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Hello, I'm Neil Nunes with the BBC News.
The U.N. Security Council has approved a U.S.-drafted resolution that advances Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza to its next phase. It sets the stage for a transitional administration and a stabilization force, both with international involvement. Thirteen member states voted in favor of the plan. Russia and China abstained. Speaking ahead of the vote, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, said the conflict had gone on for far too long. "For two agonizing years, Gaza, home to over two million souls, has been a crucible of conflict, a hell on earth, where Hamas's brutality and terror met Israel's fierce response, leaving rubble where schools once stood and graves where playgrounds thrived." President Trump welcomed the adoption of the U.N. resolution in Gaza, saying it would lead to further peace all over the world. The U.N. Secretary-General, António Guterres, said it was an important step in consolidating the ceasefire and diplomacy must now be translated into concrete steps, including an increase in humanitarian assistance. But Hamas, having agreed to the first phase of the Trump plan, swiftly rejected Monday's vote which envisages its disarmament. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned violence carried out by what he described as a "handful of extremists" among Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. The latest attack saw homes and vehicles vandalized and set on fire in the Palestinian village of al-Jab'a after Israeli security forces dismantled an illegal settler post nearby. Palestinians accused Mr. Netanyahu's government of letting settlers act with impunity. Families of people killed in the mass uprising that toppled the former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year have welcomed the tribunal's decision to sentence her to death. She was found guilty in absentia of crimes against humanity and ordering police to kill protesters. Bangladesh has made a renewed call for her extradition from India. Here's Anbarasan Ethirajan. Sheikh Hasina was fighting for restoring democracy in Bangladesh in the 80s. She's a very strong woman, a fighter, and don't forget it is a male-dominated society and a Muslim-majority nation. What many people told me when I was in Bangladesh, if she had conducted the elections free and fair she could have won. No one was expecting her to pass such draconian laws like the Digital Security Act. Thousands of opposition supporters were put in jail. She was disregarding the opinion of the U.N. Human Rights Office as well as the human rights groups. The Nigerian government says it's working urgently to rescue 25 students abducted from a girls' boarding school in the northwest and won't relent until the kidnappers are brought to justice. Gunmen took the young women after storming the school in Kebbi State. BBC News. Pope Leo has criticized what he described as the failure of political will of some countries to tackle climate change. In a video message to the COP30 climate meeting in Brazil, the pontiff praised the Paris Agreement for delivering real progress but said the absence of true leadership was limiting its effectiveness. Correspondents say his remarks will be seen as further criticism of President Trump and the U.S. who are not attending this meeting. Researchers have expressed surprise at how little plastic can be fatal for marine animals. Scientists found a seabird could die from ingesting just a few pieces of rubber smaller than the size of a pea while a volume of soft plastic equivalent to a football could be fatal to a dolphin. A financial dispute between the footballer Kylian Mbappé and his former club Paris Saint-Germain is being considered by a French court. The Real Madrid star is claiming $300 million from PSG in unpaid wages and for alleged mistreatment. PSG have made a counterclaim. Joanna Kean has more details. Kylian Mbappé joined PSG in 2017 and went on to score more than 250 goals for them. But in July, 2023, Mbappé turned down a move to the Saudi pro-league club Al-Hilal that could have earned PSG in the region of $350 million. He believes he was sidelined for that decision and says he is still waiting for salary and bonus payments. The club have rejected his claims. Donald Trump has dismissed speculation about his health after journalists commented that his voice sounded hoarse. Speaking in the Oval Office, the president said he felt great and attributed his hoarseness to him shouting at a meeting with representatives from a country wanting to renegotiate a trade deal. He said he had blown his stack but had straightened the dispute out. BBC World News. |