America
Trump Says He Won’t Allow Israel Annex West Bank
U.S. President Donald Trump says he will not permit Israel to annex any part of the West Bank.
Fielding questions from reporters after meeting with leaders of Arab and mainly Muslim countries on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Trump declared: “I will not permit that.”
He was responding specifically to a question on whether he would allow Israel to annex part of the territory, as threatened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich.
Trump did not provide details but said he had laid out a plan for rebuilding Gaza once the ongoing war ends. He also hinted at the possibility of a deal to resolve the war between Israel and Hamas.
Later, U.S. envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, reinforced Trump’s optimism, revealing that the President had outlined a 21-point plan to end the conflict.
Netanyahu is expected to address the UNGA later today.
Indonesia
Public Outcry After Mass Food Poisoning Among School Children
Public anger is growing in Jakarta and other parts of Indonesia after nearly 1,000 school children reportedly suffered food poisoning.
The affected pupils had been fed meals prepared under the government’s school feeding programme.
The initiative, which costs more than $20 billion, was designed to provide meals to 80 million school children as part of efforts to address stunting among Indonesian children.
The policy followed research showing that one in five Indonesian children (20 percent) suffers from stunted growth.
However, the programme has now suffered a setback following the food poisoning incident, sparking nationwide criticism.
Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority country.
America
Microsoft Bars Israeli Access to Vital Data
Microsoft has announced that it is suspending Israel’s access to its data services.
The decision was disclosed yesterday by Microsoft CEO Brad Smith, who clarified that all other business and diplomatic relations with Israel remain unaffected.
The move follows a journalistic investigation that revealed Israel had used vast amounts of Microsoft-provided data to track, spy on, and bomb Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere.
The collaboration began in 2021, following a meeting between Microsoft and Unit 8200, the intelligence arm of the Israeli military.
Previously, the data was stored in Denmark and Ireland. However, after the investigation and subsequent publication of its findings, Israel reportedly dismantled those databases in an attempt to cover its tracks.
The new location of Unit 8200’s database remains a closely guarded secret.
Yemen
Israel Attacks Yemen
Israel has launched a wave of military strikes on Yemen.
The Thursday attacks came just a day after Yemen-based Houthi rebels fired a rocket into Eilat, Israel, injuring 22 people.
Although details of the targets remain unclear, sources report that 17 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in the strikes.
The Houthis, who have consistently launched attacks on Israel since the war on Gaza began, have yet to issue an official response.
