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The Kremlin said Monday it was anticipating “important” talks with Donald Trump’s special envoy later this week, ahead of the US president’s looming deadline to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow if it does not make progress towards a peace deal with Ukraine.Trump confirmed a day earlier that Steve Witkoff will visit Russia, likely on “Wednesday or Thursday”, where he is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin.Despite pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbour.Three rounds of peace talks in Istanbul have failed to make headway on a possible ceasefire, with the two sides appearing as far apart as ever.Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede more territory and renounce Western support.Kyiv is calling for an immediate ceasefire and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week urged his allies to push for “regime change” in Moscow.Trump’s deadline is set to expire on Friday.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday it considered the talks with Witkoff to be “important, substantial and helpful” and valued US efforts to end the conflict.Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.When reporters asked what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”- Nuclear stand-off -The visit comes after Trump said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region”.Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.Russia, in its first comments on the deployment, urged “caution”.”Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And we believe that everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric,” the Kremlin’s Peskov said.The chief of staff to Zelensky on Monday backed Trump’s actions.”The concept of peace through strength works,” Andriy Yermak wrote on social media.”The moment American nuclear submarines appeared, one Russian drunk — who had just been threatening nuclear war on X — suddenly went silent,” he added.Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands, dismissed by Kyiv as “old ultimatums”, for ending his nearly three-and-a-half-year offensive were “unchanged”.Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO.- Zelensky visits troops -Russia fired a record number of drones at Ukraine last month, AFP analysis of Kyiv’s air force data showed, escalating its attacks as peace talks stalled.Kyiv has also said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response.Both sides said Monday they had downed dozens of enemy drones overnight in the latest barrage.Separate Russian strikes on the southern Zaporizhzhia region, part of which it controls, killed four people, Ukrainian officials said Monday.One more was killed by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region.Zelensky was visiting troops at the front in the Kharkiv region, he said, posting a video of him awarding soldiers with medals and walking through bunkers.Russia is seeking to establish what it calls a “buffer zone” inside the Kharkiv region along the Russian-Ukrainian border. Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following the latest round of talks in Istanbul last month.burs/sbk

Tesla announced an “interim” compensation award worth about $29 billion for Elon Musk on Monday, asserting the need to retain the controversial CEO at a moment of fierce competition for top talent.The electric vehicle maker said in a statement it will award a distribution of 96 million Tesla shares to Musk as it “intends to compensate its CEO for his future services commensurate with his contributions to our company and shareholders.”The award comes as Tesla challenges a Delaware court ruling that struck down a 2018 package of about $55.8 billion. With that appeal dragging out, Monday’s announcement marks an interim step while the company develops a “longer-term CEO compensation strategy,” Tesla said in a letter to shareholders.”We have recommended this award as a first step, ‘good faith’ payment,” said the letter. “Retaining Elon is more important than ever before.”- Tesla ‘rough’ patch -The move comes amid a fierce battle for top engineering talent as companies like Google and Meta compete for leadership on artificial intelligence.The Tesla letter, signed by Tesla board members Robyn Denholm and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, described Musk as a “magnet for hiring and retaining talent at Tesla,” noting that Tesla is transitioning from its electric vehicle focus “to grow towards becoming a leader in AI, robotics and related services.”Musk is viewed within the business world as a unique talent after his success with building Tesla and SpaceX into major global companies. But his stewardship at Tesla has come under scrutiny in the last year as car sales and profits have tumbled. This trend has been partly due to Musk’s support for far-right political causes, but also is related to a sluggish rollout of new auto models after the polarizing Cybertruck sold poorly. In a July 23 Tesla earnings call, Musk warned of more potentially “rough” quarters ahead before the company’s robotics and AI ventures pay off.On the call, Musk reiterated his concern about the current framework in which he holds about 13 percent of Tesla shares prior to Monday’s award.”As I’ve mentioned before, I think my control over Tesla should be enough to ensure that it goes in a good direction, but not so much control that I can’t be thrown out if I go crazy,” Musk said.Tesla’s statement did not explicitly mention Musk’s foray into politics, which has sparked consumer boycotts and vandalism. But the letter by Denholm and Wilson-Thompson alluded to concerns that Musk’s attention had drifted from the company, calling the interim package a step towards “keeping Elon’s energies focused on Tesla.”The massive pay package comes eight months after the judge in a Delaware court rejected Musk’s even larger compensation at Tesla, denying an attempt to restore the pay deal through a shareholder vote.Musk would be required to forfeit the new compensation package should the appeals court rule in his favor and grant him the full 2018 compensation, which at the time was valued at $55.8 billion.The new payout is sure to fuel concerns about the compensation for Musk, already the world’s richest man, and whether the Tesla board is placing a sufficient check on the company’s chief executive.Tesla shares rose 2.4 percent Monday in early trading.