Progress made in talks over Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release, officials say

CAIRO (AP) — U.S. and Arab mediators made significant progress overnight toward brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of scores of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but a deal hasn't been reached yet, officials said Monday. Four officials acknowledged that...

What are the main obstacles to a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages?

Israel and Hamas have been holding indirect talks for more than a year aimed at ending the war in Gaza and returning scores of militant-held hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But despite intensive mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, the talks...

Biden and Netanyahu discuss the latest in the effort to reach an Israel-Hamas war ceasefire

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden spoke Sunday about efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Israel-Hamas war, a sign of the intensifying push to reach a deal before Donald Trump’s inauguration next week....

Israel's Netanyahu sends Mossad director to Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar in sign of progress

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, his office said Saturday, in a sign of progress in talks on the war in Gaza. It was not immediately clear...

Israel is sending the Mossad director to Gaza ceasefire negotiations in Qatar in a sign of progress in talks

Congo bans Al Jazeera over its interview with a key rebel leader and threatens journalists

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Congo on Thursday banned Al Jazeera satellite news network over its interview with the leader of a violent rebel group that has seized territory in the country's east in recent days. Separately, Congo's justice minister threatened journalists and others who...

Sounders acquire forward Jesús Ferreira in trade with Dallas

The Seattle Sounders added another piece to their attack ahead of a busy season with the acquisition of U.S. team forward Jesús Ferreira in a trade with FC Dallas. Ferreira, a homegrown player signed by Dallas in 2016, played in 163 regular-season MLS games with the team, scoring 53...

UK police face probe into handling of sex crimes allegations against Harrods owner Al Fayed

LONDON (AP) — British police watchdogs will investigate whether the London force bungled its handling of sex crimes allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed, the late owner of upmarket department store Harrods. The Independent Office for Police Conduct said Wednesday that it will...

Syria's foreign minister visits Qatar as new authorities seek regional and global diplomatic ties

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria's new foreign minister met with his Qatari counterpart and Qatar's prime minister in Doha on Sunday, as Syria’s new de facto authorities under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, establish diplomatic ties with regional and global governments. Foreign...

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill at least 21, hospital workers say, as talks underway

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes killed at least 21 people, including at least two children, on Saturday in Gaza, hospital staff said, while a new effort at ceasefire talks was underway in Qatar after nearly 15 months of war. Thousands rallied again in Israel to...