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Trump, Netanyahu Hold Crucial Talks on Gaza Ceasefire, Regional Security
Trump, Netanyahu Hold Crucial Talks on Gaza Ceasefire, Regional Security
US President Donald Trump on Monday hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for talks widely seen as pivotal to the future of the Gaza ceasefire and the broader Middle East security landscape.
The meeting, which marked the sixth encounter between both leaders since Trump’s return to office 11 months ago, comes at a time of deep uncertainty in the region, with unresolved political disagreements threatening to derail efforts to end the war in Gaza and stabilise neighbouring states.
Washington has remained Israel’s strongest military and political ally throughout more than two years of fighting in Gaza, and the talks are being closely watched as a test of how closely aligned Trump and Netanyahu remain on key strategic issues.
Netanyahu arrived at the Florida resort on Monday afternoon, ahead of what aides described as extensive closed-door discussions.
At the heart of the talks is the fragile Gaza ceasefire, which came into effect in October but has faced repeated strains.
The Trump administration is pressing for the deal to move into its second phase in January.
That phase предусматривает the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic government, the deployment of an international stabilisation and security force, the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the commencement of large-scale reconstruction of the devastated enclave.
However, Israeli positions have increasingly diverged from those of Washington.
Critics argue that Netanyahu is reluctant to advance discussions on the political future of Palestinians and is instead insisting that Hamas must fully disarm before any meaningful Israeli military withdrawal takes place.
Hamas officials have countered that full disarmament can only occur alongside concrete steps towards the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is also expected to feature prominently.
Severe winter storms have battered the territory in recent days, compounding the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians living in basic tents with little protection from cold and flooding.
On Monday, the Hamas-run health ministry reported the death of a two-month-old baby from severe cold, bringing the number of weather-related deaths since December 10 to three.
The ministry also said at least 17 people have been killed after weakened buildings collapsed during the storms.
The United Nations and several international aid agencies have accused Israel of failing to fully meet its ceasefire obligations by continuing to restrict access to essential supplies and heavy equipment needed for humanitarian relief and reconstruction.
Israel has rejected the allegations, saying it is facilitating an increase in aid deliveries into Gaza.
Despite the declared ceasefire, violence has continued. According to Gaza’s health authorities, at least 414 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military actions in the 80 days since the truce began.
The Israeli military, which maintains control over more than half of the territory, says its forces have only opened fire in response to ceasefire violations.
Over the same period, three Israeli soldiers have been killed in attacks Israel has blamed on Hamas.
Another unresolved issue is the return of the body of Ran Gvili, described as the last remaining dead Israeli hostage in Gaza.
Under the ceasefire agreement, all living and deceased hostages taken during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel were to have been returned within days of the truce coming into effect.
Beyond Gaza, Trump and Netanyahu are expected to discuss wider regional security concerns, including relations with Syria’s new government, Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon, and Iran’s military posture.
Israeli officials believe Iran is rebuilding its missile capabilities following a brief but intense 12-day conflict earlier this year, during which Iranian nuclear facilities were bombed by Israeli and US forces.
At the weekend, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Iran was in an “all-out war” with Israel, the United States and Europe.
Netanyahu may also seek US approval for further military strikes on Iran, a move that could significantly escalate regional crises.
In addition, Israeli media reports suggest the prime minister could raise the issue of annexing the occupied West Bank, despite Trump previously speaking against such a move.
Israeli ministers have recently described settlement expansion in the West Bank as a de facto annexation aimed at extinguishing the possibility of a future Palestinian state, a position widely regarded as illegal under international law.
The meeting will also address disagreements over the proposed International Stabilisation Force for Gaza.
Israel has opposed Turkey’s participation in the force, even as few other countries have expressed willingness to deploy troops.
Netanyahu is also scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is seen as sympathetic to many of Israel’s positions.
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• U.S.–Iran tensions after Islamabad talks collapse
• Gulf crisis and Strait of Hormuz concerns
• UN push to recognize slavery as a crime against humanity
• Africa CDC warns of major health system inefficiencies
• China’s IT expansion and India’s COP33 withdrawal
• UK and European economic and diplomatic updates
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2026 UTME: JAMB Calls For Calm As Exam Disruptions Persist.
