Israel, Hamas hold indirect talks ahead of Netanyahu-Trump meet
Israel and Hamas held indirect talks in Qatar on Monday, according to a Palestinian official, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting in Washington with President Donald Trump, who is pushing for a deal on Gaza.The latest round of negotiations on the war in Gaza began on Sunday in Doha, aiming to broker a ceasefire and reach an agreement on the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.A Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told AFP a second session was held on Monday and ended with “no breakthrough”.The Hamas and Israeli delegations were due to resume talks later on Monday, the official said.Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the delegations had exchanged views on Sunday via mediators, with representatives of the two sides seated in different rooms in the same building.Ahead of Netanyahu’s third visit since Trump’s return to office this year, the US president said there was a “good chance we have a deal with Hamas… during the coming week”.”We’ve gotten a lot of the hostages out, but pertaining to the remaining hostages, quite a few of them will be coming out,” he told journalists.Netanyahu, speaking before heading to Washington, said his meeting with Trump could “definitely help advance this” deal after 21 months of war.Netanyahu said he had dispatched the team to the Qatari capital with “clear instructions” to reach an agreement “under the conditions that we have agreed to”.He previously said Hamas’s response to a draft US-backed ceasefire proposal, conveyed through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, contained “unacceptable” demands.- ‘Make history’ -Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions had earlier told AFP the proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.However, they said, the group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel’s withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system.Trump is scheduled to meet the Israeli premier at 2230 GMT Monday, the White House said, without the usual presence of journalists.In Israel’s coastal hub of Tel Aviv, hours before the meeting, an AFP photographer said dozens of people including relatives of hostages demonstrated to demand the release of the remaining captives.”President Trump — make history. Bring them all home. End the war,” read a sign held by protesters outside the US diplomatic mission in the city.Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the Hamas attack that triggered the war, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.Since Hamas’s October 2023 attack sparked the massive Israeli offensive, mediators have brokered two temporary halts in the fighting during which hostages were freed in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody.Recent efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel’s rejection of Hamas’s demand for a lasting ceasefire.- ‘Can’t take this anymore’ -In Gaza, the civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 12 people on Monday, including six in a clinic housing people displaced by the war.Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency.The Israeli military did not respond to an AFP request for comment.Salman Qudum, who told AFP he had survived the attack on the clinic in Gaza City, said: “We don’t know where to go or what to do.”Qudum said the negotiators and mediators in Doha must “apply pressure” to secure a ceasefire “because the people can’t take this anymore”.In a statement on Monday, the military said it had struck “dozens of terrorists, weapons depots, observation posts, military buildings and other terror infrastructures” across Gaza over the past 24 hours.The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.A US- and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries.But its operations have had a chaotic rollout, with repeated reports of aid seekers killed near its facilities while awaiting rations.Hamas’s October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,523 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.burs-ser/ami/dcp
Un feu parcourt 450 hectares près de Narbonne, habitants confinés et A9 fermée
Les habitants de plusieurs quartiers de Narbonne ont été appelés préventivement à se confiner, lundi, après la propagation rapide d’un incendie qui a déjà parcouru 450 hectares, a indiqué la préfecture de l’Aude dans un communiqué, et l’autoroute A9 a été fermée en conséquence.Le feu s’est déclaré en début d’après-midi au domaine viticole de Saint-Julien de Septime, près de la route départementale D613, et 350 sapeurs-pompiers et une dizaine d’aéronefs dont quatre canadairs ont été déployés.L’autoroute A9, qui relie la France à l’Espagne en longeant la Méditerranée, a été fermée dans les deux sens “à la demande de la préfecture” à hauteur de la bifurcation vers l’A61, a indiqué à l’AFP Vinci Autoroutes, et les aires de repos à proximité ont été évacuées.Deux routes départementales avaient été fermées plus tôt dans l’après-midi, selon la préfecture.La zone avait déjà été touchée par les flammes le 29 juin, lorsque plusieurs départs de feu avaient consumé 400 hectares sur la commune voisine de Bizanet, et un nouveau feu a emporté dans l’Aude 430 hectares samedi à Douzens, déclenché par une voiture en flammes le long de l’A61 Toulouse-Narbonne.
