Friday, October 3, 2025

Trump Sets Sunday Night Deadline for Hamas on Gaza Peace Proposal

Trump Sets Sunday Night Deadline for Hamas on Gaza Peace Proposal
US President Donald Trump has given Hamas until 2200 GMT on Sunday to accept his 20-point plan for peace in Gaza, warning the Palestinian militant group faced "all hell" if it did not agree to the terms.The US leader set the deadline -- which would fall at 1:00 a.m. Monday in Gaza -- after an official for the Islamist movement told AFP earlier on Friday that the group still needed time to study the proposal to end nearly two years of devastating war in the Palestinian territory.

"If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

The proposal, backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

That would be followed by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself.

"Hamas is still continuing consultations regarding Trump's plan... and has informed mediators that the consultations are ongoing and need some time," the official said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.

On Tuesday, Trump gave Hamas "three or four days" to accept his plan, which has been welcomed by world powers, including Arab and Muslim nations.

Mohammad Nazzal, a member of Hamas's political bureau, said in a statement Friday that the "plan has points of concern, and we will announce our position on it soon"

Apple Takes Down Immigration Enforcement Tracker from App Store

Apple removes controversial US immigration enforcement tracker app from the App Store.
Apple removed on Thursday several apps used to anonymously report the movements of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from its app store, reportedly following Trump administration pressure.

The apps had become increasingly popular in recent months as President Donald Trump's deportation drive gained steam in cities around the country.

But Trump administration officials had fiercely criticized the apps as endangering officers, particularly following a deadly shooting at an ICE facility in Texas last month.

Officials said the shooter had used such an app in the days leading up to his attack.

Two detainees died as a result of the shooting and another was wounded, though investigators believe the shooter was targeting ICE personnel.

Protests have occurred at ICE facilities and during ICE operations around the country, as Trump's mass deportation drive has seen thousands of migrants rounded up, often by masked agents.

ICE tracking apps including the popular ICEBlock were inaccessible to AFP reporters on the Apple App Store late Thursday.

Fox Business first reported on the apps' removal, with Attorney General Pam Bondi telling the news outlet that the Justice Department had "reached out to Apple today demanding they remove the ICEBlock app from their App Store — and Apple did so."

Apple did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

In a statement to NBC News, the company said: "Based on information we've received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store."

UK Strengthens Satellite Defenses Amid Growing Space Security Concerns

The UK is upgrading satellite defenses to counter rising space threats.
Britain is building sensors to counter lasers that adversaries might use to blind satellites or intercept and interrupt communications, the UK government said on Friday.

The government said it will spend about £500,000 ($672,750) on the project, which involves UK Space Command and the UK Space Agency.

A UK-government commissioned security review published this summer said Britain urgently needs to bolster defences for military space systems as adversaries improve their own abilities to attack in space.

The Strategic Defence review called for Britain to invest in its own space attack capabilities, along with intelligence and navigation networks as well as satellite communications.

Militaries depend on satellites for communication, surveillance, and guidance data for troops, warships and weapons.

Without their space assets, Western militaries “can't effectively understand, move, communicate, and fight,” General Paul Tedman, head of UK Space Command, said on Wednesday during a visit to the RAF Fylingdales radar station.

European and other Western military space officials are warning about increasing hostile activity in space that could disrupt the operations of ground and sea forces.

“You’ve got to be able to protect your systems in space,” Tedman said at RAF Fylingdales, which provides missile warning and space surveillance to the United States and Britain.

While the US dominates government spending on space globally, France and Germany were Europe’s two largest spenders on space last year, according to France-based consulting firm Novaspace.

Last week, Germany’s defence minister warned about a growing threat posed by Russia, opens new tab and announced Berlin would invest 35 billion euros ($41.09 billion) over the next five years on space security.

France’s space-related initiatives include leading a 1.5-billion euro investment in Eutelsat, a French rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communications service.

Thursday, October 2, 2025

Trump escalates pressure on Democrats amid US government shutdown

US President Donald Trump
Donald Trump signaled Thursday that he intends to proceed with mass layoffs of US federal workers, escalating pressure on Democrats to support measures aimed at ending the ongoing government shutdown.

The Republican president announced he would meet with budget chief Russell Vought “to determine which of the numerous Democrat-led agencies most of which he called a political scam should face cuts, and whether those reductions would be temporary or permanent.”

Trump shared the announcement on his Truth Social platform as the government entered its second day of a shutdown, expected to affect 750,000 federal employees, who would be sent home without pay across multiple agencies.

Vought informed House Republicans on Wednesday that many workers could face permanent layoffs in the coming days, echoing Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, who said the firings were “imminent” and could number “in the thousands.”

