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First round of Israel-Hamas truce talks end without progress – DW – 07/07/2025

First round of Israel-Hamas truce talks end without progress – DW – 07/07/2025

DW4 hours ago
Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas about a ceasefire ended inconclusively, according to Palestinian sources. The BRICS group expressed concern about the war in the Middle East. DW has the latest:The Israeli army on Sunday said it will begin sending conscription notices to 54,000 ultra-Orthodox Jewish men through July, who were exempt from military service until now.
"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to complete the enlistment process for ultra-Orthodox men whose status as yeshiva (religious seminary) students is no longer valid following the expiration of the previous legal arrangement," said a military statement.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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US Envoy Says Satisfied With Lebanese Response On Disarming Of Hezbollah
US Envoy Says Satisfied With Lebanese Response On Disarming Of Hezbollah

Int'l Business Times

time41 minutes ago

  • Int'l Business Times

US Envoy Says Satisfied With Lebanese Response On Disarming Of Hezbollah

US envoy Thomas Barrack said Monday he was satisfied by the Lebanese authorities' response to Washington's request to disarm Hezbollah, which was heavily weakened in a recent war with Israel. Lebanese leaders who took office in the aftermath of the conflict have vowed a state monopoly on bearing arms, while demanding Israel comply with a November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities with the Iran-backed group. "I'm unbelievably satisfied with the response," Barrack, Washington's ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, told a press conference after meeting President Joseph Aoun. "It's thoughtful, it's considered. We're creating a go-forward plan. To create that, we need dialogue. What the government gave us was something spectacular," he said. "Now what it takes is a... thrust to the details, which we're going to do. We're both committed to get to the details and get a resolution," he said, adding: "I'm very, very hopeful." The presidency said on X that Aoun handed Barrack "ideas for a comprehensive solution". A Lebanese official told AFP that late last week, Beirut submitted an initial response to Washington, which then requested modifications. Lebanese officials then worked through the weekend to develop the final version, the source added, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to brief the media. During a visit last month, Barrack asked Lebanese leaders to formally commit to fully disarming Hezbollah. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Sunday his group would not surrender or lay down its weapons in response to Israeli threats. Israel's military has continued to occupy positions in Lebanon and to strike the country despite the ceasefire, saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites and operatives and accusing Beirut of not doing enough to disarm the group. Barrack said that Hezbollah "needs to see that there's a future for them, that that road is not harnessed just solely against them, and that there's an intersection of peace and prosperity for them also." He warned that "the rest of the region is moving at Mach speed, and you will be left behind", noting that "dialogue has started between Syria and Israel, just as the dialogue needs to be reinvented by Lebanon." Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani river, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli frontier. Israel was to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, but has kept them deployed in five areas that it deemed strategic. Lebanese authorities say they have been dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the south near the Israeli border. Hezbollah's Qassem said Israel must abide by the ceasefire agreement, "withdraw from the occupied territories, stop its aggression... release the prisoners" detained during last year's war, and that reconstruction in Lebanon must begin. Only then "will we be ready for the second stage, which is to discuss the national security and defence strategy" which includes the issue of group's disarmament, he added.

Zambia's cyber laws: concerning or necessary? – DW – 07/07/2025
Zambia's cyber laws: concerning or necessary? – DW – 07/07/2025

