Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed surprise at President Donald Trump's assessment that Hamas's response to the ceasefire proposal showed positive momentum, according to Israeli media reports. Netanyahu sought to coordinate a joint American-Israeli statement that would frame Hamas's position less favorably.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid indicated his party would provide political support for a ceasefire agreement, potentially forming a unity government if Netanyahu's right-wing coalition partners reject the deal. Such an arrangement would enable the agreement to take effect before triggering new elections.
Families of Israeli captives voiced support for Trump's demand that Israel halt Gaza bombardment, expressing...
Women's labor force participation in Bangladesh has reached nearly 39 percent, up from 27 percent a decade ago, but gender-based wage disparities persist across all sectors, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics Labour Force Survey 2024. Women earn an average of 12,600 taka monthly compared to men's 16,000 taka, despite laws mandating equal pay for equal work.
The garment industry employs the largest share of working women, but studies show female workers earn 22 to 30 percent less than their male counterparts in identical roles. Women also perform an average of 6 hours and 40 minutes of unpaid household labor daily, compared to 2 hours and 20 minutes for men. This unrecognized contribution would account for nearly...
The Trump administration plans to cap refugee admissions at 7,500 people for the current fiscal year, marking a historic low that favors white South Africans of Afrikaner descent. Three sources confirmed the proposal would drastically reduce the 125,000 limit established under former President Joe Biden. Trump halted refugee entries after taking office in January 2025, stating they could resume only if deemed beneficial to national interests.
An executive order issued weeks later prioritized South African Afrikaners, whom Trump claimed faced discrimination in the majority-Black nation. South African officials have disputed these assertions. By early September, 138 South Africans had entered the United States under this directive...
Hamas accepted parts of President Donald Trump's ceasefire proposal for Gaza on Friday but indicated that certain elements need additional discussion. Trump responded on Saturday by urging Israel to halt its bombardment immediately, stating that Hamas appeared ready for lasting peace. Israeli officials announced preparations to execute the first phase of Trump's plan and directed military forces to scale back offensive operations in Gaza.
The territory experienced an unusual calm around midnight as Trump prepared to address the situation from Washington. Israeli drone activity, typically constant overhead, was notably absent Saturday morning. Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud reported from Deir el-Balah that bombardment intensity...
Iranian authorities executed six militants and a Kurdish fighter on Saturday over the death of a cleric, according to state news agencies. The Iranian Republic News Agency identified the six as separatist terrorists with connections to Israel. Officials accused the men of conducting armed operations and bombings in Khuzestan province along the Iraqi border. The suspects reportedly admitted to planning sabotage activities that included bomb manufacturing, detonating a fuel station in Khorramshahr, attacking banks with firearms, launching grenades at a military facility, and firing weapons at mosques.
Moroccan youth protested on Friday for the seventh consecutive day as demonstrations spread across Rabat, Agadir, Casablanca, and Tangier. The online group Gen Z 212 organized rallies demanding healthcare and education reforms, while also calling for Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch to step down before the end of his term next year.
Protesters expressed anger over social inequality after eight pregnant women died at an Agadir public hospital last month. Gen Z 212 operates on Discord, with nearly 170,000 members, but the organizers remain unidentified. The group urged peaceful demonstrations and asked participants to wear black to honor three people killed on Wednesday when they tried to storm a law enforcement station near Agadir...
Rescuers recovered nine bodies on Friday from a collapsed Indonesian boarding school, and the death toll climbed to 14 as crews prepared heavy equipment to search for 49 missing victims. The multi-story building crumbled on Monday while students assembled for afternoon prayers, and the collapse produced tremors felt across the neighborhood. National Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Suharyanto stated crews would focus on clearing areas where victims remained buried beneath debris after the 72-hour survival window expired on Thursday.
Families of the missing authorized the use of heavy machinery after initial rescue attempts proved insufficient. Officials warned that vibrations from equipment could destabilize other sections of the...
Nearly 300,000 residents of Beanibazar Upazila in Sylhet district lack adequate medical services as the area's sole public facility operates with one physician for the entire population. The 50-bed Beanibazar Upazila Health Complex has 27 approved positions for physicians, but only five of these positions are currently filled. Three consultants focus exclusively on surgical procedures, but one residential medical officer handles administrative duties.
The shortage has persisted for three years as physicians transfer shortly after arrival. Multiple doctors have remained absent for extended periods without consequences. The emergency medical officer has not reported for duty since November 2011, but the residential medical officer has...
A Swiss recycling company opened two solar furnaces on Friday in La Chaux-de-Fonds to melt steel waste from watchmakers and medical device producers using concentrated sunlight. Panatere aims to transform production scraps into ingots through green energy, but will recirculate the material to regional manufacturers via short supply chains. The company plans to operate a full-scale factory by 2028 in either the current location or the Wallis mountains after completing tests with local businesses.
Chief Executive Raphael Broye said the technology could process 1,000 tonnes of recycled steel annually through furnaces reaching temperatures near 2,000 degrees Celsius. The prototype features a 140-square-meter heliostat with movable mirrors...