Un feu parcourt 450 hectares près de Narbonne, habitants confinés et A9 fermée
Les habitants de plusieurs quartiers de Narbonne ont été appelés préventivement à se confiner, lundi, après la propagation rapide d’un incendie qui a déjà parcouru 450 hectares, a indiqué la préfecture de l’Aude dans un communiqué, et l’autoroute A9 a été fermée en conséquence.Le feu s’est déclaré en début d’après-midi au domaine viticole de Saint-Julien de Septime, près de la route départementale D613, et 350 sapeurs-pompiers et une dizaine d’aéronefs dont quatre canadairs ont été déployés.L’autoroute A9, qui relie la France à l’Espagne en longeant la Méditerranée, a été fermée dans les deux sens “à la demande de la préfecture” à hauteur de la bifurcation vers l’A61, a indiqué à l’AFP Vinci Autoroutes, et les aires de repos à proximité ont été évacuées.Deux routes départementales avaient été fermées plus tôt dans l’après-midi, selon la préfecture.La zone avait déjà été touchée par les flammes le 29 juin, lorsque plusieurs départs de feu avaient consumé 400 hectares sur la commune voisine de Bizanet, et un nouveau feu a emporté dans l’Aude 430 hectares samedi à Douzens, déclenché par une voiture en flammes le long de l’A61 Toulouse-Narbonne.
BRICS criticism brings Trump 10% tariff threat
US President Donald Trump threatened China, India, and some of the world’s fastest-emerging economies with higher import tariffs, hitting back at BRICS criticism of his trade policies as the bloc meets Monday. The 11-nation grouping — which also includes US allies Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia — is concluding a two-day summit in Rio de Janeiro. On Sunday, BRICS leaders described Trump’s stop-start tariff wars as “indiscriminate,” damaging, and illegal, drawing a late-night rebuke from the pugilistic US president.”Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump wrote on social media. BRICS members account for about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output.Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, BRICS has come to be seen as a Chinese-driven effort to curb US global influence. But it is a quickly expanding and often divergent grouping — bringing together arch US foes like Iran and Russia, with some of Washington’s closest allies in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Some US allies inside the bloc had tried to blunt criticism of Trump by not mentioning him or the United States by name in their summit statement.  Saudi Arabia — one of the world’s biggest purchasers of US high-tech weapons — even kept its foreign minister away from Sunday’s talks and a BRICS group photo of leaders, seemingly to avoid Washington’s ire.  But such diplomatic gestures were lost on the US president.  – No shows -In April, Trump threatened a slew of punitive duties, before backing off in the face of a fierce market sell-off.Now he is threatening to impose unilateral levies on trading partners unless they reach “deals” by August 1, with BRICS nations seemingly faced with higher tariffs than planned. It cannot have helped that BRICS leaders also condemned the recent US and Israeli bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities — a show of solidarity with fellow member Iran. Beijing on Monday insisted BRICS was not seeking confrontation with the United States.  “China has repeatedly stated its position that trade and tariff wars have no winners and protectionism offers no way forward,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.Beijing also defended the bloc as “an important platform for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries.” “It advocates openness, inclusivity, and win-win cooperation,” Mao said. “It does not engage in camp confrontation and is not targeted at any country,” she said. The Kremlin echoed that message with spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling Russian media that BRICS cooperation: “has never been and will never be directed against third countries.”   The political punch of this year’s summit has been depleted by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who skipped the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.The Chinese leader is not the only notable absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, charged with war crimes in Ukraine, also opted to stay away, participating via video link.He told counterparts that BRICS had become a key player in global governance.
BRICS criticism brings Trump 10% tariff threat
US President Donald Trump threatened China, India, and some of the world’s fastest-emerging economies with higher import tariffs, hitting back at BRICS criticism of his trade policies as the bloc meets Monday. The 11-nation grouping — which also includes US allies Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia — is concluding a two-day summit in Rio de Janeiro. On Sunday, BRICS leaders described Trump’s stop-start tariff wars as “indiscriminate,” damaging, and illegal, drawing a late-night rebuke from the pugilistic US president.”Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump wrote on social media. BRICS members account for about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output.Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, BRICS has come to be seen as a Chinese-driven effort to curb US global influence. But it is a quickly expanding and often divergent grouping — bringing together arch US foes like Iran and Russia, with some of Washington’s closest allies in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Some US allies inside the bloc had tried to blunt criticism of Trump by not mentioning him or the United States by name in their summit statement.  Saudi Arabia — one of the world’s biggest purchasers of US high-tech weapons — even kept its foreign minister away from Sunday’s talks and a BRICS group photo of leaders, seemingly to avoid Washington’s ire.  But such diplomatic gestures were lost on the US president.  – No shows -In April, Trump threatened a slew of punitive duties, before backing off in the face of a fierce market sell-off.Now he is threatening to impose unilateral levies on trading partners unless they reach “deals” by August 1, with BRICS nations seemingly faced with higher tariffs than planned. It cannot have helped that BRICS leaders also condemned the recent US and Israeli bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities — a show of solidarity with fellow member Iran. Beijing on Monday insisted BRICS was not seeking confrontation with the United States.  “China has repeatedly stated its position that trade and tariff wars have no winners and protectionism offers no way forward,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.Beijing also defended the bloc as “an important platform for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries.” “It advocates openness, inclusivity, and win-win cooperation,” Mao said. “It does not engage in camp confrontation and is not targeted at any country,” she said. The Kremlin echoed that message with spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling Russian media that BRICS cooperation: “has never been and will never be directed against third countries.”   The political punch of this year’s summit has been depleted by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who skipped the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.The Chinese leader is not the only notable absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, charged with war crimes in Ukraine, also opted to stay away, participating via video link.He told counterparts that BRICS had become a key player in global governance.
