sticks to its „no“ to a black-green coalition. tagesschau.de
- Former SPD chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrück: „I would have delivered Taurus.“ zdf.de
Nuclear waste from the decommissioned Jülich research reactor may be stored in Ahaus: The Higher Administrative Court in Münster rejected an appeal by the city of Ahaus and a resident. The plaintiffs had accused the authorities of not sufficiently examining safety aspects. However, the court concluded that the necessary questions had been clarified by the licensing authority. The judges did not allow an appeal. The plaintiffs, on the other hand, can file a complaint with the Federal Administrative Court. ksta.de
More Regional:
- Saxony: CDU and SPD largely agree on coalition agreement. rnd.de
- Thuringia: The Office for the Protection of the Constitution criticizes the JA reorganization as a „transparent diversionary maneuver“. spiegel.de
- Hessen: Anonymous abusive letters against Green Party Bundestag candidate Philip Krämer. echo-online.de
- Bavaria: Ministry of Justice reports glitch in electronic exam for lawyers. tz.de
- Saarland: Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and State Interior Minister Reinhold Jost affirm cooperation on security. n-tv.de
- Berlin: The tax authorities have rejected the purchase of a former hotel that is currently being used as refugee accommodation. rbb24.de
- Rhineland-Palatinate: Council of Ministers approves law for river burials in the Rhine and Moselle. sueddeutsche.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: CSU brings Bundestag committee of inquiry into Northvolt into play. handelsblatt.com
- Lower Saxony: BKA officers arrest suspected Hezbollah member. welt.de
- Hamburg: Car-Pool-Lane to relieve traffic in Rodigallee. ndr.de
- Bavaria: Prime Minister Markus Söder visits McDonald’s; Instagram users draw comparisons with Trump. rnd.de
Protests against the government in Georgia: Thousands gathered in front of parliament in Tbilisi for the sixth evening in a row. Demonstrators waved Georgian and EU flags. Some set off fireworks. Police used water cannons and tear gas. Head of government Irakli Kobakhidze accuses opposition groups of deliberately using violence. Kobakhidze has offered the opposition talks to end the national crisis; he suggested a televised debate for this purpose. The talks are non-binding. The Constitutional Court had previously definitively confirmed the result of the parliamentary elections, in which the pro-Russian party „Georgian Dream“ won a clear majority. The opposition, on the other hand, speaks of electoral fraud and is boycotting the new parliament. stern.de (demonstrations); handelsblatt.com (talks); zeit.de (election results)
NATO steps up fight against hybrid attacks: NATO member states are intensifying the exchange of intelligence to protect critical infrastructure. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced at the two-day meeting of foreign ministers of NATO member states in Brussels that a strategy to this end is being developed. The strategy will address areas such as propaganda, political interference and deception. Russia and China have tried to destabilize NATO countries in recent years through sabotage, cyber attacks and disinformation.
