Thursday's top story: Merz pitches making Ukraine EU 'associate member'
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed making Ukraine an "associate member" of the EU without voting rights, while Kyiv goes through the lengthy process of joining fully, a letter seen by AFP Thursday said.
The plan -- first floated by Merz with EU counterparts last month -- would see Ukraine's leader attend the bloc's summit but not be able to cast a vote.
Kyiv would have a representative at the top table of the EU's executive, the European Commission, and non-voting members of the European parliament.
Under the proposal, outlined by Merz in a letter to EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, the bloc's mutual assistance clause would apply to Ukraine, and it could benefit from parts of the EU's budget.
"It is obvious that we will not be able to complete the accession process shortly, given the countless hurdles as well as the political complexities of ratification processes," Merz wrote.
"What I envisage is a political solution that brings Ukraine substantially closer to the European Union and its core institutions immediately."
Ukraine is pushing to speed up its bid to join the 27-nation European Union as it fights Russia's invasion on the battlefield.
Merz's plan could face scepticism from both Germany's EU counterparts and from Ukraine.
The German leader insisted he still wants Ukraine to eventually become a "full member" and urged launching "all negotiation clusters" immediately.
Deutsche Bahn expects high traffic on Friday and Monday due to Pentecost holiday
Deutsche Bahn expects full trains on the Whitsun weekend, especially on Friday and Monday.
"A particularly large number of travelers are expected between the major metropolises, for example between Berlin and Munich, Frankfurt and Munich or Hamburg and Berlin," said a railway spokesman of the German Press Agency.
Deutsche Bahn recommends that all passengers reserve a seat, especially on these days.
READ ALSO: How to make the most of the Pentecost holiday weekend in Germany
On the previous Ascension weekend, the trains of the railway were well filled.
"This year, high fuel prices and the new last-minute ticket in particular have led to demand being significantly higher than our expectations," said long-distance transport board member Michael Peterson recently.
Last Sunday alone, around 420,000 people were travelling with ICE and Intercity trains.
US Ebola patient's family admitted to Berlin's Charite hospital
A US doctor who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been admitted to a German hospital that will also admit his family as contact cases, health officials told AFP Wednesday.
The patient -- named as medical missionary Dr Peter Stafford, 39 -- arrived in Germany in the early hours of Wednesday, after the United States requested Berlin's help.
Stafford's wife and four young children will also be admitted to the isolation ward of Berlin's Charite hospital, the health ministry said in a statement.
"After a US citizen infected with Ebola arrived in Berlin this morning for treatment, US authorities have requested assistance in admitting his family members," the ministry said.
In an update, the ministry said his wife and all four of their children would be taken to the special isolation ward at the hospital.
The ministry declined to comment on Stafford's condition and said the family members were being treated as contact cases.
Germany says treatment of Gaza flotilla activists 'wholly unacceptable'
Germany's ambassador to Israel on Wednesday labelled as "wholly unacceptable" far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir's treatment of detained activists on an intercepted Gaza-bound flotilla.
"It is good to hear many Israeli voices -- including the foreign minister -- call out in all clarity Minister Ben Gvir's treatment of the detainees for what it is: wholly unacceptable and incompatible with the basic values of our countries," Steffen Seibert wrote on X.
Israel's Foreign Ministry had announced the complete stop of the Gaza-bound fleet, which consisted of 51 boats, during the night. All 430 activists were brought to Israeli ships.
According to the organizers, the goal of the "Gaza Sumud Flotilla" was to "establish a humanitarian corridor and break Israel's illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip."
Gvir had posted a video online in which flotilla members are mocked while they are held in kneeling positions, and forcefully moved by police.
Green economy drives German job market growth, but major projects are under threat
A new study by the Bertelsmann Foundation reveals that one in three job openings in Germany is now linked to the “green economy”, with the trend accelerating.
In 2025, 2.9 million out of 9.9 million advertised positions were related to fields such as recycling, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability reporting. Industry leads the way, with 44 percent of vacancies tied to green sectors like the circular economy and transportation transition.
The analysis, conducted by the German Economic Institute (IW), highlights regional differences: automotive hubs in the south focus on transport jobs, wind energy dominates the north, and solar roles are prevalent in the southeast.
READ ALSO: German 'green village' rides out Mideast energy storm
Experts emphasise that green professions are vital for securing employment amid industrial change.Â
Meanwhile Germany's next massive wind farm project is at risk of collapse due to reported delays in grid connections.
Energy giants TotalEnergies and BP could withdraw from blockbuster German offshore wind projects, reports said Wednesday, which would deal a blow to the country's green transition.
The French group and British group won auctions to build sites in the North Sea and Baltic Sea with capacities 7.5 gigawatts (GW) and 4 GW respectively for a combined 12.6 billion euros.
Together, they would be able to power over 10 million homes.
But German public broadcaster NDR and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported that TotalEnergies wanted to offload its sites, citing delays to improved grid infrastructure that would transport the power.
They also reported there were growing signs that BP would not follow through on the project.
NSU supporter Ralf Wohlleben released under supervision
Ralf Wohlleben, a far-right extremist and former official of the NPD party, has been released from prison in Germany after serving a ten-year sentence for aiding and abetting nine racially motivated murders committed by the National Socialist Underground (NSU) terrorist group.
Wohlleben’s release comes “under probationary supervision,” meaning he remains under state oversight and must comply with strict conditions, including reporting requirements and possible restrictions on his place of residence.
The NSU carried out a series of attacks between 2000 and 2006, targeting men of Turkish and Greek descent, as well as a police officer, and was responsible for bombings and robberies.
His release has sparked renewed debate about the risks posed by convicted extremists. Under German law, probationary supervision is imposed when there is concern the individual may reoffend.
With reporting by AFP, DPA and Tom Pugh.
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