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Chinese fans of blockbuster film “Ne Zha 2” packed into cinemas in Beijing on Sunday, snapping selfies and queueing up for movie posters and other merchandise.The animated film, now China’s highest-grossing movie of all time, was released overseas last week, sparking hopes among locals that it would gain the same acclaim abroad.The movie has broken …

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Israel and the United States have a common approach to Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, praising President Donald Trump’s “bold vision” for the territory after talks Sunday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.Washington’s top diplomat is on his first visit to the Middle East, a trip that comes after Trump made a widely-condemned proposal to take control of Gaza and relocate its more than two million residents.”We discussed Trump’s bold vision for Gaza’s future and will work to ensure that vision becomes a reality,” Netanyahu told reporters after their meeting, adding that the two leaders had a “common strategy” for the future of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.The scheme that Trump outlined earlier this month, while Netanyahu visited Washington, lacked details. Trump said Palestinians had “lived a miserable existence” in Gaza and suggested the coastal territory could become the “Riviera of the Middle East”, following redevelopment after more than 15 months of war.Though Netanyahu welcomed the idea, foreign leaders have largely rejected it.Netanyahu warned Israel would “open the gates of hell” in Gaza unless all hostages were returned, echoing Trump, who said “hell” would break out if Hamas failed to release them.Rubio arrived hours after Hamas freed three Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners — the sixth swap under a fragile ceasefire which the United States helped mediate along with Qatar and Egypt.”At any moment the fighting could resume. We hope that the calm will continue and that Egypt will pressure Israel to prevent them from restarting the war and displacing people,” said Nasser al-Astal, 62, a retired teacher in southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis.Washington, Israel’s top ally and weapons supplier, has said it is open to alternative proposals from Arab governments but insists that, for now, “the only plan is Trump’s”.Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday said the establishment of a Palestinian state is “the only guarantee” of lasting Middle East peace.Rubio is due to also visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.Overnight, Israel said it received a shipment of US-made bombs, after the previous Biden administration blocked a shipment of heavy 2,000-pound ordnance.- Brink of collapse -Hamas and Israel are implementing the first, 42-day phase of the ceasefire that began on January 19 but nearly collapsed last week.Israel had warned Hamas it must free three living hostages by the weekend or face renewed fighting.The freed hostages — Israeli-American Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, Israeli-Russian Sasha Trupanov, 29, and Israeli-Argentine Yair Horn, 46 — returned to emotional family reunions.Flanked by armed and masked Hamas fighters on a stage, they had to undergo a last-minute ordeal of speaking in front of the crowds as the militants staged a show of force.Israel freed 369 Palestinian prisoners, mostly Gazans detained during the war, but also some serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis.Footage aired by Israeli media showed Palestinian prisoners in sweatshirts bearing a Star of David and the slogan: “We will not forget and we will not forgive.”They tore them off upon reaching Gaza and burned them in a bonfire at the reception point in Khan Yunis.Since the truce began last month, 19 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.Out of 251 people seized in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war, 70 remain in Gaza, including 35 the Israeli military says are dead.- Heightened tensions -Negotiations on a second phase of the truce, aimed at securing a more lasting end to the war, could begin this week in Doha, a Hamas official and another source familiar with the talks have said.Trump has warned of repercussions for neighbouring Egypt and Jordan unless they accept displaced Gazans under his plan.Diplomats say Egypt is leading efforts to propose an alternative focused on training a new security force and appointing local Palestinian leaders.Rubio has said he believed Arab states were “working in good faith”.On Sunday, speaking alongside Netanyahu, he said: “Hamas cannot continue as a military or a government force… they must be eliminated.”The October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,211 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 48,264 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.On Sunday, Hamas said an Israeli air strike killed three police officers near south Gaza’s Rafah. Israel said it struck “several armed individuals” in south Gaza.It is at least the second Israeli air strike in Gaza since the ceasefire began.burs-lb/it/dv

