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Criticism of Israel, Ukrainian negotiators, Military service law, National Security Council, Support for Moldova, Refugees feeling welcome, Russia and China’s military buildup, Two percent target
published by Sigrid Arteaga
Thursday, August 28, 2025
Newspapers Headlines

Bild: The new fear of losing one’s job | Die neue Job-Angst
FAZ: Klöckner: Freedom of expression does not only apply to one’s own opinion | Klöckner: Meinungsfreiheit gilt nicht nur für die eigene Meinung
Funke: “A good day for Berlin”: New section of the A100 freeway opens | „Guter Tag für Berlin“: Neuer Abschnitt der A100 ist freigegeben
Handelsblatt: N26 repositions itself | N26 stellt sich neu auf
RND: German Red Cross tracing service clarifies the fate of thousands of missing persons | Suchdienst des DRK klärt Schicksale Tausender Vermisster auf
SZ: Banks stop PayPal payments | Banken stoppen Paypal-Zahlungen
Tagesspiegel: “Huge step forward” – Cabinet passes law for new military service | „Riesenschritt nach vorne“ – Kabinett beschließt Gesetz für neuen Wehrdienst
taz: Volunteers wanted! | Freiwillige vor!
Welt: Cabinet passes law on voluntary military service | Kabinett beschließt Gesetz für freiwilligen Wehrdienst

Top-News

Criticism of Israel over famine in the Gaza Strip: The UN Security Council, with the exception of the US, describes the famine as man-made. In a statement issued by 14 countries, an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire was demanded, as well as the release of all hostages held by Hamas. Israel must immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip. spiegel.de

  • Israel has called on the authors of the report on famine to withdraw it. The Foreign Ministry called the report “falsified” and accused the IPC initiative of producing a politically motivated result.
  • Germany has called for a comprehensive investigation into an attack on a hospital in southern Gaza. The report available so far is insufficient, the Foreign Office said.
  • Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticized Israel’s attacks in the Gaza Strip as disproportionate, although she supports Israel’s self-defense. There are “too many innocent victims” in the war.
  • An Israeli military spokesman has described the evacuation of Gaza City as “inevitable.” Arrangements have already been made to set up humanitarian aid centers and tents have been delivered; infrastructure is being prepared.
  • Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan has spoken out in favor of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during a meeting with family members of Israeli hostages. In the morning, Alabali Radovan had to take shelter in a hotel due to a rocket fired from Yemen. sueddeutsche.de

Israel begins major operation in the West Bank: Dozens of soldiers and armored vehicles have entered the old city of Nablus, according to residents and authorities. The soldiers were “storming and searching houses and shops,” the head of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society told AFP; some houses had been converted into military posts.

US envoy Tom Barrack cancels trip to southern Lebanon after protests: Hundreds of people demonstrated in the coastal city of Tyros and Khiyam in the southeast of the country against the diplomat’s visit. The demonstrations were triggered by comments made by the US representative the previous day, in which he publicly insulted Lebanese reporters.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sends negotiators: Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak and Security Council Chief Rustem Umerov were scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday to discuss security guarantees. Trump’s Middle East and Russia negotiator Steve Witkoff confirmed the meeting. Zelensky said that progress must be made as quickly as possible. spiegel.de

  • On Wednesday, a delegation led by Yermak and Umierov explored ways to achieve peace in Saudi Arabia. In Riyadh, they met with the Saudi defense minister and national security advisor. The Gulf states are a possible host for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Talks are planned for Thursday in Switzerland.
  • Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed former Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna as Ukraine’s new ambassador to the US.

