[Hints] Voices from the Blätterwald - 2025-12-17
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II. English News and Articles
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Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities - Offices of Zelenskyy's chief of staff searched
Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities have raided the Kyiv office of Presidential Administration Chief Yermak. The action against President Zelenskyy's chief of staff is part of an ongoing investigation, authorities said.
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Corruption investigations - Zelenskyy's chief of staff resigns
Andriy Yermak was considered the right-hand man of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy – now he has submitted his resignation. Anti-corruption authorities had his apartment searched this morning.
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Explosive "NYT" report - “A veritable rat’s nest” – Ukraine is alleged to have systematically sabotaged the fight against corruption.
“Russia wants Ukraine to make mistakes,” Zelenskyy said in a video address in November. He promised that the country would not make any mistakes. But a report in the New York Times now casts a damning light on the fight against corruption in Ukraine.
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Japan's cabinet approves lavish stimulus as markets fret over Takaichi's fiscal policy
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet approved a 21.3 trillion yen (135.40 billion US-Dollar) economic stimulus package on Friday, marking the first major policy initiative under the new leader, who has pledged to pursue expansionary fiscal measures.
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Japan: A government without an economy and without foreign trade?
It’s always the same story. Economists love to focus on government debt, but they usually look at government debt in isolation. They sever all links between the state and other macroeconomic processes and act as if the state were comparable to an extremely small private household or a small business. Consequently, such analyses completely ignore the state’s crucial task of stabilising the economy.
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61 European drone sightings analyzed: what we know now
Europe has been shaken for months by reports of drones flying near airports, ports, and military installations. This has led to unrest, temporary closures, and speculation about Russian involvement. But an analysis of over sixty incidents by Trouw and Dronewatch paints a different picture. In most cases, drone activity has never been confirmed, and evidence linking a foreign actor is almost entirely absent.
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61 Europese dronewaarnemingen geanalyseerd: dit weten we nu
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National Security Strategy of the United States of America - November 2025
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Trump administration warns Europe of 'civilisational decline' in new national security strategy
Complaining of "unrealistic expectations" about the prospect of defeating Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US government vows to "cultivate resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations" to stop its "civilisational" decline.
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New U.S. National Security Strategy – Fortify America, Compete China, Strangle Europe, Forget The Rest
The White House has released the new National Security Strategy of the United States (NSS) (pdf, 33 pages).
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Ukraine hits tankers in Black Sea in escalation against Russia
Ukrainian naval drones hit two oil tankers from Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" as they travelled through the Black Sea, Ukrainian officials have said.
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Ex-Honduran leader thanks Trump for pardon on US drug trafficking charges
Honduras’ former President Juan Orlando Hernández thanked US President Donald Trump for pardoning his US drug trafficking conviction amid criticism from lawmakers that the pardon undermines the White House’s efforts to stop drug trafficking.
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III. Translated News in English
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With a Chancellor's majority - Bundestag approves controversial pension law – Merz relieved
The Bundestag has passed key points of the controversial pension package proposed by the center-right/center-left coalition government. The required majority of at least 316 votes, demanded by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, was also achieved – albeit narrowly. Seven members of the CDU/CSU voted against it.
. Seven members of the Union voted against their own pension law
. The AfD and the Greens voted against the pension package – the Left Party abstained
. The pension level is to be stabilized at 48 percent until 2031
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Retirement planning - How Klingbeil plans to reform the Riester pension
Finance Minister Klingbeil wants to replace the controversial Riester pension with a "retirement savings account". This is intended to be offered without rigid guarantee requirements, but with considerable freedom of choice and a cap on fees.
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New way of disbursing citizen's income: Those in need should receive a payment card
Thousands of recipients of citizen's income and other social benefits are currently facing a problem: The discontinuation of the so-called postal check system is causing them difficulties in receiving their payments. Until October, this system was used to disburse funds to those in need who lacked access to a bank account. Now, the Federal Employment Agency has developed a solution – similar to the payment card system for refugees.
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SIPRI report - Global arms sales at a record high
Global arms build-up is progressing rapidly, resulting in rising sales figures for arms companies. According to the new SIPRI report, the four largest German corporations alone increased their revenues by more than a third.
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German army general raises alarm: Pentagon ends contact with the Ministry of Defense
The Pentagon has apparently severed its working-level ties with the German Ministry of Defense. This was reported by The Atlantic magazine , citing Lieutenant General Christian Freuding. Communication related to the war in Ukraine is also said to be affected.
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Logistics center - Death of Amazon employee in Erfurt: Public prosecutor's office investigates
The public prosecutor's office is investigating the death of a 59-year-old Amazon employee in Erfurt. While the company claims it was a medical emergency, the Verdi union criticizes the working conditions.
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Logistics center - Death at Amazon in Erfurt – employee dies during shift
An Amazon employee died in the restroom at the Erfurt plant. The Verdi union criticizes the working conditions – Amazon defends itself. Stern magazine spoke with a colleague of the deceased.
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Thuringian State Parliament - AfD divided over military service law – Bundestag passes mandatory conscription
The AfD is struggling to define its position on the new military service law. Parliamentary group leader Björn Höcke declared in the Thuringian state parliament on Wednesday that he rejects conscription.
This is causing internal party strife: The AfD parliamentary group's defense policy spokesperson, Rüdiger Lucassen, sharply criticized Höcke on social media, pointing out that conscription is enshrined in the AfD's basic program. Because of this dispute, Höcke refrained from making an official statement, according to the AfD state parliamentary group.
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Fewer additional payments - Fewer tax auditors! The government is foregoing billions in revenue.
Countries are employing fewer and fewer tax auditors and consequently collecting fewer back payments – micro-enterprises are only audited every 150 years.
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Federal Court of Auditors Report - German State Forgoes Billions in Revenue
Loopholes in the tax system, superfluous subsidies, lax controls: According to a recent report by the Federal Court of Auditors, the tax authorities regularly leave billions of euros on the table
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The law is intended to prevent child labor: Setback for human rights: EU weakens supply chain law
The European supply chain law was intended to strengthen human rights worldwide. But companies are complaining about the stringent requirements. Now the EU is weakening the law.
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The regulations will in future only apply to large companies with more than 5,000 employees and an annual turnover of at least €1.5 billion. Originally, the threshold was set at 1,000 employees and a turnover of €450 million.
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Furthermore, companies that violate the rules will no longer be subject to civil liability at EU level – thus eliminating the possibility of legal action for victims of human rights violations.
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