Good Morning, North Rhine-Westphalia!
Winter chaos in Germany as lawsuit targets Meta over teen mental health
Hazards of Social Media: Zuckerberg Defends Meta • Snow and Icy Roads Disrupt Morning Commute in NRW • First Meeting of Trump's Peace Council. Your News Overview.
Good morning from our newsroom—Jörn Seidel and Tim Scholz here.
TODAY'S TOP STORY
Social Media Dangers: Zuckerberg Defends Meta in Landmark U.S. Trial
Meta CEO and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has defended his company's practices in a high-stakes U.S. lawsuit examining the addictive potential of social media. He testified that Meta no longer sets usage-time targets for its apps and acknowledged that children under 13—despite being banned—sometimes access platforms like Instagram. When detected, he said, such accounts are removed.
The plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman, claims she developed a social media addiction in her youth, leading to severe depression and suicidal thoughts.
The debate over social media risks has also reached North Rhine-Westphalia. State Premier Hendrik Wüst (CDU) and SPD leader Jochen Ott are backing age restrictions, including a ban for under-14s and limited access for older teens.
MORE TOP STORIES
Snow and Slick Roads Snarl Morning Commute Across NRW
Much of North Rhine-Westphalia faces icy conditions this morning after overnight snowfall. While major disruptions have been avoided so far, the precipitation is gradually turning to rain—with temperatures hovering around freezing. Drivers in the Lower Rhine, Ruhr region, Bergisches Land, and Hochsauerland should exercise extra caution. For live updates, click here:
Trump's Peace Council Holds Inaugural Meeting
Donald Trump's newly formed Peace Council convenes for the first time in Washington today, focusing on Gaza's reconstruction and implementing the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. The gathering also aims to secure international funding. A closer look reveals Trump's near-absolute control over the body: he retains lifelong chairmanship and holds veto power over key decisions, among other special privileges.
Sixth Anniversary of the Hanau Racist Attack
Today marks six years since the far-right attack in Hanau, where a gunman killed nine people before murdering his mother and taking his own life. In January, a tenth victim—who had struggled with injuries from the attack—also died. Memorial events are being held in Hanau and across the Rhine-Main region, including a public commemoration in Aachen.
Lidl Faces Court Over Misleading Discount Slogan
A trial begins today at Heilbronn Regional Court against supermarket chain Lidl, sued by Hamburg's consumer protection agency over a promotional campaign. The slogan "500 products permanently cheaper—immediately" is alleged to be anti-competitive and misleading to shoppers. Lidl declined to comment ahead of the hearing.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