Trump framed these cuts as a strategy to increase pressure on Democrats, stating, “we can take actions during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are damaging to them and cannot be undone by them.”

However, Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House counterpart Hakeem Jeffries dismissed the threat of mass firings as political intimidation, asserting that such moves would likely not hold up in court.

While two Senate Democrats and an independent aligned with the party broke from their colleagues, the majority continue to oppose a House-passed resolution to fund the government at current levels through November 21.

“This is day two of Donald Trump’s shutdown, but it’s day 256 of the chaos his presidency has inflicted on the American people,” Jeffries told reporters at the US Capitol on Thursday.

He accused Republicans of shutting down the federal government because “they do not want to provide healthcare for working-class Americans,” while emphasizing that Democrats are willing to negotiate “anytime, anywhere”, including with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, to find a resolution.

Weekend votes?

The Senate is not voting on Thursday because of the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday, but another vote is expected on Friday and on most days until the standoff is resolved.

With Democrats expected to block the Republican reopening plan again, Republicans were reportedly mulling whether to send their senators home after the vote -- effectively guaranteeing the shutdown drags into next week.

But House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose members have been off all week, told reporters Senate leaders need to stick to an initial plan to work through the weekend in Washington.

"And the House is coming back next week, hoping that they will be sending us something to work on, that we can get back to work and do the people's business," he told a news conference at the Capitol.

For now, Democrats are dug in on their demands for extending health care subsidies before they will agree to a funding deal.

Five additional Democratic votes would be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold in the 100-member Senate to green-light the House-passed bill.

As each side seeks to point the finger at the other over the shutdown, polling indicates that Democrats and Republicans may currently be sharing the blame.

A new poll from the Washington Post found that 47 percent of Americans blame Trump and congressional Republicans for the shutdown, while just 30 percent point the finger at Democrats.

But a New York Times/Siena survey showed two-thirds of respondents said Democrats should not shut down the government if Republicans do not agree to their demands.

Adding to pressure on Democrats to relent and provide votes to reopen the government, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC Thursday that the shutdown could hurt US economic growth.

"This isn't the way to have a discussion, shutting down the government and lowering the GDP," he said.

Global outrage over Israeli interception of Sumud flotilla

Global outrage over Israeli interception of Sumud flotilla
Protests have erupted worldwide following Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian-led convoy attempting to break the Gaza blockade.

The flotilla, carrying over 500 activists, aid workers, and humanitarian supplies, was intercepted by Israeli naval forces in international waters on Tuesday.

Turkiye

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned Israel's actions, calling the intervention a blatant violation of international law. It urged the international community to take urgent steps to lift the Gaza blockade and facilitate aid delivery. In Istanbul, protesters gathered outside the Israeli consulate, demanding stronger action from the Turkish government. “Turkey should have done more to defend the convoy,” said Yusuf Miroglu, a protester.

In Ankara, demonstrators near the US embassy waved Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanted slogans supporting Gaza and Hamas. Protests have also spread to other cities, including Athens, Buenos Aires, Rome, Berlin, and Madrid.

 Greece

In Athens, activists gathered outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denouncing Israel’s interception of the flotilla. Groups like the "March to Gaza" coalition called the operation “piracy” and demanded the immediate release of those detained. The incident has sparked fierce criticism from both political groups and civil society.

 Italy

In Italy, mass protests took place in Rome, Naples, and Turin against the Israeli naval action. The country’s largest labor unions, USB and CGIL, called a general strike on Friday in support of the flotilla and Gaza. In Naples, demonstrators held a symbolic sit-in on train tracks, while in Rome, protests spilled into the main railway station. Protesters chanted “Free Palestine” as they tried to enter Termini Station.

Argentina and Uruguay

Protests also took place in Latin America, with large rallies in Buenos Aires and Montevideo. In Buenos Aires, activist and lawyer Myriam Bregman condemned the interception as a criminal violation of international law. Juan Carlos Giordano, a former flotilla participant, defended the mission’s peaceful nature, saying, “We carry medicine and food, not weapons,” countering Israeli accusations of terrorism.

Colombia

In Bogotá, Colombia expelled Israeli embassy officials and suspended its free trade agreement with Israel. President Gustavo Petro labeled the interception an act of piracy and vowed to pursue legal action to free detained Colombian citizens aboard the flotilla.

South Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned Israel’s actions as a serious violation of global solidarity efforts to alleviate Gaza’s suffering. He called for the immediate release of detained individuals, including South African citizens and Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, who was aboard the flotilla.

Global Protests

More protests are expected globally, including a one-day general strike in Italy on Friday, organized by the country’s largest union. The international outcry highlights the growing frustration over the Gaza blockade and Israel’s use of military force against humanitarian missions.

