published by Sigrid Arteaga
Contributor: Imogen Goodman and Ulrich Kraus
Bild: Schröder is really that sick | So krank ist Schröder wirklich
FAZ: China announces retaliatory tariffs on American products | China kündigt Vergeltungszölle auf amerikanische Produkte an
Funke: Fence around Berlin’s Görlitzer Park will be built by the beginning of spring | Zaun um den Görlitzer Park wird zum Frühlingsbeginn gebaut
Handelsblatt: Electric car debacle in China | Elektro-Debakel in China
RND: „We will own it“: Trump wants to take control of the Gaza Strip | „Wir werden ihn besitzen“: Trump will Kontrolle über Gazastreifen übernehmen
SZ: China’s counter-strike is mild | Chinas Gegenschlag fällt mild aus
Tagesspiegel: Trump’s tariff war: EU wants to negotiate, China opts for countermeasures | Zollkrieg mit Trump: EU will verhandeln, China beschließt Gegenmaßnahmen
taz: Open letter to CDU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz from Leon Weintraub and Evamaria Loose-Weintraub | Offener Brief an CDU-Kanzlerkandidat Friedrich Merz von Leon Weintraub und Evamaria Loose-Weintraub
Welt: The CDU is being targeted by the militant left | Die CDU wird zur Zielscheibe der militanten Linken
Top-News
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is said to have repeatedly suggested to Chancellor Olaf Scholz that he renounce his candidacy for chancellor: According to consistent information from several sources in and around the SPD, Klingbeil approached Scholz at least twice, report Tagesspiegel and T-Online. In addition to Klingbeil, Saskia Esken and SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch also came to the conclusion that Scholz would be unlikely to win the snap federal election. However, Scholz insisted on his candidacy. tagesspiegel.de
US President Donald Trump wants the US to take control of the Gaza Strip: The US would take over the coastal area and develop it economically, Trump said after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. This decision was not taken lightly. Trump also advocated permanently resettling the population. Gaza is a demolition area and has been a „catastrophe“ for decades, he said. The US would, among other things, ensure that all unexploded bombs and other weapons were removed from the area. Netanyahu called Trump the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House. tagesspiegel.de, zeit.de, n-tv.de, zdf.de, spiegel.de
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky would accept nuclear weapons as an alternative security guarantee to joining NATO: The US could offer an alternative security guarantee in the form of nuclear weapons if it is not willing to support Ukraine’s NATO membership, Zelensky said on Piers Morgan. Selenskyj admits that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership could take „years or even decades.“ faz.net
RTL/ntv Trendbarometer by Forsa: CDU/CSU 28 percent (-2), SPD 16 percent, Greens 15 percent (+1), FDP 4 percent, AfD 20 percent, Left Party 5 percent (+1), BSW 4 percent (+1), others 8 percent. n-tv.de
Sunday poll in the Thuringia state election by Insa for TA, OTZ and LTZ: CDU 25 percent, SPD 7 percent, Greens 4 percent, AfD 35 percent (+1), Left Party 11 percent (-1), BSW 13 percent (-1), others 5 percent. (compared to December 10, 2024) tlz.de
Hamburg CDU partially suspends election campaigning at information stands: The verbal attacks have intensified since last Friday, a party spokesman said; election campaigners are subjected to massive insults. In addition, numerous CDU posters have been smeared and destroyed. The Hamburg state association has now decided to cancel campaign stands in Ottensen, Altona-Altstadt, St. Pauli and St. Georg. For events in the other districts, stricter security measures are in place. tagesspiegel.de
More regional news:
At least 11 people have been killed in a shooting at an adult education center in the Swedish city of Örebro: The alleged perpetrator is among the dead, police said. In addition, five people were injured. Police did not initially comment on a possible motive for the attack. At midday, a large-scale police operation took place after shots were fired on the campus of the Risbergska School. The school is for students over the age of 20. It offers courses for upper secondary education, Swedish language courses for immigrants, vocational training and programs for people with intellectual disabilities. spiegel.de
EU has offered US President Donald Trump negotiations: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that the EU is prepared to negotiate hard. She said the EU would protect its own interests, but at the same time approach the talks openly and pragmatically. The goal is a stronger partnership between the EU and the US. n-tv.de, tagesschau.de
Rejection of EU debt for armaments: After Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected joint European debt for armaments investments at the EU summit, CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter agreed with his stance. He told DLF radio that European debt would not work because there are a number of heavily indebted EU states that would not be able to repay the money. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is counting on a more flexible application of the common debt rules to enable member states to invest more in defense. faz.net
Refugees may be required to attend integration courses and take a final exam: Judges at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg emphasize the importance of language skills for integration. However, personal circumstances such as age, level of education, financial situation and state of health must be taken into account. A fine may only be imposed in exceptional circumstances, for example if a person is persistently unwilling to integrate. evangelische-zeitung.de
Belgium’s government backs nuclear power: The law passed in 2003 with the support of the Green Party to phase out nuclear power is outdated, said right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Bart De Wever in his government statement on the day after taking office. The operating times of existing power plants with a capacity of four gigawatts are to be extended. In addition, further reactors are to be built to achieve a capacity of eight gigawatts. Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet said the aim is to help households and businesses move away from carbon-intensive energies such as gas and oil. t-online.de
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier hands over medical supplies for Gaza during his visit to Jordan: These are mainly neonatal respirators, hospital beds and medicines. They will be used by the Jordanian health service in two field hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Speaking at the Al-Asrak airbase, Steinmeier said the aim was to alleviate the endless suffering of the people in Gaza. Germany plans to deliver a total of around 18 tons of medical supplies worth 1.5 million euro. yahoo.com
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assures Syrian President of his support: During talks in Ankara, he discussed steps against Kurdish fighters in north-eastern Syria with Syria’s transitional president Ahmed al-Scharaa. Erdogan stated that Turkey is ready to support the new Syrian leadership in the fight against the Islamic State and the Kurdish fighters. Erdogan added that he believed the voluntary return of Syrian migrants would accelerate as Syria becomes more stable. Turkey would work to lift the sanctions. zeit.de, faz.net
Australia bans Chinese AI software DeepSeek on government devices: Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke called DeepSeek an unacceptable risk. DeepSeek remains allowed on private devices in Australia. Last week, DeepSeek caused established technology stocks to plummet in the US. The Chinese manufacturer claims that its AI applications require significantly less computing power than those of its competitors. tagesspiegel.de
USA has brought detained migrants to Guantanamo: The first flights have taken off, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox Business. Trump had instructed the departments of defense and homeland security to prepare a camp for 30,000 people. For decades, migrants who entered the country illegally had been held in Guantanamo before being deported to their home countries or to other countries; however, only a small number of people have been housed there in recent years. zeit.de, spiegel.de
More news:
Business
Negative interest rates on savings deposits and call money inadmissible according to BGH ruling: It is contrary to good faith for savings balances to be reduced by negative interest rates. On this point, the action brought by the consumer advice centers was successful. However, the judges consider negative interest rates on current account balances to be fundamentally permissible. However, the judges ruled that the banks‘ clauses on this had been too incomprehensible in the past. Therefore, these were also declared invalid. lto.de, zeit.de, handelsblatt.com
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After long-haul flight: grandmother caught with illegal fireworks battery for grandchildren at BER spiegel.de