German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speak to the press, on the day they attend a virtual meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders on the upcoming Trump-Putin summit on Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany, August 13, 2025. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised President Donald Trump during a gathering of European leaders ahead of the U.S.-Russia meeting in Alaska. Starmer, who has maintained a tense but friendly relationship with the White House,

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday said there was now a "viable" chance for a Ukraine ceasefire, ahead of talks between US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Hamas' meetings with Egyptian officials will focus on ways to stop the war, deliver aid, and "end the suffering of our people in Gaza," Hamas official Taher al-Nono said in a statement.

Hamas held talks with Egyptian mediators over a potential ceasefire while Israel struck Gaza's main city prior to a planned takeover.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hinting that ceasefire efforts are now focused on a comprehensive deal that would release the remaining hostages in Gaza all at once