ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Friday with, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirming that 90% of the terms for a Gaza cease-fire deal have been settled, China pledging $50 billion in funding to Africa, and families of US hostages pressing the White House to bypass Israel and cut a deal directly with Hamas.

TOP STORIES

• Blinken reaffirms 90% of Gaza cease-fire deal settled

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed that 90% of the terms for a Gaza cease-fire and hostage agreement have been settled, urging both Israel and Hamas to agree on the remaining "critical issues."

"I think based on what I've seen, 90% is agreed, but there are a few critical issues that remain where we need to be able to get agreement, and they really go to how certain aspects of the agreement would be implemented,” Blinken told reporters during a press conference in Haiti.

He said the remaining disputed issues, including the Philadelphi Corridor and the specifics of how hostages and prisoners are exchanged, have been discussed in recent days.

• China's Xi pledges $50B in funding to Africa, elevates ties with continent to ‘strategic' level

China's President Xi Jinping pledged more than $50 billion in funding to the African continent and announced elevating ties with all member nations to a “strategic level.”

The Chinese government “will provide 360 billion yuan ($50.7 billion) of financial support through the next three years” to African nations, Xi told the 9th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing.

In the Action Plan adopted at the summit, Xi announced 10 areas where China will cooperate and work with African nations in jointly advancing “modernization that is just, equitable, open, win-win, eco-friendly, featuring diversity and inclusiveness and underpinned by peace and security.”

• US hostages' families press White House to bypass Israel, make deal directly with Hamas

Families of US hostages held by Hamas have pressed the White House to seriously consider bypassing Israel and cutting a unilateral deal with Hamas for their release, according to US media reports.

Discussions of this option are currently underway within the Biden administration, as reported by NBC television, citing five unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

Officials told the families that they are committed to exploring "every option" but indicated that a deal involving both Hamas and Israel remains the best approach.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said it is sticking to a proposal backed by US President Joe Biden and a UN Security Council resolution for a cease-fire in Gaza.

• The White House bluntly told Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop talking about the upcoming US presidential election, hours after he said he was supporting Vice President Kamala Harris.

• Former US President Donald Trump said that if he wins the Nov. 5 election, he will establish a government efficiency commission headed by billionaire Elon Musk.

• The UK government has unveiled a proposal to abolish the remaining hereditary peers' right to sit and vote in the House of Lords, marking the most significant parliamentary reform in a quarter century.

• French President Emmanuel Macron named Michel Barnier, who handled the EU's long and difficult Brexit negotiations, as the country's new premier.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin said that in the early weeks of the current war, Ukraine and the West rejected agreements reached during peace talks held in Istanbul, seeking instead to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Moscow.

• Continuous torrential rains in Niger have left some 273 people dead, either by drowning or by the collapse of their houses, according to an official statement.

• The summer of 2024 has set new temperature benchmarks globally, according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

• The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced the arrest of Colin Gray, the father of a teenager suspected of fatally shooting four people and wounding nine others at Apalachee High School outside Atlanta.

• Congo received its first shipment of mpox vaccines to help curb the spread of the virus in the epicenter of the outbreak on the continent.

SPORTS

• Cristiano Ronaldo becomes 1st player to score 900 career goals

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first football player to score 900 career goals as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in their UEFA Nations League opener in Lisbon.

The 39-year-old was on scoresheet as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in their UEFA Nations League opener in Lisbon.

• San Marino ends 20-year drought with victory over Liechtenstein

San Marino ended a 20-year winless streak in competitive matches, defeating Liechtenstein 1-0 in a UEFA Nations League clash at the Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle.

Nicko Sensoli, an 19-year-old midfielder playing in Italy's Serie D, scored the historic goal in the 53rd minute, securing San Marino's first official victory since a friendly win against the same opponents in 2004.

• US women's football star Alex Morgan to retire

US women's football star Alex Morgan, who plays for San Diego Wave FC, said she will retire after a club match Sunday.

BUSINNESS & ECONOMY

• Pharmaceutical stocks rise due to mpox outbreak

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) last month classified the global mpox situation as a public health emergency of international concern, pharmaceutical, medical technology and biopharmaceutical shares have risen while airlines stocks dropped.

Since the Aug. 14 declaration by the WHO, shares of Japanese medical tools supplier Precision System Science jumped as much as 67.1% and Danish vaccine developer Bavarian Nordic soared 43.3%.

• Job cuts in US jump 193% in August, hiring falls to lowest since 2005

Job cuts in the US monthly jumped 193% in August compared to July, while hiring fell to its lowest level since 2005, according to a report.

US-based employers announced 75,891 cuts in August, which rose from 25,885 cuts announced in the previous month, said Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Last month was the highest August total for job cuts since 2009, except August 2020, when 76,456 layoffs were recorded, it noted.