I & L News

Egypt announces that negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the next phase of the ceasefire in Gaza have begun in Cairo. The negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement aim to negotiate an end to the war, including the return of all hostages still alive in Gaza and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the area. According to Israel, 59 people are still in captivity, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.

Russia has placed the US company Glavprodukt under state control by decree - similar to Danish and Finnish companies previously. Western companies are hoping for Trump's possible easing of sanctions, but Moscow continues to expropriate foreign and domestic companies. New laws could use Western property as compensation for frozen Russian assets. US President Trump and Ukrainian President Selenskiy plan to sign an agreement on Friday granting the US access to Ukraine's mineral resources. In return, 50% of the revenue will flow into a joint reconstruction fund. However, Ukraine will not receive any security guarantees. Trump is seeking a quick end to the war and better relations with Russia, which is causing concern in Europe. China wants to boost consumption, but subsidies to date have only had a short-term effect. Experts are calling for higher social benefits and reforms to promote sustainable economic growth. However, there are no major changes in sight - Beijing could opt for...

The USA and Ukraine have agreed on a raw materials agreement that gives the USA access to Ukrainian mineral resources. A “Reconstruction Investment Fund” is to be created, into which 50% of Ukrainian raw material revenues will flow until 500 billion US dollars have been reached. Trump wants to end the war with Russia quickly, but offers no security guarantees for Ukraine. Peacekeeping troops are being discussed, but Russia rejects NATO troops. Europe's reactions are muted. Israel has massively attacked southern Syria after Defense Minister Katz announced a tougher line. He emphasized that Israel would not allow southern Syria to become a “second South Lebanon” and that any military activity by Syrian troops in the security zone would be met with violence. South Korea's birth rate rose from 0.72 to 0.75 in 2024 for the first time in nine years due to post-pandemic marriages and government family support. Measures such as higher parental leave allowances and company bonuses (e.g....

US President Trump and French President Macron showed clear differences on Ukraine at their meeting in Washington. Trump is pushing for a quick ceasefire with Russia and wants to meet Putin. Macron is calling for a verifiable peace agreement with security guarantees. Both agreed to the deployment of European peacekeeping forces following a deal. Trump is also negotiating with Ukraine over raw materials as compensation for US arms deliveries. Zelenskyi rejects previous demands. Europe's concerns are growing in view of Trump's rapprochement with Moscow. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) dismissed 50 employees by conference call. This is seen as a harbinger of further mass redundancies in the public sector. Hundreds of thousands of jobs could follow under Elon Musk's “Department of Government Efficiency”. President Trump only wants to allow one new hire for every four departures. Procurement, data protection, communications and diversity are affected. The UN Security Co...

93 countries voted in favor of the resolution initiated by Ukraine and European states in the UN General Assembly. Core demands of the resolution:  - Russia is labeled as an aggressor state.  - The complete withdrawal of Russian armed forces from Ukraine within the internationally recognized borders is demanded. The USA, Russia and Israel voted together against the resolution.

If the information from the Berliner Zeitung that the EU is preparing a 700 billion euro aid package for Ukraine is confirmed, the losses could increase and inflation could rise significantly. 700 billion euros, for a record-breaking aid package for Ukraine, will simply be printed. The plan is being kept secret until the Bundestag elections, as revealing that 15% of Germany's GDP is going to Ukraine could shock voters and influence their decisions. The top politicians of the German CDU acknowledge that they support such a 700 billion euro package.

First reports of an explosion near the Russian consulate in Marseille, France.

Friedrich Merz, Germany's likely next chancellor, begins coalition talks on Monday after his conservative CDU/CSU won the federal election. The right-wing populist AfD achieved its best result with 20.8%, while Merz's party achieved 28.6%. However, the established parties have ruled out working with the AfD. Merz must therefore negotiate with the SPD, which could take a long time due to political differences. Merz also criticized the USA and emphasized that he wanted to make Europe more independent from the USA. Elon Musk's Starlink is increasingly competing with China's SpaceSail and Jeff Bezos' Project Kuiper. SpaceSail is expanding internationally and is planning up to 15,000 satellites by 2030. China is investing heavily in satellite internet, which worries Western countries because of possible influence on the internet. The US urges the UN General Assembly to support its resolution on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and to reject compe...

 - Victory for the CDU/CSU - 28.52% (208 seats in parliament); - Second place - Alternative for Germany - 20.8% (151 seats); - SPD and former Chancellor Scholz - 16.41% (121 seats); - The Greens - 11.61% (85 seats); - The Left - 8.77% (64 seats); - Südschleswigsche Wählervereinigung (SSW) takes part - 0.2% (one seat in the Bundestag as a party of national minorities). It was not quite enough to topple parliament:  - Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht - 4.97% (0 seats); - FDP and retired politician Christian Lindner - 4.33% (0 seats).

A large-scale Israeli military operation is imminent in the West Bank, with preparations underway in Ramallah, Hebron and Bethlehem in particular, reports the Israeli website Walla.

According to YouGov, almost half of the 4,000 Americans surveyed see Trump as a dictator, Selensky only just under a quarter and Putin almost three quarters.

Donald Trump has drastically changed US-Russia policy by entering into negotiations with Russia without Ukraine and NATO partners. His administration, which consists of inexperienced advisors, has already made concessions to Moscow before talks, such as rejecting NATO membership for Ukraine. This raises concerns that Trump could conclude a peace agreement with Putin that is detrimental to Kiev and Europe. The talks in Saudi Arabia signaled a rapprochement between the USA and Russia, while European politicians accuse Trump of appeasing Putin. Critics warn that Russia has made no concessions and continues to pursue territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine. Donald Trump plans to introduce tariffs of around 25% on imported cars, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals - measures that could further disrupt international trade. The tariffs, which are set to come into force as early as April, are part of his strategy to reshape global trade policy, strengthen US companies and change import conditions....