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he would pick an “exceptional replacement” to his labor statistics chief — after ordering her dismissal as a new report showed weakness in the US jobs market.In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump reiterated — without immediately providing evidence — that an employment report released last Friday “was rigged.”He alleged that the official had manipulated data to diminish his administration’s economic accomplishments.”We’ll be announcing a new (labor) statistician some time over the next three-four days,” Trump earlier told reporters.He added Monday: “I will pick an exceptional replacement.”US job growth missed expectations in July, figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Friday, and sharp revisions to hiring figures in recent months brought them to the weakest levels since the Covid-19 pandemic.Shortly afterwards, Trump ordered the removal of Erika McEntarfer, the department’s commissioner of labor statistics.Trump told reporters Sunday: “We had no confidence. I mean the numbers were ridiculous.”Trump added that the same official, just before the 2024 election, “came out with these phenomenal numbers on (Joe) Biden’s economy.”He claimed those job numbers were “a scam.”The United States added 73,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent, the Department of Labor reported.Hiring numbers for May were revised down from 144,000 to 19,000. The figure for June was shifted from 147,000 to 14,000.This was notably lower than job creation levels in recent years. During the pandemic, the economy lost jobs.The employment data points to challenges in the labor market as companies took a cautious approach in hiring and investment while grappling with Trump’s sweeping — and rapidly changing — tariffs this year.White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett defended McEntarfer’s firing in an NBC News interview Saturday.Asked if the president was prepared to fire anyone who reports data he disagrees with, Hassett said: “Absolutely not. The president wants his own people there so that when we see the numbers they are more transparent and more reliable.”Trump’s decision was criticized as setting a “dangerous precedent” by William Beach, who previously held McEntarfer’s post at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The National Association for Business Economics condemned her dismissal, saying large revisions in jobs numbers “reflect not manipulation, but rather the dwindling resources afforded to statistical agencies.”McEntarfer, a labor economist, had been in the commissioner role for just over a year after being confirmed by the US Senate in January 2024.

The Kremlin said Monday it was anticipating “important” talks with Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, later this week, ahead of the US president’s looming deadline to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow if it does not make progress towards a peace deal with Ukraine.Trump confirmed Sunday that special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia, likely on “Wednesday or Thursday”, where he is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin.Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region”.Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.Russia, in its first comments on the deployment, urged “caution”.The nuclear saber-rattling came against the backdrop of a deadline set by Trump at the end of next week for Russia to take steps towards ending the Ukraine war or face unspecified new sanctions.The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit “I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday”.Russian President Vladimir Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.When reporters asked what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”The Kremlin said another meeting with Putin was possible and that it considered talks with Witkoff to be “important, substantial and helpful”.On the submarines, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And we believe that everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric.”- ‘Secondary tariffs’ -Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbor.Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his nearly three-and-a-half-year invasion were “unchanged”.”We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,” Putin told reporters. But he added that “the conditions (from the Russian side) certainly remain the same”.Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO.- Sochi drone attack -Ukraine launched a drone attack Sunday which sparked a fire at an oil depot in Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Kyiv has said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response to an increase in Russian attacks on its territory in recent weeks, which have killed dozens of civilians.Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Monday its air defences intercepted 61 Ukrainian drones overnight.  One person was killed by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region, Ukrainian military authorities said in a Telegram post early Monday.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following talks with Russia in Istanbul in July.Trump began his second term with his own rosy predictions that the war in Ukraine — raging since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022 — would soon end.In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin over Moscow’s unrelenting offensive.burs/sbk

Donald Trump confirmed Sunday his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia in the coming week, ahead of a deadline the US president has set for imposing fresh sanctions on Moscow. Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region.”Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.The nuclear saber-rattling came against the backdrop of a deadline set by Trump at the end of next week for Russia to take steps towards ending the Ukraine war or face unspecified new sanctions.The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit “I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday.”Russian President Vladimir Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.When reporters asked what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”- ‘Secondary tariffs’ -Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbor.Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his nearly three-and-a-half-year invasion were “unchanged.””We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,” Putin told reporters. But he added that “the conditions (from the Russian side) certainly remain the same.” Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO.Ukraine launched a drone attack Sunday which sparked a fire at an oil depot in Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Kyiv has said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response to an increase in Russian attacks on its territory in recent weeks, which have killed dozens of civilians.Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Monday, its air defences intercepted 61 Ukrainian drones overnight.  One person was killed by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region, Ukraine’s military administration said in Telegram post early Monday.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following talks with Russia in Istanbul in July.Trump began his second term with his own rosy predictions that the war in Ukraine — raging since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022 — would soon end.In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin over Moscow’s unrelenting offensive.

