My insider tip for the train drivers' strike day
There is actually nothing new to say on the subject of the train drivers' strike (yes, there is another one today, be careful!);
just as little about the topic of Deutsche Bahn.
Undoubtedly, we can all agree, it is a total disaster to try to get around Germany by train.
When the train drivers aren't on strike, the trains are massively late, the trains are arranged in reverse order, children are playing on the tracks or the air conditioning fails.
No, none of this is really new, and of course all of this tells a lot about this country.
But you already know all of this and it has been described many times, the indolence, the officialdom, the black zero and the lack of investment.
The only thing I might have to say that is new for you today is the realization: A rail strike day, i.e. today, can possibly be one of the best days ever to travel by train.
Because in my experience, the few trains that are on the road, at least on long-distance routes, are usually on time and pleasantly empty.
Of course, this only works if not enough people know this trick, and in this respect, with this information I could have contributed to making this so-called "life hack" useless.
I don't ask you to forgive me for this, but rather I thank you, in true style, for your understanding.
More background information here: Rail strike on Tuesday – what travelers need to know
How bad is the situation on the Ukrainian front?
Warnings of a Russian breakthrough on the Ukrainian front are increasing.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron is said to have warned about this at a meeting with parliamentarians.
He showed appropriate maps - according to one participant, he even spoke before a possible march to Odessa or Kiev.
Which in turn would explain why Macron doesn't even want to rule out sending soldiers to Ukraine, in complete contrast to Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
But is the Ukrainian army really that dramatic?
The shortage of ammunition and weapons is undoubtedly great.
This is due, firstly, to the domestic political blockade in the USA and, secondly, to the Europeans' unfulfilled promises to deliver a million rounds of artillery ammunition.
Defense expert Franz-Stefan Gady concludes in a guest article: "Russia could exploit a weakness in the Ukrainian front line in the coming months and advance deeper and faster into Ukrainian territory than in the past." (You can find the complete guest article here)
A team of SPIEGEL colleagues has been researching various sections of the Ukrainian front over the past few days - and has come to the conclusion: There are critical sections, the defensive positions are inadequately developed and if ammunition does not arrive soon, breakthroughs cannot be ruled out.
The situation is dangerous, but a collapse of the Ukrainian army does not appear to be imminent.
But it should be an urgent wake-up call that we even talk about this possibility.
The whole story here: "We won't be able to hold out like this for long"
Poland's head of government and president together in Washington
It is an interesting coincidence that this week - in which Sweden is officially admitted to NATO - also marks the 25th anniversary of NATO's first eastward expansion.
Yesterday at noon the Swedish flag was raised in front of NATO headquarters in Brussels, after a year and a half of waiting, thanks to the long blockade by Turkey and Hungary.
Hungary, which joined NATO a quarter of a century ago today, together with the Czech Republic and Poland.
The two accession moments, then and now, have one thing in common: the desire of the accession countries to protect themselves against a Russia that is perceived as threatening.
It was always about decisions made by self-determined states - and that is what is always overlooked by those who claim that NATO's eastward expansion was a provocation for Russia.
Firstly, contrary to what is repeatedly claimed, there was never an official promise from the NATO governments after German reunification not to accept members in Eastern Europe.
Secondly, in 1997, in the NATO-Russia Founding Act - a treaty that was intended to lay the foundation for a partnership - Russia even recognized that it had no right of veto over a state's membership in NATO.
Former US President Bill Clinton is visiting Prague today to mark the anniversary.
What is much more significant and unusual today is the joint visit to the White House by two Polish rivals: the national conservative President Andrzej Duda and the liberal head of government Donald Tusk, who are actually enemies in domestic politics, are traveling together to see Joe Biden.
The two want to work to strengthen NATO's eastern flank.
Conversely, Biden wants to recognize Poland's outstanding importance in supporting Ukraine.
More background: Sweden does not want nuclear weapons on its territory
Read the current SPIEGEL editorial here
Von der Leyen's big production:
In the election campaign, the head of the EU Commission appears as a principled conservative.
In the background, she has ex-ECB boss Draghi develop a counterprogram: Europe should take on more debt.
Click here for the current daily quiz
Today's starting question: Where is the Lenin Mausoleum?
Winner of the day…
...is
Ryan Gosling
, who didn't win an Oscar on Monday night, but euphorized the entire room with his performance: the way he performed the nominated song "I'm just Ken" in his glittering pink suit, this wonderfully chatty men's anthem, accompanied by Guns'n'Roses guitarist Slash, was perhaps the funniest moment of the entire Oscar night.
And the fact that all the stars stood up, sang along and clapped was a reminder that “Barbie” – even if the film largely went empty-handed at the Oscars – shaped the past film year more than any other.
The latest reports from the night
Al Pacino explains his failed Oscar appearance:
He was supposed to be the last presenter to announce the best film and caused amusement with a distracted performance: Now Al Pacino has described what was really behind the appearance.
Entrepreneurs and politicians fear for Germany as a business location:
Deutsche Bahn has so far defended itself against the GDL's wave strikes in vain.
Representatives from business and politics are horrified by the “strike madness”.
Airbnb bans surveillance cameras indoors:
Landlords have previously been allowed to film their Airbnb guests in certain areas - in common areas, for example.
But that will soon be over.
We would particularly like to recommend this story to you today:
Exhausted from caring? This is how you get rehab:
Caring for a relative takes a lot of energy - and often your own health too: chronic exhaustion, back pain and headaches are the result, but also depressive moods.
Rehabilitation with therapies, sport and relaxation can help.
Read here which programs are available, which requirements must be met and how long it takes for a decision to be made on the application.
I wish you a nice day and all the best while traveling by train!
Yours, Mathieu von Rohr, head of the SPIEGEL foreign department