Germany to hire 11,000 more military personnel this year: Report
The German government will provide funds for an extra 11,000 military personnel by the end of the year, an increase of around 4 percent, tabloid Bild reported on Saturday, citing government sources.
The money will be provided for 10,000 soldiers and 1,000 civilian employees for the military by end-2025, the newspaper said, adding the move was part of this year's budget planning to be approved by the cabinet next week.
The new jobs will cover armed, air, naval and cyber forces, the report said.
Germany's Defense Ministry declined to comment.
Germany needs up to 60,000 additional troops under new NATO targets for weapons and personnel, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said earlier this month, as the alliance beefs up its forces to respond to what it sees as an increased threat from Russia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
39 minutes ago
- Arab News
Tens of thousands join pro-Palestinian marches across Europe
LONDON: Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in European cities Saturday calling for an end to the war in Gaza, amid concerns the Iran-Israel conflict could spark wider regional devastation. In London, AFP journalists saw tens of thousands of protesters, who waved Palestinian flags as they marched through the British capital clad in keffiyeh scarves. In Berlin, more than 10,000 people gathered in the center of the city in support of Gaza, according to police figures. And in the Swiss capital Bern, march organizers estimated that 20,000 people rallied in front of the national parliament, urging the government to back a ceasefire. There have been monthly protests in the British capital since the start of the 20-month-long war between Israel and Hamas, which has ravaged Gaza. This Saturday, protesters there carried signs including 'Stop arming Israel' and 'No war on Iran' as they marched in the sweltering heat. 'It's important to remember that people are suffering in Gaza. I fear all the focus will be on Iran now,' said 34-year-old Harry Baker. 'I don't have great love for the Iranian regime, but we are now in a dangerous situation.' This was his third pro-Palestinian protest, he added. Saturday's marches comes amid heightened global tensions as the United States mulls joining Israel's strikes against Iran. Tehran said Saturday that more than 400 people had been killed in Iran since Israel launched strikes last week claiming its arch-foe was close to acquiring a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies. Some 25 people have been killed in Israel, according to official figures. One marcher in London, a 31-year-old Iranian student who did not want to share her name, told AFP she had family in Iran and was 'scared.' 'I'm worried about my country. I know the regime is not good but it's still my country. I'm scared,' she said. Gaza is suffering from famine-like conditions according to UN agencies in the region following an Israeli aid blockade. Gaza's civil defense agency has reported that hundreds have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to reach the US- and Israeli-backed aid distribution sites. 'People need to keep their eyes on Gaza. That's where the genocide is happening,' said 60-year-old protester Nicky Marcus. In Berlin, demonstrators gathered mid-afternoon close to the parliament, some chanting 'Germany finances, Israel bombs.' 'You can't sit on the sofa and be silent. Now is the time when we all need to speak up,' said protester Gundula, who did not want to give her second name. For Marwan Radwan, the point of the protest was to bring attention to the 'genocide currently taking place' and the 'dirty work' being done by the German government. In Bern, demonstrators carried banners calling on the federal government to intervene in the war in Gaza, expressing solidarity with Palestinians. The rally there was called by organizations including Amnesty International, the Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Swiss Trade Union Federation. Slogans included 'Stop the occupation,' 'Stop the starvation, stop the violence,' and 'Right to self-determination.' Some marchers chanted: 'We are all the children of Gaza.' The overall death toll in Gaza since the war broke out has reached at least 55,637 people, according to the health ministry. Israel has denied it is carrying out a genocide and says it aims to wipe out Hamas after the Islamist group's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people.
