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Hamas seeks amendments to Gaza ceasefire proposal

Hamas seeks amendments to Gaza ceasefire proposal

The Hamas official said proposed amendments focus on 'the US guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces'. There were no details.
A separate Hamas statement said the proposal aims for a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an ensured flow of aid.
It said 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be released 'in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners'.
Fifty-eight hostages remain and Israel believes 35 are dead.
Mr Witkoff described a 60-day ceasefire deal that would free half the living hostages in Gaza and return half of those who have died.
He urged Hamas to accept the framework proposal as the basis for talks that he said could begin next week.
Israeli officials have approved the US proposal for a temporary ceasefire in the nearly 20-month war.
US President Donald Trump has said negotiators were nearing a deal.

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BBC Breakfast halted as Sally Nugent makes sad announcement
BBC Breakfast halted as Sally Nugent makes sad announcement

Daily Record

time10 minutes ago

  • Daily Record

BBC Breakfast halted as Sally Nugent makes sad announcement

The BBC Breakfast news show opened with the sad news. Sally Nugent and Jon Kay returned to BBC Breakfast on Monday morning, bringing fans of the show all the latest news, however it was kicked off with some tragic news. Sally reported on an attack that had taken place in the United States during the night. As Jon handed over to his co-star, he announced: "Sally has more of today's news, and a developing story overnight in the States". ‌ She went on to say: "That's right, Jon. We start with this story. Six people have been injured in the US state of Colorado after an attacker used a makeshift flamethrower and a Molotov cocktail to target a rally supporting Israeli hostages in Gaza. ‌ "The FBI says it's treating the incident as an act of terrorism. A 45-year-old man has been arrested." The attack took place at an outdoor shopping mall in the city of Boulder in Colorado, and it has now been confirmed that eight people were injured during the incident. Four women and four men, aged between 52 and 88, have been taken to Denver metro hospitals. At least one person is in critical condition, and other victims are being treated for burns and other injuries. They were taking part in a Run for Their Lives march, which is an organisation aiming to raise awareness for Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The march was a "regularly scheduled" and "peaceful event," the FBI has said. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, has been taken into custody, with police saying they are "fairly confident" he acted alone. Boulder police have shared their plans to step up security at Jewish events over the coming days. ‌ Aaron Brockett, Mayor of Boulder, said he is saddened by the "appalling attack" in a post shared to X. He also wrote: "I want to be clear that violence and hatred have no place here. Attacks like these seek to strike terror in people's hearts and divide us from one another, but Boulder will stand strong together." ‌ Last week, viewers of the breakfast show weren't happy as distressing footage was shown on air from the incident in Liverpool. In the distressing footage, the automobile can be seen hurtling into the crowd, triggering panicked reactions and civilians desperately fleeing the scene. Football supporters were captured punching and kicking a car, followed by hurling of bottles. A fan then opened the driver's side door, providing a look at the assailant. Sally subsequently chatted with correspondent Yunus Mulla, broadcasting directly from Liverpool with recent developments concerning the event. ‌ BBC viewers were left dismayed post-segment, after the full footage of the car was broadcasted, with numerous individuals flocking to X (formerly Twitter) to communicate their displeasure. One viewer aired their frustration: "Why do #BBCBreakfast keep showing the car in Liverpool? It is not needed and inappropriate." Another questioned the legality: "Are @BBCBreakfast even allowed to show footage of that car attack, in Liverpool?" Additionally, a third viewer shared their dismay: "Very distressing to see, and I can't imagine what the victims/families must feel."

