April 9, 2026 – Short news

Brief relief before the next blow - Germany’s industry comes under pressure again!

German incoming orders rose slightly in February, but the movement feels like a brief breath before the next problem. After the massive drop in January of 11.1 percent, there was now an increase of 0.9 percent. This was driven primarily by the automotive industry as well as textile and metal companies. At the same time, large orders above 50 million euros remain weak, exactly where stability should actually come from. A look back shows how fragile the situation is. At the end of 2025 there was still strong growth, with an increase of 6.4 percent in December. Government investments in defense and infrastructure had boosted demand and temporarily supported industry. But this effect does not last. The structural problems remain, from growing competition from China to the difficult transition to electric vehicles.

Now another burden is added. The war around Iran and the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz are pushing energy prices back up. Companies such as BASF, Lanxess and Wacker Chemie are already responding with price increases because raw materials are becoming more expensive. This directly affects production and indirectly demand. Inflation is also rising again. In March it stands at 2.8 percent after 2.0 percent in February. This increases pressure on the European Central Bank to raise interest rates further. Markets are now pricing in multiple rate hikes, which further slows investment.

All in all, the picture leaves little room to maneuver. Industry is moving, but without a clear direction. Uncertainty caused by the war, rising costs and cautious customers means that even small recoveries barely hold.

When the court reporter presents the bill

Fox News has admitted that none of the war goals named by Trump have been achieved. You read that twice. Not because it is complex, but because the network that accompanied this war for weeks as a historic triumph is now itself naming the gap between announcement and reality. Regime change - not achieved. Complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear program - not achieved. Permanent opening of the Strait of Hormuz - not achieved. Iran is still there. The regime is still there. The enriched uranium still lies somewhere under Iranian soil. And the Strait of Hormuz was closed again hours after the ceasefire.

Trump had declared that all goals had been achieved and even exceeded. Fox News has been broadcasting in this spirit for weeks. That this network of all places is now drawing the balance is less a journalistic achievement than an indication of how untenable the official narrative has become. When the most loyal mirror begins to show a different picture, it says more about the original than about the mirror.

Greece pulls the emergency brake - social media for children under 15 is to disappear from 2027

Greece plans to ban social media for children under 15 starting next year. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the move himself in a TikTok video and made it clear that it was not an easy decision. Children are spending more and more time in front of screens, the pressure from constant comparison is growing, and this is exactly where the government is intervening. It is not about individual platforms, but about a complete ban on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X and YouTube for this age group. The move does not come out of nowhere. Australia has already implemented a ban for those under 16, in the United States Florida draws a clear line at under 14, and Indonesia has also introduced restrictions. In Europe, the issue is now being widely discussed, from Germany to France to Scandinavia. Spain is working on age controls up to 16, while the EU is simultaneously testing its own app for age verification.

The trigger is not only usage time, but what children see there. Authorities accuse platforms of doing too little against problematic content. The European Commission is currently investigating Snapchat because minors may have been exposed to grooming, crime or access to drug offers. At the same time, it is often still enough to simply state one’s own age, which in practice is no barrier. Mitsotakis makes it clear that Greece will not remain alone. The goal is pressure at the European level so that individual national rules become a common line. The development shows how quickly attitudes are shifting. What was long considered a private decision is now becoming a political question. And it is no longer being negotiated quietly.

Subpoena stands, testimony does not - Pam Bondi avoids Epstein questioning

Pam Bondi will not appear for her scheduled testimony before the House Oversight Committee. The former Attorney General, dismissed by Donald Trump only a few days ago, will let the April 14 date pass even though a formal subpoena has been issued. Officially it is said she does not have to appear because she is no longer in office. In Congress, this is meeting clear resistance. The subpoena is not directed at the office, but at the person. Several members point to exactly that, including Robert Garcia and Nancy Mace. They make it clear that the legal obligation remains. If Bondi continues not to appear, contempt proceedings are on the table. The conflict is therefore not postponed, but escalated.

Even before her dismissal, there were internal doubts about whether she would testify at all. Behind the scenes, there were apparently attempts to avoid the questioning. The fact that Republicans ultimately joined Democrats to force the subpoena shows how great the pressure has become. At the center is the Department of Justice’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. The investigation has been ongoing for months and includes files, witness statements and contacts from Epstein’s circle. For many victims, the process has dragged on for decades. Two of the most well known voices, Annie and Maria Farmer, openly speak of another delay that they are no longer willing to accept.

While Bondi is absent, the investigation continues. Further questioning is scheduled, including with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and later also with Bill Gates. The case remains politically explosive and legally unresolved.

