Plus: On the frontline of the Greek wildfire 'hell', and Japan PM Fumio Kishida's cruel summer. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Negotiators are meeting today in Doha to discuss a plan for a ceasefire in Gaza - without Hamas officials. Meanwhile, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has just said that more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict. We're also looking back on this week's wildfires near Athens, as Jessica Parker speaks to locals reeling from the destruction. North Korean travel, Japanese politics and British archaeology are also featuring in your newsletter. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Hamas sits out of Gaza ceasefire talks | | Mediators are making an urgent push for a deal after the killing of Hamas's leader last month raised fears of a regional war. Credit: EPA | Talks over a ceasefire deal in Gaza are resuming on Thursday, but one key negotiator won't be sitting at the table. A senior Hamas official told the BBC that it will not participate in the negotiations, accusing Israel of adding "new conditions" to the framework put forward by US President Joe Biden at the end of May. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has denied doing so and said Hamas has been the one demanding changes. US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators say they're seeking to iron out remaining issues to put together a plan. The talks suffered several setbacks last month and have been suspended since the assassination of the Islamist group's political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran - for which Israel has not claimed responsibility. One sticking point is the Philadelphi corridor, running along the Egyptian border with Gaza. According to documents reported on by the New York Times, Israel wishes to remain in control of the route. But the Hamas official insisted to the BBC that the group wanted a full withdrawal of Israel from Gaza.
Breaking: More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli military action in Gaza since the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
Fears of escalation: Lebanese men and women tell Orla Guerin they worry and wait for what comes next in the Middle East, hoping that mediation will prevent an all-out war.
Outside the Middle East: Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has resigned following months of tense Gaza protests on campus, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra said it made an "error" cancelling the concert of a pianist for making comments on the war. | |
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WORLD HEADLINES | | Ukrainian offensive: The British ministy of defence has said Ukrainian forces have a "clear right" to use UK-donated weapons for its incursion on Russian territory. Our live page has more. | | Public health: The World Health Organization has declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern, as scientists express concern about the rapid spread of a new variant of the virus. | | Opening the door: North Korea will reopen one city to foreign tourists in December according to tour operators. Borders have been closed for almost five years, since the start of the Covid pandemic. | | In Moscow: A Russian court has sentenced Ksenia Karelina, an American-Russian woman, to 12 years in jail for treason for donating $51 (£39) to a charity supporting Ukraine. | | All you can fly: Budget European airline Wizz Air has launched an unlimited flights subscription for for an annual fee of 499 euro (£428; $549), after it was named the worst airline for UK flight delays for the third year in a row. | |
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| On the frontline of wildfire 'hell' | Highly destructive wildfires in the north-east of Athens have killed a woman, injured dozens and torn through 100,000 acres of land. It has now mostly been put out by firefighters, as Greek authorities now assess the damage. |
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| | | “It was like hell. It was like a war,” says George, a 36-year-old volunteer firefighter who helped battle this week’s mega-blaze which burnt its way to the outskirts of Athens. “We don’t have the resources to beat those conditions," he tells me in a cafe in the hilltop town of Varnavas north-east of the capital. It’s in this district where a wildfire began on Sunday that led to thousands of evacuations as flames ripped through both homes, farms and forest. Dark grey ash blankets the ground on hills encircling Varnavas, while pine trees have taken on the appearance of used matchsticks. |
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | Kishida's cruel summer |
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| | | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. | After almost three years, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced he would drop out of the race to lead the LDP party - meaning he should step down in September. The LDP, which has been in power almost continuously since 1955, has seen its approval ratings hit rock bottom, dogged by fundraising and corruption scandals. |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Not so kawaii | Some of Japan's best known artists are exploring the dark side of cuteness. | |
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And finally... | New research into the construction of Stonehenge has revealed that the monument was the result of a far greater collaborative effort across Britain than previously thought. The six-tonne Altar Stone at the heart of Stonehenge came from the far north of Scotland, 700km (434 miles) away from the site, rather than south-west Wales. | |
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Football Extra | Get all the latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League, weekdays to your inbox. | |
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