II. English News and Articles
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Israeli lawmakers advance West Bank annexation bills despite Trump's past objection as Vance visits
Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday voted to advance two proposed bills that call for the formal annexation of the already Israeli-occupied West Bank, an ambition openly promoted by far-right ministers in recent months but opposed by President Trump.
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Surprise success : Congressional elections in Argentina: Milei's party is in the lead
Despite corruption scandals surrounding him and a weakening economy, Argentina's ultraliberal president, Javier Milei, achieved a surprising success in the midterm congressional elections. His party, "La Libertad Avanza" (Freedom Advances), secured just over 40 percent of the vote, according to the electoral commission after nearly all ballots had been counted.
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Argentina: Devaluation and American interference, but no progress otherwise
No sooner had Javier Milei won the congressional elections with the help of unprecedented American interference in the election campaign than the libertarians regained the upper hand and once again celebrated the Argentine president’s economic successes, which do not even exist. Although the inflation rate is significantly lower than last year, it remains at a very high level of over 30 per cent. Economic development is disappointing. There are no signs of an upturn. Underemployment is severe and production figures show no signs of economic momentum. In July of this year, we presented the facts in a discussion of a scandalous OECD report, and the trend identified in that analysis still holds true today.
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Nine people with life-threatening injuries after stabbings on Doncaster-London train
- Ten people are in hospital - nine believed to have life-threatening injuries - after a stabbing attack on board a Doncaster-London King's Cross train on Saturday
- Two people have been arrested after the train made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon station for police to intervene - here's everything else we know
- British Transport Police say counter-terrorism officers are supporting the investigation as they "work to establish the full circumstances and motivation"
- An eyewitness tells the BBC they saw a man with a bloodied arm fleeing down a carriage yelling "they've got a knife" - another witness says police Tasered a man on a platform
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the "appalling incident" is "deeply concerning" and urges people to follow the advice of local authorities
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Israel’s military prosecutor admits she leaked video of soldiers assaulting a Palestinian detainee
Israel’s top military prosecutor resigned Friday, admitting she was responsible for leaking a video showing soldiers assaulting a Palestinian detainee at a notorious military detention center, according to excerpts of the letter published by Israeli media.
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Italian journalist fired for “wrong” question, Brussels: “Willing to answer everyone”
Gabriele Nunziati, a former contributor to Agenzia Nova, asked the EU Commission whether Israel should fund the reconstruction of Gaza. A few weeks after he was fired
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US military flew supersonic B-1 bombers up to the coast of Venezuela
The U.S. military flew a pair of supersonic, heavy bombers up to the coast of Venezuela on Thursday, a little over a week after another group of American bombers made a similar journey as part of a training exercise to simulate an attack.
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner: US Escalation Is ‘Only Way’ to Free Venezuela
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We have in Venezuela the largest proven oil reserves in the world, the eighth [largest] reservoir of natural gas, huge potential in electricity, gold, critical minerals, and so on. This can only be unleashed with a government that brings order to this chaos. That open[s] markets, that brings rule of law, that is friendly to international investment. And then a country that is producing less than 1 million barrels a day, could reach four, five, or six in a decade.
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Exclusive: Qatar's energy minister warns EU law could stop it supplying LNG to Europe
- Qatar supplies 12%-14% of Europe's LNG since Russia's invasion of Ukraine
- Qatar's energy min says calls to EU Commission go unanswered
- Changes proposed by EU lawmakers this week don't address Qatar's key concerns
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Russia continues to export uranium to the United States
The United States continues to import low-enriched uranium from Russia, which is a key feedstock for producing nuclear reactor fuel. This trade takes place despite mutual restrictions: a US import embargo (in force since May 2024) and a Russian export ban (since November 2024). It remains possible due to one-off permits issued by both sides.
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Why the US keeps buying nuclear fuel from Russia - and how it plans to stop
Donald Trump threatens tariffs on countries buying Russian energy. Yet the US continues to purchase a significant share of uranium from the aggressor state.
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III. Translated News in English
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Dutch seized Nexperia over fears Chinese owners planned to move chip production to China
The Hague’s intervention to block Nexperia’s relocation has angered Beijing, triggering export bans and new strain on Europe’s tech sector
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Chip problems at Volkswagen - Threatening production stoppage and short-time work
Volkswagen's chip supply problems are escalating. A partial production shutdown is now looming. Furthermore, discussions about short-time work are apparently already underway. The German government has met with industry representatives.
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Chinesischer Chip-Stopp legt deutsche Autobauer lahm – „Kann Monate dauern“
Der Streit um den niederländischen Chip-Hersteller Nexperia bringt die Automobilbranche in Schwierigkeiten. Die chinesische Regierung verbietet die Ausfuhr von Halbleitern des niederländischen Unternehmens, die in der Volksrepublik verkaufsfertig gemacht werden. Dadurch drohen Produktionsausfälle bei Autobauern wie BMW oder Volkswagen und Zulieferern wie Bosch.
