International

Trump gives Hamas ultimatum on Gaza deal

Published

1 year ago

October 1, 2025

Trump Links French Protests To Islam ‘Taking Over’ France

US President Donald Trump

Trump gives Hamas ultimatum on Gaza deal

JERUSALEM: US President Donald Trump gave Hamas an ultimatum of “three or four days” on Tuesday to respond to his plan for Gaza, as the militant group reviewed the proposal backed by Israel.

The plan calls for a ceasefire, release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours, disarmament of Hamas and gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, followed by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself.

World powers, including Arab and Muslim nations, welcomed the proposal, but Hamas had yet to issue its response.

“We’re going to do about three or four days,” Trump told reporters when asked about any timeframe.

“We’re just waiting for Hamas, and Hamas is either going to be doing it or not. And if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end.”

Trump announced the deal at the White House on Monday after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Tuesday, a Palestinian source said on condition of anonymity that Hamas had begun consultations on the plan “within its political and military leaderships, both inside Palestine and abroad.”

“The discussions could take several days due to the complexities,” the source said.

Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s exiled leadership, said the group had promised to study the proposal “responsibly,” and also said it would hold a meeting with Hamas and Turkiye later on Tuesday.

“It is still too early to speak about responses, but we are truly optimistic that this plan, as we said, is a comprehensive one,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said.

The deal demands that Hamas militants fully disarm and be excluded from future roles in the government, but those who agreed to “peaceful co-existence” would be given amnesty.

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It would also see a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, after nearly two years of war sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

But in a video statement posted after the joint press conference with Trump, Netanyahu said the military would stay in most of Gaza, and also that he did not agree to a Palestinian state during his talks in Washington.

“We will recover all our hostages, alive and well, while the (Israeli military) will remain in most of the Gaza Strip,” he said.

Still, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a member of Netanyahu’s coalition government, blasted the plan as a “resounding diplomatic failure.”

“In my estimation, it will also end in tears. Our children will be forced to fight in Gaza again,” he said.

“Full backing”

Trump’s plan includes deployment of a “temporary international stabilization force” — and the creation of a transitional authority headed by Trump himself and including former British premier Tony Blair.

During his press conference with Trump, Netanyahu cast doubt on whether the Palestinian Authority, which nominally runs Palestinian population centers in the occupied West Bank, would be allowed a role in Gaza’s governance.

Trump noted that during their meeting Netanyahu had strongly opposed any Palestinian statehood — something that the US plan leaves room for.

“I support your plan to end the war in Gaza which achieves our war aims,” Netanyahu said.

“If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr.President, or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself.”

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Trump said that Israel would have his “full backing” to do so if Hamas did not accept the deal.

Reaction was global, and swift. Key Arab and Muslim nations, including mediators Egypt and Qatar, hailed the agreement’s “sincere efforts” in the wake of their own talks with Trump last week.

Washington’s European allies promptly voiced support, with the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy sharing strong expressions of support for the plan, while China and Russia also declared their backing.

“Unrealistic”

But in Gaza, people were skeptical.

“It’s clear that this plan is unrealistic,” 39-year-old Ibrahim Joudeh told AFP from his shelter in the so-called humanitarian zone of Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza.

“It’s drafted with conditions that the US and Israel know Hamas will never accept. For us, that means the war and the suffering will continue,” said the computer programmer, originally from the southern city of Rafah, devastated by a military offensive that began in May.

Israeli air strikes and shelling continued across Gaza on Tuesday, according to the territory’s civil defense agency and witnesses.

The Israeli military said its forces were carrying out operations across the territory, particularly in Gaza City, where they have mounted a major offensive in recent weeks.

The Palestinian Authority welcomed Trump’s “sincere and determined efforts.”

Hamas ally Islamic Jihad, on the other hand, said the plan would fuel further aggression against Palestinians.

“Through this, Israel is attempting — via the United States — to impose what it could not achieve through war,” the group said in a statement.

The Gaza war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel’s offensive has reduced much of Gaza to rubble and killed 66,055 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

Trump gives Hamas ultimatum on Gaza deal

ARAB NEWS

International

BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House

Published

2 days ago

November 12, 2026

Trends Admin

BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House

WASHINGTON, D.C. — One person has been killed and four others injured after a gunman opened fire at and around a fitness centre in Washington, D.C., triggering a massive security operation in the US capital.

The shooting occurred on Thursday morning, November 12, 2026, in the Logan Circle neighbourhood, approximately one mile from the White House.

The suspected gunman also died after barricading himself inside a nearby apartment and apparently shooting himself, according to police.

Authorities said the first emergency call came in at about 8 a.m. from people inside VIDA Fitness, a gym located around 15th Street and P Street Northwest.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) reportedly arrived within 30 seconds and discovered a man who had been shot inside the fitness facility.

Additional emergency calls subsequently reported more gunfire and victims in the surrounding area, bringing the total number of people shot to five, including the deceased.

Police said four other victims sustained gunshot injuries, with one reportedly in critical condition, while the remaining three suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Following the shooting, the suspect reportedly left the immediate scene and barricaded himself inside an apartment on the seventh floor of a nearby residential building.

Police officers and tactical teams subsequently surrounded the building as negotiators attempted to persuade him to surrender.

However, officers reportedly heard a gunshot during the negotiations. Upon entering the apartment, they discovered that the suspect had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed the development during a briefing, although authorities had yet to publicly disclose the identities of the victims or the suspected gunman.

The shooting prompted an extensive security operation involving local and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Several surrounding streets were cordoned off, while residents and people working in the neighbourhood were advised to remain indoors as officers secured the area.