Europol has shut down a chat service used by criminals: The intercepted chat messages were about drug smuggling, money laundering and arms trafficking. Arrests were made in Spain and France. The platform, called Matrix, was used by around 8,000 suspects in 33 languages, Europol said. Dutch investigators had discovered Matrix on the cell phone of the perpetrator of the murder of journalist Peter R. de Vries in Amsterdam. n-tv.de
EU Commission allocates 4.6 billion euros for green technologies: Among other things, the funds are intended for the production of renewable hydrogen and batteries for electric vehicles. The funding will be financed from the EU’s emissions trading scheme. The Commission emphasized that the green transformation of Europe is of crucial importance to ensure the competitiveness of European industry while achieving climate targets. heise.de, handelsblatt.com
EU health ministers recommend smoking bans outdoors: Specifically, it concerns places such as public playgrounds, amusement parks or outdoor pools. With their vote, the health ministers followed a recommendation by the EU Commission, which wants to limit tobacco consumption and thus the risk of cancer in the long term. The decision is only a recommendation, because the decision on smoking bans lies with the national governments. spiegel.de, rnd.de
South Korea’s government lifts martial law again just hours after it comes into force: President Yoon Suk-yeol announced that his government had ended the state of emergency during a cabinet meeting, in response to a request from parliament. Yoon Suk-yeol had accused the opposition of sympathizing with North Korea. The background to this, however, is apparently a dispute over the state budget. The largest trade union federation has called an open-ended general strike until Yoon resigns; the opposition is also calling for his resignation. faz.net, spiegel.de
Iran threatens to withdraw from nuclear non-proliferation treaty: In the event of the reintroduction of sharp UN sanctions, Iran’s government sees withdrawal as a possible reaction. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Madschid Tacht-Rawantschi, raised this issue at a meeting with representatives from Germany, France and Great Britain in Geneva on Friday, reported the state news agency Irna, citing the spokesperson for the parliamentary commission for national security, Ebrahim Resai. handelsblatt.com
Swapo politician Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah elected President of Namibia: This is the first time a woman has been elected to the highest office. The 72-year-old received about 58 percent of the vote, according to the electoral commission. Her main rival received just over 25 percent. In the parliamentary elections, the ruling party Swapo, which has been in power for 34 years, was able to maintain its majority with more than 52 percent of the vote. derstandard.at, zeit.de
More News:
- EU: Relief for forest farmers: EU deforestation law postponed until early 2026. faz.net
- EU: Database of AI systems: EU wants to automate border surveillance. netzpolitik.org
- EU: After complaint from Hamburg: EU abolishes tax privileges for shipowners. abendblatt.de
- EU: Booking and Expedia: EU regulation is intended to strengthen hoteliers and only benefits the US platforms. wiwo.de
- France: MPs will vote on a no-confidence motion on Wednesday. stern.de
- Greece: German interior minister Nancy Faeser is in Athens and Kos to find out about the migration situation. dw.com
- Ireland: Center-right government needs new coalition partners. dw.com
- Lithuania: Parliament lifts immunity of Remigijus Zemaitaitis, leader of the populist party, after accusations of Holocaust denial. rnd.de
- Italy: Public prosecutor in Trento issues arrest warrant for Austrian real estate entrepreneur Rene Benko. manager-magazin.de
- Finland: Another data cable to Sweden in the Baltic Sea region damaged; so far no evidence of sabotage. t-online.de
- Denmark: Pioneer in climate-friendly heating. is sueddeutsche.de
- Romania: Tiktok defends itself against accusations of election interference. rp-online.de
- Guinea: Human rights activists assume that 135 football fans have died. welt.de
- Afghanistan: Taliban ban midwifery training. faz.net
- USA: US President-elect Donald Trump requests end to his hush money trial. sueddeutsche.de
- USA: Judge dismisses weapons case against Hunter Biden after his father’s pardon. zeit.de
- USA: Hedge fund manager and billionaire Stephen Feinberg is to take over Pentagon business as deputy defense minister. spiegel.de
- USA: House of Representatives select committee sees origin of corona as a laboratory accident; scientists consider this unlikely. zdf.de
- USA: Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg offers to serve as an AI consultant to Donald Trump. zeit.de
