What is important today
Visit to the Amazon rainforest: Steinmeier wants more protection for the “green lungs” of the world. From a German perspective, Brazil is an essential partner in the fight against the global climate crisis. Therefore, after the inauguration of President Lula, the Federal President will continue to travel to the Amazon rainforest. Berlin wants to cooperate more closely with the South American country on climate protection and species protection. Go to Article
Catholic Church: room for reform after Benedict XVI’s death The pope emeritus had often taken a stand against the plans of his successor. After Ratzinger’s death, the incumbent Pope Francis has new leeway to push ahead with stuck changes in the Catholic Church more decisively. Go to Article
North Korea wants more nuclear weapons. Even before 2023 has really started, one thing is clear: the regime in Pyongyang is not becoming any more peaceful. He wants to “exponentially increase” the production of nuclear weapons, said Kim Jong-un. He announced a new ICBM system and “soon” the first military reconnaissance satellite. The conservative governments in Seoul and Tokyo, with their apparent uncompromising nature, give him an alibi for rearmament. Go to Article
Material problems in the Bundeswehr: Stoltenberg sees no danger for NATO troops. In 2023, Germany is the lead nation of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force, which was created after the annexation of Crimea as a central element of the alliance’s deterrence strategy against Moscow. Although the Bundeswehr lacks modern tanks, Secretary General Stoltenberg trusts the Germans. Go to Article
Iranian human rights lawyer: “If this isn’t a revolution, then what is it?” Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi has been defying the mullahs’ regime in Iran for 40 years – at the risk of her life. The lawyer, who lives in exile in Great Britain, is convinced that the protests will lead to the end of the Islamic Republic. To the interview (SZ Plus)
Everything about the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis
More drone attacks on Kyiv at night. According to Governor Oleksiy Kuleba, the Russian army has launched several waves of attacks using Shahed drones from Iran. They would target critical infrastructure facilities. There was an explosion in Kyiv. To the live blog
Telephone calls are supposed to change Russians’ minds. A group of Lithuanians began calling random Russian phone numbers shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the talks are getting longer and longer – and the activists sense a change in mood in Russia. To the article (SZ Plus)
In the middle of the energy crisis, the solar industry is experiencing the hoped-for boom. The German Solar Industry Association expects 7.5 gigawatts of installed capacity from photovoltaic systems to be added in 2022, which is almost 30 percent more than in the previous year. This brings the industry closer to the boom it was a good ten years ago, and that is also necessary for the federal government’s expansion goals. To the article (SZ Plus)