Russian attacks on many targets in Ukraine: A substation was hit in the Sumy region, leaving up to 100,000 people without power at times. There were attacks in the city of Kherson and in the Poltava, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions. The main goal is to weaken Ukraine’s energy system before the heating season begins. The Russian attacks could also be a response to Ukrainian attacks on the oil and gas industry in Russia. Moscow has lost around 17 percent of its oil processing capacity due to drone strikes on Russian refineries. spiegel.de

  • On Wednesday evening, air raid sirens sounded across large parts of Ukraine. Russia has once again launched large-scale attacks with combat drones. Explosions could be heard over the capital Kyiv. A Russian drone reportedly fell into the courtyard of a nine-story residential building without exploding.
  • Ukraine is considering sharing its extensive data on the war with its allies and wants to use it as a “trump card” in negotiations for further support. The huge data sets are crucial for training artificial intelligence models for pattern recognition and predictions.
  • The Russian government expects significantly lower economic growth than previously assumed. Gross domestic product is likely to grow by only 1.5 percent this year, says Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.
Politics

Government approves military service bill: The cabinet has approved a draft bill for a new military service. The bill, proposed by Defense Secretary Boris Pistorius, is initially based on voluntary participation and aims to encourage more people to serve in the German Armed Forces. In the future, all 18-year-olds will receive a questionnaire. Men must fill it out, but women are not required to do so. For young men, conscription will become mandatory again from 2028. Volunteers would be recruited and paid as temporary soldiers from the outset. Pistorius explained that the aim was to change the “mindset” in society. In future, young people would have to consider what they wanted to contribute to the security of the country. Youth organizations criticized the fact that they had not been involved in the plans. zdfheute.de, sueddeutsche.de, welt.de, handelsblatt.com

  • CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter told The Pioneer that voluntary service is fine in times of peace, but it is not enough to build the necessary deterrent capability. Kiesewetter advocated the gradual introduction of compulsory community service or, alternatively, compulsory military service including alternative service.
  • Bundestag Vice President Bodo Ramelow in favor of extending compulsory schooling to include a social year. Young people could then choose whether to work in a hospital, perform other social work, or join the German Armed Forces, Ramelow told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

NATO chief Mark Rutte warns of Russian and Chinese rearmament: The industries of both countries are producing at an incredible rate, Rutte said at the opening of a Rheinmetall ammunition factory in Unterlüß. At the same time, Rutte praised Germany’s commitment to taking a leading role in NATO security. handelsblatt.com, faz.net

  • Defense Secretary Boris Pistorius said at the opening ceremony that 155-millimeter shells played a “key role” in the defense of Ukraine. n-tv.de
  • Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is aiming for a NATO quota of 3.5 percent in 2029. “We are a reliable partner,” said Klingbeil at the opening of a new Rheinmetall factory for artillery ammunition. The new ammunition factory shows that Germany is taking action. ndr.de

Cabinet approves National Security Council: The council will meet in times of crisis, but also develop strategies for dealing with threats. In addition to the chancellor and vice chancellor, it will include several federal ministers. Experts and representatives of the federal states or the EU may participate upon invitation. Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the council as a central platform for overarching security issues. A National Security Council has been under discussion for 30 years. tagesspiegel.de

Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledges continued support for Moldova: One month before the parliamentary elections there, Merz traveled to the capital Chisinau together with French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. On the anniversary of Moldova’s declaration of independence, Merz pledged support to the former Soviet republic in defending itself against Russian attempts at destabilization. The government led by President Maia Sandu is seeking close ties with the EU. Parts of the population are close to Russia. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on BlueSky that today we celebrate Moldova’s democracy, the unshakeable will of the people and their love of freedom. sueddeutsche.de, welt.de, tagesspiegel.de, zdfheute.de

More News

  • SPD domestic politician Sebastian Fiedler emphasizes the importance of security checks on Afghans who have been granted admission. deutschlandfunk.de
  • More IT security: Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt wants the “Cyber Dome.” heise.de
  • Participation in everyday life: Seniors‘ Union calls for “right to analog life.” rnd.de
  • Federal government wants “fair compromise” for fishing in the Baltic Sea; negotiations at EU level. tagesspiegel.de
  • Accompanied drinking from age 14 to be abolished. aerzteblatt.de
  • Saarland: Nationwide minute of silence for slain police officer from Völklingen. sr.de
  • North Rhine-Westphalia: Another AfD candidate excluded from mayoral election; doubts about Uwe Detert’s loyalty to the constitution. welt.de
  • Rhineland-Palatinate: Agriculture Minister Daniela Schmitt calls for better conditions for viticulture. swr.de
Around the World

