Parents of fugitive New Zealand dad apologise for ‘trouble’ caused
It is the first time they have spoken publicly since Phillips was shot dead by police during a manhunt.
Gaza ceasefire deal brings hope after years of death and devastation
Gaza ceasefire deal fuels hope amid devastation, setting the stage for prisoner exchanges and humanitarian aid entry.
Ceasefire deal a major breakthrough, but war not over yet
The agreement of the first-phase of the peace plan for Gaza, announced by US President Donald Trump, is a big moment.
Families of Israeli captives welcome Gaza ceasefire agreement
The families of Israeli captives held in Gaza are celebrating news of a ceasefire agreement.
Death from above: Drones take aim at gangs in Haiti
The use of ‘kamikaze’ drones to target gang members in crowded Haitian slums being called ‘ineffective’.
Taliban FM begins first visit by senior Afghan leader to India since 2021
Amir Khan Muttaqi’s trip has been made possible after a UN committee temporarily lifted a travel ban on him.
Palestinians in Gaza celebrate news of ceasefire deal
Emotional scenes unfolded as Palestinians in Gaza celebrated the announcement of a Gaza ceasefire deal.
‘It feels different today’: People in Gaza wake to the news of a ceasefire
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud spoke of renewed hope saying it was the first time in years he’s felt safe reporting.
US Senate fails to curb Trump’s power to strike drug cartels
Democrats say President Donald Trump does not have the power to use force without the approval of Congress.
Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza celebrate ceasefire news, joy in Tel Aviv
Relative calm returns to Gaza for the first time in months, as Palestinians hope first phase of deal will end the war.
Gaza ceasefire plan live: Israel says it is preparing to pull back troops; living hostages could be released within days
US president Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to ‘first phase’ of plan to pause fighting and release some hostages and prisoners
Families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza gathered in what has come to be known as Hostages Square in Tel Aviv after the announcement.
“President Trump, thank you very much. We thank him, our children will not have returned home without him,” said Hatan Angrest, whose son Matan is among the hostages.
Continue reading...Millions of households face jump in water bills after regulator backs more price rises
Competition watchdog agrees requests from Anglian, Northumbrian, Southern, Wessex and South East to raise household bills
Water bills for millions of households in England will increase by even more than expected after the competition regulator gave the green light for five water suppliers to raise charges to customers – but rejected most of the companies’ demands.
An independent group of experts appointed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provisionally decided to allow the companies to collectively charge customers an extra £556m over the next five years, it said on Thursday. That was only 21% of the £2.7bn that the firms had requested.
Continue reading...World reacts to Gaza ceasefire deal announced by Trump
Leaders and groups around the world celebrate negotiators signing off on first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Google blocked STI awareness ads as ‘adult content’, Senate estimates hears
Search engine added ‘STI testing’ to list of sensitive topics, censoring important public health campaign, Greens leader says
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Google has blocked ads for a commonwealth-funded STI awareness campaign as “adult content” in a move sexual health organisations say frustrates efforts to share evidence-based public health information online.
The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday that the tech company’s moderation practices had recently undermined the reach and cost-effectiveness of the national campaign, run by Sexual and Reproductive Health Australia (SRHA).
Continue reading...‘First phase’ of ceasefire deal to end war in Gaza agreed by Israel and Hamas
Donald Trump announces that all hostages will be released ‘very soon’ and Israel will withdraw troops to an agreed upon line
Israel and Hamas have agreed to the initial phase of a “peace plan” in Gaza, pausing hostilities in the devastated territory and bringing the best hope yet of a definitive end to a bloody two-year conflict that has killed ten of thousands, destabilised much of the Middle East and prompted protests across the world.
Donald Trump announced the agreement on his Truth Social network saying all of the hostages held in Gaza would be released soon and Israel would withdraw troops to an agreed upon line as the first step to a “Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace”.
Continue reading...Happy, stressed, overwhelmed: Palestinians evacuated from Gaza start their studies in UK
Abdallah, 27, and Soha, 31, describe adjusting to their new lives after leaving their war-torn home
The young man emerging from a backstreet accommodation block in a bustling corner of east London looks much like any other student, getting to grips with his studies at the start of a new term. But 27-year-old Abdallah carries more of a burden than most. A qualified doctor, he has recently been evacuated from Gaza to begin his studies at Queen Mary University of London on a fully funded, government-backed Chevening scholarship.
As well as his work in hospitals, he has been striving for months on behalf of the dozens of Palestinian scholars like himself who have been stranded in war-torn Gaza awaiting evacuation by the British government to take up places in UK universities.
Continue reading...NBA signs AI deal with Alibaba ahead of preseason games in China
Alibaba Cloud named cloud computing and AI partner of NBA China as the basketball league returns after six years.
Thursday briefing: What the first phase of a Gaza peace plan will bring
In today’s newsletter: A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will see the release of hostages and the withdrawal of most of Israel’s troops
Good morning. After more than two years of devastating war, a ceasefire has finally been announced in Gaza.
US president Donald Trump said Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause fighting and secure the release of hostages and prisoners. Under the deal, Hamas is expected to release 20 surviving hostages over the coming days in exchange for Palestinian detainees, while Israeli forces will begin withdrawing from most of Gaza.
Gaza | Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of a peace plan to pause fighting and release some hostages and prisoners held in Gaza, bringing the best hope yet of a definitive end to a bloody two-year conflict that has killed ten of thousands, destabilised much of the Middle East and prompted protests across the world.
Health | Ministers are preparing to raise the amount the NHS pays pharmaceutical firms for medicines by up to 25% after weeks of intensive talks with the Donald Trump administration and drugmakers.
Education | Universities in the UK reassured arms companies they would monitor students’ chat groups and social media accounts after firms raised concerns about campus protests, according to internal emails.
AI | The Bank of England has warned there is a growing risk of a “sudden correction” in global markets as it raised concerns about soaring valuations of leading AI tech companies.
Politics | The Conservatives will scrap stamp duty on sales of primary residences if they win the next election, Kemi Badenoch has said, in a policy-heavy speech designed to improve her standing as Tory leader and her party’s economic credibility with voters.
Continue reading...No to Trump: Why Afghanistan’s neighbours have opposed US Bagram plan
Regional powers gather in Moscow to discuss Afghanistan’s future, signalling a new phase of post-US diplomacy.
‘It was like a movie’ – How immigration raid on Chicago apartments unfolded
People living in a Chicago apartment block targeted in a big immigration raid have described seeing armed agents and a helicopter landing on the roof.