Emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, NATO prize in Münster and German fears

Flydubai flight FZ 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv had to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after a violent incident in the cockpit. During the flight, a pilot is said to have attacked his colleague with a knife. The machine then lost massive altitude within a short period of time. According to the Israeli government, several passengers and a crew member managed to break into the cockpit and overpower the attacker. The suspected attacker was arrested and interrogated by Saudi authorities. The Israeli government speaks of a possible attempted attack. The incident occurred a few days before the anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared the incident to the September 11, 2001 attacks.

NATO received the Peace of Westphalia Prize worth 100,000 euros in Münster. The defense alliance is being honored for its contribution to the European peace order. The prize is awarded every two years by the Economic Society for Westphalia and Lippe and commemorates the Peace of Westphalia of 1648. The jury justifies NATO's award by saying that credible security and deterrence are prerequisites for peace. Peace initiatives criticize the decision and see it as a contradiction to the spirit of the historic peace agreement. Protests have been announced for the award ceremony. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz gave the laudatory speech at the ceremony.

Also in the update: According to the current study The Fears of Germans, concern about one's own financial situation is once again the top priority. Around 2,400 people were surveyed. Almost 60 percent fear that rising living costs could permanently overwhelm them financially. More than half are also worried about tax increases or benefit cuts. There is also great concern that the state will be overwhelmed by the number of refugees.

The planned sugar tax on particularly sugary drinks has been stopped for the time being. The Chancellery rejected the draft from Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) because it did not find a majority in the federal government. A tax of up to 38 cents per liter was planned from next summer. Klingbeil had expected around one billion euros in additional income per year. There was resistance to the amount and scope of the planned tax, especially in the Union.