Author: Gulf News Week
Negotiations resume in Qatar as the Israeli leader is set to hold talks with the US president, who has said a deal could be reached this week.Israel and Hamas are holding indirect talks in Qatar for a second day, aimed at securing a ceasefire and a captive deal in Gaza, ahead of a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United States President Donald Trump in Washington, DC. The latest round of negotiations on the war in Gaza began on Sunday in Doha, aiming to broker a deal on a truce and the release of captives in exchange for…
JERUSALEM (news agencies) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington Monday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for a ceasefire that might lead to an end to the 21-month war in Gaza.Israel and Hamas are considering a new U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal that would pause the war, free Israeli hostages and send much-needed aid flooding into Gaza. It also aims to open broader talks about ending the conflict.Negotiations have repeatedly stalled over Hamas’ demands for an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel wants Hamas to surrender and disarm before…
LONDON (news agencies) — King Charles III, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and countless ordinary Londoners paused Monday to mark the 20th anniversary of the 2005 London transit bombings, the deadliest attack on the British capital since World War II.Fifty-two people died and more than 770 were wounded when four British men inspired by al-Qaida blew themselves up on three subway trains and a bus during the morning rush hour on July 7, 2005. They were the first suicide bombings on European soil.Two weeks later, four other bombers attempted a similar attack, but their devices failed to explode. No one was…
BASEL, Switzerland (news agencies) — Law-abiding pedestrians wait for the green woman kicking a soccer ball before they cross the road during the Women’s European Championship.Authorities in the Swiss city of Basel have installed 12 of the altered pedestrian crossing lights at locations frequented by soccer fans while the country hosts the nearly month-long tournament.Some are located near the soccer stadium, others near the train station.“They will stay until the end of the Women’s Euro — maybe even a few days longer,” says Nicole Ryf-Stocker, spokeswoman for Basel’s transport department.Ryf-Stocker said the idea and design was provided by the St.…
Blazes break out in France, Greece, Turkiye and Syria, with several other nations on high alert amid warnings of scorching weather.Countries across the Mediterranean are battling fast-spreading wildfires and soaring temperatures as a heatwave sweeps through Southern Europe and parts of the Middle East, prompting evacuations and emergency alerts. Blazes broke out in Greece, Turkiye, France and Syria on Sunday, with several other nations on high alert as forecasters warned that the scorching weather would intensify in the coming days. From Spain to Italy, authorities urged residents to protect vulnerable people and avoid unnecessary travel during the region’s first severe…
ECAULT BEACH, France (news agencies) — Across the English Channel, the U.K.’s white cliffs beckon. On fine days, men and women with children in their arms and determination in their eyes can see the shoreline of what they believe will be a promised land as they attempt the perilous crossing clandestinely, ditching belongings to squeeze aboard flimsy inflatable boats that set to sea from northern France.In a flash, on one recent crossing attempt, French police swooped in with knives, wading into the water and slashing the boat’s thin rubber — literally deflating the migrants’ hopes and dreams.Some of the men…
CHICAGO (news agencies) — Shane van Gisbergen burned out his tires in celebration, sending white smoke into the air. He signed a rugby ball and punted it into the stands in downtown Chicago.It was a familiar scene.Van Gisbergen completed a Windy City sweep Sunday, winning the NASCAR Cup Series race on the tricky street course in downtown Chicago.“Epic weekend for us. I’m a lucky guy,” van Gisbergen said.A talented one, too.The 36-year-old New Zealand native became the second driver to sweep the Xfinity and Cup races in a single weekend from the pole, joining Kyle Busch at Indianapolis in 2016.…
US trade partners are racing to negotiate deals to avoid being slapped with steep tariffs from this week.The global economy is on tenterhooks in the run-up to United States President Donald Trump’s July 9 deadline for dozens of countries to reach trade deals or face sharply higher tariffs. Wednesday’s deadline comes after Trump announced in April a 90-day pause on his steepest tariffs after his “Liberation Day” plans sent markets into a tailspin. With billions of dollars in global trade at stake, US trade partners are racing to negotiate deals to avoid damage to their economies amid continuing uncertainty over Trump’s…
MELBOURNE, Australia (news agencies) — Australian woman Erin Patterson was Monday found guilty of murdering three of her estranged husband’s relatives by deliberately serving them poisonous mushrooms for lunch.The jury in the Supreme Court trial in Victoria state returned a verdict after six days of deliberations, following a nine-week trial that gripped Australia. Patterson faces life in prison and will be sentenced later, but a date for the hearing hasn’t yet been scheduled.Patterson, who sat in the dock between two prison officers, showed no emotion but blinked rapidly as the verdicts were read.Three of Patterson’s four lunch guests — her…
NEW YORK (news agencies) — Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was picked for his 11th All-Star Game and Paul Skenes, James Wood and Elly De La Cruz boosted the 23-and-under group to five when they were picked Sunday for the July 15 showcase at Atlanta’s Truist Park.Wood at 22 is the youngest of the 65 All-Stars, while Skenes, De La Cruz and fan-elected starters Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jacob Wilson are all 23.Cal Raleigh and Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined Wood, Wilson and Crow-Armstrong among 19 first-time All-Stars. Wood was acquired by Washington in the August 2022 trade that sent outfielder Juan Soto to…