First round of Israel-Hamas truce talks end without progress – DW – 07/07/2025
"The army will begin this week issuing summons to complete the enlistment process for ultra-Orthodox men whose status as yeshiva (religious seminary) students is no longer valid following the expiration of the previous legal arrangement," said a military statement.
"The military will continue efforts to expand enlistment among the ultra-Orthodox public, while working to ensure the best possible conditions that respect their unique way of life," it added.
This move is highly controversial and could spell trouble for Netanyahu's coalition government, which includes representatives from the ultra-Orthodox community as well.
An arrangement dating back to 1948 exempts the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi (God-fearing) Jews who are dedicated to religious studies, from military service.
Around 66,000 men currently fall under the exemption.
Israel's Supreme Court has often challenged this status since the 2000s. Since June 2024, the ruling government has been under pressure from the judicial systemto start drafting Haredi men.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left on Monday to meet with US President Donald Trumpat the White House in Washington DC.
"This is my third visit with (US President Donald Trump) since he was elected over six months ago," Netanyahu told reporters at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv before his departure.
Netanyahu also plans to meet US government officials as well as other Republican and Democratic leaders.
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On Sunday, Trump had said that a ceasefire and hostage release deal could possibly be reached this week.
"We are working to achieve the much discussed deal, on the conditions that we have agreed to," Netanyahu said, referring to a US proposal. Hamas has requested some amendments but agreed to the proposal in principle.
Experts and analysts believe that Israel and Hamas will be able to overcome their differences to reach a deal.
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Leaders of the BRICS group of nations expressed "grave concern" about the situation in Gaza after their meeting on Monday.
"We reiterate our grave concern about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with the resumption of continuous Israeli attacks against Gaza and obstruction of the entry of humanitarian aid into the territory," they said.
The group called for adherence to international law while also encouraging an immediate ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the release of all detainees and hostages.
They also condemned the Israeli and US military strikes on Iran.
The first round of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha, Qatar, ended inconclusively, Palestinian sources close to the matter said on Monday.
"After the first session of indirect negotiations in Doha, the Israeli delegation is not sufficiently authorized ... to reach an agreement with Hamas, as it has no real powers," the sources told Reuters news agency.
The BBC reported that the talks took place in two different buildings, and lasted for about three and a half hours.
The two sides communicated through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, but to no avail. Talks are expected to resume again on Monday.
Hello and welcome to DW's coverage of developments in the Middle East on Monday, July 7, 2025.
Talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday about a possible ceasefire ended inconclusively, Palestinian sources close to the matter said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is flying to Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump, who suggested on Friday that there "could be a Gaza deal" next week.
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Fact check: Texas floods – cloud seeding theories dismissed – DW – 07/08/2025
Conspiracy theorists have blamed the devastating flash floods in Texas on cloud seeding, a technique used to chemically induce rainfall. Scientists have dismissed the theories as baseless. A DW Fact Check. Over 100 people have now been confirmed dead following flash floods in central Texas over the weekend, including 27 young campers and staff at a local girls' summer camp. Unfortunately, despite meteorological professionals explaining in news outlets all over the world how and why such devastating flooding occurs, parts of social media have become breeding grounds for disinformation. One popular conspiracy theory which has been given credence by current and former US political figures—including Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and former National Security Advisor General Mike Flynn—concerns "cloud seeding" — the practice of chemically inducing rainfall from clouds in areas affected by drought. DW Fact Check takes a look. Claim: Cloud seeding over parts of Texas two days before the floods caused or contributed to the disaster DW Fact Check: False As of Tuesday, over 2.6 million people had viewed a post on X by a well-known conspiracy theorist account which suggested a link between the deadly floods and cloud seeding operations conducted two days earlier by Rainmaker, a weather modification start-up funded partly by US software billionaire Peter Thiel. In another post, viewed over 2.8 million times, the same account claimed that the state of Texas is "running seven massive cloud seeding programs" in an attempt to "enhance rainfall across