Stocks diverge as US tariff deadline looms
Stock markets diverged while the dollar strengthened Monday as countries fought to hammer out trade deals ahead of US President Donald Trump’s tariff deadline.Oil prices rose, even if OPEC and its allies agreed over the weekend to increase output more than expected.”Tariff threats look likely to take centre stage yet again this week, following further developments over the weekend,” noted Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor.Trump announced he would send the first tariff letters to various countries on Monday ahead of his deadline Wednesday for trading partners to reach a deal expires.He warned that US levies on imports will snap back to the high levels he set in April if countries failed to make agreements. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, however, that the measures would not be applied until August 1, instead of the July 9 cut-off that had been set by Trump.Trade Nation analyst David Morrison said added time wasn’t calming markets.”While (Bessent) downplayed the idea of this being a ‘new deadline’, the market took little comfort, interpreting the remarks as an extension of trade risks,” he said.The White House has said several deals were in the pipeline but only two have been finalised so far, with Britain and Vietnam. Major trading nations, including Japan, India, the European Union and South Korea, have fought for the past three months to get agreements.Uncertainty prevails, with Trump declaring that an extra 10 percent import levy would be added to any country “aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS” — the 11-member alliance including Brazil, Russia, India and China.Despite the tariff uncertainty, official data Monday showed German industrial production rose strongly in May, boosting hopes that Europe’s top economy has turned a corner. The news boosted German equities which gained 1.2 percent for the day.Paris added 0.4 percent, while London dipped 0.2 percent.Asia’s main stock markets mostly steadied.Wall Street slipped after record finishes by the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite on Thursday before the long holiday weekend in the United States.”There is a little trade uncertainty in the mix today… but it isn’t a stretch to think the market is also simply adhering to some consolidation interest after making such a massive run,” said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O’Hare. – OPEC+ hike -The oil market was also in focus after Saudi Arabia, Russia and six other key members of the OPEC+ alliance said they would increase oil output in August by 548,000 barrels per day, more than expected.The group said in a statement that “a steady global economic outlook and current healthy market fundamentals, as reflected in the low oil inventories” led to the decision.IG analyst Chris Beauchamp said that crude prices would ordinarily be expected to drop when additional supply is being brought to market.”Crude’s strength today suggests that buying momentum is clearly picking up,” he said.”The bearish theme that has dominated for so long seems to have run its course, even if more increases are expected in September,” he added.Shares in Shell dropped around 2.9 percent after the British energy giant posted a weak trading update.- Key figures at around 1530 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 0.7 percent at 44,513.28 pointsNew York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.6 percent at 6,242.40New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.7 percent at 20,461.12London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.2 percent at 8,806.53 (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.4 percent at 7,723.47 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.1.2 percent at 24,073.67 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.6 percent at 39,587.68 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.1 percent at 23,887.83 (close)Shanghai – Composite: FLAT at 3,473.13 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1732 from $1.1783 on FridayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3640 from $1.3641Dollar/yen: UP at 145.86 yen from 144.53 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 86.04 pence from 86.37 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 1. percent at $69. per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0. percent at $67. per barrelburs-rl/tw
Les Bourses européennes terminent en hausse
Les Bourses européennes ont majoritairement terminé en hausse lundi, à l’issue d’une séance sans catalyseur majeur, le marché s’attendant à ce que l’Union européenne et les Etats-Unis réussissent à aboutir à un accord commercial.La Bourse de Francfort a nettement avancé de 1,20%, Milan a gagné 0,74%, Paris 0,35%, tandis que Londres a cédé 0,19%.