Plus, stung into action – tennis star Alcaraz flees the bees.
Today’s Top News
Palestinians fleeing north Gaza move southward. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot
MIDDLE EAST
Hamas has presented a Gaza ceasefire proposal to mediators and the US which includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for freedom for Palestinian prisoners, 100 of whom are serving life sentences, according to a proposal seen by Reuters.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for new elections in Israel, harshly criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an obstacle to peace. Democrat Schumer is a long-time supporter of Israel and the highest-ranking US Jewish elected official.
As Hezbollah plans for a possible Israeli offensive in southern Lebanon, it has told its backer Iran that it can fight it alone. Global Foreign Policy Editor Samia Nakhoul joins the Reuters World News podcast to explain Hezbollah’s messaging.
A federal judge denied Donald Trump’s request to dismiss a criminal case that charges him with illegally holding onto classified documents after leaving the White House.
A powerful gang leader in Haiti has issued a threatening message aimed at political leaders who would participate in a planned transition council, as fires broke out amid a fresh surge of violence in the Caribbean nation’s capital.
Argentina’s Senate voted to reject President Javier Milei’s sprawling “mega decree” of economic reforms, a major blow to the libertarian leader’s austerity agenda as he tries to remedy the country’s ailing economy.
Australian researchers have found coral bleaching around six islands in the far northern parts of the Great Barrier Reef, after a government agency said last week a major bleaching event was unfolding across the world’s most extensive reef ecosystem.
Signs reading ‘To customers. We are closed due to an internal McDonald’s system error. We apologise for inconvenience’ are displayed in Nikko, Japan. REUTERS/Issei Kato
McDonald’s said it had halted operations at many of its stores in Japan due to a system disruption and was facing technical outages at some other outlets worldwide, including Australia. The company operates nearly 3,000 stores across Japan and roughly 1,000 in Australia.
China’s computer-driven ‘quant’ hedge funds are beefing up risk management and retooling their portfolios to conform to the state’s definitions of fair play, as regulators clamp down on the $260 billion sector to revive retail investor confidence.
Bitcoin eased to a one-week low in volatile trade, as investors took profit from its run to a record high and as another upside surprise on US inflation dimmed prospects of early rate cuts there and dented demand for riskier assets.
Swisscom said it will buy Vodafone Italia for 8 billion euros and merge the business with its Italian subsidiary Fastweb. The deal will create Italy’s second-biggest fixed-line broadband operator behind TIM, with a strong presence in the prized business segment.
Google enjoys a competitive edge in generative artificial intelligence due to its trove of data and AI-optimized chips, Microsoft has told EU antitrust regulators, underscoring the rivalry between the two tech giants.
The Week Ahead
The week ahead is rammed with rate setting meetings by heavyweight central banks from the US Federal Reserve to the Bank of England, from Switzerland and Norway to Mexico.
But one question is dominating markets – will the Bank of Japan finally gear up to exit negative rates? Here’s what to expect in global markets.
South Korea will host the third Summit for Democracy next week, taking up a US-led initiative aimed at discussing ways to stop democratic backsliding and erosion of rights and freedoms worldwide.
SpaceX Starship disintegrates
SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft lifts off from the company’s Boca Chica launchpad in Texas. REUTERS/Cheney Orr
SpaceX’s Starship rocket, designed to eventually send astronauts to the moon and beyond, completed nearly an entire test flight through space on its third try but disintegrated on its return to Earth.
Contact with Starship cut out moments after a live video feed from a camera mounted on the vehicle showed high-definition images of a reddish glow enveloping the spacecraft from the heat of re-entry friction as it plunged earthward.
And Finally…
Carlos Alcaraz reacts to a swarm of bees at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California. USA TODAY Sports/Jayne Kamin-Oncea
Carlos Alcaraz said he surprised himself by staying focused despite being stung on the forehead at Indian Wells after the Spaniard’s quarter-final against Alexander Zverev was interrupted by a swarm of bees. He emerged with a 6-3 6-1 victory to keep his title defense on track.
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