Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer held a “warm” phone call with the new US President Donald Trump. Trump is expected to visit Britain “soon” following their first conversation since the president’s inauguration. The paper says the prime minister became the first European leader to speak to the new US president since he was sworn in.
Britain is set to be hit with torrential rain and high winds as Storm Herminia rolls in. Yellow warnings for wind and heavy rain have been issued for much of Wales and southern England as Storm Herminia hits parts of the UK. The Met Office says Herminia – first recorded in Spain and France – brings with it the possibility of damage and disruption, days after Storm Éowyn left two people dead when it battered the UK and Republic of Ireland.
King Charles will become the first British head of state to visit Auschwitz when he tours the former Nazi concentration camp to mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation. The King will travel to Poland to join survivors and other dignitaries for a special service, at the end of which he will lay a light of remembrance to honour those who lost their lives.
February 1, 2025
7:13 am
Israel to free 183 Palestinians on Saturday in the fourth prisoner exchange under the Gaza ceasefire deal, a Palestinian advocacy group said, more than doubling the previous reported figure.
“The updated number of prisoners to be released tomorrow is 183,” said Palestinian Prisoners’ Club spokesperson Amani Sarahneh on Friday, after previously announcing that 90 Palestinians would be released from Israeli jails.
Israel to free 183 Palestinians
The advocacy group published two separate lists of names due for release on Saturday. The first comprised 72 prisoners arrested before Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.
A second list of Palestinian hostages to be freed contained 111 names of Gazans detained after the attack that sparked the war in the Palestine.
Since the truce took effect on 19 January, Hamas has released 15 Israeli prisoners it has held in Gaza.
The three captives to be freed Saturday are Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel, who also holds US citizenship, and Ofer Kalderon, who also has French nationality, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group.
Since the ceasefire began, Israel has been forced to free hundreds of Palestinian hostages, many of them women and minors, that have been held before the most recent conflict erupted, without charge or due process.
Over the course of the 42-day truce, Israel is set to release 1,900 Palestinians while Hamas will free 33 of the 94 prisoners in Gaza.
Gaza border crossing reopens
Gaza’s Rafah border crossing to open with Egypt is to reopen Saturday following the prisoner exchange, a Hamas official and a source with knowledge of the discussions told AFP.
“The mediators informed Hamas of Israel’s approval to open Rafah crossing tomorrow, Saturday, after the completion of the fourth batch of prisoner exchange,” the Hamas official said.
The source explained that injured Palestinians would be evacuated from the territory at the crossing, “as per the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement”.
Rafah border crossing to open
The Rafah border crossing with Egypt was one of the main entry points into the Palestinian territory and a vital conduit for aid. Israel and the United States have forced Egypt to keep that crossing closed for aid.
Egypt has also refused to take in any more displaced Palestinians in Gaza, as in the past, for fear they won’t be allowed to return once they leave Gaza.
But the border has been closed since Israeli forces seized the Palestinian side in May last year.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday the 27-member bloc had deployed a monitoring mission at the Rafah crossing “at the request of the Palestinians and the Israelis”.
“It will support Palestinian border personnel and allow the transfer of individuals out of Gaza, including those who need medical care,” she wrote on X.
Monday’s UK newspapers cover a range of topics, from international diplomacy to domestic policy and poignant Holocaust Memorial Day reflections.
A handful of showbiz stories feature on the tabloid front pages, as does coverage of Tottenham’s manager Ange Postecoglou – after a shock Premier League loss has fans believing the Spurs boss is on his way out the door.
The back pages continue the Spurs coverage along with Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Fulham.
Holocaust Memorial Day, the emergence of the Chinese AI app DeepSeek – a major rival to the American ChatGPT and the latest from last night’s Premier League matches.
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London pubs giant targets new openings after sales success
France captain Antoine Dupont lived up to expectations as the mercurial scrumhalf made his Six Nations comeback in style to lead France to a 43-0 crushing of Wales in this year’s curtain riser on Friday.
Antoine Dupont marked his return to Six Nations duty in stunning style as he underlined his billing as the ultimate all-round rugby player by helping France to a crushing 43-0 victory over Wales in Paris on Friday.
Dupont missed last year’s championship as he battled for a place on France’s rugby sevens squad for the Paris Olympics.
Needless to say, he made the side and duly scored a brace of tries in the final as France hit gold at their home Games.
It silenced many critics who’d been quick to question the Toulouse scrum-half’s decision to favour 7s over the national 15s team.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he believed it would be “useful” for Europe to re-engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I believe that it’s in
Very sad to hear that Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with Frontotemporal dementia, the same condition Bruce Willis suffers from. Appeared on her show many times over the years and she’s a fabulous character & superb broadcaster. Wish her and her family all the best.
Palestinians are human beings who deserve to live in freedom and joy.
That is why hundreds of thousands of us have exercised our right to protest.
We will be here as long as it takes until there is an immediate ceasefire, an end to the occupation, and a just & lasting peace.
Keir Starmer and his allies, clutching a can of petrol in one hand and a box of matches in the other, tutting loudly at the flames. Starmer has no effin clue
