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Hello, I'm David Harper with the BBC News.
More than 100 aid agencies have accused Israel of continuing to block their humanitarian supplies from Gaza. Oxfam says over $2 million worth of supplies have been rejected. CARE says more than $1 million of aid for mothers and babies has been waiting to enter for five months. Many of the organizations say not a single one of their trucks has been allowed in by Israel since its blockade started in March. Chris Lockyear is from the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières. "Restrictions on aid is not just about bringing things into the Gaza Strip. It's also about having the administrative, the legal, the security situations in which you can operate in any conflict zone. Gaza is a prime example. Restrictions on aid come from many different angles. We mustn't be fooled into thinking that an image of a truck crossing a border is enough in terms of supply or that that means aid in itself." Ukraine's European allies say they have formed a coordinated position with the United States on the aims of Donald Trump's meeting with Russia's president on Friday. After a conference call with Mr. Trump, Britain's prime minister said there was now a viable chance of a ceasefire in Ukraine. David Petraeus, the retired four-star general and former director of the American intelligence agency, the CIA, told the BBC there was a sense of cautious optimism from the Europeans after their talks with President Trump. "It's quite a significant meeting in that Putin hasn't been on U.S. soil for quite some time. But, you know, there is this sense in Donald Trump's mind, which is not without some basis in fact, that when he sits with someone, he can actually bring about some kind of deal. And of course he's done transactions his entire life. This is the one that has proven the most challenging." The influential sister of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has rebuffed conciliatory overtures by South Korea's new government as "futile." Kim Yo-jong told state media she didn't believe the South's policy had changed despite Seoul taking down border propaganda speakers and altering plans for joint exercises with the United States. She said North Korea would not be removing its speakers and said reports it was considering talks with the U.S. were false. The Peruvian president, Dina Boluarte, has signed a law pardoning military and police officers accused of human rights abuses committed between 1980 and 2000. She said the government was paying tribute to the forces who, she said, fought in defense of democracy. Warren Bull has this report. Dina Boluarte said the Peruvian government was paying tribute to the forces who, she said, fought against terrorism and in defense of democracy. But this is a highly controversial amnesty. It includes members of civilian self-defense units who took part in a campaign against leftist guerrillas. Peru's president for 10 of those years was Alberto Fujimori, who was jailed for his role in kidnappings and murders committed by death squads, but was later pardoned. World News from the BBC. Brazil's president, Lula da Silva, has said high tariffs imposed by the United States offer his country opportunities to seek new markets and commercial partnerships. The comments came during a ceremony to announce measures to support Brazilian companies affected by U.S. import duties of up to 50 percent. President Lula said the U.S. had an old habit of trying to demonize foreign governments it didn't like. U.N. talks on tackling plastic pollution have been thrown into disarray after several countries rejected a draft text hours before the deadline. A block of countries seeking more ambitious action on limiting plastic production said it wasn't legally binding. Panama's representative rebuked the meeting for its results. "Our red lines and the red lines of the majority of countries represented in this room were not only stomped, they were spat on and they were burned. We have only 30 hours to prove that we can lead and we can get to a treaty. But our goal here is to end plastic pollution, not simply get to a political arrangement." Oil-producing nations including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran said the text crossed their red lines. Spain has asked the European Union for urgent help to tackle dozens of wildfires requesting two water-bombing planes. Almost 10,000 people have been forced from their homes and four people have been seriously injured by the blazes. In Greece, wildfires have reached the outskirts of Patras, the third largest city, forcing evacuations including from a children's hospital. Firefighters in several other countries, including Albania, Portugal, Turkey and Spain are also battling to contain a number of blazes. Paris Saint-Germain have beaten Tottenham Hotspur to become the UEFA Super Cup winners. It's the first time PSG have held the title. They won against Spurs 4-3 on penalties in the Italian city of Udine. PSG managed a magnificent comeback against Spurs with two late goals after being 2-0 ... |