Plus: US Supreme Court rejects appeal for abortion pill ban, and the women ditching real dating for AI boyfriends. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Today G7 leaders gathered in Italy confirmed that they agreed to raise $50bn for Ukraine using frozen Russian assets. My colleagues in Bari, Kyiv and Moscow explain what that entails. We're also hearing from the parents of a former hostage held by Hamas who was rescued from central Gaza last week. Among other topics covered in your newsletter: digital love and wild horses. | |
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED | G7 leaders agree $50bn loan for Ukraine |
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| | "Russian assets should be used to protect Ukrainian lives," Volodymyr Zelensky said. Credit: EPA | The G7 nations have agreed to a $50bn deal to fund Ukraine, leaders have announced in southern Italy. "Today is a historic day," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said alongside his US counterpart Joe Biden, after they signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement. |
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| | James Landale, diplomatic correspondent |
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| What's the plan put forward? | Essentially, world leaders have an idea to make more cash for Ukraine by using all the Russian assets that were frozen when the country invaded Ukraine - it's about $300bn in all. Officials have decided they can't go full hog and take the whole thing, because of the financial ramifications of that. But this pot is generating a lot of interest - about $3bn a year - so their idea is to use that interest to fund Ukrainian defence. | How would that work? | The idea is to take out a loan on the international markets, give about $50bn to the Ukrainians each year, and use the $3bn to pay off the interest on that loan each year. It sounds relatively straightforward, but it's hugely complicated. There are still lots of technicalities to sort out. | How will Russia respond? | Russia editor Steve Rosenberg writes: Russia calls this idea "theft". “It’s criminal, cynical and another blow to international law,” said Maria Zakharova, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, at a press briefing. “There are enough European assets and funds in Russia,” she added. “Our measures in response, which are inevitable, will be extremely painful for Brussels. They will have to pay for their madness from their own wallet.” | | | What it means for Ukraine: This loan is more of a long-term solution to Ukraine’s financial and defence woes, Jean Mackenzie writes from Kyiv. The latest: Zelensky told reporters that President Xi of China had assured him his country would not sell any weapons to Russia. Here's more from the press conference with Joe Biden. What is the G7? Our explainer covers all the questions you might have on the seven so-called "largest" economies. | |
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| Hamas hostage's 'miracle' rescue | | Andrey Kozlov was one of four hostages rescued by Israeli forces from central Gaza last weekend. Credit: Reuters | Russian-Israeli hostage Andrey Kozlov was one of the four people held by Hamas to be rescued by Israeli special forces on Saturday. His parents tell the BBC what they know about his 245 days of captivity - and how he is readjusting to life as a free man. |
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| | Yolande Knell and Anastassia Zlatopolskai, BBC News |
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| | Incredibly, after months of attempted brainwashing by their captors, the hostages were not clear whether the plan was "to kill or to save" them, according to Andrey Kozlov's mother Eugenia Kozlova. The men had all been told that Israelis had forgotten about those held captive, that they were perceived as a problem by the Israeli authorities and might well be targeted to get rid of them. Michael Kozlov says his son and the other hostages were told to keep their voices down because their guards said a drone "was listening in and could hear what they were saying in Hebrew". "This caused such deep psychological trauma that it forced him to some extent to believe their words," Michael adds.
The hostages’ captors "humiliated and beat them", the father goes on, but worse still was the cruel taunting. "They were always under psychological pressure. 'Your mother has already gone on vacation to Greece. We know it. We saw it. Your wife is dating someone else,'" Eugenia recounts. |
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THE BIG PICTURE | Ditching real dating for an AI boyfriend |
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| | | Chinese influencer Lisa Li talking to ChatGPT "boyfriend", Dan, who appears as white audio bars. Credit: BBC/Lisa Li | Dan has been described as the “perfect man” who has “no flaws”. He is also not a real person, but an unauthorised version of AI software ChatGPT modified to bypass rules such as those restricting sexual language. And he, or rather it, is becoming popular with some Chinese women who are disappointed with real-life dating. |
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FOR YOUR DOWNTIME | Inside Out 2 review | Pixar's sequel could be this summer's best Hollywood entertainment. | |
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And finally... in Kazakhstan | Wild horses have returned to the Golden Steppe for the first time in at least 200 years after a decades-long reintroduction programme. Seven Przewalski's Horses made an 18-hour airlift from Prague Zoo across two operations in early June. Caretakers said they are doing well, exploring their ancestral homeland. | |
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The Essential List newsletter | The week's best stories, handpicked by BBC editors, in your inbox twice a week. | |
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