NATO member states will reach the two percent target for defense spending in 2025: According to a report published by the alliance in Brussels, 31 of the 32 states will achieve the target. Iceland does not have its own armed forces and therefore does not have a defense budget; countries such as Spain, Italy, and Belgium will also meet this target. Poland will have the highest defense spending this year at 4.48 percent, followed by Lithuania at four percent and Estonia at 3.4 percent. According to estimates, the US will spend 3.2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense. faz.net, welt.de

French President Emmanuel Macron supports Prime Minister Francois Bayrou in confidence vote: It is necessary to get the finances back on track, Macron explained. “We must neither deny reality nor succumb to pessimism,” Macron said in the first cabinet meeting after the summer break. rnd.de

More News

  • Denmark: Government apologizes to Greenlandic women for decades of forced contraception. zeit.de
  • United Kingdom: Right wing shifts discourse on migration. idowa.de
  • Italy: Venice Film Festival opens; director Werner Herzog awarded the Golden Lion for his life’s work. faz.net
  • Iran: International nuclear inspectors are back in the country after weeks of absence. zeit.de

USA News

US Department of Transportation takes control of Washington’s central train station: The measure was justified on the grounds that Union Station was in a state of disrepair and needed to be restored to its former glory. The decision is a further step in the transfer of powers being pushed forward by President Donald Trump. spiegel.de

  • Trump’s deportation offensive is exacerbating the labor market. handelsblatt.com
  • US President Donald Trump calls for the prosecution of former financial investor and foundation founder George Soros. welt.de
  • China rejects US President Donald Trump’s proposal for talks with the US and Russia on nuclear disarmament. spiegel.de
  • Employees of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) suspended after criticizing Trump. n-tv.de
  • Trump versus Federal Reserve Governor Cook: Power struggle over the Fed intensifies. faz.net
  • Head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Susan Monarez resigns after just a few weeks; dispute with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. zeit.de
Business

Refugees feel less welcome: According to a long-term study by the German Institute for Economic Research, 84 percent of refugees said they felt welcome in Germany in 2017. In 2020, that figure was 78 percent, and by 2023 it had fallen to 65 percent. Many refugees are now concerned about the social climate in Germany and report discrimination. Nevertheless, the majority of them would like to stay in Germany. According to the study, 98 percent plan to become naturalized, have already applied for citizenship, or are already naturalized. zdfheute.de

More from Business, Tech and Science:

  • Consumer confidence in Germany declines due to concerns about job losses. n-tv.de
  • German banks temporarily block PayPal payments. sueddeutsche.de
  • Trump’s tariffs: Many German machine manufacturers fear the end of their US business spiegel.de
  • Artificial intelligence: Why Chinese tech companies are focusing on open source table.media/china
  • Students from India: What opportunities they offer Germany table.media/research
  • Rents are rising: Students spend more than half of their income on housing on average n-tv.de
Lifestyle
  • Shares sold to MFE: PPF clears the way for Berlusconi majority stake in ProSiebenSat.1 dwdl.de
  • Data analysis: Which programs are given the big stage by the ARD media library uebermedien.de
  • Princess Diana: Her time capsule from 1991 has been opened – capsule must make way for new building stern.de
  • Bruce Willis lives in a private dementia care home – far away from his family rollingstone.de
  • Donald Trump congratulates Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on their engagement musikexpress.de
Community News

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Sports
  • Eintracht Frankfurt: Nnamdi Collins called up to the senior national team for the first time tagesschau.de
  • Hamburg: Blessin ahead of city derby – “Writing our own history” stern.de
  • Son of former national coach: Jonathan Klinsmann nominated for US national team spiegel.de
  • 11:12 in penalty shootout: Man United embarrassed in cup match against fourth division team rnd.de
  • 300 Kilometer vor China: Almaty makes for the longest Champions League away trip ever – Kazakhs prevail against Celtic Glasgow web.de
  • Top earner Timo Werner rejects offers from England n-tv.de
Gedöns

In Germany, there’s a word „Fernweh“ that describes the deep longing to travel far away and explore the world. It’s basically the opposite of homesickness (Heimweh) — instead of missing home, you miss places you’ve never even been.

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