1. The questionable investigation of the Moscow attack
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Presentation of the suspects in the Moscow court: “Signs of violent acts”
Photo:
Tatyana Makeyeva / AFP
The difference between Russia and a constitutional state can be observed in Moscow: Four suspected perpetrators of the terrible attack on a concert hall in which more than 130 people died were brought before a court there. Injuries can be seen on all of them, one had to be wheeled in in a wheelchair, another is said to have had his ear cut off. Have they been tortured? "I'll leave this question unanswered," replies Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Now, you don't have to have much pity for mass murderers, but confessions extracted under torture would be of little significance - the men would probably admit everything that was asked of them, including Ukraine's involvement. And this is exactly what Vladimir Putin has already assumed.
In a video report from Moscow, my colleague Christina Hebel reports on the sadness in the Russian capital and the uncertainty among the population: Many people avoid crowds and no longer want to attend major events because they don't know who or what is behind the attack . Without legal education, they will probably never find out.
Read the full story here: Kremlin remains silent about suspected signs of torture on imprisoned terror suspects
2. The fairytale stock trick of Donald T.
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Donald Trump on Truth Social: Just seven million followers
Photo: Olivier Douliery / AFP
Some average people start to sweat when a small tax payment is due, but with Donald Trump nothing is average: the Republican presidential candidate was supposed to raise $464 million within a very short time as bail for a lost fraud case. Now the court has granted him a reduction in the payment: “Only” 175 million. Ines Zöttl wrote down how he could raise the money in no time and make a decent profit at the same time. “Whenever it looks like nothing is going on, a little light comes for Trump from somewhere,” writes Ines, and this time that little light is Trump’s own social media platform Truth Social. This is actually just a playground for right-wing like-minded people and - compared to X or Facebook - not particularly successful. But it's going public this week. And because Trump's supporters are not only ideologically loyal to him, but are also willing to dig into their pockets for their idol, Trump can hope to earn around three billion US dollars in one fell swoop by selling his shares. His group of investors doesn't seem to be interested in whether this is good business - except for Trump: "Trump has become a meme stock - a cult stock in which key figures such as sales or profits play no role."
Read the whole story here: A billion-dollar gift for Trump, but probably a losing proposition for his fans
3. A spahn migration policy
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Union parliamentary group vice-president Jens Spahn
Photo: Steffi Loos / Getty Images
This busy politician is always happy to make a sharp demand, and often when it comes to the hot topic of migration. Now Jens Spahn (CDU) at “Bild” has called for a “several year break” in irregular migration. The goal must be to bring this “to zero”.
This will certainly please everyone who has something against immigration. But since war and economic refugees are unlikely to voluntarily avoid Germany for a few years and Spahn's migration break would have to be imposed by the state, the question arises: would that even be possible? My colleague Rasmus Buchsteiner looked at Spahn's demands and soberly wrote down what was true about his early Easter message: little. In any case, a pause in migration “cannot be decided on without further ado,” writes Rasmus. »The right to asylum is anchored in the Basic Law and in the Geneva Refugee Convention. Applications from those seeking protection must therefore be examined.« His article on the possibilities and limits of migration policy, which is worth reading, actually leaves only one question unanswered: Doesn't Jens Spahn also know full well that his demand is unrealistic?
Read the whole story here: How realistic is Spahn's demand for a "migration break"?
What else is important today?
For the first time, the UN Security Council demands an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip:
So far, Russia and China have blocked the decision in the UN Security Council - or the USA. Now, for the first time, the committee has spoken out in favor of a ceasefire in the Gaza war.
Suspected IS returnee makes a confession:
She became the wife of a "warrior of God", learned to shoot, lived according to Sharia law: A Hamburg woman follows her boyfriend to the terrorist organization "Islamic State" in Syria. She now made a confession in court.
Fritz Wepper is dead:
The series “Derrick” and “For Heaven's Sake” made him one of the most popular TV actors. Fritz Wepper has now died at the age of 82, just a few months after his brother Elmar.
Olivia Colman complains about unequal salaries in the film industry:
More money with a male first name? In an interview with CNN, Olivia Colman was upset about the salary injustice that still prevails in Hollywood.
My favorite story today:
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Car is parked on a cycle lane in Düsseldorf
Photo: Michael Gstettenbauer / IMAGO
My favorite story today
comes from our mobility department: My colleagues Holger Dambeck and Lukas Kissel wrote down how cyclists and pedestrians defend themselves against illegally parked cars. We all laughed heartily at the self-proclaimed “advertising master”, but anyone who has to go from the parked bike path into the life-threatening motor combat zone almost every day in rush hour traffic in the big city just to pick up a sandwich will find it less funny. Holger and Lukas have researched that the number of so-called third-party reports from citizens is constantly increasing - and how the authorities are dealing with them.
Read the whole story here: The last resort against illegal parking
What we recommend today at SPIEGEL+
The remarkable rise of the nice Mr. Dankl:
In Austria's richest city, the communists grow into the second strongest force, frontman Kay-Michael Dankl becomes deputy mayor. About a leftist that even the right-wing FPÖ has to fear.
Thuringian parallel worlds:
The bizarre scandal surrounding the Thuringian “Effenberg Bank” is spreading ever wider. This week it comes down to a decisive battle. Can bankruptcy be averted?
The loud silence of football:
Jérôme Boateng is one of the most successful German professionals, a World Cup hero. And he's still playing. But how does the industry react to allegations of violence against him, which are confirmed by a new SPIEGEL podcast?
Yesterday's sex:
With "Sex and the City," the broadcaster HBO once shaped the golden age of TV. Now the former hit will also be shown on Netflix. New series productions are no longer worth much. Experts warn of dark times ahead.
Which isn't quite as important today
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Bones from the sloth Megalonyx jeffersonii
Photo:
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History / Facebook
Arm off:
Do you ever think that there is a giant sloth living in your personal environment, possibly right in the teenager's room in your apartment? You're wrong, they died out long ago. But sometimes they reappear unexpectedly, as is now the case in California's Santa Cruz Mountains. There, elementary school children in search of crayfish pulled the arm bone of a
Jefferson sloth
(Megalonyx jeffersonii) out of the mud. The fossil could be between 11,500 and 300,000 years old. Megalony jeffersonii could grow up to three meters tall, weighed around 1000 kilograms and fed not on burgers and pizza, but on leaves.
Mini concave mirror
Note for allergy sufferers on an Arko biscuit package:
»May contain traces of eggs and other nuts.«
You can find the entire concave mirror here.
Cartoon of the day
And tonight?
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Larry (Larry David) shopping: All the big truths in small ways, Larry says them
Photo:
HBO/Warner/Sky
In the latest episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" on wow.tv, I'll be watching to see what embarrassing, self-inflicted and all-too-human situations Larry David gets into this time. It's the third to last episode of the twelfth and very final season of this masterpiece - what do I do if there are no more new ones? Probably just watch all 120 episodes again from the beginning.
A lovely evening. Heartfelt
Her
Stefan Kuzmany, author of the editor-in-chief