President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia in the coming week, ahead of a looming US sanctions deadline and escalating tensions with Moscow.Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region.”Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.The nuclear saber-rattling came against the backdrop of a deadline set by Trump at the end of next week for Russia to take steps towards ending the Ukraine war or face unspecified new sanctions.The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit “I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday.”Russian President Vladimir Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.When reporters asked what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”- ‘Secondary tariffs’ -Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia’s onslaught against its pro-Western neighbor continues to unfold.Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his nearly three-and-a-half year invasion were “unchanged.””We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,” Putin told reporters. But he added that “the conditions (from the Russian side) certainly remain the same.” Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.Putin also seeks Ukraine drop its ambitions to join NATO.Ukraine issued on Sunday a drone attack which sparked a fire at an oil depot in Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Kyiv has said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response to an increase in Russian attacks on its territory in recent weeks, which have killed dozens of civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following talks with Russia in Istanbul in July.Trump began his second term with his own rosy predictions that the war in Ukraine — raging since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022 — would soon end.In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin over Moscow’s unrelenting offensive.

Generative artificial intelligence assistants like ChatGPT are cutting into traditional online search traffic, depriving news sites of visitors and impacting the advertising revenue they desperately need, in a crushing blow to an industry already fighting for survival.”The next three or four years will be incredibly challenging for publishers everywhere. No one is immune from the AI summaries storm gathering on the horizon,” warned Matt Karolian, vice president of research and development at Boston Globe Media. “Publishers need to build their own shelters or risk being swept away.”While data remains limited, a recent Pew Research Center study reveals that AI-generated summaries now appearing regularly in Google searches discourage users from clicking through to source articles. When AI summaries are present, users click on suggested links half as often compared to traditional searches.This represents a devastating loss of visitors for online media sites that depend on traffic for both advertising revenue and subscription conversions. According to Northeastern University professor John Wihbey, these trends “will accelerate, and pretty soon we will have an entirely different web.”The dominance of tech giants like Google and Meta had already slashed online media advertising revenue, forcing publishers to pivot toward paid subscriptions. But Wihbey noted that subscriptions also depend on traffic, and paying subscribers alone aren’t sufficient to support major media organizations.- Limited lifelines -The Boston Globe group has begun seeing subscribers sign up through ChatGPT, offering a new touchpoint with potential readers, Karolian said. However, “these remain incredibly modest compared to other platforms, including even smaller search engines.”Other AI-powered tools like Perplexity are generating even fewer new subscriptions, he added.To survive what many see as an inevitable shift, media companies are increasingly adopting GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) — a technique that replaces traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This involves providing AI models with clearly labeled content, good structure, comprehensible text, and strong presence on social networks and forums like Reddit that get crawled by AI companies.But a fundamental question remains: “Should you allow OpenAI crawlers to basically crawl your website and your content?” asks Thomas Peham, CEO of optimization startup OtterlyAI.Burned by aggressive data collection from major AI companies, many news publishers have chosen to fight back by blocking AI crawlers from accessing their content.”We just need to ensure that companies using our content are paying fair market value,” argued Danielle Coffey, who heads the News/Media Alliance trade organization.Some progress has been made on this front. Licensing agreements have emerged between major players, such as the New York Times and Amazon, Google and Associated Press, and Mistral and Agence France-Presse, among others.But the issue is far from resolved, as several major legal battles are underway, most notably the New York Times’ blockbuster lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft.- Let them crawl -Publishers face a dilemma: blocking AI crawlers protects their content but reduces exposure to potential new readers. Faced with this challenge, “media leaders are increasingly choosing to reopen access,” Peham observed.Yet even with open access, success isn’t guaranteed. According to OtterlyAI data, media outlets represent just 29 percent of citations offered by ChatGPT, trailing corporate websites at 36 percent. And while Google search has traditionally privileged sources recognized as reliable, “we don’t see this with ChatGPT,” Peham noted.The stakes extend beyond business models.According to the Reuters Institute’s 2025 Digital News Report, about 15 percent of people under 25 now use generative AI to get their news.Given ongoing questions about AI sourcing and reliability, this trend risks confusing readers about information origins and credibility — much like social media did before it.”At some point, someone has to do the reporting,” Karolian said. “Without original journalism, none of these AI platforms would have anything to summarize.”Perhaps with this in mind, Google is already developing partnerships with news organizations to feed its generative AI features, suggesting potential paths forward.”I think the platforms will realize how much they need the press,” predicted Wihbey — though whether that realization comes soon enough to save struggling newsrooms remains an open question.