Street cleaning with wings - how crows learn to collect cigarette butts

In Sweden, a pilot project is underway that shows how unusual solutions can look when examined more closely. The startup Corvid Cleaning trains wild crows to collect waste, especially cigarette butts, which are among the biggest environmental problems in cities. The animals bring the waste to a specially developed machine and receive a small food reward in return. The principle is simple but effective. Behavior is directly reinforced, learning happens through repetition. Crows are among the most intelligent birds. They recognize patterns, solve tasks and remember processes. This is exactly what the project makes use of. Instead of relying on technology alone, a cooperation between animal and system emerges. Initial tests show that the crows collect waste in a targeted way and repeatedly visit specific locations. Parks, sidewalks and public spaces could become cleaner without additional staffing.

The background is clear. Cigarette butts are highly toxic, they contain pollutants that burden soils and water. Millions of them end up in the environment every day. If a portion is collected before it decomposes, that measurably reduces the burden. At the same time, cities could save costs because less cleaning is needed. The project is still in its early stages, but it shows how familiar problems can be approached differently. Not through more effort, but through a different use of what already exists. In this case through animals that learn to become part of a solution.

America first, but steel from Europe - Trump’s ballroom reveals the next contradiction

Donald Trump has repeatedly justified his policies with the protection of American industry. Tariffs on steel, harsh words against imports, clear messages to allies. All the more remarkable is what is now happening in his own house. For the planned ballroom in the White House, a project worth around 400 million dollars, steel from Europe is to be used, supplied by the company ArcelorMittal. The value of the delivery is in the tens of millions of dollars, internally around 37 million was mentioned. The president had emphasized that the construction would cost taxpayers nothing. Everything would be financed through donations, including from the tech and crypto sectors. The air conditioning system is also to come from a US company, Carrier. Who would supply the steel was long not publicly stated. It now turns out that it does not come from the United States, but from European production of a global corporation based in Luxembourg.

This coincides with a political decision. Shortly after Trump’s own statements about the steel donation, tariffs were adjusted, including rules that could benefit manufacturers with locations in Canada. ArcelorMittal produces there and is also investing in the United States, for example in Alabama. Officially any connection is denied, internally it is at least being discussed. In the American steel industry, this is causing unrest. Associations point out that domestic industry could easily meet the demand. Precisely because tariffs are meant to protect the market, the decision appears contradictory.

The background goes further. ArcelorMittal is a globally positioned company with production sites in Europe, North America and Asia. CEO Lakshmi Mittal has spoken positively about Trump in the past, while the company simultaneously benefits from rising steel prices as a result of that very trade policy. In the end, what remains is a picture that does not match the stated positions. While toughness toward imports is demonstrated outwardly, internally a prestige project is taking shape that relies on exactly those imports.

Routers as entry points - international operation exposes Russian hacker network

For years, access ran unnoticed in the background. Now investigators from the United States, Ukraine and Europe have exposed a network that redirected internet traffic worldwide and intercepted data. At the center are compromised routers installed in homes, offices and government institutions. This is exactly where the operation began. Weakly secured devices were taken over, data traffic was redirected via controlled DNS servers, login credentials and communications intercepted. According to the Ukrainian security service SBU and the FBI, the network traces back to the Russian military intelligence service GRU, specifically to unit 26165. The group is known as APT28, also referred to as Fancy Bear or Forest Blizzard. The targets were not only private data, but specifically communications from government, military and the defense industry.

The scale only becomes clear in detail. More than 100 servers were taken down, hundreds of routers in Ukraine alone were removed from the network’s control. At the same time, earlier investigations show how far the activities extend. As early as 2024, tens of thousands of cameras near military infrastructure were hacked to track movements and deliveries. APT28 is not a new actor. The group has been linked to attacks on the Bundestag, NATO structures, foreign ministries and international organizations. The attack on US Democratic Party servers in 2016 is also attributed to it. Investigations and indictments in the United States confirmed this attribution years ago.

What this case shows is the vulnerability of everyday technology. Routers, often unnoticed in the background, become entry points for large scale operations. And while such access remains undetected for long periods, data collection and analysis continue. That is exactly what makes them so effective.

Foiled murder plot in Europe - network with Russia links reaches as far as Greece

A planned double murder in Lithuania has been stopped, but the trail runs across Europe. In Thessaloniki, a 55 year old man was arrested who, according to investigators, was part of a network acting in the interest of Russian services. His role is said to have been organizing financial flows. Around 5,000 euros were reportedly already transferred through intermediaries to advance the preparation. The targets were two individuals. A Russian activist in exile who had received political asylum in Lithuania, and a Lithuanian adviser who publicly opposes Russia. Both were monitored, followed, photographed. Investigators found a tracking device under the adviser’s car that documented his movements.

The structure behind it is broad. Participants come from several countries, including Georgia, Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine and Greece. Some are said to have only provided support, others coordinated the surveillance and planned the act. For the execution, around 40,000 euros were apparently on the table, while the figures for the organizers’ compensation differ. The man arrested in Greece denies the allegations and is resisting his extradition to Lithuania. A court has already approved this, but he intends to appeal to the highest court. At the same time, further investigations are underway in Europe, including a possible main suspect in Germany who is also under scrutiny. We continue to investigate.