UN humanitarians say first fuel in 130 days allowed into Gaza but much more needed

The first batch of fuel in more than four months allowed into Gaza provides only a dent in the needs of the fuel-starved, from hospitals to water systems, UN humanitarians said on Thursday.

The 75,000 liters of fuel Israeli authorities allowed a UN team to bring into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday was not enough to even meet one day's fuel requirements, estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of liters, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"Fuel is still running out in the strip, and services will shut down if far greater volumes do not enter immediately," OCHA said. "One partner, for instance, reported this week that in a matter of days, fuel shortages could cut off supplies of clean drinking water to about 44,000 children supported by its team in Gaza. This would further increase the risk of waterborne illnesses such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery."

Expert warns of rising heatwave, wildfire risks in Spain

People in Spain must strengthen their awareness of climate-related risks amid increasingly frequent and extreme events such as intense heatwaves and especially fierce wildfires driven by rising temperatures, a climate expert has warned.

Javier Martin-Vide, professor of physical geography at the University of Barcelona, told Xinhua in an interview on Thursday that Spaniards need to prepare for worsening climate conditions.

At the end of June and the beginning of July, temperatures soared to as high as 42 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country. This week, Spain's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) warned of intense storms and flooding in some areas.

The professor noted that these elevated temperatures also increase the risk of wildfires. More than 3,300 hectares burned this week in the northeastern region of Catalonia, just days after 6,000 hectares - mostly farmland - were scorched in the same area.

Netanyahu says Israel ready to discuss permanent Gaza ceasefire if Hamas disarms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel is prepared to negotiate a permanent ceasefire in Gaza during a proposed 60-day truce, but only if the territory is fully demilitarized.

"At the beginning of the ceasefire, we will enter negotiations for a permanent end to the war, that is, a permanent ceasefire," Netanyahu said in a video message from Washington, where he is currently visiting.

"In order to achieve that, it must be done under the basic conditions we've set: Hamas must lay down its arms, Gaza must be demilitarized, and Hamas can no longer possess any governing or military capabilities," he said.

Israeli and Hamas delegations arrived in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday to negotiate a temporary truce, following a deadly Hamas-led attack in October 2023. Israel's subsequent military offensive has devastated the enclave, killing more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

Britain, France agree to coordinate nuclear deterrence, unveil new migration scheme

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday that Britain and France have signed a new deal to allow the two countries to coordinate their nuclear deterrents for the first time.

During a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at a military base in Northwood, near London, Starmer said the two countries had signed the Northwood Declaration, a deal designed to show adversaries that any attack on either nation would result in a response from both nations.

U.S. federal judge issues nationwide block against Trump's order on ending birthright citizenship

A U.S. federal judge on Thursday once again barred the Trump administration from enforcing an executive order limiting birthright citizenship nationwide.

U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante in Concord, New Hampshire made the ruling after immigrant rights advocates implored him to grant class action status to a lawsuit they filed seeking to represent any babies whose citizenship status would be threatened by the implementation of President Donald Trump's directive.

The ruling from Laplante "is significant because the Supreme Court last month curbed the power of lower court judges to issue nationwide injunctions, while keeping intact the ability of plaintiffs to seek a widespread block of the order through class action lawsuits, which is what happened on Thursday in New Hampshire," said ABC.