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CAIRO: Qatari, Egyptian and US leaders called on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent talks on Aug. 15 either in Doha or Cairo to bridge all remaining gaps in the proposed Gaza ceasefire agreement and start implementing it without any delay, the three countries said in a joint statement on Thursday.
“It is the time to conclude a ceasefire agreement and release hostages and prisoners,” the statement added.
LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set more detailed targets in the coming week to achieve the government’s five main goals on areas including growth, health care, crime and green energy, as his party approaches five months in power.
Labour won a sweeping majority in Britain’s lower house of parliament in July, taking power for the first time in 14 years, but has fallen just behind the opposition Conservative Party in some recent opinion polls.
Starmer said he would set out a “plan for change” as the next phase of delivering goals including the fastest sustained growth in the Group of Seven advanced economies, a halving of serious violent crime, lower energy bills and less ill health.
“Mission-led government does not mean picking milestones because they are easy or will happen anyway. It means relentlessly driving real improvements in the lives of working people,” Starmer said in a statement released by his office.
Government ministers and officials would be told to focus on these goals rather than individual ministries’ traditional priorities, Starmer’s office added.
Labour has not had an easy start in office. Ministers say the previous government concealed the extent of problems in areas such as prisons and the immigration system, contributing to what finance minister Rachel Reeves said was a 22 billion pound ($28 billion) black hole in public finances.
Conservatives dispute this and say much of the cost overrun reflected Labour decisions to increase pay for public-sector workers and standard in-year spending variations.
Reeves announced 40 billion pounds of tax rises in her first budget last month — up from around 8 billion pounds in Labour’s pre-election plan — on top of higher borrowing to halt a fall in public investment planned by the previous government.
Businesses have complained that they will bear the brunt of the tax rises and will probably cut investment or jobs and need to raise prices as a result.
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida: President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France.
Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker.”
Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former White House senior adviser to Trump who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka.
The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations.
Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation.
Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said.
Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison — the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the US attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought.
Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump’s transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner’s offenses “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was US attorney.”
Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.
BARCELONA: Las Palmas claimed a surprise 2-1 victory at La Liga leaders Barcelona on Saturday, spoiling the hosts’ 125th anniversary celebrations.
Atletico Madrid climbed provisionally second, within two points of Hansi Flick’s side with a 5-0 rout of Real Valladolid later on.
Sandro Ramirez sent Las Palmas ahead early in the second half and although Raphinha hammered home an equalizer, Fabio Silva struck to claim three points and take his team up to 14th.
Barcelona still lead champions Real Madrid by four points but third-place Los Blancos, who host Getafe on Sunday, have played two fewer games than the Catalans and Atletico.
Barca have now gone three league games without a victory, after a run of 11 wins in 12 prior in the top flight.
“We had a bad game, we have to look at what we’re doing badly to try and improve and win games,” Raphinha told Movistar.
“I don’t care about my goal, I care about winning, we didn’t win and I’m not satisfied with the game.”
Barcelona wore white shorts as part of their anniversary celebrations, as they used to back at the start of their history.
They held a gala in the city on Friday night to mark the occasion, having been founded on November 29, 1899, but came undone on Saturday afternoon.
“We have to (play) like we did at the beginning of the season... it’s a big disappointment today,” Flick told reporters.
“Today we have more than 70 percent ball possession but we’re not able to score the goals — maybe we have to change one or two things.
“We made some mistakes, but it was not the back four, it starts (with the players) in front, we have to speak about that.”
The Catalans were able to name teenage starlet Lamine Yamal on the bench after recovering from an ankle problem.
Raphinha came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half, scoring from an offside position and hitting the crossbar after being played through by Gavi.
Flick threw on Yamal at the break, hoping the winger would give Barca the advantage after an even first half.
Las Palmas took a surprise lead early in the second half when Kirian Rodriguez played in Ramirez, who drilled home from the edge of the box.
Raphinha hit back quickly for Barcelona with a thumping long-range effort, but Las Palmas were soon ahead again.
Silva ran onto Munoz’s probing long ball and fired past Inaki Pena to restore the Canary Islanders’ advantage with his fifth goal in eight league matches.
Former Barca goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen made several good saves and Las Palmas survived eight minutes of stoppage time.
“It was a very important win, we worked hard for it, Barca put you under a lot of pressure,” midfielder Moleiro told Movistar after Las Palmas sealed their first away win at Barcelona since 1971.
Atletico Madrid romped to a five-star victory at bottom side Real Valladolid, with Antoine Griezmann scoring one of the goals of the season.
Diego Simeone’s team have won seven consecutive games across all competitions and moved two points clear of champions Real Madrid.
Clement Lenglet opened the scoring after 25 minutes and Julian Alvarez added the second.
Rodrigo de Paul swept home the third before half-time and Griezmann produced a wonderful turn and finish soon after the break to add the fourth on a memorable night for the Rojiblancos, which even some home fans applauded.
Alexander Sorloth wrapped up Atletico’s thumping victory in stoppage time.
Griezmann’s goal saw the French forward exchange passes with Alvarez before executing a sensational turn and beating goalkeeper Karl Hein with a delicate touch.
“I have to thank (the Valladolid fans), in the end it’s what all players want, we want people to enjoy it with us, whether it’s opposition fans or our own,” Griezmann told DAZN.
“In the end I have to be grateful for this love, I’m doing really well and I hope to give more.”
Atletico beat Sparta Prague 6-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday, meaning Simeone’s side scored 11 goals this week without reply.
“There are always things to improve, the team is always looking to do better,” Simeone told DAZN.
“We have to keep our humility, the nobility of keeping on looking for more... in the second half we could have done more... but I’ll stick with what the team’s giving me, with humility you can do anything.”
LAUSANNE, Switzerland: Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has been elected to a new term as president of the International Fencing Federation while he faces ongoing sanctions.
The federation, known as the FIE, said in an emailed statement that Usmanov won 120 votes for a majority at the congress on Saturday in Uzbekistan, where he was born.
Usmanov was first elected FIE president in 2008 and his funding was key to fencing’s growth.
Usmanov said in March 2022 he would step aside from his duties as FIE president “until justice is restored” after he was placed under sanctions by the European Union following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Greek official Emmanuel Katsiadakis served as interim president since then.
Usmanov thanked his supporters on Saturday and said he would work for a “bright future” for fencing.
“As is well known, I am still subject to unjustified restrictions, which I am currently challenging in court,” Usmanov said in a statement. “In this regard, I declare that I have always acted in the best interests of the FIE and will continue to take all necessary measures to prevent the legally unfounded restrictions imposed on me being extended to the FIE and its activities.”
BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani told Syrian President Bashar Assad on Saturday that his country’s security was key to the stability of the whole region.
“Sudani emphasized that Syria’s security and stability are closely linked to Iraq’s national security and play a crucial role in regional security and efforts to establish stability in the Middle East,” his office said.
