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News of the day: main battle tank deliveries to Ukraine, knife attack in Brokstedt, asteroid

2023-01-26T16:51:38.219Z


The majority of Germans support the Chancellor's tank decision. Schleswig-Holstein mourns the death of two young people after the knife attack on the regional train. And an asteroid comes unusually close to Earth. This is the situation on Thursday evening.


1. A right decision?

On the day it became known that Germany would deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, another piece of historical news made headlines: For the first time, a German film has a chance of winning an Oscar in the main category.

"Nothing New in the West" received a total of nine nominations.

At first glance, Hollywood and Olaf Scholz have little in common.

It was probably pure coincidence that a film jury's decision coincided with that of the Chancellor in the middle of the week.

Nevertheless, the two very different messages can be put together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Enlarge image

A Bundeswehr Leopard 2 tank in front of smoke grenades during an exercise in October 2022

Photo: Ronny Hartmann / AFP

»Nothing New in the West«, filmed based on the book by Erich Maria Remarque from the 1920s, shows the horror of the First World War from the perspective of a young German soldier.

The experience of war, Nazi rule and the Holocaust in the first half of the last century shaped the collective memory of this country.

The delivery of state-of-the-art German Leopard 2 tanks to the Ukrainian war zone also caused a lot of discussion.

According to a SPIEGEL survey published today, 54 percent approve of the federal government's decision.

However, 37 percent are against the Leopard delivery.

The extent to which the topic of arms deliveries is polarizing is also shown by the fact that, according to the survey, only a manageable nine percent are still undecided.

Many Germans associate Scholz's decision to arm the Ukrainian troops with the fear that Russia could expand the war, possibly even onto German territory.

Others are hoping that with more military pressure on Putin, peace negotiations will become more likely.

My colleague Ralf Neukirch comments: "In the end, Scholz made the right decision, that's what matters." What looks like an escalation of the war could be a decisive step towards its end.

Only when Putin is threatened with defeat will he reconsider his stance.

“Battle tanks don't prevent negotiations.

You create the conditions for this.« The decisive factor is »the signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin: The West wants Ukraine to win this war.«

  • Read the full comment here: It's time to turn the tables 

And here is more news and background information on the war in Ukraine:

  • The surprise with number six:

    Experts had expected the federal government to deliver outdated Leopard 2 to Kiev.

    However, the now promised model 2 A6 is one of the most modern versions of the tank.

    What difference does it make and what are the problems .

  • "It's nice to be with the troops again":

    After a first turbo week in office, the new defense minister can do little wrong on his inaugural visit to the troops.

    His predecessor set the bar very low.

    Can Pistorius with the soldiers? 

  • “That means death, expulsion, rape, destruction”:

    Germany supplies battle tanks to Ukraine.

    In the SPIEGEL top-level talks, Janine Wissler, Ralf Stegner and Thorsten Frei argue about the limits of support for Ukraine - and the risks of arms deliveries.

  • Find all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine here: The News Update

2. Brave passengers, careless authorities?

It was announced today that the two victims of a knife attack on a regional train between Hamburg and Kiel are said to be a 17-year-old and a 19-year-old.

Eight other people were injured.

According to previous knowledge, a man attacked passengers indiscriminately on Wednesday afternoon, but was overpowered by passengers and held until the police arrived at the Brokstedt train station.

The state of Schleswig-Holstein put up mourning flags on Thursday.

Enlarge image

Use in Brokstedt

Photo: Marcus Brandt / dpa

It sounds a bit as if the case is well on its way to being filed in the »Bad stroke of fate that unfortunately no one could prevent« drawer.

But this is not the case.

Above all, the question arises as to why the perpetrator was in prison for a similar act until a few days ago - but was now able to move freely again?

Shouldn't the man have been on a deportation plane a long time ago anyway?

According to the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of the Interior, the perpetrator is a stateless Palestinian.

According to SPIEGEL information, the man from Gaza entered Germany in December 2014.

He received subsidiary protection in July 2016, but a withdrawal procedure was initiated.

Ibrahim A. was in custody from January 20, 2022 to January 19 of this year, a Hamburg court spokesman confirmed to SPIEGEL.

On January 18, 2022, he stabbed another man several times in line in front of a food distribution for the homeless.

The convicted person appealed, but the verdict has not yet become final.

Ibrahim A. was therefore not in prison, but remained in custody.

A few days ago, the duration of the detention almost reached the sentence imposed.

A judge at the district court therefore decided on January 19 that he should be released on the same day, according to the court spokesman.

Another detention was rated as "disproportionate".

  • Read more about self-defense in the event of physical attacks here: »Then there is only one solution: massive counter-violence« 

3. No more funny

A few days ago I was still laughing when the deputy Bavarian Prime Minister Hubert Aiwanger (free voters) said on Deutschlandfunk: "We don't know whether people will still be skiing in a hundred years." Maybe by then "a meteorite will hit our dear earth.

It sounded as if one could spare oneself efforts in the matter of climate change, because sooner rather than later the world will end anyway.

Enlarge image

Graphic representation of a small asteroid near Earth

Photo: NASA/ Reuters

I'm not laughing anymore.

