International News
Israel, Hamas Set For Truce Talks As Netanyahu Meets Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday as Israel and Hamas signalled readiness to negotiate the next phase of their fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit the White House since Trump’s return to office last month, will discuss the future of the truce and efforts to end the ongoing war in Gaza.
In a statement issued hours before the meeting, Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Israel would send a delegation to Doha, Qatar, later this week for further negotiations.
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“Israel is preparing for the working-level delegation to leave for Doha at the end of this week in order to discuss technical details related to the continued implementation of the agreement,” the office stated.
The decision followed discussions in Washington between Netanyahu and Trump’s advisors, including Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Hamas has also expressed willingness to negotiate the next stage of the ceasefire, which is being mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
The second phase of the agreement is expected to focus on securing the release of remaining hostages and outlining steps toward ending the war.
The conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, prompting a large-scale Israeli military response.
Since then, the war has devastated Gaza, home to 2.4 million people.
Under the ongoing 42-day truce, Hamas has so far released 18 hostages in exchange for around 600 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The agreement also allowed an increase in humanitarian aid, including food, fuel, and medical supplies, into the war-ravaged territory.
Trump has taken credit for securing the ceasefire after 15 months of war and has emphasized his dealmaking abilities. However, he has cautioned that the situation remains unstable.
“Talks with Israel and other Middle Eastern countries were progressing,” Trump said on Sunday, but he later warned that there were “no guarantees that the peace is going to hold.”
The U.S. president has also floated a controversial proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring Egypt or Jordan.
He described Gaza as a “demolition site” and suggested the move could be temporary or permanent.
However, the proposal has been firmly rejected by Egypt, Jordan, Palestinian leaders, and ceasefire mediator Qatar.
Beyond Gaza, Israel has escalated operations in the occupied West Bank, claiming to be targeting extremist elements.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military reported that its forces had killed an assailant who fired on troops near the city of Jenin, a frequent flashpoint for violence.
Before departing for Washington, Netanyahu said the conflicts involving Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and rising tensions with Iran had “redrawn the map” of the Middle East.
“But I believe that working closely with President Trump we can redraw it even further, and for the better,” Netanyahu stated.
His meeting with Trump is expected to touch on the broader regional landscape, including a potential normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Trump previously sought such an agreement during his first term and is likely to press Netanyahu to advance the initiative.
While Netanyahu has praised his status as the first foreign leader to meet Trump since his January 20 inauguration as “testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance,” tensions remain over the war’s high civilian toll.
Netanyahu had a strained relationship with Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, particularly over the rising casualties in Gaza.
However, Biden maintained U.S. military aid to Israel throughout the conflict.
A Memphis man was accidentally shot by his own dog after the pet jumped onto his bed and triggered a loaded firearm, police confirmed on Wednesday.
The incident occurred early Monday morning while the man was asleep alongside his female partner.
According to police reports, the couple’s one-year-old pit bull, Oreo, inadvertently discharged the weapon after getting its paw stuck in the trigger guard.
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The bullet grazed the man’s left thigh, causing a minor injury that was treated at a local hospital.
The victim’s girlfriend, who spoke to Fox 13 Memphis, described Oreo as a playful dog and recounted the shocking moment the firearm discharged.
“The dog is a playful dog, and he likes to jump around and stuff like that, and it just went off,” she said. Reflecting on the incident, she added: “Keep the safety on or use a trigger lock.”
Police have classified the case as an “accidental injury” and have not disclosed the type of firearm involved.
Although gun-related incidents are frequent in the United States, cases involving animals firing weapons are rare.
In a similar case in 2023, a Kansas man was killed when his German shepherd stepped on a hunting rifle.
A comparable incident in 2018 saw an Iowa man accidentally shot in the leg by his pit bull-Labrador mix.
Authorities are using the Memphis case as a reminder of firearm safety, urging gun owners to secure their weapons properly to prevent unintended discharges.
A deadly measles outbreak in the southwestern United States has claimed two lives and infected at least 228 people, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a travel advisory.
