Category: Global

After days of speculation, the White House on Monday released a 20-point plan for ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, releasing hostages held by Hamas, and outlining the Palestinian enclave’s future.

Speaking alongside President Donald Trump at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave cautious backing to plan.

Here is the plan, as released by the White House:

1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.

2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.

3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.

4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.

5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.

6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.

7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.

8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.

9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.

10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.

11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.

12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.

13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.

14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.

15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.

16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.

17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.

18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.

19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.

20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, the innovator who inspired the character Phunsukh Wangdu in the Bollywood film 3 Idiots, was arrested on Friday under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), according to media reports.

Authorities accused Wangchuk of inciting demonstrators whose protests for statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, a region administered by India which is close to Tibet, turned violent this week, leaving four people dead and over 70 injured.

Police took Wangchuk into custody days after the peaceful shutdown, which he spearheaded, escalated into chaos in Leh.

The arrest follows a strong statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which directly blamed Wangchuk for the unrest that included the torching of the local BJP office and several government vehicles.

The government alleged his “provocative statements” and the actions of “politically motivated” groups incited the protestors. Specifically, the Indian Home Ministry accused Wangchuk of stirring mob fury by referencing the Arab Spring and Nepal Gen Z protests in his speeches.

The ministry detailed the flare-up’s chronology saying, “On 24th September, at around 11.30 am, a mob instigated by his provocative speeches left the venue of the hunger strike and attacked a political party office as well as Government office of the CEC Leh.”

Wangchuk, known for his education and environmental activism in Ladakh, began an indefinite hunger strike on September 10. He demanded statehood for the Union Territory, inclusion into the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect its tribal identity, and greater autonomy.

Following the clashes on Wednesday, Wangchuk called off his two-week hunger strike. Authorities immediately imposed a curfew as the situation deteriorated.

Authorities have yet to confirm whether Wangchuk will be moved to a jail or another location.

Authorities in Japan detained a 75-year-old woman, Keiko Mori after the remains of her daughter were found in a freezer at her residence in Ibaraki.

According to the investigation, Mori went to the police on Tuesday, accompanied by a family member and revealed that she had preserved her daughter’s remains in a freezer for twenty years. Officers then accompanied Mori to her home, where they discovered the body of an adult female inside a deep freezer.

Law enforcement stated that the remains were clothed in a T-shirt and underwear and were lying face down in a kneeling position. Mori informed investigators that the body was that of her daughter, Makiko, born in 1975. If she had been alive, she would have currently been 49 or 50 years old.

A police spokesperson indicated that the remains had significantly deteriorated and that an autopsy would be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.

He also mentioned that Mori had explained she purchased the freezer due to an ‘odor in her home’ and subsequently placed her daughter’s body inside.

Authorities charged Mori with the offense of abandoning a body. While it has been confirmed that she had other children, police did not reveal how many there were or if they had been interrogated concerning their sister’s death.

Investigators pointed out that Mori had been living alone following the recent passing of her husband earlier this month.

Italy and Spain have deployed navy ships to assist a Gaza-bound aid flotilla after organisers reported that several of their boats had been targeted by drones off Greece.

Spanish Prime Minister (PM) Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday that Spain would send a navy ship to the area.

“We are concerned, and that is why we will be deploying a ship to ensure that, if necessary, our citizens can be rescued and brought back to Spain,” Sanchez told a news conference in New York, adding that the ship would depart on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the country sent a navy frigate to assist the flotilla on Wednesday. “To ensure assistance to the Italian citizens on the flotilla […] I spoke with the prime minister and authorised the immediate intervention of the Italian Navy’s multi-purpose frigate Fasan, which was sailing north of Crete as part of Operation Safe Sea,” Crosetto said in a statement posted by the ministry on X.

“The vessel is already en route to the area for possible rescue operations,” he said.

Earlier, the Global Sumud Flotilla said more than a dozen explosions were heard around the flotilla as it sailed off Greece late on Tuesday, with damage caused by “unidentified objects” dropped on deck.

Crosetto expressed “the strongest condemnation” of the “attack” on the flotilla using “drones by currently unidentified perpetrators”.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he had asked Israel to ensure the safety of Italian citizens, along with members of parliament among the pro-Palestinian activists.

