Germany's defense minister says a requirement for men aged 17 to 45 to seek permission for long stays abroad will not apply — for now. Meanwhile, German intelligence has a warning about your internet router. DW has more.

Here are the latest headlines from Germany on Wednesday, April 8, 2026: German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has invited business leaders and unions to a summit on the energy price crisis. The news magazine Der Spiegel says the meeting is set for Friday at the Finance Ministry, bringing together representatives of major unions and employer groups. Participants are expected to include leaders from the IG Metall and IGBCE unions, as well as executives from Federation of German Industries and Confederation of German Employers' Associations.

The talks will focus on how to ease the burden of rising fuel costs on households and businesses, as well as broader economic and fiscal policy responses under discussion by the coalition government. Energy markets have been under pressure since the start of the Iran conflict, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed by Iranian forces. The route typically carries about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, and recent attacks on oil facilities and tankers have pushed prices sharply higher.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has warned of a cyber campaign targeting internet routers worldwide. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution said the Russian-linked hacker group APT28 had infiltrated vulnerable routers made by TP-Link. Authorities said the aim was to gather military, government, and critical infrastructure information.

The warning was issued alongside partner agencies, including the Federal Intelligence Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The APT28 group, also known as "Fancy Bear," has previously been linked to major cyberattacks, including the 2015 German Bundestag hack, an attack on the Social Democratic Party of Germany headquarters in 2023, and a breach of the company in charge of German air traffic control in 2024. The agency said several thousand TP-Link devices were targeted globally, with about 30 vulnerable devices identified in Germany.

Operators have been notified since mid-March, and in some cases compromises were confirmed, with devices replaced or secured against further manipulation. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said men of military age will not need approval for extended trips abroad. He said a regulation to suspend the requirement would be issued this week, clarifying that no permits are needed while military service remains voluntary.

The clarification followed criticism of a provision tied to Germany’s new military service law, which suggested men aged 17 to 45 would need approval for stays abroad longer than three months. Pistorius said procedures must remain simple and practical, stressing that in peacetime there will be no approval process and no obligation to report travel. He added that different rules would apply in a crisis or defense scenario to ensure authorities know who is available.

Germany’s new service model is voluntary, with no compulsory conscription at present. The policy aims to make military service more attractive while expanding troop numbers. Under the reform, mandatory medical screenings apply to young men from the 2008 birth cohort, as the government seeks to grow the armed forces from just over 180,000 to around 260,000 personnel.

The overhaul responds to security concerns linked to Russia and shifting NATO targets, while debate has continued over the balance between voluntariness and potential future conscription. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Guten Tag from DW’s newsroom in a sunny Bonn, where the cherry blossoms are just about in full bloom. You join us as Defense Minister Boris Pistorius responds to a recent law that requires German men aged 45 and under to ask for permission to be outside the country for more than three months.

The legislation came into force in January, but the rule on staying outside Germany has only recently garnered press attention — and a strong pushback. Stay with us here for this and more of what Germany is talking about today.