Tuesday's top story: Germany's tougher border patrols under examination
One week after the Berlin Administrative Court's urgent decision to halt rejections at Germany's borders, it remains unclear what will happen in the long term.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) and Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) said they wanted to stick to the previous course and increased border controls.
The SPD expressed doubts over the Whitsun weekend, and SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch does not assume that the current approach can be maintained.
In an Insa survey for Bild, 64 percent of respondents supported the federal government in sticking to its approach despite the court decision, versus 23 percent who said it's wrong, and 13 percent who said they "don't know" or did not answer.
The federal police commissioner at the German Bundestag, Uli Grötsch, told the Rheinische Post that he is not a lawyer...but sees at first glance that the executive is saying something different than the judiciary.
"I think this is a truly problematic...[and] must be clarified as soon as possible," Grötsch added.
Left party leader calls for shorter workdays in high temperatures
Amid forecasts that parts of Germany are set to swelter in 30C heat on Wednesday, Left Party leader Jan van Aken has called for working hours to be reduced when temperatures hit a certain level.
Daily working hours should be cut by a quarter when temperatures hit 26C and by half at 30C, an action paper by van Aken said.
"The climate crisis has long been a social crisis – those who toil under the scorching sun or sit in an overheated office often pay with their own health," van Aken told the the Editorial Network Germany (RND).
The leader is calling on the government to implement immediate measures by July 2025, including additional breaks, the right to work from home, the right to sufficient water and sun protection, and the installation of fans at work.
Both the Union and the AfD rejected the Left's proposal. CDU/CSU parliamentary group labour market and social policy spokesperson Marc Biadacz told Die Welt daily that the Left's proposal was "unrealistic and hardly economically viable – especially for skilled trades, nursing staff, and the public sector."
The Greens, meanwhile told the paper they advocated "adapted working time regulations."
"The stress on construction sites is different than in an air-conditioned laboratory," said Green Party deputy parliamentary group leader Andreas Audretsch.
Justice Minister wants minimum age for social media
Germany's Justice Minister wants to see a minimum age imposed for social media usage to protect children's privacy and allow them to develop healthily.
"Children and young people need protection rather than pressure to present themselves," she told DPA news agency.
Hubig said this would lead to "less bullying, more concentration, and more social interaction".
In Australia, social media use is only banned before the age of 16 – it was the first country to introduce an age limit last year, but the issue is now being discussed at EU level.
Germany is also discussing the banning of mobile phones in primary schools with different rules in force in different states.
Germany has three years to overhaul military, says official
Germany's armed forces have three years to acquire the equipment to tackle a possible Russian attack on NATO territory, the head of military procurement said Saturday.
Defence spending has risen up the political agenda since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and more recently with the United States pushing NATO members to increase their commitments.
"Everything necessary to be fully prepared to defend the country must be acquired by 2028," Annette Lehnigk-Emden, head of the Federal Office for Military Procurement, told the Tagesspiegel newspaper.
Germany's chief of defence, General Carsten Breuer, recently warned that Russia could be in a position to "launch a large-scale attack against NATO territory" as early as 2029.
He said there was a Russian build-up of ammunition and tanks for a possible attack on NATO's Baltic members.
READ ALSO: Germany 'has three years' to overhaul military
Rail traffic is restored in Singen following freight train derailment
Deutsche Bahn told SWR that rail traffic in Singen is running regularly again..
The first trips on early Tuesday morning went forward as planned.
Rail traffic in and around Singen, in the south of Baden-Württemberg, had been disrupted for about a week after a freight train derailment in the area damaged the overhead line as well as switches and various sleepers.
According to a Deutsche Bahn spokesman, the repair of the overhead line in particular was very costly.
Fan dies after falling from stands in Munich Arena at Nations League final
A spectator was killed after falling from the stands at the Nations League final between Portugal and Spain in Munich on Sunday, UEFA confirmed to AFP subsidiary SID.
The fan fell from the central tier during the first period of extra time into the press box in the lower tier. Paramedics and police rushed to the scene to assist the fan.
A UEFA spokesperson said there had been a "medical emergency" and confirmed that a fan had "sadly" died during the match.
Representatives from both sides expressed their sympathies after the match.
With reporting by AFP, DPA and Amy Brooke.
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