Before the weekend, all eyes were on Alaska; after the meeting in Alaska, the focus is on the White House in Washington. It could be a fateful day for Ukraine and Europe.
With these five topics from Germany and the world, you'll be well informed for your Monday and the start of the new week.
This is what it's about: US President Donald Trump (79) wants to negotiate a peace agreement for Ukraine after his meeting with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin (72). To this end, he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (47) at the White House today, who is bringing reinforcements from Europe – including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (69, CDU).
That's why it's important: NATO-style security guarantees for Ukraine – this is one of Kyiv's and the Europeans' central demands for a post-war order. Trump and even Putin have also spoken about such guarantees for Ukraine. They are likely to play a central role at Monday's meeting.
Here's what's next: The US president is pursuing a plan to bring Putin and Zelenskyy directly to the table. Trump's meeting with the Ukrainian president could—if all goes well—be the decisive step toward that goal.
The issue: Google may have to abandon its Chrome browser due to an antitrust lawsuit in the US. A ruling could be issued as early as August.
This is why it's important: Currently, a few companies (such as Google, Meta, Amazon, ByteDance (TikTok), Apple, or SpaceX (Starlink)) have an influence on people's lives like never before in history. Chrome, for example, has a 60 percent market share and around 3 billion users. The browser is closely integrated with many other Google services.
Here's what's next: The AI startup Perplexity AI has submitted a takeover offer for Chrome—over $34.5 billion. Perplexity aims to use the browser to become a global internet power.
The story: Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels (1897 to 1945) had a weekend villa built for himself on Lake Bogensee, north of Berlin. The site has been falling into disrepair since 2000. However, the state of Berlin, as the landowner, still spends up to €300,000 annually on maintenance – which is why the Senate would prefer to demolish the entire site. There is growing resistance to this.
That's why it's important: dealing with the barbaric part of German history is always highly relevant, both politically and didactically – and correspondingly sensitive.
Here's what's next: Oliver Borchert (55, independent), mayor of the municipality of Wandlitz, to which Bogensee belongs, will soon give Federal Construction Minister Verena Hubertz (37, SPD) a tour of the site. The federal government is already spending more than half a million euros on a "perspective study."
The issue is this: In order to be allowed to treat extremely premature babies, hospitals must demonstrate a minimum number of treatments. At the beginning of last year, the minimum number of cases was increased from 14 to 25 – as a result, the number of hospitals authorized to treat fell from 154 to 124. Three federal states are appealing against this.
That's why it's important: Only an experienced team can successfully perform complex treatments. Numerous studies have shown that this experience increases the chances of survival for premature babies.
Here's what's next: The Federal Constitutional Court must issue a ruling. The Federal Social Court had essentially upheld the minimum quantities.
What it's about: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used by students for homework. This presents teachers with challenges in assessing performance and is changing the nature of teaching.
Why it matters: AI has the potential to revolutionize teaching. But experts warn against relying too heavily on technology, which could jeopardize personal connections and deep learning.
This is how it continues: There is now a need for a clear strategy and regulation for the use of AI in education in order to ensure equal opportunities and avoid dependence on corporations.
With that, we bid you farewell for today and wish you a pleasant start to the week. See you tomorrow,
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