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Deutsche Welle

July 2026

Why Europe's wildfires are getting harder to stop

Wildfires almost always need a spark to ignite, whether it's lightning, arson, or a car's hot exhaust pipe touching dry vegetation

Some of the fires we've been seeing in France and Spain are in places where you have these very flammable trees which are quite fine and they often are growing close together so fire spreads really easily,
It's not that wildfires are magic and just start. You have to have the right climatic conditions,
Francesca Di Giusepperesearcher
Trying to prevent in the first place the landscape becoming so flammable is one of the most effective ways to try to avoid this kind of extreme fire behavior,
Francesca Di Giusepperesearcher
This has created an abundance of biomass that then has rapidly dried during a sequence of heat waves,
We need to manage our forest well in order to avoid such big disasters from happening. So prevention, prevention, prevention,
In some regions of Europe, farmland and lower-biomass shrubland were replaced by fire-prone conifer or eucalyptus species of higher economic profitability, increasing the risk of fire,
Francesca Di Giusepperesearcher
When all three of these conditions are very much fire-prone and they align, then you have this kind of fire event,

From petitions to memes: How students made dissent visible

From imperial China to present-day India, student movements have repeatedly adapted the tools and symbols of their age to challenge authority

Humanoid robots: Trump's latest China trade battle?

The US has banned foreign-made humanoid robots — a market dominated by Chinese tech firms

India's 'Cockroach' protesters face ongoing legal pressure

The police have spoken of around 2,800 protesters with criminal cases. To us, that looks like an attempt to justify the crackdown and discredit the movement,
We know how the police operates and it is up to its old tricks. It is sheer bullying,
Kapil Sibalindian lawyer and politician
My fear is that innocent students will end up in jail while the real criminal elements walk free,
That was never part of the assurances given to us,
Kapil Sibalindian lawyer and politician
The way Dharmendra Pradhan was celebrated after his resignation shows the government has learnt nothing from the protests or the message the students were trying to convey,
Johnsenior advocate Rebecca Mammen
There is a prescribed legal process for withdrawing criminal cases. An oral assurance from the government counts for nothing unless that process is followed,
Raja Senguptakolkata, lawyers
Oppression of protesters by governments is not new,
Soma Roystudent activist
It was an anxious wait for parents
We are still trying to establish exactly which police cases have been withdrawn,
Soma Roystudent activist
Many families were not even told where their children had been lodged,

Ceuta: Spain says most migrants have returned to Morocco

Alexander Dobrindta German politician of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) who has been serving as the Federal Minister of the Interior in the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz since 2025
We will extend the possibility of internal checks beyond September,
Alexander Dobrindta German politician of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) who has been serving as the Federal Minister of the Interior in the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz since 2025
The situation in Ceuta highlights the volatile nature of the illegal migration crisis,

Military flare-up between Houthis and Saudi Arabia challenges relative calm in Yemen

Riyadh and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels are on the brink of renewed conflict

Elham Maneaswiss-American academic
Since the 2022 truce, Riyadh's priority has been to extricate itself from the Yemen war and create the regional stability needed for its broader economic transformation 'Vision 2030',
Since 2014, the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis have destroyed food and water infrastructure across Yemen and they have also blocked food, fuel, and humanitarian aid from reaching segments of the population,
Elham Maneaswiss-American academic
The current escalation appears to be driven primarily by the Houthis,
If Saudi Arabia and the Houthis go back to war in Yemen, I suspect the ending will be the same: A lot of money spent, many lives lost, and eventually the realization that both sides will have to talk,
The impact on the population has been clear,

Spain's PM visits Ceuta after thousands breached border

People are still entering. The reinforcements that have arrived are only helping the injured and other humanitarian efforts,
Laurent Nuñezinterior Minister
In response to the situation observed in the Ceuta enclave, I gave instructions as of last night to immediately strengthen the controls at the Spanish border,
Mari Rantanenfinnish Interior Minister
Spain has completely failed to protect the Schengen Area's external border from infiltration. This cannot continue. All European countries must support Meloni's proposal,
Pedro Sánchezprime Minister
What has emerged from our talks with Moroccan authorities is that trafficking mafias took a self-serving interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling,

Indonesia: Pilot faces death penalty after drugs found in suitcase

A Malaysian Airlines pilot tested positive for cocaine and meth after flying a passenger jet into Jakarta, with Indonesian authorities finding over 70,000 ecstasy pills in his suitcase

Tomuan Parlindunganhengky
The results of his urine test came back positive for meth, MDMA and cocaine,
Malaysia Airlines will extend its full cooperation to the relevant authorities in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations,

