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During a call with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin apparently rejected a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine,

but agreed to halt attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure,

according to the Kremlin. The White House said that fresh negotiations on ceasefire agreements

and a permanent peace would start immediately in the Middle East, a region of potential

cooperation for America and Russia.

Mr. Trump fired the two Democratic members of America's Federal Trade Commission, a

regulator. Two of the FTC's five commissioners are typically members of the party out of

power in the White House. A longstanding Supreme Court ruling limits the President's ability to sack officials leading independent agencies,

but the Justice Department recently said it disagreed with that precedent.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, warned that his country's latest strikes in Gaza were just the beginning.

In a televised address, Mr Netanyahu accused Hamas of rejecting proposals to free more hostages during fragile ceasefire negotiations.

He vowed that all future talks would be conducted only under fire.

At least 400 people were killed in Gaza during Israel's renewed attacks on Tuesday.

Germany's Bundestag passed a huge spending package proposed by Friedrich Meertz, the probable

next chancellor. The measure loosens the debt break, a strict legal limit on federal government

...