The outbreak has hit Texas the hardest, with 198 reported cases, while New Mexico has confirmed 30.
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Health officials say both fatalities involved unvaccinated individuals—a child in Texas and an adult in New Mexico who tested positive for measles posthumously.
The CDC has classified both as measles-related deaths.
As the outbreak continues to grow, the CDC is warning that more cases are likely. In a recent Health Alert Network advisory, the agency urged healthcare professionals and public health officials to take precautions.
“With the spring and summer travel season approaching in the United States, CDC emphasizes the important role that clinicians and public health officials play in preventing the spread of measles,” the advisory stated.
“They should be vigilant for cases of febrile rash illness that meet the measles case definition and share effective measles prevention strategies, including vaccination guidance for international travelers.”
Measles, a highly contagious disease, spreads through respiratory droplets and can remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
It causes fever, respiratory symptoms, and a characteristic rash but can also lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, brain inflammation, and death.
Despite the effectiveness of the measles vaccine—providing 93% immunity after one dose and 97% after two—vaccination rates in the U.S. have been on the decline.
The CDC recommends a 95% immunization rate for herd immunity, but coverage among kindergartners fell to 92.7% in the 2023-2024 school year.
The outbreak’s epicenter is in a west Texas county with a large Mennonite community known for vaccine hesitancy.
Religious exemptions have been rising nationwide, contributing to lower immunization rates.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who previously promoted discredited claims linking the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism, has recently shifted his stance.
While he now encourages vaccination, he also continues to advocate for alternative treatments like vitamin A and steroids.
Health experts warn that emphasizing such treatments could divert attention from the urgent need to improve immunization coverage.
The last measles-related death in the U.S. occurred in 2015, when a Washington state woman with a suppressed immune system died from virus-induced pneumonia. Before that, the previous fatality was recorded in 2003.
A South Korean Air Force fighter jet accidentally released eight bombs outside a designated training range during a joint military exercise on Thursday, injuring several civilians and damaging buildings, officials said.
The Air Force confirmed that a KF-16 aircraft had mistakenly dropped eight MK-82 general-purpose bombs in Pocheon, a city located about 25 kilometers (16 miles) south of the heavily fortified border with North Korea.
The incident occurred around 10:00 am local time (0100 GMT) during a joint live-fire exercise involving the South Korean Air Force and Army.
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“We deeply regret the unintended release of the bombs, which resulted in civilian casualties, and wish those injured a swift recovery,” the Air Force said in a statement.
Officials have launched an accident response committee to investigate the incident and promised compensation for damages.
According to South Korea’s National Fire Agency, the misfired bombs struck a village, leading to injuries and displacement among residents.
Four people were seriously wounded, while three others suffered minor injuries
The explosion also caused damage to a church building and sections of two homes.
Local residents described the moment of impact as a terrifying experience. A villager, identified only by the surname Park, told Yonhap News Agency that he was watching television when the explosion occurred.
“I suddenly heard an enormous explosion, like a thunderclap, and the whole house shook. When I went outside, everything was in chaos,” Park said.
Even a senior center located about a kilometer away felt the impact of the blast. The director of the center, surnamed Yu, recounted the panic among the elderly residents.
“A sudden explosion shook the building. The windows shattered, and one of our teachers was injured and taken to the hospital,” Yu said. “Fortunately, none of the seniors were hurt, but they were so frightened that we sent them all home.”
The accident occurred as South Korea and the United States conducted joint live-fire drills in the area. The two allies are preparing for their large-scale annual military exercise, “Freedom Shield,” set to begin later this month.
The Korean Peninsula remains in a state of war since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
The United States maintains tens of thousands of troops in South Korea as part of its defense commitment against potential threats from North Korea.
This is not the first time South Korea has experienced a military mishap. In 2022, a South Korean Hyunmu-2 ballistic missile crashed into a military golf course during a test, though it did not explode and no injuries were reported.
Authorities have assured the public that a thorough investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the accidental bomb release and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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