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Israel’s prime minister in Jerusalem on Sunday for talks on the Gaza ceasefire, launching a Middle East tour a day after the latest hostage-prisoner exchange.On his first visit to the region as Washington’s top diplomat, Rubio is expected to push US President Donald Trump’s widely condemned proposal to take control of Gaza and relocate its more than two million residents.The plan envisions redeveloping the coastal territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East” after it was devastated by more than 15 months of war.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the idea during his recent White House visit, but foreign leaders have largely rejected it.Rubio arrived hours after Hamas freed three Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners — the sixth swap under the fragile ceasefire.Negotiations on a second phase of the truce, aimed at securing a more lasting end to the war, are expected to begin next week in Doha.The United States, Israel’s top ally and weapons supplier, has said it is open to alternative proposals from Arab governments but insists that, for now, “the only plan is Trump’s”.Rubio is also due to visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with tough talks expected on Monday in Riyadh, a key player in Trump’s regional strategy.- Brink of collapse -Hamas and Israel are implementing the first, 42-day phase of the ceasefire that nearly collapsed last week.Israel had warned Hamas it must free three living hostages by the weekend or face a renewed offensive.Netanyahu credited “President Trump’s firm stance” with ensuring Saturday’s releases went ahead.The freed hostages — Israeli-American Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, Israeli-Russian Sasha Trupanov, 29, and Israeli-Argentine Yair Horn, 46 — returned to emotional family reunions.Flanked by Hamas fighters, they carried gift bags from their captors and urged further exchanges.In an Israeli government video, Dekel-Chen’s wife, Avital, told him the name of their daughter who had been born two months after his abduction in October 2023.”That’s perfect,” the 36-year-old replied.Israel freed 369 Palestinian prisoners, mostly Gazans detained during the war, but also some were serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis.Footage aired by Israeli media showed Palestinian prisoners in sweatshirts bearing a Star of David and the slogan: “We will not forget and we will not forgive.”They tore them off upon reaching Gaza and burned them in a bonfire at the reception point in Khan Yunis.Ibrahim, 61, a freed prisoner who declined to give his full name, said he was shocked by Gaza’s devastation.Arrested in northern Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, he said he still did not know why he had been jailed for nine months.Since the truce began last month, 19 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.Out of 251 people seized in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war, 70 remain in Gaza, including 35 the Israeli military says are dead.- Second phase alternatives -The second phase of the ceasefire, still to be negotiated, is expected to include the release of the remaining hostages and discussions on ending the war.Trump’s Gaza plan has heightened tensions.The US president has warned of repercussions for neighbouring Egypt and Jordan unless they accept displaced Gazans.Diplomats say Egypt is leading efforts to propose an alternative focused on training a new security force and appointing local Palestinian leaders.Rubio said he believed Arab states were “working in good faith”, but insisted Hamas must have no future role.The October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,211 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 48,264 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.On Sunday morning, Hamas said an Israeli air strike killed two police officers and wounded another near south Gaza’s Rafah. Israel said it struck “several armed individuals” in south Gaza.And overnight, Israel said it received a shipment of “heavy” US-made bombs. The Biden administration had blocked a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs during the Gaza war.burs-lb/dv/jsa

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will discuss the Gaza ceasefire with Israel’s prime minister in Jerusalem on Sunday, launching a Middle East tour a day after the latest hostage-prisoner exchange.On his first visit to the region as Washington’s top diplomat, Rubio is expected to push US President Donald Trump’s widely condemned proposal to take control of the Gaza Strip and relocate its more than two million residents.The plan envisions redeveloping the coastal territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East” after it was devastated by more than 15 months of war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the idea during his recent White House visit, but foreign leaders have largely rejected it.Rubio landed at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv hours after Hamas freed three Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners — the sixth swap under the fragile ceasefire.Negotiations on a second phase of the truce, aimed at securing a more lasting end to the war, are expected to begin next week in Doha.Washington has said it is open to alternative proposals from Arab governments but insists that, for now, “the only plan is Trump’s”.Rubio is also due to visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with tough talks expected on Monday in Riyadh, a key player in Trump’s regional strategy.”Israel will now have to decide what they will do,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The United States will back the decision they make!”- Brink of collapse -Hamas and Israel are implementing the first, 42-day phase of the ceasefire that nearly collapsed last week.Israel had warned Hamas it must free three living hostages by the weekend or face a renewed offensive, after the Islamist group said it would pause releases over what it described as Israeli truce violations.Netanyahu credited “President Trump’s firm stance” with ensuring Saturday’s releases went ahead.The freed hostages — Israeli-American Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, Israeli-Russian Sasha Trupanov, 29, and Israeli-Argentine Yair Horn, 46 — returned to emotional reunions with their families.Flanked by Hamas fighters, they carried gift bags from their captors and urged further exchanges.In a video released by the Israeli government, Dekel-Chen’s wife, Avital, told him the name of their daughter who had been born two months after his abduction in October 2023.”That’s perfect,” the 36-year-old replied.Israel freed 369 Palestinian prisoners, mostly Gazans detained during the war, but some were serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis.Footage aired by Israeli media showed Palestinian prisoners in sweatshirts bearing a Star of David and the slogan: “We will not forget and we will not forgive”.They tore them off upon reaching Gaza and burned them in a bonfire at the reception point in Khan Yunis.Ibrahim, 61, a freed prisoner who declined to give his full name, said he was shocked by Gaza’s devastation.Arrested in northern Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, he said he still did not know why he had been jailed for nine months.Since the truce began last month, 19 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.Out of 251 people seized in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war, 70 remain in Gaza, including 35 the Israeli military says are dead.- Second phase alternatives -The second phase of the ceasefire, still to be negotiated, is expected to include the release of the remaining hostages and discussions on ending the war.Trump’s Gaza plan has heightened tensions.The US president has warned of repercussions for neighbouring Egypt and Jordan unless they accept displaced Gazans.Diplomats say Egypt is leading efforts to propose an alternative within weeks, focused on training a new security force and appointing local Palestinian leaders.Rubio said he believed Arab states were “working in good faith,” but insisted Hamas must have no future role.The October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,211 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 48,264 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.burs-lb/dv

With Coldplay and Ed Sheeran among the superstars who have played to packed-out crowds in India recently, there is increasing talk that the world’s most populous nation could soon become a mainstay of the global touring schedule.However, a lack of world-class venues to host big-name events has left fans wanting, with complaints ranging from filthy …

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Smoke billows from chimneys as factories churn in South Korea’s steelmaking heartland, now under threat from Washington’s swingeing new tariffs on the port city’s largest export.The city of Pohang on South Korea’s east coast for decades pumped out the steel that fuelled the country’s breakneck economic rise.South Korea was the fourth largest exporter of the …

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