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Federal government hopes for exemption from US sanctions for PCK refinery
The US has imposed sanctions on Russia's oil industry. This could also affect the PCK refinery, which is majority-owned by a subsidiary of the Russian company Rosneft.
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Earn money from infrastructure - State collects for 100 billion fund – citizens pay the bill
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Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) and Federal Economics Minister Katharina Reiche (CDU) are currently on a promotional tour. Their target is investors at home and abroad . They are expected to invest approximately €90 billion in a Germany fund, with the federal government itself intending to contribute €10 billion.
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In 2014, the Federal Audit Office analyzed six highway projects involving private investors. The auditors concluded that for five of these projects, the government paid a total of €1.9 billion more than the construction would have normally cost. Depending on the project, the additional costs ranged from 12 to 30 percent.
This summer, the Hans Böckler Foundation calculated that the planned PPPs for the expansion of the electricity grid would cost the government a total of around €220 billion by 2037. Half of this is actual additional costs for the expansion, the other half indirect effects from lower economic growth triggered by higher grid fees. These fees, after all, must rise in line with construction costs. This is not a purely German phenomenon, by the way. The British Court of Auditors has also repeatedly warned that PPPs usually lead to additional costs.
The fund planned by the federal government is likely to ultimately result in higher expenses for citizens. In road construction, this could mean more highways, tunnels, or bridges with private toll booths; in other areas, you will pay for the higher costs indirectly – whether through network charges, more expensive mobile phone tariffs, or general taxes and social security contributions, because the additional costs must be borne by the federal budget.
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“Cheeky and impudent”: Lindner's planned entry into US consulting firm Teneo causes criticism
The former finance minister wants to join the US consulting firm Teneo. LobbyControl sees a conflict of interest. Left Party politician Görke demands that the federal government prohibit Lindner from joining.
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Bitter balance sheet of citizen's allowance: Recipients slide ever deeper into poverty
Citizen's income is intended to ensure a minimum standard of living. However, the standard rates are increasing more slowly than inflation. Recipients are slipping further into poverty. This also affects pensioners.
Citizen's Allowance (Bürgergeld ) – the future basic social security benefit – will see its second consecutive freeze in 2026. Those in need will have to make do with the 2024 standard rate. The federal government made this decision in September, based on the extrapolation method. "The standard rates are far too low," commented Joachim Rock of the Paritätischer Gesamtverband (Paritätische Gesamtverband) on the decision.
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Nord Stream attacks - Italian court approves extradition
A court in Bologna has approved the extradition of a Ukrainian man to Germany. He is suspected of masterminding the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines. However, his lawyer intends to continue fighting.
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Artificial intelligence - AI invents every third answer
A new study by the European Broadcasting Union reveals alarming error rates among popular AI chatbots. The systems regularly fabricate information and even cite false sources.
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The problem lies in the system: Chatbots don't really understand what they're saying. They calculate, based on huge amounts of text, which words are likely to fit together. They can't verify whether the resulting statement is true. They have no factual knowledge, only statistical patterns.
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Negotiations before the Ukraine war - Merkel angers Eastern Europeans
Angela Merkel presented her autobiography, "Freedom," and caused a stir with an interview in Hungary. She stated that her proposed EU peace talks with Putin had failed because of the Baltic states and Poland. This sparked sharp criticism: Eastern European politicians condemned her statements, and experts saw them as a problematic justification for Russian aggression. Public support came only from the Federal Office for Social Affairs and Health (BSW).
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Controversial plans of the federal government - New details on the citizen's income reform: Lower asset allowances, harsher sanctions, hardly any savings
When the CDU/CSU and SPD first presented their plans for a new basic income support scheme just over a week ago, some questions remained unanswered. A detailed draft from the Ministry of Labor now provides the answers.
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"Things have gotten out of hand": SPD leader advocates social reforms - in line with the CDU/CSU's position
Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has expressed his conviction that a state-subsidized industrial electricity price will be implemented and is financially viable. Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) is working on the necessary approval in Brussels, the SPD leader said on Thursday in Berlin at an event hosted by the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI). There are still “a few legal issues we need to clarify.” After that, “we will have to find the funding together.”
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ref:
Agenda 2010
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One thing becomes clear - Germany wants to buy weapons for 377 billion - these systems are on the list
According to a media report, the Ministry of Defense has launched a procurement plan for Germany's defense. The shopping list is extensive and makes at least one thing clear.