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Arab News
Belarus opposition leader freed from jail after US mediation
WARSAW: Belarus's top jailed opposition leader Sergei Tikhanovsky was freed alongside over a dozen other political prisoners on Saturday in a surprise release hailed as a 'symbol of hope.' His wife Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who took the mantle of the opposition after his jailing, said the United States helped broker the deal and thanked US President Donald Trump. Tikhanovsky, 46, had been imprisoned for more than five years. He planned to run against incumbent Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential election, but was arrested and detained weeks before the vote. Svetlana — a political novice at the time of his arrest — took his place in the polls. She posted a video on Saturday of her embracing Tikhanovsky after his release with the caption: 'FREE.' 'It's hard to describe the joy in my heart,' she said in a post on X. Thirteen others were released, including Radio Liberty journalist Igor Karnei, who was arrested in 2023 and jailed for participating in an 'extremist' organization. They have now been transferred from Belarus to Lithuania, where they are receiving 'proper care,' Lithuanian foreign minister Kestutis Budrys said. The announcement came just hours after Lukashenko met US special envoy Keith Kellogg in Minsk, the highest profile visit of a US official to the authoritarian state in years. Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, has outlawed all genuine opposition parties and is the only European country to retain the death penalty as a punishment. The eastern European country still holds over 1,000 political prisoners in its jails, according to Viasna. Swedish-Belarusian citizen Galina Krasnyanskaya, arrested in 2023 for allegedly supporting Ukraine, was also freed, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said. The release comes amid a broader warming of relations between the United States and Belarus's chief ally Russia under Trump. Since taking office, the Republican has engaged in direct talks with Vladimir Putin, ending his predecessor's policy of isolating the Russian president. Tikhanovsky was for years held incommunicado, and in 2023 his wife was told that he had 'died.' In a video published by Viasna on Saturday, he appeared almost unrecognizable, his head shaven and face emaciated. Tikhanovsky was sentenced in 2021 to 18 years in prison for 'organizing riots' and 'inciting hatred' and then to 18 months extra for 'insubordination.' A charismatic activist, Tikhanovsky drew the ire of authorities for describing Lukashenko as a 'cockroach' and his campaign slogan was 'Stop the cockroach.' Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in the 2020 election, a result that sparked massive opposition protests which authorities violently suppressed. The Belarusian autocrat claimed a record seventh term in elections earlier this year that observers blasted as a farce. Fellow Belarusian political activists and foreign politicians welcomed the release. Poland's foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said the 'free world' needed Tikhanovsky. 'My sincerest joy goes out to you, Tikhanovskaya and your entire family,' he wrote on X. Former Belarusian culture minister Pavel Latushko, who supported the 2020 protests against Lukashenko, said all those released had been jailed illegally and hailed Tikhanovsky's release as an 'important moment.' European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen hailed Tikhanovsky's release and called for Belarus to free its other political prisoners. 'This is fantastic news and a powerful symbol of hope for all the political prisoners suffering under the brutal Lukashenka regime,' she said on X. Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Tikhanovsky's release was 'fantastically good news.' 'At the same time, we must not forget the many other prisoners in Belarus. Lukashenko must finally release them,' he said on X.
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Greenland Celebrates Its National Day to Mark the Summer Solstice
Greenlanders celebrated National Day, the Arctic island's biggest summer festival, on Saturday to mark the solstice with songs, cannon salutes, and dances under 24 hours of sunlight. Revelers across the semi-autonomous Danish territory, which is also coveted by former US President Donald Trump, honored the longest day of the year north of the equator, where the solstice marks the start of astronomical summer, with a march through their hometowns waving flags and participating in a seal hunting competition. The national holiday was declared in 1985 following a referendum on home rule six years earlier, with the inaugural raising of the red-and-white Greenlandic flag. As the sun came out, locals gathered for the day of festivities, visiting friends and families, eating, and dancing together. Greenland's roughly 56,000 inhabitants look forward to the midnight sun each year from May 25 to July 25 before the long, dark winter reappears. The strategic, mineral-rich island made headlines after Trump declared it his mission to make it part of the US, saying it's crucial for American security in the high north. Trump did not rule out military force to seize Greenland, despite strong rebukes from Denmark, a NATO ally, and Greenland itself. Danish and Greenlandic leaders say the island is not for sale and have condemned reports of the US stepping up intelligence gathering there. On Saturday, Greenlanders tried to leave politics behind to enjoy the seemingly endless summer sunshine. Locals in traditional clothing made of pearl collars and seal hides started the day by marching toward the Colonial Harbor with Greenland's national flags. Johannes Ostermann, 20, said he loved the holiday 'because you get to go out in the city and you get to meet the people you haven't met in a while, and you know they're going to be there because it's a big day for Greenland, and we enjoy each other's company.' 'Everyone says 'congratulations' to each other, everyone's saying 'hi,' everyone's being very, very nice because it is a very nice day for us all,' he added. At 9:00 a.m., a cannon salute marked the beginning of the annual seal hunting competition, with participants in boats rushing into the sea. It took about an hour for the first hunter to come back with the seal. The animal was cut open for an inspection. The organizer said the meat will be distributed to nursing homes, and all other parts will be used to make clothing. Pilo Samuelsen, one of the winners of the competition, enjoyed his victory and the fact that the holiday brings together the community and keeps their culture alive. 'The seal hunt competition is a nice tradition,' Samuelsen said. 'It's a day of unity and celebration.' Sofie Abelsen, 33, said she hoped her people would continue their celebrations because 'modernization and globalization is a danger to all Indigenous people and Indigenous countries. So I hope they will continue the traditions … so they don't disappear,' she added.
