International

▣ Israel's Guantanamo: Israeli Treatment of Palestinian Prisons in the Spotlight

Accounts from former prisoners and investigations by human rights organizations have led to accusations of systematic torture in Israeli detention facilities. At least 98 Palestinians died in captivity. The debate in Israel, however, is focused elsewhere.

▣ Finance Fraud by App: Online Scammers Fueled by Forced Labor in Myanmar

Scammers lure in unsuspecting users with stock trading tips and chat groups before then convincing them to wire money to fake investment platforms. Behind it are entire scam factories full of forced laborers. DER SPIEGEL took a look at how the criminal networks operate.

▣ The "White Tiger" Case: How an Online Search for Friends Ended in Coerced Suicide

Jay Taylor, 13, killed himself on camera after allegedly being driven to do so by a sadistic online group with ties to Hamburg. Here, his parents tell the story of their struggle to save their son.

▣ Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty: "It Is Shameful to Just Stand By and Watch"

Is the ceasefire in Gaza going to hold? In an interview, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty expresses cautious optimism. Hamas must be disarmed, he says, and the West must do more for reconstruction.

▣ Confidential Conference on Ukraine Peace: "We Must Not Leave Ukraine and Volodymyr Alone with These Guys"

DER SPIEGEL has obtained notes from a conference call involving EU leaders - including Germany's Friedrich Merz and France's Emmanuel Macron - showing just how little trust Europe has in Washington.

▣ Project 2025 Author: "We Won't Let Anyone Stop US from Using Our Oil and Gas"

She's not a big fan of electric cars and solar energy, but she does like coal: Diana Furchtgott-Roth is one of the leading authors of "Project 2025." DER SPIEGEL wanted to know more about how the Heritage Foundation strategist thinks.

▣ Remnants of the War: Syrians from Germany Helping with Reconstruction - But Remain Wary of Moving Back

Architects, IT experts, doctors, engineers: Syrians from Germany are doing what they can to help with the reconstruction of their old homeland. But lingering security concerns and an attachment to their new home is keeping many from moving.

▣ Germany's Queen Mum: Nostalgia for the Merkel Era Alive and Well

With every blunder from Chancellor Friedrich Merz, longing for the purported good, old days of Angela Merkel grows in Germany. Many miss her tone, her presence. Has Germany's Queen Mum noticed?

▣ Director Nadav Lapid on Israel after Gaza: It Was Our Duty to Scream

Israeli society failed to stop the killing in Gaza. And we as artists were complicit, write Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid.

▣ "You've Had Her Long Enough": Egypt Says It's Time for Nefertiti to Come Home

With the Grand Egyptian Museum now finished in Giza, pressure is mounting on Germany to finally return the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti. Berlin says it was acquired legally. But that argument isn't persuading the Egyptians.

▣ Donald Trump's Achilles Heel: The Epstein Curse Continues to Loom Large

Reality is sometimes even more shocking than conspiracy theories - as demonstrated by the Jeffrey Epstein case. U.S. President Donald Trump wants it to go away, but his erstwhile friendship with the sexual predator continues to overshadow his presidency. And even his followers are demanding that he release the files.

▣ Billions for the Military: Germany's Economy Pins Its Hopes on the Defense Industry

Increased defense spending is a boon for Germany's ailing industrial sector. Numerous companies, even those with no previous military experience, are now hoping to get in on the act.

▣ Austria: The Rising Power of Right-Wing Fraternities

FPÖ politician Walter Rosenkranz occupies Austria's second-highest political office despite his membership in a German-nationalist fraternity. Such organizations have recently been gaining in power in Austria. And Germany as well.

▣ Winners and Losers of the AI Revolution: Artificial Intelligence Is Radically Changing the Employment Landscape

Artificial intelligence is becoming a permanent element in the world of work, with Silicon Valley calling it the dawning of a new age. Many people are afraid of losing their job, but Germany is well-prepared.

▣ China's Mongolian Minority Facing Increased Pressure to Assimilate

Beijing long allowed Mongols in China to live out their cultural identity. That, though, is now over. Xi Jinping has decided that they must assimilate into the culture of the Chinese majority.

▣ Operation Porcupine: Ukraine Develops New Tactics for the Never-Ending War

Russian President Vladimir Putin appears uninterested in peace in Ukraine, and there is no end to the war in sight. Kyiv has increasingly reached the conclusion that the country must do all it can to guarantee its own security.

▣ Growing Anti-Semitism: How Jews in Germany Are Dealing with a Changed Reality

Life has changed for Jews in Germany since the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Netanyahu's vicious war in Gaza has led to rising anti-Semitism and increased fear in the Jewish community. Three members of that community describe what it's like.

▣ America's Teetering Democracy: Trump's Thought Police Hit Their Stride

The murder of Charlie Kirk has fanned the flames of the Trump administration's lust for thought control. The hunt for his enemies and dissenters, long since begun, has entered a new and dangerous phase.