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- 561 Skyranger 30mm mobile anti-aircraft guns for protection against drones, among other things
- 687 Puma infantry fighting vehicles for the mechanized infantry
- 14 Iris-T SLM air defense systems with 396 IRIS-T SLM missiles and 300 IRIS-T LFK missiles for shorter ranges
- 15 additional F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter aircraft in addition to the 45 aircraft already ordered
- a satellite program that includes a low-orbit satellite communication system for independent communication between troops
- 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers and three matching Typhon launchers
- 4 Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft as long-range aircraft for submarine hunting and surveillance
- There are also several programs for the use of combat drones in the Bundeswehr
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The German government rejects Lavrov's proposal for a non-aggression pact between Russia and EU-NATO states.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared in Minsk this week that Moscow is prepared to provide EU and NATO countries with legally binding security guarantees not to attack them. Against this backdrop, the NachDenkSeiten website wanted to know whether the German government was aware of this proposal and whether it planned to adopt it. The answer reveals a deep-seated problem in German foreign policy.
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Additional question, Warweg:
Do I understand you correctly that you do not intend to take up this proposal from the Russian side for a de facto non-aggression pact with EU and NATO states for the time being?
Deschauer (AA):
You understand me perfectly well that the Russian side must end its war, which it has been waging for some time now without any cause or justification against a sovereign neighboring country. It is the Federal Government's aim to achieve a ceasefire, an end to these hostilities.
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Nursing: Report reveals what is driving young professionals out of the profession
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1. High levels of dissatisfaction and stress
Only about a third of apprentices (34 percent) and less than half of students (47 percent) are satisfied with their training. Over 80 percent regularly work overtime, and almost half feel chronically overworked. The apprentices who are dissatisfied complain about a lack of guidance, a heavy workload, and insufficient support.
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2. Inadequate practical instruction and insufficient supervision
The legally mandated minimum of 10 percent structured practical instruction is only met by one-third of trainees. In more than half of the cases, instruction exists "only on paper." The problem is that the qualified professionals assigned to supervise the trainees apparently lack the time themselves.
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3. Unplanned transfers and staff shortages
Three-quarters of trainees are unexpectedly transferred during their placements – often due to staff shortages. This hinders their learning and contradicts the training plans. A particularly problematic issue is that many trainees in outpatient and inpatient long-term care have to work alone at times – without guidance from qualified professionals. Union representative Bühler criticized the fact that many hospitals and care facilities still haven't recognized the signs of the times: "Quite a few ruthlessly exploit the trainees' great dedication and empathy, abusing them as cheap labor."
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4. Cancelled classes and lack of integration of theory and practice
Nearly 60 percent of trainees report frequent class cancellations, which are usually not made up. A quarter have to learn the material on their own. Furthermore, practical supervision by teachers is often not carried out to the required extent: only about half of the trainees and approximately 40 percent of the students receive any visit from a teacher at all during their practical placement.
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Fight against high energy costs - Reiche announces industrial electricity price from January 2026
German industry complains about high energy prices compared to other countries. The federal government wants to help: In a few months, an industrial electricity price is intended to relieve the burden on important sectors. Economists are not entirely convinced
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New worries for public transport commuters: Will there soon be fewer and fewer regional trains running?
Regional trains are causing sharply rising costs. Operators are facing bankruptcy, and one German state has already reduced train services. Things are likely to get even worse in 2026. Politicians seem helpless.
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Citizen's income put to the test: Material deprivation and a growing poverty gap
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Data on material deprivation further illustrates the problem: In 2024, around half of those receiving basic income support were affected by hardship, with a third suffering significant hardship. They were unable to meet basic needs such as unexpected expenses, furniture, a balanced diet, or social participation (e.g., leisure activities, eating meals with friends). Specifically, 86.6 percent of basic income support recipients could not afford unexpected expenses. 55.4 percent reported being unable to replace broken furniture, and 32.1 percent stated they could not eat and drink with friends. Even after benefit increases, their living situation remains precarious.
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Survey: Homeless people in Hamburg are becoming increasingly destitute
The health of people living on Hamburg's streets has deteriorated in recent years. This is the result of a survey of homeless people in the city.
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Ministry with draft - Reiche presents plan to shut down gas networks
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According to the draft legislation, energy suppliers are to develop so-called network development plans for their gas networks at an early stage. These plans will then form the legal basis for repurposing or decommissioning the networks. The plans must be drawn up "as soon as a permanent reduction in natural gas demand is expected within the next ten years [...]", the draft states. The plans must be approved by a competent authority and reviewed at regular intervals.
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Therefore, energy suppliers and municipal utilities should, for the first time, be granted the right to disconnect consumers from the gas network if they see no further use for the network. This should be explicitly possible "without the consent of the affected end consumer." This means the energy supplier can make a decision over the consumer's head. The public in the network area should be involved in the creation of the network plans. Consumers must be informed well in advance – several times – about the decommissioning and possible disconnection from the gas network.
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