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Hello, I'm David Harper with the BBC News.
Details are emerging from the new round of indirect cease-fire talks between Hamas and Israel. Hamas has reportedly agreed to release nine hostages in exchange for a 60-day truce and the release of a mutually agreed number of Palestinian prisoners. It also allows for substantial daily aid deliveries to Gaza and the evacuation of medical patients. Wyre Davies reports from Jerusalem. Even as the talks progress, Israel is pounding areas like Jabalia, where there's barely a building undamaged by war. There's considerable pressure on Israel and Hamas to agree to the American plan that would see some hostages released from Gaza in exchange for a period of calm. That pressure is reportedly bringing both sides closer to agreement, but differences remain. The main sticking point appears to be a commitment not to restart the war after a cease-fire ends. If they fail to agree and Israeli troops return to Gaza in their thousands, the consequences could be unthinkable. President Trump has said he'll speak to Vladimir Putin on Monday about ending Russia's war against Ukraine. He'll also talk to President Zelenskyy and leaders of various NATO countries. Mr. Trump said he hoped it would be a productive day and a cease-fire would take place. Here's Joe Inwood. If any talks are going to matter, it's gonna be talks between President Trump and President Putin. I think that was made clear by President Putin refusing to show up on Thursday in Turkey despite being challenged to by President Zelenskyy, who of course did go to the country. I think it's probably a fair assessment that if any talks are gonna do anything, it'll be between these two men. So they could be very consequential. Of course, they could also come to nothing. And I think it's going to be very interesting to see how these turn out, because of course Donald Trump thinks of himself as the great dealmaker, as the man who can solve this. But Monday, for the first time, he's going to be put to the test. Powerful storms and tornadoes that struck parts of the United States on Friday are now known to have killed at least 25 people. Seventeen died in Kentucky, seven in Missouri and one in Virginia. Thousands across the Midwest are still without power as search efforts continue. The governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, said everyone was helping out. "It's hard to see. Homes that are in a single wall, left standing. Some homes that have all four walls yet lost a person inside. You can not only see the destruction, but feel it. But at almost every single one of these plots, you see 10, 11 or 12 people helping out." A bomb has exploded outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs in California, killing one person and injuring several others. Pictures showed extensive damage to the American Reproductive Centers, which provides IVF. The clinic said no one from their facility was hurt and all eggs, embryos and reproductive materials are fully secure and undamaged. This is the latest world news from the BBC. The authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir will be deploying military veterans as security guards. The army says around 4,000 veterans have been identified. Over 400 will be given licensed firearms. This comes a week after India reached a cease-fire with Pakistan to end their most serious conflict in decades. Syria has announced the formation of a national commission for missing persons five months after the ousting of the former dictator, Bashar al-Assad. Tens of thousands of Syrians who opposed his government went missing or were made to disappear while he was in power. A decree signed by Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, said the commission would try to uncover their fates. A second man has been arrested in connection with fires at two properties linked to the British prime minister, Keir Starmer. London police said counterterrorism officers detained the 26-year-old man on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life. On Thursday, a Ukrainian man was charged over the same fires. This year's Eurovision Song Contest has been won by Austria for the song "Wasted Love" by JJ. Israel came second and got the most votes from the viewing public. The show in Basel in Switzerland was watched by around 160 million people. This was the moment the winner was announced. "Austria need 100 points here. Austria, you can still win. If the audience awarded you at least 100 points, the night is yours. This is quite tense. Austria, from the audience, you have received ... 170... He did it! JJ has done it! He has won!" The moment Austria won the Eurovision Song Contest. And that's the latest BBC News. |