logo
Trump to meet Qatar's PM to discuss Gaza ceasefire deal

Trump to meet Qatar's PM to discuss Gaza ceasefire deal

Straits Times16-07-2025
Find out what's new on ST website and app.
FILE PHOTO: Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani speaks after a meeting with the Lebanese president at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump will meet with Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on July 16 to discuss negotiations over a Gaza ceasefire deal, Axios reporter Barak Ravid posted on X.
Israeli and Hamas negotiators have been taking part in the latest round of ceasefire talks in Doha since July 6, discussing a US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire that envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the conflict.
Mr Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had said on July 13 that he was 'hopeful' on the ceasefire negotiations underway in Qatar, a key mediator between the two sides.
US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have been working to secure an agreement, however, Israel and Hamas are divided over the extent of an eventual Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel. Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 and took about 250 hostages.
Gaza's health ministry says Israel's subsequent military assault has killed over 58,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations.
A previous two month ceasefire ended when Israeli strikes killed more than 400 Palestinians on March 18. Mr Trump earlier in 2025 proposed a US takeover of Gaza, which was condemned globally by rights experts, the UN and Palestinians as a proposal of 'ethnic cleansing'.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore July BTO launch to have over 4,600 balance flats, 2 BTO projects with under than 3-year wait
Singapore Acute psychiatry services to be expanded across all healthcare clusters: MOH
Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction
Business US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee
Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years
Asia Indonesia police detain 12 suspects over baby trafficking ring linked to Singapore
Life Walking for exercise? Here are tips on how to do it properly
Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years
Mr Trump and Sheikh Mohammed are also expected to discuss efforts to resume talks between the US and Iran to reach a new nuclear agreement, Mr Ravid added citing a source familiar with the matter. REUTERS
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nasa says it will lose about 20% of its workforce
Nasa says it will lose about 20% of its workforce

Straits Times

time20 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Nasa says it will lose about 20% of its workforce

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Nasa will lose about 3,900 employees as US President Donald Trump aims to trim the federal workforce. WASHINGTON - The US space agency Nasa will lose about 3,900 employees under Mr Donald Trump's sweeping effort to trim the federal workforce – at the same time as the president prioritises plans for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. In an emailed statement, Nasa said around 3,000 employees took part in the second round of its deferred resignation programme, which closed late on July 25. Combined with the 870 who joined the first round and regular staff departures, the agency's civil servant workforce is set to drop from more than 18,000 before Mr Trump took office in January to roughly 14,000 – a more than 20 per cent decrease. Those leaving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the deferred resignation programme will be placed on administrative leave until an agreed departure date. An agency spokesperson said the figures could shift slightly in the coming weeks. 'Safety remains a top priority for our agency as we balance the need to become a more streamlined and more efficient organisation and work to ensure we remain fully capable of pursuing a Golden Era of exploration and innovation, including to the Moon and Mars,' the agency said. Earlier this year, the Trump administration's proposed Nasa budget put a return to the Moon and a journey to Mars front and centre, slashing science and climate programmes. The White House says it wants to focus on 'beating China back to the Moon and putting the first human on Mars'. China is aiming for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030, while the US programme, called Artemis, has faced repeated delays.

Pope Leo discusses war in Ukraine with Russian Orthodox Church official
Pope Leo discusses war in Ukraine with Russian Orthodox Church official

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Pope Leo discusses war in Ukraine with Russian Orthodox Church official

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Pope Leo interacts with Metropolitan Antonij of Volokolamsk, at the Vatican July 26, 2025. Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo discussed the war in Ukraine on Saturday with Metropolitan Anthony, a senior cleric in the Russian Orthodox Church, in a possible effort to ease ties between the churches strained by Russia's invasion. Leo saw Anthony, chairman of the department of external church relations, and five other high-profile clerics during an audience in the morning, the Vatican said. "During the conversation, numerous issues were raised concerning the state of Orthodox-Catholic dialogue, as well as the ongoing conflicts in the world, including in Ukraine and the Middle East," the Russian Orthodox Church said in a statement. Since assuming the papacy in May, Leo has repeatedly appealed for peace in global conflicts and this month told visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that the Vatican was willing to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Russian officials, however, have said they do not view the Vatican as a serious venue for talks because it is surrounded by NATO member Italy which has supported Ukraine. The head of Russia's Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has been an enthusiastic backer of the invasion of Ukraine. The Russian church statement said that Kirill's congratulations were conveyed to Leo for his election as pope. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar "Pope Leo XIV expressed his gratitude to his holiness patriarch Kirill for his good wishes and noted the importance of developing relations with the Russian Orthodox Church," it added. REUTERS

Trump says speaking with Cambodia, Thailand leaders about ceasefire
Trump says speaking with Cambodia, Thailand leaders about ceasefire

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Trump says speaking with Cambodia, Thailand leaders about ceasefire

Find out what's new on ST website and app. US President Donald Trump (far right) playing golf at his Trump Turnberry course in Scotland on July 26. TURNBERRY, United Kingdom - US President Donald Trump said on July 26 he was talking with the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand in a bid to end their border conflict that has left at least 33 people dead. 'Just spoke to the Prime Minister of Cambodia relative to stopping the War with Thailand,' Mr Trump, who is on a visit to Scotland, said in a post on his Truth Social network. 'I have just spoken to the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand, and it was a very good conversation,' he said soon after in a new post. 'Thailand, like Cambodia, wants to have an immediate Ceasefire, and PEACE,' he added. 'I am now going to relay that message back to the Prime Minister of Cambodia. After speaking to both Parties, Ceasefire, Peace, and Prosperity seems to be a natural. We will soon see!' Tensions flared over long-contested ancient temple sites before fighting spread along the countries' rural border region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by wild jungle and agricultural land where locals farm rubber and rice. Clashes, now in their third day, broke out on July 26 in the countries' coastal regions where they meet on the Gulf of Thailand, around 250km south-west of the main front lines. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar 'I am trying to simplify a complex situation! Many people are being killed in this War, but it very much reminds me of the Conflict between Pakistan and India, which was brought to a successful halt,' Mr Trump said. Mr Trump also indicated he would not move forward on trade deals with either nation until fighting has stopped. AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store