Nearby schools also implemented precautionary security measures during the emergency response.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, including whether the suspect knew any of the victims.

Preliminary information from police indicated that the suspect may have been involved in a dispute with the homeowners’ association of the residential building where he barricaded himself. However, investigators have yet to establish a definitive motive for the shooting.

The incident has renewed concerns about gun violence in the United States, with the attack unfolding in a busy residential neighbourhood within close proximity to the White House.

The investigation is ongoing.

BREAKING: One Killed, Four Injured As Gunman Opens Fire Near White House

International

New York Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Over Murder of Ghanaian Student

Published

2 days ago

November 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Javits Badu Nkansah

New York Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Over Murder of Ghanaian Student

Police in New York City have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian student, Javits Frimpong, who was killed while walking to school in the Bronx.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) announced the arrest on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, saying the suspect had been taken into custody and charged with murder over the October 29 killing.

The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed because he is a minor, is also reportedly facing manslaughter and firearm-related charges.

Frimpong was shot in the abdomen near Crotona Park, close to East 171st Street and Crotona Place, while making his way to DreamYard Preparatory School in the Bronx.

He was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital but was later pronounced dead.

According to police reports, the teenager was walking to school when he was attacked. Investigators have not established the motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect knew the victim.

The arrest followed weeks of investigations and growing demands for justice from Frimpong’s family, members of the Ghanaian community and civil rights advocates.

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Police had previously indicated that three people might have been involved in the shooting and had been investigating possible motives, including robbery and alleged bullying at the victim’s school.

Frimpong’s father, Thomas Frimpong, had earlier said his son complained about being bullied by fellow students at DreamYard Preparatory School. Two students were reportedly suspended over the alleged harassment.

However, investigators have not established a connection between the alleged bullying and the fatal shooting.

The arrest was announced as the victim’s parents, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, Reverend Al Sharpton and Ghana’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Yao Kumah, gathered at a news conference in New York to demand justice.

Frimpong’s mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, broke down in tears during the event as she appealed for justice for her son.

She reportedly travelled from Ghana following her son’s death, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had earlier appealed to US President Donald Trump to facilitate arrangements for her to travel to the United States to mourn with her family.

Frimpong had moved from Ghana to the United States about a year before his death to reunite with his father and pursue better educational opportunities. He was a Grade 10 student and reportedly aspired to become a doctor.

The killing sparked protests and public demonstrations in New York, with demonstrators calling for accountability under the campaign slogan, “Justice for Javits!”

Crump, who is representing the family, acknowledged the arrest but said several questions surrounding the teenager’s death remained unanswered.

He called for a thorough investigation to establish why Frimpong was killed and whether the tragedy could have been prevented.

Ghanaian authorities have also been engaging with their American counterparts over the case. Ghana’s government has engaged Crump to assist in seeking justice for its nationals killed in the United States.

The NYPD said investigations were continuing, with the possibility of other arrests not ruled out.

The arrest marks a significant development in the case, although the circumstances and motive behind the killing remain under investigation.

New York Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Over Murder of Ghanaian Student

International

Canada Announces Permanent Residency Plan for 100,000 Foreign Workers, Families

Published

2 days ago

November 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Canada Announces Permanent Residency Plan for 100,000 Foreign Workers, Families

Canada has announced plans to provide permanent residency opportunities for up to 100,000 foreign workers and their eligible family members already living in the country under a new immigration measure scheduled for 2027.

The initiative is part of the Canadian government’s efforts to address labour shortages, reduce immigration application backlogs and provide greater certainty for migrant workers who have established themselves in Canadian communities.

According to details released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the programme will create additional permanent residency admission spaces for eligible workers living outside Quebec, alongside their family members.

The measure is expected to benefit workers whose skills are needed in local economies, particularly in smaller communities, as the government works with provincial and territorial authorities to identify eligible applicants.

However, the announcement does not establish a new immigration pathway open to every foreign worker. It is designed to accelerate permanent residency for people who already meet specified eligibility conditions under existing immigration programmes.

Under the proposed arrangement, workers may qualify through two main routes. They must either be awaiting a decision on a permanent residency application submitted under selected immigration programmes that are now closed to new applicants, or be eligible to apply through Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

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The selected programmes include the Start-Up Visa Programme, Self-Employed Persons Programme, Agri-Food Pilot and Home Care Workers (Caregivers) immigration programme.

The government said the additional admission spaces would cover workers living outside Quebec and their eligible family members.

The initiative is intended to recognise the contributions of foreign workers who have established roots in Canadian communities, paid taxes and helped address labour shortages.

Beyond the workers’ initiative, Canada is also setting aside additional permanent residency spaces for other categories of applicants.

These include up to 45,000 spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are already in Canada and awaiting decisions on their applications.

Another 12,600 applicants whose permanent residency cases have already received approval in principle on humanitarian and compassionate grounds are expected to benefit.

The government is also targeting outstanding applications under special immigration arrangements for Hong Kong residents and Ukrainians with family members in Canada.

According to IRCC, the measures are designed to provide stability for people who are already contributing to Canadian society while reducing outstanding immigration applications and improving processing times.

The department clarified that applicants do not need to submit separate applications or take additional steps to be considered under the temporary measures.

The 2027 initiative is time-limited and will operate outside Canada’s regular immigration admission targets. It is not a permanent expansion of immigration programmes.

The announcement is part of Canada’s wider effort to reform its immigration system, balance labour market requirements with sustainable population growth and prioritise applicants who are already living and working in the country.

The government said the additional admission spaces would help eligible migrants and their families secure greater certainty about their future in Canada.