The ministry had already informed Israel that “any operation entrusted to Israeli forces must be conducted in compliance with international law and the principle of absolute caution”.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which currently numbers 51 vessels, most of which are off the Greek island of Crete, set sail from Barcelona earlier this month with the aim of breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza and delivering aid to the territory.

Israel, which blocked two previous attempts by activists to reach Gaza by sea in June and July, said it would not allow the flotilla to reach the embattled Palestinian territory.

A 13-year-old boy from Afghanistan sneaked into the landing gear compartment of a KAM Air flight and reached Delhi on Sunday. He, however, was deported the same day on the return flight to Kabul.

According to media reports, the teenager from Kunduz admitted that his “curiosity” led him to attempt the risky journey. He managed to hide inside the rear central landing gear compartment of flight RQ-4401, which landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport after a two-hour journey at 36,000 feet.

The incident came to light around 11 am when airline staff spotted the boy near the aircraft after it landed. He was handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force and taken to Terminal 3 for questioning.

During interrogation, the boy explained how he entered Kabul airport and tucked himself into the landing gear. He reiterated that he “did it out of curiosity”.

Security personnel of KAM Air later checked the aircraft thoroughly and recovered a small red speaker belonging to the boy. The aircraft was declared safe after detailed inspection and anti-sabotage checks.

The return flight took the boy back to Kabul at around 12:30 pm.

The Donald Trump administration in the United States (US) has said it plans to require companies to pay a staggering $100,000 a year for H-1B worker visas, a move that could potentially impact the technology industry, which depends heavily on skilled workers from India and China.

India was the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for around 71 per cent of approved beneficiaries while China was a distant second at about 11.7 per cent, said reports, citing government data.

The H-1B programme offers 65,000 visas annually to employers bringing in temporary foreign workers in specialised fields along with an additional 20,000 visas for those holding advanced degrees.

Trump’s threat to crack down on H-1B visas has become a major flashpoint with the tech industry that contributed millions of dollars to his presidential campaign.

“If you’re going to train somebody, you’re going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land. Train Americans. Stop bringing in people to take our jobs,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said.

After the announcement of the new fees, Microsoft and JPMorgan advised employees holding such visas to stay in the US, Reuters reported citing an internal email.

They also advised employees on the H-1B visas outside the US to return before midnight on Saturday when the new fee structures are set to take effect.

While many technology workers maintain that the visa policy allows firms to suppress wages and sideline Americans who could do the jobs, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, among others, argued it brings in highly skilled workers essential to filling talent gaps and keeping firms competitive. Musk, himself a naturalised US citizen born in South Africa, has held an H-1B visa.

According to Deedy Das, partner at venture capital firm Menlo Ventures, said the new fees “create disincentive to attract the world’s smartest talent to the US”.

“If the US ceases to attract the best talent, it drastically reduces its ability to innovate and grow the economy,” Das said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, reports said that the move could add millions of dollars in costs for companies, which could hit smaller tech firms and startups particularly hard.

United States (US) President Donald Trump has said that he “didn’t want” London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan at the state banquet hosted by King Charles at Windsor Castle, days after the latter criticised him.

In 2019, the mayor accused President Trump of “fanning the flames of divisive, far-right politics” and warned of “a toxic form of politics spilling out onto our streets.” 

On Wednesday, the London mayor renewed his criticism, saying Trump had emboldened extremists, cautioning that “those who seek to divide us will not win.”

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One while heading back to the US, President Trump labelled Sadiq  “among the worst mayors in the world,” claiming the mayor had wanted to attend the event. “I asked that he not be there,” he claimed. 

Echoing his past attacks on the mayor’s governing of London, he called him a “disaster” on immigration. “I think he’s done a terrible job. Crime in London is through the roof,” he added.

He added, “I’ve not liked him for a long time. I have a certain pride in London, in the UK, my mother was born in Scotland, and when I see Mayor Khan do a bad job – the stabbings, the dirt and the filth – it’s not the same. I didn’t want him there.”

The row between Trump and Khan dates back to 2015 when the Labour politician castigated Trump’s suggestion that Muslims should be banned from travelling to the US. A year later, Trump challenged the mayor to an IQ test.