German

• France and Germany are seeking a radical reorganization of the EU's foreign policy service to better address current geopolitical challenges. • Proposed changes include limiting the powers of EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas and her department, potentially returning those authorities to the European Commission. • Simultaneously, a financial dispute has emerged as Poland demands the return of approximately 450 million euros spent on military aid for Ukraine.

• Creator Fund has raised $56 million to implement the Silicon Valley student venture capital model within Europe, focusing on backing PhD founders at the earliest stages. • The funding round was led by KfW Capital, the venture arm of Germany’s state development bank, with additional support from the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark and over 70 limited partners. • This initiative is significant as it targets high-potential academic researchers before they have developed formal pitch decks, bridging the gap between deep-tech research and commercialization.

• France and Germany have agreed to abandon the joint development of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a next-generation fighter project valued at €100 billion. • The decision follows reports from Reuters and the Financial Times, signaling a significant breakdown in the strategic military cooperation between the two European powers. • Separately, Denmark’s National Audit Office revealed that F-35 fighter jet deliveries will cost $2.2 billion more than originally projected, accusing the government of attempting to conceal the price increase.

Paris and Berlin conclude firms involved unable to agree on way forward in blow to Europe’s common defence pushFrance and Germany have concluded that the companies involved in building a joint fighter jet will not be able to reach an agreement and have abandoned the project, officials in Berlin have said in a blow to Europe’s common defence efforts.The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the Germany chancellor, Friedrich Merz, had “reached the shared assessment that the companies will not be able to come together”, an official told Agence France-Presse. “They acknowledge this reality.” Continue reading...

Dancer, dog owner, bank robber. Germany’s most wanted woman, Daniela Klette, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after decades on the run. Deborah Cole and Jason Burke reportTo her friends and neighbours, there was nothing extraordinary about Claudia Ivone.As our Berlin correspondent, Deborah Cole, explains, the silver-haired 67-year-old had spent years living in the same apartment in a bohemian neighbourhood of West Berlin. She led an ordinary life: she owned a dog, went shopping and pursued an unusual hobby as an active member of a local capoeira dance group. Continue reading...

• Flashscore has begun releasing in-depth previews of the 2026 World Cup groups, focusing currently on Group E. • The tournament is scheduled to commence on June 11th with an opening match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa. • The preview highlights Germany's quest for a comeback, featuring key players such as Florian Wirtz and Joshua Kimmich.

Criticism comes from across political spectrum after decision regarded as blow to Friedrich Merz’s governmentGermany’s unprecedented failure to win one of the rotating seats on the UN security council has sparked an intense round of soul searching in Berlin, and raised questions about its claims to international leadership under Friedrich Merz.The council vote on Wednesday, which elected Austria and Portugal to a two-year term along with Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe, marked a blow to Merz’s struggling government, which has sought to position itself as a leading European voice on the world stage. Continue reading...