As the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) exercise enters day 2, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has assured candidates whose examinations were disrupted that they would be rescheduled to write them at a later date.
Public Communication Advisor of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin stated this during the The Senate Committee on Tertiary Education monitoring of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Abuja on Friday.
Benjamin was responding to questions raised by disgruntled parents and candidates whose examinations were disrupted at the Good Success Computer Based Test (CBT) Center, Utako
On his part, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Dandutse agreed that JAMB and CBT centers were faced with a lot of challenges but promised
to resolve them.
“From what we have seen, we have seen progress and we have seen a lot of challenges faced by the centres.
“And this one is not only in Abuja, it’s throughout the country. As a matter of fact, we sincerely appreciate what we have seen so far. Because the other issue is a technical issue, it happened yesterday and it also happened today, which was explained by the supervisor. But the truth of the matter, it has been a constraint to JAMB because these issues need to be addressed even before the exam takes place.
“As senators who are solely responsible for oversight and investigating the matters arising to this JAMB exam, I think we are going to look into how best JAMB will improve in most of the activities.
“We have already instructed them and told them to, as a matter of urgency, to take a definitive action so that the student will write the exam. And at the same time, we are going to review all the activities in JAMB so that we can make sure that these things do not happened again.
“So definitely we are going to address it and we are going to make sure that all the CBT centers are well functional and efficient. Because there is no moral justification for somebody to come from far away and will be living in trauma without writing the exam”, he said.
JAMB Spokesperson however maintained that the glitches were expected:
“Naturally, you should have one or two challenges here and there. It is not unusual and I don’t think there is anybody that will condone the exam using one thousand centers and then you expect that you won’t have any problem. But the most important thing is that if this problem do occur, are you prepared to handle them? And that is what we have just done there.
“That all those candidates will be rescheduled to another date, another center where they will sit the examination. It is natural to have a problem.
“As Nigerians, as citizens, that at least they are paying us with public funds, we are using public funds, they will expect 100%. But we know as operators that it is not easy, it is not possible for you to give 100%.
“But by the time you score 90%, at least you should have a term of. But for the candidate that have gone there, used the whole hours and sat inside the hall and then they didn’t take the exam, it is expected that they should vent their frustration. But it is natural”, he said.
Benjamin however, reassured that the Board would do the needful:
“We are assuring all Nigerians that every candidate who have registered for this exam will be given the opportunity to sit this exam. If your center fails today, you will be rescheduled again to take the exam. For any reason, even when you are rescheduled, and for any reason again, you are unable to sit the examination, you will be rescheduled again.
“That is why when we finish the exam, we have what we call the mop-up. The mop-up is to ensure that candidates whose center failed and they could not take the exam, we mop them up, give them a particular date for them to sit the examination. Because it’s a contract we have entered with them, they must sit the examination.
“But we’ll continue to do our best to ensure that we have minimal failure of these centers. And that is what we are doing. Out of 957 that we are using for this examination, I’m not sure we’ve had up to 10 or 8 centers that have failed”, he added.
Late Afrobeat Pioneer, Fela Earns Historic Global Recognition.
Late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has been inducted into the prestigious Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, becoming the first Nigerian artist to receive the honor.
Naija News reports that the announcement marks another major global recognition for the iconic musician, decades after his passing.
Fela was inducted under the “Early Influence” category, alongside renowned global music figures such as Queen Latifah, Celia Cruz, MC Lyte, and Gram Parsons.
The list of inductees was unveiled in the United States during a live broadcast of the popular television show, American Idol.
Also recognized is Nigerian-born British singer, Sade Adu, who will be inducted in the “Performer” category.
She joins a lineup of global stars including Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan.
Despite stiff competition, several high-profile nominees failed to make the final list. These include Shakira, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, New Edition, and Pink.
Organizers disclosed that over 1,200 artists, historians, and music industry professionals participated in the voting process.
The induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 14 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.
Fela’s latest recognition comes just months after he made history in January as the first African musician to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The honor, coming nearly 30 years after his death, further cements his legacy as a global music icon and pioneer of Afrobeat.
It also follows the introduction of the Best African Performance category at the Grammy Awards two years ago, reflecting growing global recognition for African music.
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