Submit your Article

A record number of US citizens applied for British citizenship in the first quarter of 2025, according to data released by the UK Home Office on Thursday. More than 1,930 applications were submitted between January and March, marking a 12 percent increase from the previous quarter and the highest figure since records began, as reported by Xinhua.

Experts believe the increase is fueled by concerns about political uncertainty in the United States, notably recent tariff threats. "People are leaving due to fear, frustration, and concerns about financial and personal security," said Ono Okeregha, director of the Immigration Advice Service.

Interest is reportedly highest among US professionals seeking greater stability abroad.

Israel has rejected a US-mediated proposal for a 70-day ceasefire, increased aid to Gaza, and the release of ten hostages—five alive and five deceased—calling it a “surrender to Hamas.”

Israel insists on the “Witkoff framework,” introduced by Prime Minister Netanyahu in March. It offers a 50-day truce in exchange for hostage releases, followed by talks on a longer ceasefire. The plan excludes Hamas’s key demands: Israeli troop withdrawal and the release of Palestinian prisoners, as reported by Xinhua.

Talks ended last week after Netanyahu recalled the Israeli delegation. Over 53,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to Gaza health officials.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday expressed China’s readiness to strengthen cooperation with Kuwait in areas such as energy, investment, green economy, digital economy, and artificial intelligence. He made the remarks during a meeting with Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, according to Xinhua.

The meeting took place as Premier Li arrived in Kuala Lumpur to attend the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit.

Jake Wood, the head of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, resigned on Sunday, one day before relief supplies were scheduled to begin, citing the organization's inability to follow humanitarian values of neutrality and independence.

The foundation, which operates under Israeli security authority and employs private contractors, has received harsh condemnation from the UN and aid organizations, which have refused to cooperate with it. Critics claim the strategy undermines impartial aid delivery and lacks transparency, according to Reuters.

Israel supports the operation but denies any direct involvement. Despite limited aid access and the ongoing blockade, the foundation wants to reach one million Gazans in its first week.

Hamas has condemned the initiative, calling it a tool for control and starvation. Israel claims the system prevents aid from being diverted by Hamas, a charge Hamas denies.

Gaza remains in crisis, with over 2m people at risk of famine after months of restricted aid, Reuters reported.

France and Vietnam signed key agreements on Monday, including a deal for 20 Airbus planes, as President Emmanuel Macron visited Hanoi to deepen ties and expand France’s influence in the region.

The visit, Macron’s first to Vietnam and the first by a French president in nearly a decade, comes amid rising US-EU trade tensions after US President Donald Trump threatened 50 percent tariffs on EU goods. Vietnam also faces possible US tariffs of up to 46 percent, pressuring it to boost American imports, Firstpost reported.

The agreements covered aviation, nuclear energy, trains, satellites, and vaccines, with Airbus and Sanofi playing key roles. Both countries also promised to strengthen defense cooperation, including cybersecurity, intelligence sharing, and anti-terrorism operations.

Macron restated France's support for unrestricted navigation in the South China Sea, where Vietnam has conflicts with China, according to the Firstpost.

The visit is part of Macron’s Southeast Asia tour, which also includes Indonesia and Singapore.

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a ten-member regional bloc, will gather on Monday to advocate for peace in Myanmar and address trade concerns related to US President Donald Trump's tariff policy, Reuters reported.

Myanmar has been in crisis since a military coup in 2021 triggered armed resistance. ASEAN, led this year by Malaysia, is attempting to reopen talks between the military regime and opposition organizations. A proposal for a permanent ASEAN envoy to Myanmar is under discussion.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing remains excluded from ASEAN summits. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent talks with both the junta and opposition have renewed hopes for negotiations, according to Reuters.

ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus peace plan remains largely unimplemented amid ongoing conflict and political deadlock.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Harvard University to disclose the names and countries of all its international students, citing concerns over transparency and federal funding.

The demand came after a federal judge halted the administration's attempt to suspend Harvard's authority to enroll international students through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, according to Xinhua.

Trump criticized the University for enrolling a high percentage of international students, stating that many are from hostile nations and contribute little financially.

Harvard reports that more than 27 percent of its students are international. The legal dispute is still underway, Xinhua reported.

Two persons died after a fire broke out from the leaked cooking gas at Jaynagar, Suddhodhan Rural Municipality-5 in Kapilvastu district on Sunday.

According to police, 25-year-old Shiva Kumar Yadav and his 18-year-old sister Sonam Yadav were seriously injured when a fire broke out suddenly as soon as the gas cylinder regulator was opened while cooking at home last night.

Both of them died while being taken to the hospital for treatment, SP Niranjan Datt Bhatt of the District Police Office, said.

Sonam was studying in grade 10 at Murphutwa National Secondary School.