Apparently an asteroid flies very close to Earth tonight.

The chunk of space called “2023 BU” is about the size of a large delivery truck – and is unlikely to cause any damage.

According to the US space agency Nasa, it is one of the closest known flybys of a near-Earth celestial body.

At 1:27 a.m. German time early Friday morning, the asteroid is said to approach the earth by up to 3,600 kilometers.

It is located at the southern tip of South America.

For context: the International Space Station is much closer to Earth, orbiting at an altitude of about 400 kilometers.

Communication and weather satellites, on the other hand, are much further away, for example they orbit at an altitude of around 36,000 kilometers.

What unsettles me a bit: The approaching asteroid was apparently only discovered five days ago.

What reassures me is that if it had been on a collision course with Earth, it would probably have broken apart as it flew through the denser layers of the atmosphere and large parts of it would have burned up.

For the time being there was and is probably no danger for slopes, politicians and humanity as such.

  • Read more about the topic here: Asteroid comes unusually close to Earth

What else is important today

  • The post office is allowed to slow down:

    80 percent of postal items should currently be delivered on the next working day.

    The Ministry of Economic Affairs considers the specification to be "hardly helpful" - instead, shipments should become more reliable.

  • Protection against dismissal begins 280 days before the due date:

    Pregnant women may not be dismissed.

    A woman from Baden-Württemberg was still kicked out – and complained about it.

    The judges at the Federal Labor Court agreed with her.

  • Air pollution could make pollen more aggressive:

    Exciting study for allergy sufferers: Do urban trees have pollen that is more allergenic than those in the country because of the dirtier air?

    Researchers from Poland want to have found clues - but not all experts are convinced.

What we recommend at SPIEGEL+ today

  • "Putin called for my physical annihilation":

    The former president of Georgia is said to be seriously ill in prison.

    Was he poisoned or is he simulating?

    Mikheil Saakashvili on a warning to Zelenskyy, parallels with Navalny and major financial worries.

  • The unrest after the storm:

    Thousands of activists demonstrated in Lützerath against coal mining.

    Why the consequences of the protest are an impertinence for some residents of the neighboring villages.

  • CDU continues to drive party exclusion against Maassen:

    Hans-Georg Maassen provokes with his statements on "racial theory".

    The CDU wants the former head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution to finally get out of the party – it won't be easy.

  • Forensic pathologist recommends alcohol ban when driving e-scooters:

    Thomas Daldrup has examined how alcohol affects the ability to drive on e-scooters - with clear results.

    As a speaker at the Traffic Court Day, the forensic pathologist will therefore take a clear position.

Which is less important today

Enlarge image

Double winner at Plan de Corones: Mikaela Shiffrin

Photo: LISA LEUTNER / REUTERS

Lost in translation

: American star ski racer

Mikaela Shiffrin,

27

,

not only breaks one record after the other - but also a supposed taboo in her sport.

After her second victory in giant slalom at Kronplatz in Italy, Shiffrin spoke about her period and the problems of a competitive athlete.

"After yesterday I was pretty tired, I'm not having the best moment in my monthly cycle right now," she told the Austrian broadcaster ORF.

The moderator showed understanding.

However, the broadcaster's translator seemed overwhelmed by the situation.

From the English words »I'm kind of in an unfortunate time of my monthly cycle«, he constructed the German sentence: »It is very exhausting.

I don't even get to ride my bike, which I do every month.«

Mini concave mirror

The "Mitteldeutsche Zeitung" about the poet Novalis:

»He was born Georg Philipp Friedrich von Hardenberg (1722–1801) in Oberwiederstedt in 1722.

He died in Weißenfels in 1801 at the age of only 28.«

Here you can find the whole concave mirror.

cartoon of the day

And tonight?

Reminiscing about your youth is a beautiful thing.

My colleagues Tobias Rapp and Jurek Skrobala from our cultural department put me in this wonderful mode.

You interviewed the hip-hop trio »Fettes Brot«.

The band announced in August that they were disbanding.

Enlarge image

Fat Bun: Boris Lauterbach, Martin Vandreier, Björn Warns – better known by their stage names König Boris, Dokter Renz and Björn Beton

Photo:

Johannes Arlt / DER SPIEGEL

It's hard to say how many times in my life their 1996 hit »Jein« has driven me onto the dance floor of a flat share party.

Very often anyway.

"Jein" was the hymn of all undecided people.

From today's perspective, the fact that I was allowed to be undecided as an adolescent is almost a privilege.

That's how the band members Boris Lauterbach, Martin Vandreier and Björn Warns see it - today all in their late 40s and better known by their stage names König Boris, Dokter Renz and Björn Beton.

»I would wish for every new generation to get into this phase where they have the feeling: Yes, at some point I have to make a decision, I already have that idea – but not right now«, says Vandreier.

And Lauterbach adds: "The fear of getting lost is much more present in many people today than it was then."

»Do what you want with our music!«, say the fun rappers as they say goodbye.

I'll let them resound loudly through the living room tonight and celebrate with the family flat share party.

I wish you a nice evening.

Sincerely


yours, Anna Clauss, Head of Opinion and Debate

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2023-01-26

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