Submit your Article

Israel has decided to block the entry of foreign ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates who intended to visit Ramallah on Sunday for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, according to Xinhua.

Israeli Foreign Ministry officials condemned the planned visit as a "defiant act" to promote the formation of a Palestinian state. They also cited the Palestinian Authority’s continued refusal to condemn the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel as a reason for the decision.

“Israel will not cooperate with actions that threaten its security,” the officials stated.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Europe is boosting defence spending following pressure from the Trump administration, calling it “tough love.”

At the Shangri-La Dialogue, Kallas supported US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s call for allies to invest more in defence, noting EU unity on security, Xinhua reported.

She connected European and Indo-Pacific security, warning about China's economic power and military ties with Russia and North Korea.

Kallas recommended further cooperation with the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and others to combat common threats. Hegseth credited US President Trump for pushing Europe to “step up”, according to Xinhua.

US President Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk on Friday after Musk stepped down from his role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump praised Musk for driving major reforms and credited him with transforming outdated government practices. As a gesture of thanks, Trump presented him with a golden key.

Musk said he would continue to advise the president but plans to scale back political donations, stating, “I think I’ve done enough.” He also criticized Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” calling it a “massive spending bill” that increases the deficit and undermines DOGE’s mission, Associated Press reported.

US President Donald Trump has accused China of violating a recent agreement to ease tariffs and trade restrictions on critical minerals. The deal, made during May talks in Geneva, included a 90-day pause on tariffs.

Trump said on Truth Social that China had "totally violated" the agreement, but provided no details. He said his tariffs of up to 145 percent had severely impacted China’s economy, according to Reuters.

Trump later told reporters that he planned to contact with Chinese President Xi Jinping to address the matter. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller warned that China's noncompliance could trigger US action.

China's embassy said it is still in contact with the US, but expressed concern over new US export limits and urged Washington to follow the Geneva agreement, Reuters reported.

The UN has declared Gaza the “hungriest place on Earth,” with all 2.3m residents facing catastrophic hunger, Al Jazeera reported.

Israeli forces killed two more people at an aid site in Rafah, southern Gaza.

US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is “very close” and may be announced today.

Gaza’s death toll has surpassed 61,700, including thousands missing under rubble. Over 1,100 people were killed in Israel during the October 7 Hamas attacks, according to Al Jazeera.

At least ten people were killed after a quarry collapsed on Friday at the Indonesia’s West Java province. Authorities say several others remain missing, and rescue teams are working around the clock to locate them, Al Jazeera reported.

Indonesia’s disaster agency reported that heavy machinery, including three excavators, was buried in the collapse. So far, at least a dozen injured individuals have been pulled from the rubble.

The cause of the collapse is still under investigation as search operations continue.

The UN Security Council passed Resolution 2781 on Friday, extending the arms embargo on South Sudan and targeted sanctions such as travel bans and asset freezes, until May 31, 2026. Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, China, Pakistan, and Russia voted nine times in support of the resolution, with six abstentions.

The Council also extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the South Sudan Sanctions Committee until July 1, 2026. The resolution emphasizes the Council's readiness to revisit sanctions based on progress made toward benchmarks outlined in Resolution 2577 (2021), according to Xinhua.

It urges South Sudanese authorities to make additional progress and asks both the UN Secretary-General and South Sudan to provide progress reports by April 15, 2026.

The US Supreme Court on Friday lifted a lower court order that had blocked the Trump administration from ending humanitarian parole protections for over 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, according to Associated Press.

The Biden administration introduced the program in late 2022, allowing qualifying migrants to stay and work in the United States for two years. It aimed to relieve strain on the southern border.

President Donald Trump ordered the termination of all parole programs shortly after commencing his second term. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem carried out the directive in March.

The Court's judgment also allows the end of Temporary Protected Status for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans, putting roughly one million migrants at risk of deportation, Associated Press reported.