Elon Musk nears halfway mark to becoming the world's first trillionaire

Elon Musk moves closer to historic trillionaire status
Billionaire Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, is nearly halfway to becoming the planet’s first trillionaire, Forbes magazine has reported.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO became the first person to achieve a net worth of $500 billion, briefly, as the shares in his electric vehicle company rebound from his clumsy stint in politics, amid other gains.

The 54-year-old’s net worth hit $500.1bn on Wednesday before dipping back to $499.1bn, the publication’s “Real-Time Billionaires” tracker reported.

Ranked after him are Oracle CEO Larry Ellison with a net worth of $350.7bn, followed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg with a net worth of $245.8bn on the Forbes list.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and dropping out of Stanford University, Musk banked his first millions when he sold an online publishing software company to US computer maker Compaq for more than $300 million in 1999.

His next company eventually merged with PayPal, and after leaving that venture, the South African-born tech entrepreneur founded space rocket company SpaceX in 2002 and became the chairman of electric carmaker Tesla in 2004.

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Russia always called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza: Maria Zakharova

Russian MOFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
Russian MOFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia has always called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to bloodshed in Gaza.

"We believe that any measures and initiatives aimed at this deserve to be supported. We hope that a ceasefire will become sustainable and will ultimately lead to lasting stabilisation in the Palestinian enclave. This will create the necessary conditions for launching comprehensive efforts to rebuild the sector’s infrastructure, which has been almost completely destroyed during the hostilities", she noted.

The Spox further added, "A successful and smooth implementation of this plan should pave the way to the resumption of a constructive dialogue between the Israeli and Palestinian sides on a comprehensive political settlement of all disputed issues on the recognised international legal basis, which provides for the creation of an independent Palestinian state that will live in peace and security with Israel".

SUPARCO Announces Nationwide Celebrations of World Space Week 2025

SUPARCO
Pakistan’s National Space Agency, SUPARCO, has announced the launch of World Space Week 2025 celebrations, scheduled to be held from 4–10 October across the country and around the globe. Recognized as the world’s largest annual space event, this year’s theme, “Living in Space”, underscores the growing efforts of humanity to prepare for life and work beyond Earth, while highlighting the transformative role of space science and technology in shaping the future.

World Space Week, declared by the United Nations in 1999, commemorates two pivotal milestones in human history: the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik-1, on 4 October 1957, and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty on 10 October 1967. Since then, it has become a global platform to showcase advancements in space exploration and its contributions to life on Earth.

As Pakistan’s national coordinator of World Space Week since 2005, SUPARCO has consistently played a leading role in promoting space education and awareness. In 2024, Pakistan achieved a remarkable milestone by securing the first position worldwide, hosting more than 6,000 activities across the country.

For this year’s celebrations, SUPARCO has designed an extensive program aimed at inspiring students, teachers, and the general public. The lineup includes:
Teachers’ training workshops on building and launching water rockets in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Gilgit.

Space Camp 2025, featuring hands-on workshops and a model satellite competition.

Mobile Space Van visits to schools in remote regions, ensuring access to space education nationwide.

Academic visits to SUPARCO facilities to provide firsthand exposure to space science.

National contests, including Best Space School, Space Ambassador competitions for science and astronomy societies, and public contests to foster creativity and scientific innovation.

According to SUPARCO, these activities are designed to spark curiosity among young learners and motivate them to pursue careers in space science, satellite technology, remote sensing, astronomy, and related disciplines.

SUPARCO has extended an open call to educational institutions, scientific bodies, and the public to participate in the celebrations of World Space Week 2025 the largest space event on Earth.

OpenAI Unveils Sora 2, a TikTok-Style App

OpenAI unveiled Sora 2
OpenAI on Tuesday unveiled Sora 2, its most advanced video generation model to date, along with a TikTok-style social app that lets users insert themselves into AI-created scenes through a new feature called “cameos.”

The company behind ChatGPT described Sora 2 as a significant leap in AI’s ability to create realistic videos.

The system can now produce synchronized dialogue, sound effects, and physically accurate motion, according to OpenAI.

“Sora 2 can achieve feats that were extremely difficult or even impossible for earlier video generation models,” the company said, highlighting examples like capturing Olympic gymnastics routines or basketball moves.

Unlike previous systems that often “morphed objects and distorted reality” to meet text prompts, Sora 2 adheres more closely to real-world physics.

Replacing last year’s Sora, the new model represents the latest development in the ongoing AI arms race that started with ChatGPT’s debut in 2022.

OpenAI faces stiff competition in video generation from Google, Runway AI, and Midjourney, all of which provide tools to produce short clips in seconds capabilities that are both celebrated and feared as potential substitutes for human-created content.

Perhaps more notable than Sora 2 itself is the standalone social app, Sora, which allows users to appear in AI-generated videos with high-fidelity recreation of both appearance and voice.

