[Hints] Voices from the Blätterwald - 2025-09-10

1. English Videos
1. French monitor: Ukraine, NATO provoked Russia in Donbas war
2. English News and Articles
1. Ukrainian attack halts Russian crude oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia
2. SCO
3. Power of Siberia 2
4. Resistance Factors and Special Forces Areas - Ukraine - August 1957
3. Translated News in English
1. Recession
2. Railway boss Lutz leaves - this is the ruthless assessment of his incompetence & German Railway & That's why trains are so often late
3. Poverty
4. Former Transport Minister Scheuer charged with perjury
5. Billion-dollar gap in the budget - Union opposes Klingbeil's tax proposal for the wealthy
6. Agenda 2030
7. Despite the shortage of skilled workers, companies are training fewer apprentices.
8. Pension
9. Military service revolution: QR code in letter leads to conscription – who is now affected
10. Surprising turnaround - Bulgaria denies twice: Turmoil over alleged GPS jamming attack against Ursula von der Leyen's plane

I. English Videos

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II. English News and Articles

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-> Ukrainian attack halts Russian crude oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia
An alleged Ukrainian attack on a transformer station cut off crude oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline that runs through Belarus and Ukraine, officials in the two countries said Monday. While other European countries have weaned themselves off Russian energy since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Budapest and Bratislava have continued to purchase cheap oil and gas from Moscow.
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-> China and India pledge to be 'partners not rivals'
The leaders of China and India say there is now deepening trust between them after years of tension that includes a long-running border dispute.
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-> What is Russia's Power of Siberia pipeline 2 to China?
Russia's Gazprom has agreed to a modest rise in gas supplies to China via an existing pipeline and has signed a memorandum on building the vast Power of Siberia 2 pipeline.
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-> Resistance Factors and Special Forces Areas - Ukraine - August 1957

III. Translated News in English

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-> “Significant drop in exports”: German GDP falls sharply again
At the beginning of the year, the German economy showed signs of growth for the first time in years—but these were likely just flash in the pan. The current data for summer 2025 are sobering.
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Since Germany is the only euro member state to have reduced down its real wage level imports are also stagnating due to a lack of purchasing power. Germany has thus achieved an increased export share and an increased export dependency. In addition Germany has created a growing foreign trade surplus.

-> Why are entrepreneurs so stupid?
The latest data for the German economy is once again signalling weakness. The ifo index for August has just been published, showing that nothing more than stagnation is to be expected in German industry at the end of the summer. This is not surprising. In the first half of 2025, Germany’s trade surplus was just over €100 billion, which was 22 per cent below the figure for the first half of 2024, even before the American tariff policy had really come into effect.
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-> Railway boss Lutz leaves - this is the ruthless assessment of his incompetence
The dismissal of Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz was overdue for far too many years. The incompetence of this man at the helm of such an important corporation was and continues to be felt by many citizens almost every day.
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-> German Railway & That's why trains are so often late
Almost every second train was delayed in June. Now the railway is also closing the Berlin-Hamburg line. This is one of many renovation projects. The goal: more punctuality. But experts say the dilapidated infrastructure is not the main problem.
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-> Tafel (Foodbank) in Bremerhaven closes at the end of the year
The operator cites the difficult economic situation as the reason for this move. The loss of the previously used cold storage facility also complicates the situation.
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-> Toll Inquiry Committee - Former Transport Minister Scheuer charged with perjury
The Berlin public prosecutor's office has filed charges against former Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer. The accusation: giving false unsworn testimony before the Bundestag's toll committee of inquiry.
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-> Survey on the failed car toll - Former Transport Minister Scheuer charged with perjury
The Berlin public prosecutor's office has filed charges against former Federal Transport Minister Scheuer, accusing him of giving false testimony during a 2020 Bundestag questioning regarding plans for the ultimately failed car toll.
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-> Billion-dollar gap in the budget - Union opposes Klingbeil's tax proposal for the wealthy
The German government is facing significant budgetary problems. Finance Minister Klingbeil is therefore considering tax increases for top earners and the wealthy. The CDU/CSU are clearly opposed.
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-> Financing of the welfare state - Merz wants to lead a tough reform debate
The CDU/CSU-SPD coalition has set out to implement comprehensive reforms to the welfare state. But a dispute is brewing over how to achieve this. Chancellor Merz has announced a tough debate. He doesn't want to make things easy for the SPD.
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-> No adjustment planned for 2026 - Bas for zero increase in citizen's income
After this year's freeze, the citizen's allowance will likely not be increased next year either. This is according to plans by Labor Minister Bas. This has been supported by the CDU/CSU and sharply criticized by the Left Party.
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ref:
https://einfache-standards.blogspot.com/search/label/Agenda%202010%20en?m=1

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-> Despite the shortage of skilled workers, companies are training fewer apprentices.
The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) warns: The number of new training contracts is still below pre-coronavirus levels. At the same time, the shortage of skilled workers is increasing. More and more companies are hiring apprentices from outside the EU.
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-> “Pandora’s box opened” – Expert uncovers tricks used by pension insurers
The Federal Statistical Office promises a long life, but not an endless one. According to the report, women in Germany will live to an average age of 83, while men will live to around 79. Private pension insurers, however, are more optimistic. According to them, their clients will live to between 115 and 120 years of age. What initially sounds like a generous safety buffer actually means one thing: The pension is spread over too many years, and monthly payments are decreasing.
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-> Citizens' income hammer also hits pensioners: Freeze-round exacerbates poverty
The Paritätische Gesamtverband (Paritätische Gesamtverband) recently warned that another freeze on the citizen's allowance is imminent. There was no increase at the beginning of 2025, meaning single people will continue to receive €563 per month. This affects not only the unemployed, but also 1.26 million pensioners . They receive basic social security benefits in old age and in cases of reduced earning capacity. The amount corresponds to the standard rate of the citizen's allowance.
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-> 2,000 euros tax-free for pensioners - This could cause the active pension to fail
The federal government plans to introduce a €2,000 bonus for pensioners on January 1, 2026. However, this active pension is constitutionally problematic.
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According to the WD's report, the €2,000 bonus for working pensioners represents a "significant deviation from the equal distribution of income tax burdens." However, such unequal treatment alone is not a reason to declare a proposed law unconstitutional. It can serve overriding public interests. The federal government would have to provide convincing justification for this.
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-> Self-financed, yet subject to tax – why pensioners pay taxes
Currently, many Germans receive their annual pension information and are surprised by the amount of tax deducted from their projected pension amount. Two decades ago, the situation was different. Today, many perceive this as a gradual increase in tax burdens resulting from a fundamental reform of the system in 2005. Since then, so-called deferred taxation has fundamentally changed German retirement provision, with far-reaching implications for all generations.
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ref:
https://einfache-standards.blogspot.com/p/dossier-germany-pension-system.html?m=1

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-> Military service revolution: QR code in letter leads to conscription – who is now affected
Starting next year, young men in Germany will once again have to consider military service. The Merz cabinet introduced the new Military Service Act on Wednesday – a response to the changing security situation in Europe. But who exactly will soon be receiving mail from the government?
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-> Berlin & Brandenburg - BSW calls for objection to data for military service
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) fears that the new military service will introduce conscription "through the back door." It is calling on young people to protest.
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-> Surprising turnaround - Bulgaria denies twice: Turmoil over alleged GPS jamming attack against Ursula von der Leyen's plane
A suspected GPS jamming attack allegedly jeopardized a flight of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Bulgaria. Authorities suspect Russia was behind it. Days later, there was a reversal—and then another reversal.
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