- USA: In a CNN interview, former Chancellor Merkel diagnoses a „fascination with sheer power“ in Donald Trump. tagesspiegel.de
China restricts raw material exports to the USA: China’s Ministry of Commerce announced that the export of several metals, including gallium, germanium and the metalloid antimony, is now completely banned. There are also export restrictions on graphite. These metals are important for the production of armaments and computer chips. China is one of the most important countries of origin for these raw materials. Beijing’s decision follows further measures taken by Washington against the Chinese semiconductor industry. spiegel.de, handelsblatt.com
More from Business, Tech and Science:
- Dax above 20,000 points for the first time. spiegel.de
- Supermarket chains and discounters are causing less food waste. tagesschau.de
- Games industry becomes somewhat more optimistic. handelsblatt.com
- Group reorganization: Deutsche Bahn boss Richard Lutz calls managers to report. faz.net
- Many long-distance trains of Deutsche Bahn still running late in November. handelsblatt.com
- EnBW considers a return to nuclear power to be out of the question. tagesschau.de
- Employees in Germany: Overtime at an all-time low. faz.net
- Gap in your CV: HR managers remain critical of time out. manager-magazin.de
- Asset management based on AI: Union Investment and LAIQON subsidiary cooperate. cash-online.de
- ENBW boss Georg Stamatelopoulos in an interview: „We have focused too one-sidedly on climate protection“. faz.net
- Worse than in October: Deutsche Bahn long-distance trains are again running less punctually. rnd.de
- Group reorganization: Deutsche Bahn boss Lutz calls his managers to report. faz.net
- Deutsche Bank recommends shares in consumer goods manufacturers. faz.net
- Coinbase Onramp: Cryptocurrencies can be bought with Apple Pay. golem.de
- Origin of corona: US report points to laboratory accident in China. t-online.de
- ChatGPT refuses to provide information about certain people – the names are all either related to criticism of AI in general or ChatGPT in particular, or to lawsuits against ChatGPT. golem.de
- TV rights to Bundesliga soccer: ARD’s Sportschau to continue. sueddeutsche.de
- Endless online formats: ARD’s expansion is just getting started. faz.net
- SevenOne Media uses AI for contextual targeting. horizont.net
- Campaign has now been launched in Germany – the team is complete – partnership between the British media company Haymarket and the media specialist publisher Oberauer. kress.de
- BigFM is tapping into new markets with KI-Messeradio. meedia.de
- ARD morning show: Sabine Scholt heads office in capital city studio. kress.de
- Salzburg crisis: actress Marina Davydova files a lawsuit against her dismissal – her work for the “Voices. Performing Arts Festival“ in Berlin was a ‘neither announced nor authorized activity’ and a violation of her contract. faz.net
- University of Leipzig bans Israeli historian – Hamas sympathizer Jumana Manna is allowed to appear at the university. welt.de
- Merkel and Obama meet: happy to play host to friend Angela. tagesschau.de
- „Freedom“ almost sold out: Merkel’s book can no longer be reviewed on Amazon. n-tv.de
Do you have questions about Germany and its people? Look no further! Check out the „ASK A GERMAN“ section on the Plus Forty Nine website. Here, we go straight to the source, uncovering authentic insights and answering your burning questions about life in Germany.
- Suddenly on erotic platform: Due to the difficult search for sponsors, Olympic stars are presenting themselves on OnlyFans. n-tv.de
- Bayern attacker avoids ban: No proceedings will be initiated by the DFB after Sané’s elbow strike against Groß. kicker.de
- Ex-Green Party leader Nouripour takes over post on the Eintracht Frankfurt supervisory board. deutschlandfunk.de
- Next setback: Hummels substituted in Rome defeat. sportbuzzer.de
- Star coach becomes national coach: personnel bombshell in German tennis – Torben Beltz, Angelique Kerber’s long-time coach, will succeed Barbara Rittner. sport.de
- „Not fair“ – Sports director Hüttel disagrees with Geiger after Ottesen criticism. sportschau.de
- World Chess Championship in Singapore: „What a drama“ – Challenger Gukesh squanders advantage. sportschau.de
- Playboy survey: Merz also receives award – Olaf Scholz is „most annoying man of the year“. t-online.de
- Social media phenomenon Hitschies: Philip Hitschler-Becker „I’m probably the only CEO who doesn’t have an email address“. n-tv.de
- Ex-film mogul: Harvey Weinstein admitted to hospital – His lawyer speaks of „alarming“ blood values. spiegel.de
- Prosecutor should look for Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht – unpaid bill at the hotel. t-online.de
“B-Day“ campaign: the Left Party pits Lindner against a banana. t-online.de