OpenAI explained, “We believe a social app built around the ‘cameos’ feature is the best way to experience the magic of Sora 2.” The app is currently available by invitation only in the United States and Canada.

The Sora 2 video generator will initially be free with "generous limits," though usage will be constrained by the shortage of computing power needed for video generation.

On the app, users can share their creations in a feed similar to TikTok or Instagram Reels.

Meta, which owns Instagram, last week added its own AI video feed called "Vibes" to encourage users to experiment with image generation on its Meta AI app.

The rapid-fire release of increasingly powerful AI tools comes amid growing concerns about AI-generated content proliferation and the environmental toll of the massive computing power required to create it.

OpenAI also acknowledged the ongoing debate about social media's impact on mental health including worries about "doomscrolling, addiction, and isolation"  and said it is implementing safeguards like user wellbeing checks and content controls.

Devastating earthquake in Philippines kills nearly 60

Philippines earthquake kills nearly 60 as hospitals struggle with injured
The death toll from a powerful earthquake in the central Philippines approached 60 on Wednesday, with injured patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu as workers carried dozens of body bags away in the chaotic aftermath.

The shallow magnitude 6.9 quake struck at 9:59pm (1359 GMT) Tuesday off the island's northern end near Bogo, a city of 90,000 people, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Injured children cried and adults screamed while receiving treatment on beds laid out beneath blue tents on the driveway of the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Bogo.

They had been wheeled out of the building amid fears of further harm as hundreds of aftershocks rocked the region overnight.

Nearby, hospital workers carried black body bags on stretchers into vans that will take them to local mortuaries, AFP journalists saw.

Up to 60 people are reported killed so far, Office of Civil Defence deputy administrator Rafaelito Alejandro said.

"We are receiving additional numbers of reported casualties so this thing is very fluid," he told reporters in Manila.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council earlier listed 147 injured across the central islands, where 22 buildings were damaged.

Rescuer Teddy Fontillas, 56, told AFP he had not slept a wink, adding some patients had to be moved to other hospitals because the one in Bogo was already overflowing.

"We are already overwhelmed, so we have to bring them to the city," he said, referring to the provincial capital Cebu, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) to the south.

"I'm already struggling, but what we are doing is necessary to help our patients," he added.

"Because of the high volume of patients with serious injuries, the medical staff tended to some of them outside the hospital," Cebu provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro posted on her official Facebook page.

Dramatic footage filmed by residents and widely shared on social media showed an old Catholic church on Bantayan island near Cebu adorned with a string of light bulbs swaying wildly shortly before its belfry tumbled into the courtyard.

"I heard a loud booming noise from the direction of the church then I saw rocks falling from the structure. Luckily, no one got hurt," Martham Pacilan, 25, who was nearby when the belfry collapsed, told AFP.

Local television showed riders being forced to dismount from their motorcycles and hold onto the railings for dear life as a Cebu bridge violently rocked.

The mall started shaking

Buildings were damaged as far as Cebu city, where online shoe merchant Jayford Maranga, 21, hid under a restaurant table to avoid being struck by the collapsing metal ceiling of a shopping mall.

"My friend and I ate at the food court near closing time, and then, bang! It was as if the Earth stopped spinning. And then the mall started shaking," Maranga told AFP, adding his friend was slightly injured.

The Cebu provincial government has put out a call on its official Facebook page for medical volunteers to assist in the aftermath of the quake.

"There could be people trapped beneath collapsed buildings," provincial rescue official Wilson Ramos told AFP.

Overnight recovery efforts were hampered by the dark as well as aftershocks, he added.

The rescue effort proceeded all night, even as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the region was being rocked by 379 aftershocks.

The quake caused power lines to trip, leading to outages across Cebu and nearby central islands, though power was restored shortly after midnight in Cebu and four other major central islands, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said in an updated advisory.

The Cebu provincial government reported a commercial building and a school in Bantayan had collapsed, while a fast food restaurant in Bogo was heavily damaged.

Agnes Merza, 65, a carer based in Bantayan, said her kitchen tiles had cracked.

"It felt as though we would all fall down. It's the first time I have experienced it.

The neighbours all ran out of their homes. My two teenage assistants hid under a table because that´s what they were taught in the Boy Scouts," she told AFP.

A number of village roads also sustained damage. In Tabogon town, the road was riddled with five-centimetre (two-inch) cracks, AFP journalists saw.

The USGS had reported a magnitude reading of 7.0 before revising it down, while the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no tsunami threat from the earthquake.

Quakes are a near-daily occurrence in the Philippines, which is situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Most are too weak to be felt by humans, but strong and destructive ones come at random, with no technology available to predict when and where they might strike.