Latest news with #Saudi-owned
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hamas official says it rejects new US Gaza ceasefire plan backed by Israel
A senior Hamas official has told the BBC the Palestinian armed group will reject the latest US proposal for a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. The White House said on Thursday that Israel had "signed off" on US envoy Steve Witkoff's plan and that it was waiting for a formal response from Hamas. Israeli media cited Israeli officials as saying it would see Hamas hand over 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 dead hostages in two phases in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The Hamas official said the proposal did not satisfy core demands, including an end to the war, and that it would respond in due course. The Israeli government has not commented, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told hostages' families on Thursday that he accepted Witkoff's plan. Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza and resumed its military offensive against Hamas on 18 March following the collapse of a two-month ceasefire brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt. It said it wanted to put pressure on Hamas to release the 58 hostages it is still holding, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. On 19 May, the Israeli military launched an expanded offensive that Netanyahu said would see troops "take control of all areas" of Gaza. The next day, he said Israel would also ease the blockade and allow a "basic" amount of food into Gaza to prevent a famine. Almost 4,000 people have been killed in Gaza over the past 10 weeks, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. The UN says another 600,000 people have been displaced again by Israeli ground operations and evacuation orders, and a report by the UN-backed IPC warns that about 500,000 people face catastrophic levels of hunger in the coming months. Security breaks down in Gaza as desperate people search for food Israel PM says Hamas's Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar has been killed Gaza warehouse broken into by 'hordes of hungry people', says WFP At a news conference in Washington DC on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked whether she could confirm a report by Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV that Israel and Hamas had agreed a new ceasefire deal. "I can confirm that Special Envoy Witkoff and the president submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas that Israel backed and supported. Israel signed off on this proposal before it was sent to Hamas," she said. "I can also confirm that those discussions are continuing, and we hope that a ceasefire in Gaza will take place so we can return all of the hostages home," she added. However, a senior Hamas official later said the deal contradicted previous discussions between the group's negotiators and Witkoff. The official told the BBC that the offer did not include guarantees the temporary truce would lead to a permanent ceasefire, nor a return to the humanitarian protocol that allowed hundreds of trucks of aid into Gaza daily during the last ceasefire. Nevertheless, he said Hamas remained in contact with the mediators and would submit its written response in due course. Earlier, Israel's Channel 12 TV reported the Netanyahu told hostages' families at a meeting: "We agree to accept the latest Witkoff plan that was conveyed to us tonight. Hamas has not yet responded. We do not believe Hamas will release the last hostage, and we will not leave the Strip until all the hostages are in our hands." His office later issued a statement accusing one of the channel's reporters of trying to "smuggle" a recording device into the room where the meeting took place. But it did not deny that he had agreed to the US proposal. Netanyahu has previously said that Israel will end the war only when all the hostages are released, Hamas is either destroyed or disarmed, and its leaders have been sent into exile. Hamas has said it is ready to return all of those held captive, in exchange for a complete end to hostilities and full Israeli pull-out from Gaza. Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response Hamas' cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Another four people, two of them dead, were already being held captive in Gaza before the conflict. So far, Israel has secured the return of 197 hostages, 148 of them alive, mostly through two temporary ceasefire deals with Hamas. At least 54,249 people have been killed in Gaza during the war, including 3,986 since Israel resumed its offensive, according to the territory's health ministry. On Thursday, at least 54 people were killed by Israeli strikes across Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency. They included 23 people who died when a home in the central Bureij area was hit, it said. The Israeli military said it had struck "dozens of terror targets" over the past day.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ed Miliband's net zero targets threatened by BP retreat
A massive hydrogen project at the heart of Ed Miliband's net zero plans risks being cancelled as BP retreats from green targets. The H2Teesside scheme, announced in 2021 by the company's then chief executive Bernard Looney, was designed to produce 'blue' hydrogen from natural gas, and then capture and store the carbon emissions. It had been slated to deliver more than 10pc of the 2030 target set by Mr Miliband, the Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, for hydrogen production and was expected to come online by the late 2020s. But sources have warned that BP is now likely to scale back or even cancel the 1.2 gigawatt project as it struggles to secure enough customers to make the investment worthwhile. The FTSE 100 company is currently in talks with the Government about whether greater state support can be provided, with Mr Miliband's department viewing the scheme as a potentially important source of hydrogen for both industrial uses and power plants. On Friday, Ben Houchen, the Tees Valley mayor, said he was seeking urgent talks with BP about the 'highly concerning' potential setback. He said: 'Asking for increased government subsidy in this way is not a sound basis for an investment of such scale and BP must now be clear in setting out a coherent plan for the project. 