Plus: South Africa's ANC faces historic setback, and Trump says he will appeal criminal conviction. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. US President Joe Biden has just announced a new Israeli proposal to end the war in Gaza, hoping to revive negotiation efforts between the state and Hamas. Tom Bateman gives us his first take on the announcement. In New York, Donald Trump has confirmed he would appeal against his historic conviction - my colleagues gauged the mood inside and outside Trump Tower. But first, the latest from South Africa, which is at a political turning point. | |
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED | A new Israeli proposal to end Gaza conflict |
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|  | Joe Biden urged Hamas leaders to "take the deal", while pressing Israeli leaders to do the same. Credit: EPA | US President Joe Biden has outlined a new, three-stage Israeli proposal to end the conflict in Gaza. Biden's statement from the White House comes as Israel presses ahead with its military operation in Rafah. |
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| | Tom Bateman, US State Department correspondent, with Sean Seddon |
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| What is the new proposal? | It is set up in three phases. The first phase would begin with a six-week ceasefire, during which Hamas would release "a number" of hostages. Meanwhile, negotiations mediated by the US and Qatar would continue for the second phase. It would entail a release of all remaining living hostages and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The third phase would see all remains of Israeli hostages returned, and a "major reconstruction plan" for Gaza would commence. | What's the latest on negotiations? | On Wednesday, Israeli mediators in Qatar had passed on a new proposal to end the fighting and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. But the group demurred, saying it would not come back to the table until there was a pause in the hostilities in Gaza. | What's Biden's goal here? | He is intervening with the aim to draw Hamas back to the negotiating table. He is also aware that some in the Israeli leadership would want to stay in Gaza forever, and so the only alternative is for all sides to take the deal he is helping to lay out. However, I'm not convinced Biden's speech will be enough to bring Hamas back to the table - that will require help from both Qatar and Egypt. | | - Watch: Joe Biden directly addressed the people of Israel, telling them "we can't lose this moment". Here's the clip.
- The latest from Gaza: Israeli forces have pulled out of Jabalia in the north of the Strip, after a three-week offensive there which saw tens of thousands of civilians flee the area.
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| Trump to appeal against criminal conviction |  | Credit: Reuters | During a 40-minute speech at Trump Tower, Donald Trump confirmed he will appeal against his historic conviction in his New York trial. Trump falsely repeated claims his prosecution was politically orchestrated and that his trial was "rigged". |
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| | John Sudworth and Pratiksha Ghildial , BBC News |
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| | Despite the fury with which Trump has been traducing the American legal system in his online posts, at times he seemed more weary than angry. Have the long weeks of the trial worn him down? Has that history-making tidal wave of 34 guilty verdicts taken its toll? Or maybe the downcast demeanour of the persecuted is good for business? He received the largest cheer from assembled staff and family members when he mentioned that the campaign had raised records amounts of money in the few hours since the guilty verdict.
Meanwhile, back on the street outside Trump Tower, a small group of supporters and some curious onlookers have gathered. One supporter is holding a flag that rather dramatically reads “Trump or Death”. Another tells the BBC that he is here because the former president needs his family today and he considers himself an extension of that. “Every law scholar says this was a sham trial," he says, somewhat parroting what Trump has been saying since the trial got under way. |
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| | - What comes ahead: Donald Trump will be sentenced on 11 July, a few days before the Republican convention where he should be confirmed as the party's candidate. Here's a timeline of the next key dates.
| | - What Trump could face: Most legal experts say a prison sentence is unlikely for the former president. But Justice Juan Merchan has many other options to choose from.
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THE BIG PICTURE | The Indian women touting their caste on Instagram |
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| |  | In videos shared with 150,000 followers, Shivi Dikshit talks about the "superiority" of Brahmins. Credit: BBC | The caste system, putting Brahmins at the top of India's social hierarchy and Dalits at the bottom, still holds sway in the country despite longstanding anti-discrimination laws. On Instagram, a growing number of young women across the caste divide are proudly trumpeting their identities. Divya Arya goes behind the trend. |
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FOR YOUR DOWNTIME | Unique legacy | Locke is the only town in the US developed by Chinese people for Chinese people. | |
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And finally... in Iceland | A powerful eruption on Wednesday forced residents of the town of Grindavik to evacuate once again. Aerial footage shows mesmerising rivers of lava spurting from the volcanic system in Reykjanes Peninsula. | |
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