The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have agreed to halt fighting in the east of the country until peace talks mediated by Qatar reach their “conclusion”. It is the latest truce deal since the rebels stepped up an offensive in eastern DR Congo where authorities say 7,000 people have been killed since…
London talks aimed at securing a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia have been downgraded and will no longer include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. The meeting on Wednesday will instead take place among senior officials from the UK, France, Germany, Ukraine, and the US, while UK Foreign Secretary David…
A senior Palestinian official familiar with Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations has told the BBC that Qatari and Egyptian mediators have proposed a new formula to end the war in Gaza. According to the official, it envisages a truce lasting between five and seven years, the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held…
Hamas has formally rejected Israel’s latest ceasefire offer, saying it is prepared to immediately negotiate a deal that would see the release of all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war and the release of Palestinian prisoners. In a video statement, Hamas’ chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, said: “We will not accept partial…
Donald Trump has said he is “very angry” and “pissed off” with Russian President Vladimir Putin after weeks of attempting to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine. In an NBC News interview, the US president said he was angry with Putin for attacking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s credibility, and threatened to impose a 50% tariff on…
The Palestinian militant group Hamas says it supports a new ceasefire plan for Gaza that would see five more hostages released to Israel in exchange for a 50-day truce. Khalil al-Hayyam, the most senior Hamas leader outside Gaza, said the group had approved the draft deal sent by Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The office for…
Israel has conducted the first air strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah is based, since a ceasefire with the group came into force in November. The Israeli military said it had hit a drone storage unit used by Hezbollah on Friday, after issuing an evacuation warning that sparked panic. The attack occurred hours after…
Abdujalil Abdurasulov BBC News BBC The Raybird can fly non-stop more than 1,000km to hit targets deep inside Russia At a secret location away from prying eyes, Ukrainian engineers test a long-range drone called Raybird. The machine, which looks like a mini plane with wings, is placed on a launchpad, stretched like an arrow on…
SPUTNIK/KRE/EPA-EFE A Russian navy vessel in the Black Sea (file photo) Russia has said some Western sanctions must be lifted before it begins a maritime ceasefire with Ukraine. Within hours of the US announcing the two sides had agreed to halt strikes in the Black Sea in separate deals, the Kremlin said it would only…
After three days of talks in Saudi Arabia, at last some progress. Two separate texts outlining agreements between the US and Russia, and the US and Ukraine. There were some differences but much was the same. All sides agreed to “to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial…