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” Disney’s debut of the rebooted Marvel Comics franchise, continued to outperform the competition for a second straight weekend at the North American box office, industry estimates showed Sunday.Actor-of-the-moment Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Emmy-winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn star as the titular team of superheroes, who must save a retro-futuristic world from the evil Galactus.The film pulled in an estimated $40 million in the Friday-through-Sunday period, a 66 percent drop from the prior weekend, for a two-week global total of $368 million.Universal’s family-friendly animation sequel “The Bad Guys 2,” about a squad of goofy animal criminals actually doing good in their rebranded lives, debuted in second spot, earning $22.2 million.”This is a good opening for an animation follow-up sequel,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.The film edged out Paramount’s reboot of “Naked Gun,” a slapstick comedy starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr, son of the bumbling police lieutenant from the original 1980s movie and related television series “Police Squad!”It pulled in $17 million in its opening weekend.”Superman,” the latest big-budget action film featuring the iconic superhero from Warner Bros. and DC Studios, slipped from second to fourth at $13.9 million, Exhibitor Relations said.That puts the global take of the film, starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, at $551 million.”Jurassic World: Rebirth” — the latest installment in the blockbuster dinosaur saga — finished in fifth place with $8.7 million. Its worldwide total stands at $765 million after five weeks in theaters.Independent horror film “Together,” which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and was picked up by Neon, claimed sixth spot in its debut weekend with $6.8 million.”This is a very good opening for an indie horror pic,” Gross said.Rounding out the top 10 were:”F1: The Movie” ($4.1 million)”I Know What You Did Last Summer” ($2.7 million)”Smurfs” ($1.8 million)”How to Train Your Dragon ($1.4 million)

New US tariff rates are “pretty much set” with little immediate room for negotiation, Donald Trump’s trade advisor said in remarks aired Sunday, also defending the president’s politically driven levies against Brazil.Trump, who has wielded tariffs as a tool of American economic might, has set tariff rates for dozens of economies including the European Union at between 10 and 41 percent come August 7, his new hard deadline for the duties.In a pre-taped interview broadcast Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said “the coming days” are not likely to see changes in the tariff rates.”A lot of these are set rates pursuant to deals. Some of these deals are announced, some are not, others depend on the level of the trade deficit or surplus we may have with the country,” Greer said.”These tariff rates are pretty much set.”Undoubtedly some trade ministers “want to talk more and see how they can work in a different way with the United States,” he added.But “we’re seeing truly the contours of the president’s tariff plan right now with these rates.”Last Thursday, the former real estate developer announced hiked tariff rates on dozens of US trade partners.They will kick in on August 7 instead of August 1, which had previously been touted as a hard deadline.Among the countries facing steep new levies is Brazil. South America’s largest economy is being hit with 50 percent tariffs on exports to the United States — albeit with significant exemptions for key products such as aircraft and orange juice.Trump has openly admitted he is punishing Brazil for prosecuting his political ally Jair Bolsonaro, the ex-president accused of plotting a coup in a bid to cling to power. The US president has described the case as a “witch hunt.”Greer said it was not unusual for Trump to use tariff tools for geopolitical purposes.”The president has seen in Brazil, like he’s seen in other countries, a misuse of law, a misuse of democracy,” Greer told CBS. “It is normal to use these tools for geopolitical issues.”Trump was “elected to assess the foreign affairs situation… and take appropriate action,” he added.Meanwhile White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett said that while talks are expected to continue over the next week with some US trade partners, he concurred with Greer’s tariffs assessment in that the bulk of the rates “are more or less locked in.”Asked by the host of NBC’s Sunday talk show “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker” if Trump could change tariff rates should financial markets react negatively, Hassett said: “I would rule it out, because these are the final deals.”Legal challenges have been filed against some of Trump’s tariffs arguing he overstepped his authority.An appeals court panel on Thursday appeared skeptical of the government’s arguments, though the case may be ultimately decided at the Supreme Court.