Japan: Death toll rises to 34 after deadly earthquake

Kanzo Matsuomotoold businessman
It was the strongest quake I ever experienced,
I thought a bomb had gone off,
Sanae Takaichijapanese Prime Minister
There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,
I don't even know if or how we can rebuild again."
Suddenly, there was a huge noise. I couldn't stay on my feet. I had to crouch down."
It's become like a field hospital,
Borussia Dortmund express their deepest condolences to everyone suffering from the devastating earthquake that struck Japan's Kumamoto region yesterday,

Pakistan: Bodies found after international mountaineers vanish on Broad Peak

Rescuers were looking for an international group of climbers, including famous mountaineer Nirmal Purja, following a suspected avalanche at Pakistan's Broad Peak mountain

Karrar Haidriclub Vice President
The team has been out of communication since Thursday,
The Alpine Club of Pakistan is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with all concerned stakeholders,

FIFA plans: Infantino under pressure as senior advisor quits

We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each MA (Member Association) has the ability to express its vote based on facts,
Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifahe has been president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) since 2 May 2013
Rather, it has exposed fundamental weaknesses in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed,
CAF is committed to continue consulting and working together with its Member Associations, FIFA, other Football Confederations and stakeholders in support of increasing financial and other resources for the development and growth of football in Africa and worldwide,
Carlos Cordeirohe is the senior advisor to the FIFA President and is serving as senior advisor to the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026
FIFA already has access to extraordinary financial resources,
Carlos Cordeirohe is the senior advisor to the FIFA President and is serving as senior advisor to the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026
FIFA [member associations are] now being asked to believe that outside investors are needed to unlock greater value. I do not accept that proposition,

India: Lawmakers endorse tough exam leak bill after Cockroach protests

But opposition lawmakers walked out before the bill was passed in Rajya Sabha

Jitendra Singh Ranaunion Minister
This is an issue in which every parent, every family, and indeed every citizen of this country has a stake, because these young children are our greatest investment,
Mallikarjun Khargeleader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha
We welcome this Amendment Bill. But it is still incomplete,
It strengthens the action taken after a paper leak occurs, but there is no robust system in it to prevent paper leaks from happening in the first place,

Anthropic says Claude AI hacked three companies during tests

Claude compromised the impacted organizations’ infrastructure using basic techniques, such as exploiting weak passwords and unauthenticated endpoints,
Ultimately, many factors contributed to these incidents, but, consistent with a blameless postmortem culture, we're approaching the fixes as if the responsibility were ours alone,
In one, Claude played an employee of a made-up company, attacking that company's internal systems inside a private test environment,

Trump says Board of Peace agrees on Hamas disarmament

Donald TrumpuS President
This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,
As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors,
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatibactivist
Just as there is no olive oil without olives, there is no Hamas without weapons and armed resistance. Some members may genuinely want to evolve and enter a political process, and they may; but they are unlikely to do so sustainably and successfully while still operating under the Hamas banner and identity,
The National Committee for Administration of Gaza (NCAG) shall manage and execute the cataloguing and storage of weapons in accordance with the agreed timetable,
The National Committee will be the sole entity authorised to retain, store, or control weapons in Gaza,

Kenya: 15 dead elephants likely poisoned by cyanide

Ben Wandagokenya director
Those responsible must be held fully accountable under the law,
This tragedy also underscores the urgent need for the strict control and responsible handling of highly toxic substances to prevent them from entering the natural environment,

Berlin Pride attack: Are German juvenile courts too lenient?

The Islamist terror attack on Berlin Pride has put the work of juvenile courts into the spotlight

Frieder Dünkelcriminologist
It is not the role of juvenile criminal law to provide preventive protection for society before a crime has even been committed. Juvenile criminal law responds to crimes once they have been committed,
Frieder Dünkelcriminologist
This is because overall, one can still recognize significant developmental potential in 18- to 20-year-olds,
Konstantin von Notzgerman politician and lawyer
We... note that virtually all experts consulted on this matter so far point out that long prison sentences — especially for young adults — can have a counterproductive effect and may even accelerate existing radicalization,
Frieder Dünkelcriminologist
Specifically, when a juvenile court judge is unsure whether a sentence can or should be suspended in favor of probation, the judge orders a period of up to six months during which the young person is guided toward a law-abiding lifestyle through strict directives and monitoring measures,
Peter R. Neumanna German journalist and academic who frequently appears on radio and television as an expert on terrorism and political violence
This is a real problem. The sentences are too lenient. In my view, juvenile criminal law is sometimes interpreted too broadly. The protection of the public is not given sufficient consideration."
It's primarily about education, about the reintegration of the young person,
Harsher penalties do not lead to greater security,