millions of acres" and questioning: "Did they push the clouds too far and trigger this flood?" Accompanying the post was a video originally published on TikTok on May 2 in which the user questioned whether "blue rain" at a camping site in Texas was linked to "chemtrails" or, in the video description, "cloud seading" (sic). The video had been viewed over 3.1 million times by Tuesday. The claims gained traction among certain right-wing US politicians including Christian nationalist and conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene who said in a post on X, viewed over 8.3 million times, that she would be introducing a bill to Congress to "end the dangerous and deadly practice of weather modification and geoengineering." General Mike Flynn, former National Security Advisor to US President Donald Trump during his first term, further peddled the theory to his 2.1 million followers on X here and here. Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique used to induce rainfall. It involves dispersing insoluble salts such as silver iodide among existing clouds, either via aircraft, drone or shot up from the ground. Water vapor particles in the clouds are thereby "tricked" into forming larger droplets around the silver iodide particles, eventually becoming large and heavy enough to fall as rain. "Cloud seeding itself cannot create rain out of nothing," adds Edward Gryspeerdt, a Research Fellow at the Department of Physics at Imperial College London (ICL), pointing out to DW: "Cloud seeding aims to identify clouds that are not currently raining, but are very close to doing so." The first attempts at cloud seeding were made by US scientists at the General Electric Research Laboratory in the 1940s. Today, the method is used in various countries across the world to relieve drought, including in China and the Middle East. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Rainmaker, the company at the center of the Texas flooding claims, is contracted across the western United States by various municipalities and state governments to produce more water in regions impacted by drought, including in California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas, its CEO Augustus Doricko confirmed on an X Space hosted by a conservative influencer on Monday, July 7. The most recent operation in the vicinity of Kerr County, where the floods took place, was on July 2 – two days before the floods, hence the speculation that the cloud seeding activity could have exacerbated the heavy rainfall. "The flooding, unequivocally, had nothing to do with Rainmaker's activities or any weather modification activities," insisted Doricko, 20 minutes into Monday's X Space – a claim backed up scientific consensus. "Cloud seeding might be able to modify a cloud that already exists, but a large thunderstorm requires a huge amount of water and energy," explains ICL's Gryspeerdt. "Cloud seeding cannot provide either of these — it only creates small modifications to existing clouds." Travis Herzog, award-winning chief meteorologist at broadcaster AB13 in Houston, Texas, concurs, stating in a Facebook post on July 6: "Cloud seeding cannot create a storm of this magnitude or size. In fact, cloud seeding cannot even create a single cloud. All it can do is take an existing cloud and enhance the rainfall by up to 20% — and even that is on the high end. It is physically impossible for [cloud seeding] to have created this weather system." "Cloud seeding played ZERO role in [the] deadly Texas floods – rudimentary, basic physics explains that," agreed Matthew Cappucci, an atmospheric scientist and senior meteorologist at MyRadar, a leading Florida-based weather app. "In dry environments, adding cloud condensation nuclei can help clouds drop subtly more rain," Cappucci added in one of several posts on the subject on X. "You don't spontaneously make 4 trillion gallons of water appear in Texas." What's more, CEO Doricko claimed, given the almost two-day gap between Rainmaker's last operation over Kerr County, any rain-inducing silver iodide particles dispersed on July 2 would have long since dispersed into entirely inconsequential densities — a statement which is also backed up by scientific consensus. "The horizontal winds at cloud level would have moved the air volume that was cloud seeded at least 1,000 kilometers away from the location of the cloud seeding between 2 and 4 July," explained Dr. Sandra Yuter, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Sciencesat North Carolina State University, speaking to DW. Dr. Yuter's calculation was based on average horizontal wind dispersal speeds of approximately 10 m/s (36 km/h, 22.3 mph), after consulting nearby weather balloon data from July 3. Given that the state of Texas is about 1,320 kilometers (820 miles) wide at its broadest point, Dr. Yuter concludes: "Any cloud seeding on July 2 in the vicinity of Kerr County would not have changed the rainfall from the storms that hit the region on July 4." ICL's Edward Gryspeerdt concludes that "the floods in Texas were driven by record amounts of atmospheric moisture over a region that is known for flash floods" and warns that, as the atmosphere warms due to climate change, such extreme rainfall events are likely to become worse: "Climate models predict that while Texas may become slightly drier on average due to climate change, the intensity of rainfall will likely increase, suggesting that these types of thunderstorms will become more common in the future."
