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A DHL cargo plane that had taken off from Leipzig crashed in the early morning of November 25, 2024 on arrival in Vilnius in a residential area. At least one crew member, a Spanish citizen, was killed. Three other crew members, including a German and a Lithuanian, were injured. The aircraft, a Boeing 737, belonged to the Spanish airline Swift Air and was working for DHL. It attempted an emergency landing, but crashed about 1.5 kilometers from the runway. The debris damaged a residential building, but all residents were evacuated. Investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing, with technical problems or human error being possible causes.

Habeck criticized Germany's hesitant support for Ukraine, particularly with regard to arms deliveries such as the “Leopard” tanks and “Taurus” cruise missiles. However, he defended the Chancellor's call to Putin as necessary for talks. He also acknowledged mistakes in the heating law and warned of a reduction in subsidies if the CDU/CSU won the election. Habeck also criticized Merkel's energy policy, which had led Germany to become dependent on Russian gas.

In the presidential election in Romania, the pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu is leading with around 22% of the vote, just ahead of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who achieved 20%. A run-off is expected as not all votes have been counted yet. Georgescu, a nationalist hardliner with critical positions towards NATO, surprised pollsters who had not predicted his success. If Georgescu wins, this could change Romania's foreign policy orientation. George Simion, the third-placed candidate, announced that he would support Georgescu.

Yamandú Orsi has won the presidential election in Uruguay. In the run-off election, the left-wing candidate won with 49.3% of the vote against the center-right candidate Álvaro Delgado, who received 46.4% and immediately conceded defeat. Orsi, the former head of administration of Canelones, announced that he would not make a radical change of course and would continue to seek national dialog. The new president is considered a supporter of the popular ex-president José Mujica. Despite challenges such as the rising cost of living, the election campaign in Uruguay was relatively calm.

In the debate on the debt brake, Mathias Middelberg, deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, is discussing a relaxation for the federal states. He proposes that the originally envisaged scope for the federal states to incur debt be subsequently enshrined in the Basic Law. The debt brake, which has been in force since 2009, prohibits the federal states from incurring new debt, while the federal government is permitted to limit net borrowing. CDU leader Friedrich Merz was open to a reform if it promotes sustainable investments.

India's parliament has been suspended following disruptions by opposition MPs demanding a debate on bribery allegations against the Adani Group. The US authorities accuse Chairman Gautam Adani and others of paying around USD 265 million in bribes to Indian officials to secure profitable contracts and projects. The Adani Group rejects the accusations. The opposition criticizes the close connection between Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and calls for an investigation. At the same time, Adani bonds have fallen to their lowest level in a year and investors and banks are reviewing their relationships with the group. This is the second major crisis for Adani in two years.

The COP29 in Baku reached a controversial deal of 300 billion dollars a year until 2035 for developing countries, but was met with criticism as insufficient. Tensions between rich and poor nations as well as geopolitical uncertainties, including the possible US abandonment of climate protection under Trump, overshadowed the talks. Restoring trust remains a key challenge for COP30 in Brazil.

Rohingya rebels are increasingly leaving the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, to join the civil war in Myanmar. This year, 3,000-5,000 fighters have been recruited. Many want to reclaim their homeland, others are lured by Myanmar's junta with the promise of citizenship. The fighters often fight alongside their former persecutors against the Arakan Army, an ethnic Rakhine group. The increasing violence in the camps due to militant recruitment is endangering refugees and regional stability. Aid organizations warn of growing poverty and insecurity if no prospects are created while funding for the camps dwindles.

Hezbollah has fired missiles at Israel after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed at least 29 people. This attack hit Hezbollah-controlled neighborhoods, including Dahiyeh, where 12 command centers were destroyed. Sirens sounded across Israel, with rockets hitting Tel Aviv and Petah Tikvah, among others. The Israeli offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah began in September to secure southern Lebanon and neighboring regions. Parallel diplomatic efforts are underway, including a ceasefire offer from the US based on UN Resolution 1701, which provides for the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from the border region. The EU has pledged €200 million to support the Lebanese army, while significant tensions and humanitarian consequences remain in the region.

India's Competition Commission (CCI) has rejected Apple's request to withhold a report on violations of competition law. Apple had argued that earlier reports had disclosed confidential information. The CCI had new reports prepared, but refused Apple's request to withhold them. The authority accuses Apple of exploiting its market power in the iOS app store to the detriment of developers and users. Apple denies this and points to the dominance of Android in India. The CCI is now requesting financial data from Apple in order to determine possible penalties. The final decision is pending.

Donald Trump Jr. has considerable influence over his father's cabinet picks, prioritizing loyal, anti-establishment candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard. He also played a key role in the selection of JD Vance as Vice President. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are keeping a low profile this time around, while Trump is relying more heavily on experienced advisors like Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

Christine Lagarde: Wants a capital markets union: The ECB President calls for closer integration of the EU capital markets in order to close the gap with the USA. She emphasizes the importance of integrated markets for financing innovation - and proposes an EU-wide regulatory system to achieve progress. (BBG)

Automotive industry crisis: Bosch cuts jobs, VW sticks to plant closures In view of the crisis in the automotive industry, supplier Bosch wants to cut more jobs than previously known - 5,550 jobs are to be lost in the coming years, 3,800 of them in Germany. Volkswagen is also sticking to its plans to close plants in Germany despite the resistance of its employees. (MM)

Viessmann Group: Acquires company for pipe systems. The heat pump billionaires of the Viessmann family continue to invest in the energy transition and are now acquiring Isoplus, a company from Upper Bavaria that equips pipes with insulation. The deal is said to have cost a three-digit million sum. (WIWO)

•  Goldman Sachs: $900m gone due to Northvolt insolvency
• Germany's economy: Q3 weaker than expected
• Early Revolut investors: Cash in $300m through share sale
• DAX: Closes last week in positive territory after mixed performance (FIN) 
• Northvolt CEO: Resigns - planned Gigafactory in Schleswig-Holstein in danger? (ZON)
• Impending price collapse: Bundesbank has concerns about commercial real estate (TAG)
• Auditor oversight: Proceedings initiated against PwC - due to alleged errors in Baywa audit (SUED)
• Every 4th German: Does not know what a share is (MM)
• SEC Chairman: Gary Gensler will resign on the first day of the Trump administration (CNBC)
• US hedge funds: Exposure to Chinese stocks rises to a three-year high (RT)
• Ken Griffin: US billionaire open to selling minority stake in Citadel (BBG)
• Gautam Adani: India tycoon's wealth drops by $15bn after US investigation (BBG)
• AI: Corporate spending on new tech up 500% globally to $13.8bn this year (CNBC)