DW

timean hour ago

  • DW

Zambia's cyber laws: concerning or necessary? – DW – 07/07/2025

Zambian leaders say new cybersecurity laws are protecting citizens from online scams and identity theft. But critics see an attack on freedom of expression. It has been almost three months since Zambia's president, Hakainde Hichilema, signed the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Acts of 2025 into law. His supporters hailed the laws, calling them progressive, and said they would help fight digital crimes and improve national security. But rights groups maintain the laws, especially the Cyber Crimes Act, are undemocratic, and stifle freedom of expression and speech. The laws allow for the interception and surveillance of all electronic communications, including calls, emails, messages and streamed content. The Zambia Cyber Security Agency has been moved from an independent agency of state, and brought under the Office of the President. Violating the laws also carries significant consequences: the legislation allows for the extradition of Zambians abroad, and stiff penalties, from fines to prison sentences – potentially two to 25 years – depending on the specific offense committed. Mulambo Haimbe, Zambia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the legislation is meant to protect citizens online and not stifle fundamental freedoms. "This conception that the cyber laws are perhaps meant to intrude, to go into your personal details in a willy-nilly fashion is not correct," he told journalists at a press briefing in Lusaka. "It needs to be put in its proper context, contrary to the assertions that the government's intention is to intercept any of your communication and break into your gadget," he added. Oliver Shalala Sepiso, media consultant for the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND), also defended Zambia's new cyber laws – saying they are not about surveillance of citizens but merely for digital or data protection. To play this audio please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 audio But for laws meant to protect Zambians from digital crimes and identity theft while improving national security, the laws' enactment on April 8 received surprisingly little fanfare. There was so little media coverage that most Zambians only learned about the new rules through an alert issued by the United States embassy in Lusaka, warning Zambians abroad about the intrusive nature of the legislation. "Cyber legislation is needed to combat cybercrimes that are very rampant, like identity theft, and online fraud," Richard Mulonga, CEO of Bloggers of Zambia, told DW. "There are some provisions that have the potential to restrict free expression, for example assembly and association, and just broader digital rights." President of the Law Association of Zambia, Lungisani Zulu, said his association will challenge the new law in court. "Numerous provisions of the Act, which is now law, infringe upon the rights and freedoms of citizens, hinder a free press, and have the potential to undermine the cherished democracy in our country," Zulu said. The new laws replace the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act of 2021, which were passed by former president Edgar Lungu. Under these laws, Zambia police arrested Mbewe Sibajene in April 2024 for circulating satirical memes and videos mocking government officials and institutions. Police said the memes were abusive, defamatory, and aimed at inciting public disorder towards state institutions. To play this audio please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 audio Among the contentious provisions are laws that criminalize so-called "false information," vague definitions of indecent content, and a lack of protection for journalists reporting on sensitive national issues. The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), a regional media watchdog in eight African countries, says the new law has already impacted journalists negatively. "Journalists a living in fear because whenever they are doing their stories, they need to now do self-censorship because they don't know what is going to come out from what they are doing," Kennedy Mbulo, vice chairperson of MISA Zambia, told DW, "it has also impacted investigative journalism. You cannot record an individual because one day that could be used as evidence." Tech savvy young Zambians are divided over the new cyber laws. Kellys Mushota, a frequent social media user and youth member Zambia's Congress of Trade Unions, has noticed some changes online. "The enactment of this law has seen some reduction in the number of harassment or even the way of harassment social media users engage in. However, there has also been a reduction of the will by people to speak freely on matters such as governance and politics," he told DW. Kitwe-based 22-year-old researcher Joshua Seke says young people online are worried about their private conversations being intercepted by authorities. "If you look at what young people are saying online, does it mean that now I can't laugh with my girl online? Is the government actually going to read everything that we do?" he asked. Others, like 31-year-old Lusaka resident Mary Ndau, told DW that the laws would discourage online abuse. "People will be doing the right thing online, they will not express bad behaviors or bully others online because they will be subjected to the law," she said. As opposition leader, President Hichilema repeatedly criticized cyber laws, describing them as tools of government surveillance. Yet he has enacted arguably even stricter cybersecurity laws. Kampala-based Edrine Wanyama of CIPESA (Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa), says cyber security legislation is not unique to Zambia, with neighbors South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Malawi also enacting cybersecurity laws. "Countries tend to pick practices from one country, apply in theirs," the lawyer told DW. "The whole virus keeps biting the rest of the continent, and these laws have been found to be effective for governments in checking on freedoms of expression, access to information, assembly and association in the online spaces." The West Africa Media Foundation has also reported a rise in restrictive cyber laws infringing on freedom of expression and privacy in countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Benin and Niger.