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Kenya: Tensions after more deadly protests – DW – 07/08/2025
Unrest on the anniversary of the 1990 Saba Saba pro-democracy uprising led to 11 deaths this week. As calm returned to most parts of the country, the situation remained tense in northeastern Embu County. Despite a relative calm after unrest in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya on Monday, businesses remained closed and roadblocks in place. In Embu, to the northeast of the capital, protesters gathered once more on Tuesday after a lawmaker was arrested, says DW's Andrew Wasike. "Angry residents have lit bonfires and barricaded roads with stones, paralysing traffic in parts of the town," Wasike says. The protesters are accusing government of political persecution and demanding the release of lawmaker Gitonga Mukunji. The authorities reportedly accused the lawmaker of inciting citizens to protest on the 35th anniversary of the pro-democracy Saba Saba uprising. Meanwhile, in the central city of Kiambu on Tuesday, the case of a girl killed by a stray bullet during the Saba Saba Day unrest was fueling public anger on Tuesday. "Protesters took to the streets by the hundreds to call for justice for the family of the 12-year-old," Wasike says. According to police, over 560 people were arrested in the Saba Saba Day unrest where protesters called on President William Ruto to resign. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Over the past year, Kenya has seen waves of deadly anti-government protests. On June 25, at least 19 people were killed and over 400 injured in clashes between protesters and police. Isabel Brenda, a senior elections and governance advisor at the Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa, is critical of the government's response. "The government's reaction is very unfortunate because the government, of course, has panicked and is resorting to authoritarianism and over-policing, which unfortunately has led to loss of lives, which I think is rather very unfortunate," Brenda told DW. Many of the protesters are youth, or so-called GenZs, who say they are frustrated by corruption, economic hardship and poor governance. Protesters this week reiterated their calls for an end to police brutality, and for equality and opportunities. "There's serious unemployment gaps and issues with young people. The cost of living is very high. So, these are some of the issues that are really pressing Kenyan citizens," says Brenda. Shops were torched and ransacked in the unrest. "Look, everything is burnt," one Nairobi shopkeeper told Reuters this week "So please, the government try to talk to the GenZs. Because all that is happening is because of the GenZs." Some business owners say the unrest is threatening their livelihoods. "Things are so tough in our country right now. Sometimes you come from morning until evening, and you've not sold. And these are things that we've invested in for so long. We are appealing for calm," a trader told Reuters. According to Brenda, the decentralized nature of the protests has contributed to the volatility. "The GenZs you know they are leaderless; they are party less, they are tribeless. They don't believe in going into ethnic cocoons," she told DW. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In the runup to Saba Saba Day, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the government was committed to protecting life and property. "Our security agencies are on high alert to deal decisively with criminals and other elements of ill intent who may seek to infiltrate peaceful processions to cause havoc, mayhem, or destruction of property," Murkomen said. Brenda warns that the government risks underestimating the scale of the public discontent. "I will echo what I think the country is feeling in terms of the government not listening to its people. It's tone deaf. These are young people who are saying that we are tired of bad governance, and we want changes," she said. "I mean, you cannot bury your head in the sand simply because you are unhappy with what young people are saying. I would rather you remove your head from the sand and listen to what is being said. Come to the table, find solutions." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Germany updates: Pistorius outlines plans for military draft – DW – 07/08/2025
A bill by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius foresees some military conscription in cases of need, German media reported. Follow DW for more. A bill to be put forward by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius would allow the Cabinet, with parliamentary agreement, to call up conscripts if a situation arises that requires a rapid boost to the country's armed forces, media have reported. The bill is being seen as a compromise between some conservatives' calls for the return of compulsory military service, which was suspended in Germany in 2011, and the opposition of many leftist lawmakers to such a move. The German government is planning to have a new military service scheme in place by 2026 in response to the changed security situation in Europe largely due to Russia's territorial aggression. Meanwhile, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is in Latvia for talks focusing on the security situation in the Baltic region, which would seem particularly under threat from Moscow's imperialist ambitions. 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Awareness campaigns have cut accidents there, but serious incidents still happen in Playa de Palma, where fatal falls were also reported last year. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video According to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the controls are temporary and aimed at stopping human trafficking and irregular migration. Germany has ramped up immigration controls along its borders, including with Poland, under the new conservative government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. For many EU observers in Brussels, the tit-for-tat measures reflect a deeper shift away from European solidarity and toward national self-interest. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Bundestag is debating the government's budget plans, which see record expenditure and record debt. The aim is to get the country back on its feet through massive Lufthansa Group has said it will gradually resume flights by its airlines to Tel Aviv in Israel starting on August 1. The aviation group canceled flights to Israel in early May after Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a missile at Israel that landed near Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main international airport. A company spokesman has confirmed the planned resumption of flights, already reported by Israeli media, while stating that the group would still closely monitor the security situation in the Middle East. The Lufthansa Group includes the airlines Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, ITA Airways, Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo. SWISS has decided to suspend flights to Tel Aviv until at least October 25, while Lufthansa's low-cost subsidiary Eurowings has also canceled Tel Aviv flights until the same date. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing. German Green politician Robert Habeck has announced his intention of moving to Denmark to work, while saying he was also hoping to take up visiting professorships at universities outside Europe. Habeck, 55, who held the position of economy minister and vice chancellor in the previous three-way coalition government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, can speak Danish after spending some time studying in the Scandinavian country. He has said he would like to work at the Danish Institute for International Studies in Copenhagen. It is not clear whether he will retain his seat in the German parliament as the member for the northern constituency of Flensburg-Schleswig. Habeck was the Green Party's candidate for the chancellorship at February elections but withdrew from the party's leadership echelon after it received just 11.6% of the vote. From October, he is planning to host a series of discussions at the Berliner Ensemble theater under the title "Habeck live." A German court ruled on Tuesday that an Afghan family previously promised visas to enter Germany under a program for those at risk under the Taliban regime must be allowed to travel to the country. Berlin's administrative court said the family had been given a "legally binding" commitment that overrides the conservative-led government's decision earlier this year to stop the scheme. The ruling can be appealed by the Foreign Ministry. After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Germany established various admission procedures for Afghan nationals considered as being in danger from the Islamist group, which is known to repress civil liberties — most notably, women's rights. According to the Foreign Ministry, as of June 20 about 2,400 Afghan nationals are waiting in Pakistan to receive a visa for Germany, including democracy advocates, judges, female journalists and artists. The admission schemes were canceled as the German government under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz takes an increasingly hard line on migration in general. More on the court ruling view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany has accused the Chinese military of targeting a German aircraft with a laser as the aircraft took part in a EU security operation and summoned China's ambassador over the incident. "Putting German personnel at risk and disrupting the operation is completely unacceptable," the Foreign Ministry wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. No further information was immediately available. The aircraft was involved in the EU's ASPIDES mission, which aims to help protect freedom of navigation and maritime security, especially for commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf region. Read the full story of the German aircraft laser targeting here. Prices for air passengers traveling from airports in Germany within Europe are continuing to rise, even those for budget airlines, according to an analysis by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). The average cost now of a one-way tickets without luggage is between just under €67 ($78) and about €130, DLR said, as compared with average prices of between €66 and €110 a year ago. Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings is the most expensive provider, charging an average of €130 for a one-way flight, up from €110 last year. The analysis showed that advance planning is of advantage, with bookings made three months ahead costing in the range of €46 to €90, while those at short notice cost between €119 to €169. The factors driving the price increases are a continuing shortage of flights, high taxes and fees, according to the analysis. Altogether 59% of people living in Germany would like to see a ban on private fireworks similar to the one set to be introduced in the neighboring Netherlands, a survey released on Tuesday showed. The survey by the polling institute Forsa and commissioned by the magazine showed that women are more in favor of such a ban than men (67% to 51%) and that a small majority (51%) of young men from the 18-29 age group oppose one. Supporters of the far-left Left Party were the most likely to back a ban, with 86% in favor, while 60% of people who vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party were against it. The Netherlands will ban private individuals from setting off fireworks as of New Year 2026/2027. The prohibition came partly in response to increasing violence in the country associated with New Year's fireworks, including attacks on police officers, firefighters and emergency workers. A number of people are also injured or even killed each year while setting off fireworks. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is wrapping up a three-day trip to the Baltic region with talks in the Latvian capital, Riga. He is set to meet Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics and Prime Minister Evika Silina for discussions that are expected to center on the security situation in the region against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During his stay in Riga, Steinmeier is also due to visit the Braunschweig, a German corvette currently stationed in the city as it participates in the US-led Baltic Operations exercise. Latvia, a former Soviet republic, shares the fear of other Baltic states that it could become the target of Russia's expansionist policies under President Vladimir Putin. The country is a member of both the EU and NATO. On Sunday, Steinmeier was in Lithuania as the country celebrated its national day. Among other things, he visited the headquarters of the Armored Brigade 45 (Panzerbrigade 45) in the capital, Vilnius, which was activated in April of this year as the first German brigade-sized unit to be based abroad permanently since World War II. A draft bill devised by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius would allow the Cabinet and parliament to call up conscripts in certain security situations, media have reported. Such conscription could occur "when the defense situation requires it" and there are not enough volunteers, the news magazine said, citing the 50-page text of the bill. The bill also aims to make voluntary service more attractive, with volunteers receiving more than €2,000 ($2,350) a month as official short-service soldiers, said, an 80% increase over current pay rates. According to the magazine, Pistorius hopes this will encourage volunteers to stay on after the basic training has ended, as well as lead to a doubling of the number of reservists to 200,000. The bill does not stipulate how long basic training is to last, but rumor has it that a period of six months is under consideration, the said. Under new NATO guidelines, the German Bundeswehr would need altogether 460,000 troops in the case of a conflict. Currently, Germany has more than 182,000 active soldiers and more than 49,000 active reservists. Pistorius would like to see at least 60,000 more active soldiers and altogether 200,000 reservists. Many in Pistorius' Social Democratic Party (SPD), particularly its youth wing, oppose the reintroduction of compulsory military service that is advocated by a number of conservative politicians, and the bill is being seen as a compromise between the two viewpoints. Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing. from the DW newsroom in Bonn. Some of Tuesday's news from Germany relates to the security situation amid Russia's growing territorial aggression, with a new military service scheme on the way and the president in Latvia to talk defense matters. But this DW blog will also bring you up-to-date news, analysis and explainers on other stories large and small from Europe's biggest economy. We wish you enjoyable reading!
