Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander due to be handed to Red Cross shortly, Israeli official says
Summary
The Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander is expected to be released by Hamas in Gaza shortly
Alexander, 21, was serving in an elite infantry unit on the border with Gaza when he was captured during the 7 October attacks
Of the 251 hostages, 59 remain in Gaza, up to 24 of whom are believed to be alive
Israel says there will be "a safe corridor" in Gaza for Alexander's release, but has not committed to a ceasefire
President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East begins on Tuesday - he calls Alexander's scheduled release "great news"
A senior Palestinian official tells the BBC the Hamas announcement is intended as a goodwill gesture before Trump's arrival
Hamas also says the release is intended to facilitate an aid deal - Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade for more than two months
The Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander is expected to be released by Hamas in Gaza shortly
Alexander, 21, was serving in an elite infantry unit on the border with Gaza when he was captured during the 7 October attacks
Of the 251 hostages, 59 remain in Gaza, up to 24 of whom are believed to be alive
Israel says there will be "a safe corridor" in Gaza for Alexander's release, but has not committed to a ceasefire
President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East begins on Tuesday - he calls Alexander's scheduled release "great news"
A senior Palestinian official tells the BBC the Hamas announcement is intended as a goodwill gesture before Trump's arrival
Hamas also says the release is intended to facilitate an aid deal - Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade for more than two months
Handover to Red Cross to happen shortly - Israeli official
An Israeli official says that the Red Cross has now arrived at the handover location in Khan Younis - a city in the south of Gaza.
They add that that the handover of Edan Alexander from Hamas to the Red Cross will happen shortly.
India and Pakistan both claim victory after ceasefire declared
Celebrations held in both countries while Kashmir residents beg for long-term solutions over disputed territory
Sun 11 May 2025 18.54 BST
India and Pakistan have both claimed victory after a ceasefire was declared over the weekend, which brought the two nuclear-nations back from the brink of war.
After days of escalating clashes that culminated in both sides launching missile and drone strikes on each other’s major military bases – the closest they had come to full-scale war in decades – the ceasefire between India and Pakistan was declared by Donald Trump on Saturday evening.
Turkey: PKK announces intention to disband
The Kurdish militant group said it was "close to completing its historic mission" after decades of conflict with Turkey. The group's long-jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan had called for a permanent ceasefire.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has said the Kurdish militant group plans to cease operations soon, news agencies close to the organization reported on Monday.
The announcement comes after four decades of armed conflict with the Turkish government over autonomy for ethnic Kurds in the country.
The Saya de Malha Bank, a 'forgotten ecosystem' in need of protection
The Saya de Malha Bank in the heart of the Indian Ocean is home to one of the world's largest underwater seagrass beds. A veritable lung of the ocean, this little-known 40,000 km² territory captures CO2 35 times faster than a tropical forest, and provides a vital habitat for numerous marine species. But today this rare and precious ecosystem, mostly located in international waters, is being decimated by industrial fishing fleets.
Situated in the Indian Ocean between Mauritius and Seychelles, more than 200 miles from land, the Saya de Malha Bank extends over an area the size of Switzerland and is one of the world’s biggest seagrass meadows, which make it the planet’s most important carbon sink. Much like trees on land, seagrass absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it in its roots and soil. But seagrass does it especially fast – at a rate 35 times that of tropical rainforest.
As such, it is existentially crucial to the planet. Due to its remote location, the bank is among the least-studied, shallow marine ecoregions on the planet – and, tragically, the area is today being systematically decimated by a multi-national fleet of fishing ships that virtually no one tracks or polices.
PKK to disband, potentially ending decades of conflict in Turkiye
Move by Kurdish armed group follows February call by jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to lay down arms.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has announced that it plans to disband and disarm, potentially bringing decades of conflict with Turkiye to an end.
The move was reported on Monday by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the armed group. Part of a new peace initiative with Ankara designed to end four decades of violence, the announcement follows a call in February by jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan for the PKK to lay down its arms.
Following a party congress in northern Iraq that ended on Friday, the group said it had reached “historic” decisions that would be shared with the public soon.
Europe and US briefly upped the pressure on Russia over Ukraine. Trump upended that
For about 30 hours, the illusion of transatlantic unity over Ukraine was maintained.
Europe and Ukraine had demanded a deal on the 30-day unconditional ceasefire the Trump administration proposed two months earlier. European leaders said US President Donald Trump had personally backed their plan – and threat of sanctions if Russia declined to sign up by Monday – in a Saturday phone call, a picture of which they posted online from Kyiv.
Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, even joined a chorus of US allies demanding Russia adhere to the ceasefire demand.
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