US envoy Steve Witkoff met anguished relatives of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza on Saturday, as fears for the captives’ survival mounted almost 22 months into the war sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack.Witkoff was greeted with some applause and pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, before going into a closed meeting with the families.Videos shared online showed him arriving to meet the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, as families chanted “Bring them home!” and “We need your help.”The meeting came one day after Witkoff visited a US-backed aid station in Gaza to inspect efforts to get food into the devastated Palestinian territory.”The war needs to end,” Yotam Cohen, brother of 21-year-old hostage Nimrod Cohen, told AFP.”The Israeli government will not end it willingly. It has refused to do so,” he added.”The Israeli government must be stopped. For our sakes, for our soldiers’ sakes, for our hostages’ sakes, for our sons and for the future generations of everybody in the Middle East.”Of the 251 hostages taken during the Hamas attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.After the meeting, the Forum released a statement saying Witkoff had given them a personal commitment that he and US President Donald Trump would work to return the remaining hostages.- ‘Horrifying acts’ -Hamas attempted to maintain pressure on the families, on Friday releasing a video of one of the hostages — 24-year-old Evyatar David — for the second time in two days, showing him looking emaciated in a tunnel.The video called for a ceasefire and warned that time was running out for the hostages. David’s family said their son was the victim of a “vile” propaganda campaign and accused Hamas of deliberately starving their son.”The deliberate starvation of our son as part of a propaganda campaign is one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen. He is being starved purely to serve Hamas’s propaganda,” the family said. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Saturday also denounced the video, and one released a day earlier by another Palestinian Islamist group, as “despicable”.”They must be freed, without conditions,” he posted on X. “Hamas must be disarmed and excluded from ruling Gaza.”The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, had been mediating ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel that would allow the hostages to be released and humanitarian aid to flow more freely.But talks broke down last month and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is under domestic pressure to come up with another way to secure the missing hostages, alive and dead.He is also facing international calls to open Gaza’s borders to more food aid, after UN and humanitarian agencies warned that more than two million Palestinian civilians are facing starvation.- ‘Without rest’ –        Israel’s top general warned that there would be no respite in fighting if the hostages were not released.”I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement for the release of our hostages,” armed forces chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a statement.”If not, the combat will continue without rest.”Zamir denied that there was widespread starvation in Gaza. “The current campaign of false accusations of intentional starvation is a deliberate, timed, and deceitful attempt to accuse the IDF (Israeli military), a moral army, of war crimes,” he said.Alongside reports from UN-mandated experts warning a “famine is unfolding” in Gaza, more and more evidence is emerging of serious malnutrition and deaths among the most vulnerable Palestinian civilians.Modallala Dawwas, 33, living in a displacement camp in Gaza City told AFP her daughter Mariam had no known illnesses before the war but had now dropped from 25 kilograms (four stone) to 10 (around one and half stone) and was seriously malnourished. Hamas’s 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures.Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,332 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN.The Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a post on X early Sunday that one of its staff members was killed and three others wounded in an Israeli attack on its Khan Yunis headquarters in Gaza.Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli fire killed 34 people in the territory on Saturday.Five people were killed in an Israeli strike on an area of central Gaza where Palestinians were awaiting food distribution by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said.The GHF has largely sidelined the longstanding UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, just as Israel in late May began easing a more than two-month aid blockade that exacerbated existing shortages.The UN human rights office in the Palestinian territories said at least 1,373 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza were killed since May 27, adding that most of them were killed near GHF sites, and by the Israeli military.burs-gv/jj/tc/sco