'There remains a high level of interest for this site from alternative investors and we will continue to pursue all options.' The H2Teesside project is thought to have run into trouble because of doubts about the future of a nearby chemical facility run by Sabic, the Saudi-owned petrochemicals giant. The plant was expected to be an anchor customer, providing a steady source of demand. But a major upgrade of the facility, that would have made it capable of using hydrogen feedstock, was recently paused and Sabic is understood to be considering the site's closure. Against this backdrop, The Telegraph understands BP has been considering reducing the scope of H2Teesside by as much as 75pc or scrapping it altogether. A source said BP had warned the Government that the project was now unlikely to be viable unless the state agreed to support both the hydrogen factory and its customers. BP has already cancelled the other hydrogen scheme it had proposed in the area, HyGreen Teesside, which would have made 'green' hydrogen via electrolysis. A decision to scrap H2Teesside as well would represent a complete reversal of the company's pledge under Mr Looney to invest £2bn in regional hydrogen projects. Mr Looney travelled to Teesside to announce both schemes personally as part of his quest to reinvent BP as a net zero champion. It also means Mr Miliband may face a choice between allowing the project to collapse or promising even bigger subsidies at the expense of billpayers. Amid warnings that sky-high energy prices are killing British manufacturing, he has promised to 'revitalise our industrial communities' with almost £22bn of support for projects such as H2Teesside that will capture and store carbon dioxide emissions. Under current boss Murray Auchincloss, who took the reins after Mr Looney left over an undisclosed office relationship in September 2023, BP has been slashing investment in green energy projects. It follows pressure from Elliott Management, an activist investor, which accused the company of 'abysmal' cost discipline. One person briefed on the situation claimed that Elliott Management had signalled its opposition to the H2Teesside scheme in the past, although a source close to the investor denied that. Hydrogen has been hailed as a possible green 'superfuel' of the future, with investors touting its potential to replace other gases in heavy industry, fuel aircraft and heavy machinery, and be burned in power plants to generate electricity. However, experts have warned that formidable obstacles remained to making it commercially viable. On Friday, BP said it was 'focused on a few high-graded projects in hydrogen and carbon capture and storage'. The company has confirmed it is pressing ahead with the separate Net Zero Teesside Power scheme, which will see it build a flexible gas-fired power plant equipped with carbon capture technology. It is also participating, alongside other firms, in the Northern Endurance Partnership, a network that will transport CO2 captured from sites along the east coast out to storage wells under the North Sea. A BP spokesman said: 'We continue to work with [the] Government to progress H2Teesside.' A government spokesman said: 'We are delivering first-of-a-kind carbon capture and hydrogen projects in the UK, including in Teesside, supporting thousands of jobs, securing the future of heavy industry and tackling the climate crisis. 'H2Teesside could provide hydrogen to both industry and potential hydrogen-to-power projects that could be operational from 2030, and we are continuing to work with BP on the project.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Howe: UCL miss would be 'huge disappointment' for Newcastle
EDDIE Howe admits it would be a 'huge disappointment' if Newcastle fail to seal qualification for the Champions League as he prepares his men for their final Premier League game of the season against Everton on Sunday. Howe's side know a win at St James' Park would effectively guarantee a top-five finish. Fourth-placed Newcastle, on 66 points, are ahead of Chelsea and Aston Villa on goal difference, with seventh-placed Nottingham Forest a further point behind. The Magpies are desperate to cap a memorable season by returning to the Champions League after a one-year absence. Howe's men have already ended a 56-year trophy drought by beating Liverpool in the League Cup final and a lucrative place in Europe's elite club competition would be the icing on the cake. 'Football emotions swing so quickly. In that moment it will feel like a huge disappointment because we have been in there fighting for two-thirds of the season,' Howe said on Friday. 'If we miss out it will be a tough one take. We know what we need to do and what we want to do. All our emotions are towards that.' Asked if it was important for Saudi-owned Newcastle to play in the Champions League because of the financial rewards on offer, Howe said: 'Everyone talks about finances and I understand why because that is important. 'But for us, it's about wanting to play against the best teams in the best competition. To try to win those competitions, that is why you are competing in them.' Newcastle's hopes of beating Everton will be significantly improved if Sweden striker Alexander Isak returns from injury. Isak missed last weekend's defeat at Arsenal with a groin problem and Howe said he was unsure whether his leading scorer would be fit to face Everton. 'We'd love him to be fit and available for the game,' Howe said. 'He has to be free in his movement and everything because he's that kind of player, he's electric at his best. So let's see. 'We'll only play him if he's fit to contribute, but at the moment he has an opportunity, potentially.'
