Debt package goes to the Bundesrat
The historic package with billions in debt for defence, infrastructure and climate protection is to be voted on in the Bundesrat today, where it's expected to pass with decisive approval from the state coalition in Bavaria.
Its passing would be a relief for the likely next Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and the coalition negotiators of the Union and SPD – because this funding would allow the next federal government to move forward with bold plans for rebooting large defence and infrastructure projects, as well as helping to boost GDP.
After approval by the Bundesrat, the law would be signed into effect by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. This is expected next week.
READ ALSO: German MPs give green light to 'bazooka' spending package
Germany ranked 22nd happiest country
Germany was ranked 22nd in the world in terms of having the most satisfied and happy residents, according to this year's World Happiness Report, which was published on Thursday.
Compared to last year, Germany's ranking improved slightly - up from 24th - putting it ahead of the US, which fell one position to 24th.
Finland remained the happiest country in the world followed by Denmark.
Of the German-speaking countries, Switzerland ranked highest at 13th place, and Austria ended up in the 17th position.
The report is published annually by an interdisciplinary team of researchers led by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford.
EU postpones retaliation for new US tariffs
The EU is postponing the planned reintroduction of retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth billions by two weeks to mid-April.
According to the European Commission, the reaction to the American tariffs on steel and aluminium imports imposed by US President Donald Trump will be pushed back from April 1st.
The step is intended to make it possible to create additional space for talks with the US government.
The EU remains ready to engage in a constructive dialogue with the US to find a solution that avoids unnecessary damage to both economies, it said in a statement.
Trump had threatened the EU with additional tariffs of 200 percent on wine, champagne and other alcoholic beverages from European countries. The US would impose these tariffs if the EU did not withdraw the planned tariff on American whiskey, he warned.
Meanwhile the steel and aluminium tariffs that affect German industrial players remain in effect.
Germany urges Syrian interim leaders to control extremist groups
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said after meeting Syria's interim leaders Thursday that they must bring under control and hold accountable extremist groups behind sectarian massacres committed this month.
Baerbock during her one-day visit to Damascus also reopened the German embassy, which closed in 2012 amid the Syrian civil war, on her second trip there since the fall of president Bashar al-Assad over three months ago.
Her visit came after sectarian massacres earlier this month claimed more than 1,500 lives on Syria's Mediterranean coast -- the heartland of Assad's Alawite minority.
Groups allied to the new authorities have been accused of participating in the massacres.
Speaking after talks with interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and other officials, she said that "it is imperative that extremist groups in their ranks are brought under control and those responsible for crimes are held accountable".
"Any attempt at renewed escalation must be prevented," Baerbock told a press conference.
She stressed that "the atrocities that have recently occurred on the coast are not only a warning signal but... show how much the country is on a knife edge".
World has lost a block of ice 'the size of Germany'
Friday, March 21st, marks the first World Glacier Day.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) marked the occasion by announcing that glaciers around the world are melting faster than ever, according to a report, which is expected to have a significant impact on the future life of people on Earth.
In the 48 years since 1976, glaciers worldwide have lost almost 9,200 gigatons of ice, according to the World Glacier Observation Service (WGMS) at the University of Zurich.
A Tagesschau report says this corresponds to a 25-meter-thick block of ice the size of Germany, said WGMS Director Michael Zemp. (One gigaton corresponds to one billion tons.)
Between 2000 and 2023 alone, the amount of water that drained from glaciers was the equivalent to the drinking water needs of the entire world population for 30 years. Researchers calculated that amounted to 18 millimetres of sea level rise.
Every millimetre of sea level rise puts an additional 200,000 to 300,000 coastal residents at risk of flooding.
READ ALSO: Older Germans 'more knowledgeable' about climate change than young people
Chancellor Olaf Scholz says 'goodbye' in Brussels
"Bye" - with this brief word Chancellor Olaf Scholz said farewell to his European colleagues at a press conference after what was probably his last regular EU summit.
At the end of the meeting, the SPD politician drew a factual balance of his time at Brussels summit tables.
He had "learned a lot about the political situation in other countries" over the years, Scholz said. This helps to "always stay relaxed about everything that can happen to you".
When asked about his greatest achievement, the Federal Chancellor referred to the support for Ukraine and the fact that the energy crisis had been overcome.
French President Macron praised Scholz as a "very valuable partner" in front of journalists after the summit. "I would like to address a very personal word to Chancellor Scholz, who has been a comrade, a companion and a political partner to me over the years," he said.
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