Egypt

Hamas has rejected the new conditions proposed by Israel for a ceasefire agreement, insisting on adherence to the terms established on July 2, CNN reported. The Hamas delegation departed Cairo on Sunday evening after talks with mediators, casting further doubt on the prospects of a breakthrough in the US-supported efforts to end the 10-month-long conflict.

Azerbaijan has formally announced its intention to join the BRICS group, following a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Baku. The South Caucasus nation aims to become a member of the BRICS bloc, which originally began in 2009 with Russia, China, India, and Brazil and has since expanded to include Iran, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, and the UAE.

The United States said Friday that progress had been made at the latest round of Gaza truce talks, after the presence of Israeli troops on the Egyptian border emerged as a major sticking point.

The White House said CIA chief William Burns was among U.S. officials taking part in the discussions in Cairo, joining the heads of Israel's spy agency and security service.

A Hamas official on Friday accused Israel's prime minister of refusing to agree to a final truce accord for Gaza, where the presence of Israeli troops on the Egyptian border remained a major sticking point.

An Israeli team was in Cairo "negotiating to advance a hostage (release) agreement", Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman Omer Dostri told AFP late on Thursday.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi is expected to pay his first visit to Ankara on Sept. 4 for a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to sources cited by multiple news outlets.

News reports state that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will visit Turkey on September 4 and meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which is seen as another sign of Ankara's rapprochement with Cairo.

However, Turkey's reconciliation with Egypt is also of concern to Athens.

Hopes were dwindling Thursday for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where fighting raged despite pressure from the United States on Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement.

A total of 27 countries will be represented by exhibitors in the 88th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), running September 7-15 in the northern port city's HELEXPO Exhibition & Congress Center.

Six countries will participate for the first time: Ecuador, Japan, Kosovo, Sub-Saharan Africa Countries, Qatar, and the United Kingdom. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke with his American counterpart, Antony Blinken.

As announced by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Oncu Keçeli, the two ministers discussed the ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza.

According to the Turkish representative, the call was made at the request of the American side.

The Lebanese group Hezbollah launched over 50 rockets targeting homes in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, according to the Associated Press. The attack followed a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and mediators from Egypt and Qatar, who continue efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, despite ongoing challenges from both Hamas and Israel.