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Israeli fire in Gaza killed Reuters journalist Hussam al-Masri.

As he lived in a tent and battled to provide for his family, Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters journalist killed by Israeli fire on Monday while running a live video feed at Gaza's Nasser Hospital, covered the suffering of civilians during the conflict. According to journalist colleagues, Masri, 49, was a seasoned cameraman who was well-liked by Gaza's close-knit community of reporters because of his upbeat demeanor in the most perilous circumstances. In the months before his death, he would say, "Tomorrow will be better," despite the fact that the Palestinian enclave was becoming increasingly desolate and hungry. That was the conclusion of his final discussion with Mohamed Salem, a senior Reuters visuals journalist who had collaborated with Masri in Rafah, in southern Gaza, last year and had known him since 2003. Salem, who left Gaza later in 2024 but stayed in daily contact with Masri until Monday morning, said he was a pleasure to work with because of his smiles and o...

South Korea is looking to reach a trade agreement with the U.S.


In advance of ministerial-level consultations scheduled for next week and the ending of the U.S. tariff pause on August 1, the South Korean Presidential Office announced on Saturday that it would seek to craft a mutually acceptable trade package with the United States. 

The statement goes on to explain that the package would incorporate cooperation in the shipbuilding area, which is of utmost interest to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, as he discussed it with South Korea's Minister of Industry, Kim Jung-Kwan, on Friday. 

The meeting on Friday was a follow-up, reiterating the commitment to reaching a trade deal by August 1, which Lutnick and Kim had arrived at the day before, after the joint meeting by the finance ministers and top trade envoys was postponed from Friday. 

Under an unintended tariff on 25%, South Korea is rushing to seam a trade agreement from Washington, as National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac visited the U.S. last week for high-level talks and the Trade Minister Yeo Han-Koo is also in the States negotiating, with mounting pressure on officials to seal an agreement not worse than Japan's with reduced tariffs to 15%.

According to the Korean sources, trade negotiations between South Korea and the USA have included agricultural and digital service non-tariff barriers, but issues of foreign exchange were never part of the trade talks outside of the usual consultations. 

President Trump landed in Scotland on Friday, in a bilateral meeting with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Sunday, to cement a possible trade deal with the European Union after recently striking agreements with Japan and the Philippines this week.

American officials are slated to have the next round of talks with the Chinese over an extension of a separate deadline set between the nations for August 12, which will be held in Sweden next week.

Finance Minister Koo Yun-Cheol and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun of South Korea will also hold meetings with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and State Secretary Marco Rubio, respectively, next week.


SOURCE : NEWS AGENCIES

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