Why is Trump meeting five African presidents this week? – DW – 07/07/2025
Why is Trump meeting five African presidents this week? – DW – 07/07/2025

DW

time2 hours ago

  • DW

Why is Trump meeting five African presidents this week? – DW – 07/07/2025

US president has invited the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal to Washington this week. Experts suggest that there will be more on the agenda than just commercial opportunities. "A White House official explained last week that 'President Trump believes African countries offer incredible commercial opportunities that benefit both the American people and our African partners,'" says DW's Washington correspondent, Ines Pohl. "In a recent update, Trump highlighted the vast commercial potential of African nations, suggesting stronger economic ties could be mutually beneficial. However, his administration has cut back on US foreign aid to Africa, viewing it as wasteful and incompatible with his 'America First' agenda. Instead, the focus is shifting toward trade and investment, particularly in West Africa's critical minerals sector and regional security." Trump's approach to Africa appears to have evolved since his first term. During a White House meeting on January 10, 2018, he famously referred to Haiti and several African countries as "shithole countries." "We recall those harsh words, but things have changed," says Prof. Suleymane Bachir Diagne of Senegal who teaches and researches at Columbia University in New York City. "Africa is now on the radar of the Trump administration. The continent is recognized as a place to make deals." But if Trump's agenda truly centers on deals and 'America First,' why invite the presidents of these five relatively small economies? "It's surprising," Diagne says. "One might expect the usual suspects — large economies like South Africa or Nigeria. Instead, we have these five countries, which few anticipated." In terms of trade volume with the US, the five countries are relatively minor players. However, all possess significant untapped natural resources: "Controlling migration and drug routes — that's what Donald Trump is truly interested in," says Zakaria Ould Amar, an international consultant from Mauritania. "These five countries lie directly on refugee and migrant paths that have, over the years, sent tens of thousands of people to the US-Mexico border. International drug routes also run through this region." Amar suggests that these security issues will dominate Trump's talks with the five African leaders. "Economically, these countries are currently of little significance. I can't see what Trump could realistically negotiate with them in terms of trade or business." American affairs expert Prof. William Ferreira from Guinea-Bissau is skeptical: "I doubt this meeting will bring tangible benefits to the African countries involved. There's no such thing as a free lunch." "Our president's trip to Washington to meet Trump is not good news for Guinea-Bissau or its people," he says. Ferreira notes that the Trump administration has halted or drastically cut funding for aid projects in Africa and also in Guinea-Bissau, dimming any hopes tied to the meeting in Washington. For Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, however, the gathering presents an opportunity to showcase himself as a respected statesman on the international stage, despite significant internal challenges. His term officially expired in February, yet he remains in office amid questions of legality. The fate of scheduled elections in December remains uncertain. "All five regimes, not just Guinea-Bissau, are grappling with major institutional problems and breaches of the rule of law," Ferreira says. "But that doesn't bother Trump. He wants to demonstrate he still has allies in Africa. For the five presidents, this event is a chance to present themselves as important and legitimate leaders internationally. And in fact, from their perspective, it greatly elevates their standing." Gabon's current president, Brice Oligui Nguema, has faced serious corruption allegations and is linked to the recent coup that ousted Ali Bongo Ondimba. Liberia faces severe social challenges. Joseph Boakai has been president since January 2024. Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, a general and politician, has been in office since August 2019 but the country faces serious social problems. Senegal, led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye since 2024, confronts accusations of facilitating illegal international migration. Guinea-Bissau remains embroiled in institutional crises, with civil society groups accusing Umaro Sissoco Embalo of dismantling democratic structures and aiming to establish a dictatorship. His legitimacy is seen as derived not from the people but through international endorsements like the Washington meeting. Lesmes Monteiro, presidential advisor in Guinea-Bissau, offers a contrasting view. "Sissoco Embaló's inclusion among Trump's chosen five is a diplomatic triumph," he told DW. "He is a determined leader, respected and received by the world's most powerful statesmen: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Emmanuel Macron, and now Donald Trump." Monteiro highlights ideological alignment as a key factor in the selection. "Trump and our president share similar values: a strong emphasis on national sovereignty and traditional values. Guinea-Bissau's geostrategic position is very important to the US, and economically, the country could become interesting to the US in the medium term." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

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