Category: News

The U.S. and Israel are talking to leaders in three East African countries: Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland. They want to find places to move Palestinians from Gaza because of a plan suggested by former President Donald Trump. This plan has faced a lot of criticism and many people think it is wrong. Most people from Gaza don’t want to leave their homes.

Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland are poor and sometimes dangerous places. Officials in Sudan have said no to the idea, while officials in Somalia and Somaliland say they haven’t been contacted about it.

Trump’s plan suggests moving over 2 million people from Gaza to different countries and turning the area into a real estate project. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports this idea, but Palestinians see it as a forced relocation. Many Arab countries oppose the plan and are suggesting other ways to rebuild Gaza without moving people away.

Some officials from the U.S. and Israel confirmed they reached out to these countries last month, seeking ways to make this plan happen. They can offer money, weapons, and support to entice these countries.

Here is a closer look at the three places being considered:

– Sudan: Sudan agreed to be friendly with Israel in 2020 but has been in civil war since. Sudan’s leaders said they will not accept Palestinian refugees.

– Somaliland: This area broke away from Somalia over 30 years ago and wants international recognition as a separate place. Officials here say they have not been contacted about taking in Palestinians.

– Somalia: This country often supports the Palestinian cause and has me0mbers in opposition to the plan. It seems unlikely that Somalia would agree to host Palestinian refugees.

In summary, the idea of moving Palestinians out of Gaza has been met with strong resistance from several regions, and it’s uncertain if these talks will go anywhere.

Police in Japan have arrested a man in connection with the deadly stabbing of a young YouTuber while she was livestreaming on a street in Tokyo. The victim, Airi Sato, was just 22 years old.

The suspect, 42-year-old Kenji Takano, was caught by police right after the attack, which happened on Tuesday. Although he is now with prosecutors, he has not yet been formally charged.

Witnesses described that Sato was screaming for help during the livestream before the video suddenly went dark. She was taken to the hospital but sadly passed away from her injuries.

Reports say that Takano and Sato had a financial argument. He had lent her money, and police mentioned that she didn’t pay it back, which led to the conflict. Takano had traveled about 100 kilometers (or 60 miles) from his hometown to find Sato after seeing her location on her livestream.

He claimed he didn’t mean to kill her. While violent crime is uncommon in Japan, there have been several shocking knife attacks and incidents involving homemade guns recently.

On Thursday, Columbia University took action against some students involved in a protest last spring. These students had occupied Hamilton Hall as part of a pro-Palestinian protest. The university decided to expel some students, while others got suspensions or had their diplomas revoked. Columbia did not share the exact number of students affected but said the actions were based on how serious the students’ behaviors were.

In an official statement, Columbia University said, “The Judicial Board made decisions based on how severe the actions were during the protests and earlier behavior.” They also mentioned that these decisions came after investigations and hearings.

Columbia University has been under a lot of pressure about how they handle protests. Recently, the Trump administration took away over $400 million in federal funding because of worries about antisemitism on campus.

The protests started as part of a broader movement against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. While most protests were peaceful, things changed on April 30, 2024, when a group of students locked themselves inside Hamilton Hall using furniture to block the doors. The police entered the campus on May 1 and arrested many protesters tied to both the tent camp and the building occupation.

Even though the District Attorney dropped charges for some of the arrested students, Columbia still moved forward with their disciplinary actions. The NYPD confirmed in a letter that some people involved in the building occupation were not students at Columbia. They stated, “Those who occupied Hamilton Hall damaged university property and were trespassing.”

A university official said that holding students accountable for breaking rules is a crucial step in focusing back on the main goals of teaching and research.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently thanked several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, for their help in resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This was his first public comment on Ukraine’s proposal for a ceasefire (a stop to fighting).

Speaking at a news conference with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin said he agrees with the idea of stopping hostilities but wants to make sure that this pause leads to lasting peace and addresses the main reasons for the conflict.

When asked about Ukraine’s willingness to pause the fighting, Putin said he believes that the Ukrainian government, influenced by the US, is looking for a ceasefire. He mentioned recent discussions between US and Ukraine officials in Saudi Arabia, suggesting that Ukraine’s interest in stopping the fighting may have come from pressure from the United States.

On March 11, Ukraine said it was ready to accept a US proposal for a “30-day ceasefire,” which could be extended if both sides agreed and if Russia accepted it.

President Donald Trump expressed his support for Ukraine’s acceptance of the ceasefire and hoped that Russia would agree as well. He emphasized that a ceasefire is necessary to stop the tragic loss of life on both sides.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised Trump’s efforts towards resolving the conflict. In February, Modi stated that India believes in finding a solution through dialogue, not violence. He reiterated that India is not neutral but stands for peace.

Modi has had talks with leaders from both Russia and Ukraine. He emphasized that misunderstandings exist about India’s stance, and he confirmed that India is committed to peace and a peaceful resolution.

Last year, Modi traveled to both Russia and Ukraine to promote dialogue and peaceful solutions.

DUBAI, UAE – In early March, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sent a lot of aluminium to the U.S. before new tariffs started on March 15. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the UAE shipped over 68,000 metric tons of aluminium in just the first 11 days of the month. This is a huge increase compared to only about 16,000 metric tons sent in all of March last year.

These exports are the highest they’ve been in nearly two years! The move comes after President Donald Trump put a 25% tariff on all foreign steel and aluminium imports to boost U.S. production. Last year, Canada was the top supplier, providing 70% of the aluminium used in the U.S., while the UAE was second, supplying 8%.

After Canada announced its own 25% tariffs on U.S. imports, including aluminium, American buyers might seek out other suppliers due to the rising tensions. Yulia Buchneva, a director at Fitch Ratings, mentioned that UAE producers have lower costs compared to Canadian ones, making it still profitable to send aluminium to the U.S. even with tariffs.

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), one of the largest aluminium producers, expects there will be ups and downs in aluminium prices throughout 2025 because of global trade issues. Demand for aluminium from U.S. users is likely to rise as they seek alternatives. Right now, aluminium prices are around $2,675 per metric ton, after peaking in February.

This news comes from an automated news agency feed.