ECB faces surging euro conundrum
ECB faces surging euro conundrum

Reuters

time14 minutes ago

  • Reuters

ECB faces surging euro conundrum

LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - While the European Central Bank keeps cutting interest rates, the euro keeps rising, as a transatlantic capital reversal upends relative rate shifts and threatens to force the ECB into further easing. The ECB is widely expected to lower its main borrowing rate on Thursday to 2%, half what it was at its peak a year ago and less than half the Federal Reserve equivalent. It's also back to what the central bank broadly considers a 'neutral' level, meaning it neither spurs nor reins in the economy. Real, or inflation-adjusted, ECB rates will be back to zero for the first time in almost two years. What's remarkable is that after eight consecutive ECB cuts and with the prospect of zero or even negative real rates ahead, the euro has surged more than 10% against the dollar in just four months and 5% against a trade-weighted currency basket of the euro zone's major trading partners. That nominal effective euro index is now at record highs, with the 'real' version at its strongest level in more than 10 years. The currency has surged even though there has been no net change in the gap between two-year government bond yields on either side of the Atlantic - usually a reliable indicator of shifts in the euro/dollar exchange rate. The culprits behind this trend are pretty clear: Donald Trump's tariff wars, fears of capital flight from dollar assets due to a host of concerns about U.S. policies and institutions, and Germany's historic fiscal boost that has transformed the continent's outlook. But if even a fraction of the trillions of dollars of European investment capital in the United States is indeed coming back home as many suspect, the ECB has a curious conundrum ahead. How does it handle both the disinflationary effects of such a rapid currency rise alongside the domestic demand it could catalyse? Lower rates with the prospect of further easing ahead are clearly having little impact on the euro. Most ECB watchers expect one or two more cuts after Thursday while money markets have a 'terminal rate' around 1.75%, the low end of the ECB's estimated range of 'neutral'. Indeed, if much of the capital repatriation from overweight U.S. holdings is in equity investments, then lower ECB rates may even accelerate the outflows from the U.S. by lifting growth prospects for cheaper stocks in Europe. The prospect of higher German and pan-European borrowing should sustain longer-term fixed income returns as well, expanding the pool of 'safe' investments. The ECB could revert to protesting about 'excessive' euro gains, although the impact might be limited unless it is prepared to back its words with action, and there is a risk it could backfire for the reasons just mentioned. If anything, the ECB appears to be encouraging the investment shift and the euro's role as a reserve currency - in part to help with the bloc's massive capital needs in retooling its military, digital and energy sectors. In a pointed speech in Berlin last week, ECB chief Christine Lagarde insisted there was an opening for a "global euro moment", where the single currency becomes a viable alternative to the dollar, earning the region immense benefits if governments can strengthen the bloc's financial and security architecture. The scenario may be seen as a nice problem to have, but there will be more than a little disquiet among the region's big exporting nations about a soaring exchange rate in the middle of a trade war. ECB hawks and doves will also have to thrash out whether continued easing to offset disinflationary currency risks only stokes domestic inflation over the longer term - not least with a fiscal lift coming down the road into next year. What seems clear is that the ECB's new economic forecasts due for release on Thursday will have taken into account the 7% euro/dollar gain and near 10% drop in global oil prices since its last set of projections in early March. Morgan Stanley economists reckon that even if the central bank tweaks its core inflation forecasts higher, the new outlook could well show headline inflation undershooting its 2% target from mid-2025 to early 2027 - even while nudging up 2025's GDP growth view. In truth, any forecasts at this point are fingers in the wind with few central banks or major investors having a clue where U.S. tariffs or retaliatory trade war actions will end up. But while global trade and investment nerves abound, the ECB may be relatively powerless to cap the euro. Whether that argues for stasis or even more easing is the big headache it faces. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters

Who is Karol Nawrocki? Conservative historian becomes Poland's next president
Who is Karol Nawrocki? Conservative historian becomes Poland's next president

The Independent

time16 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Who is Karol Nawrocki? Conservative historian becomes Poland's next president

Karol Nawrocki, a 42-year-old conservative historian and amateur boxer, has won Poland's presidential election. While his liberal opponent Rafal Trzaskowski played up his European credentials, Nawrocki met Donald Trump at the White House and received the U.S. president's backing for his bid for Poland 's top job. Nawrocki had cultivated a tough-guy image during his campaign, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and boxing rings. According to the final result from the electoral commission, he won the election with 50.89 per cent of the votes. Nawrocki had no political experience prior to the campaign and was not even a party member until he was tapped by the conservative Law and Justice party that governed Poland from 2015 to 2023. His supporters describe him as the embodiment of traditional, patriotic values. Many of them oppose abortion and LGBTQ+ visibility and say Nawrocki reflects the traditional values they grew up with. Unlike other Eurosceptics in central Europe, such as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico or Hungary's Viktor Orban, Nawrocki supports giving military aid to help Ukraine fend off Russia's three-year-old invasion. But he has said that, if elected, he will oppose membership in Western alliances for Ukraine, a position that seeks to chime with falling support for Ukrainians among Poles, who have hosted more than a million refugees from across the border. His backers in the Law and Justice (PiS) party had supported fast-tracking membership in the EU and NATO for Kyiv while in power until late 2023. Nawrocki's critics said he was fuelling unease over Ukrainian refugees at a time when the far-right is highlighting migration, the cost of living and security. He cited his campaign slogan, Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April. He is likely to follow a similar path to outgoing President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally who has used his veto power to block the pro-EU government's efforts to undo the previous PiS administration's judicial reforms. The EU says the PiS reforms undermined the independence of the courts. The fight in the right In the last two weeks, the candidates mostly fought for the support of people who voted for other candidates in the first round, in particular the far-right's Slawomir Mentzen, who came third with 15 per cent support. Trzaskowski tried to attract them with promises of deregulation. Nawrocki touted his credentials as head of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), support for gun ownership, traditional families and Christian values, but also a critical tone on Ukraine, in sync with Mentzen's. His wife Marta, a civil servant, and three children featured strongly in his campaign. Nawrocki's past has been a topic of intense public debate following a series of negative media reports. There were questions over his acquisition of a flat from a pensioner and an admission that he took part in orchestrated brawls. "All my sports activities were based on the strength of my heart, the strength of my muscles, my fists," Nawrocki, an amateur boxer, told a debate when confronted over reports he had been involved in mass organised fights between football hooligans. "It was a fair competition, regardless of the form." His Law and Justice party backers have accused the government of orchestrating the controversies with the help of Poland's special services and liberal media. The government rejects these accusations. Nawrocki portrayed the election as a referendum on the government, which he described as a metropolitan elite out of touch with their concerns. "I am simply one of you," he told voters in the eastern town of Biala Podlaska while on the campaign trail.

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