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Missing out on Champions League would be huge blow: Newcastle boss Howe
EDDIE Howe admits it would be a 'huge disappointment' if Newcastle fail to seal qualification for the Champions League as he prepares his men for their final Premier League game of the season against Everton on Sunday. Howe's side know a win at St James' Park would effectively guarantee a top-five finish. Fourth-placed Newcastle, on 66 points, are ahead of Chelsea and Aston Villa on goal difference, with seventh-placed Nottingham Forest a further point behind. The Magpies are desperate to cap a memorable season by returning to the Champions League after a one-year absence. Howe's men have already ended a 56-year trophy drought by beating Liverpool in the League Cup final and a lucrative place in Europe's elite club competition would be the icing on the cake. 'Football emotions swing so quickly. In that moment it will feel like a huge disappointment because we have been in there fighting for two-thirds of the season,' Howe said on Friday. 'If we miss out it will be a tough one take. We know what we need to do and what we want to do. All our emotions are towards that.' Asked if it was important for Saudi-owned Newcastle to play in the Champions League because of the financial rewards on offer, Howe said: 'Everyone talks about finances and I understand why because that is important. 'But for us, it's about wanting to play against the best teams in the best competition. To try to win those competitions, that is why you are competing in them.' Newcastle's hopes of beating Everton will be significantly improved if Sweden striker Alexander Isak returns from injury. Isak missed last weekend's defeat at Arsenal with a groin problem and Howe said he was unsure whether his leading scorer would be fit to face Everton. 'We'd love him to be fit and available for the game,' Howe said. 'He has to be free in his movement and everything because he's that kind of player, he's electric at his best. So let's see. 'We'll only play him if he's fit to contribute, but at the moment he has an opportunity, potentially.'
France 24
23-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Missing out on Champions League would be huge blow: Newcastle boss Howe
Howe's side know a win at St James' Park would effectively guarantee a top-five finish. Fourth-placed Newcastle, on 66 points, are ahead of Chelsea and Aston Villa on goal difference, with seventh-placed Nottingham Forest a further point behind. The Magpies are desperate to cap a memorable season by returning to the Champions League after a one-year absence. Howe's men have already ended a 56-year trophy drought by beating Liverpool in the League Cup final and a lucrative place in Europe's elite club competition would be the icing on the cake. "Football emotions swing so quickly. In that moment it will feel like a huge disappointment because we have been in there fighting for two-thirds of the season," Howe said on Friday. "If we miss out it will be a tough one take. We know what we need to do and what we want to do. All our emotions are towards that." Asked if it was important for Saudi-owned Newcastle to play in the Champions League because of the financial rewards on offer, Howe said: "Everyone talks about finances and I understand why because that is important. "But for us, it's about wanting to play against the best teams in the best competition. To try to win those competitions, that is why you are competing in them." Newcastle's hopes of beating Everton will be significantly improved if Sweden striker Alexander Isak returns from injury. Isak missed last weekend's defeat at Arsenal with a groin problem and Howe said he was unsure whether his leading scorer would be fit to face Everton. "We'd love him to be fit and available for the game," Howe said. "He has to be free in his movement and everything because he's that kind of player, he's electric at his best. So let's see. "We'll only play him if he's fit to contribute, but at the moment he has an opportunity, potentially."
