August 17, 2025

Israel Protests Grow, Crowds Demand End To Gaza Conflict

August 17, 2025 6:40 pm

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets on Sunday, staging the country’s largest demonstrations since the Gaza war began. The protests, centred in Tel Aviv’s “Hostages Square,” called for an immediate ceasefire and a negotiated deal to free hostages still held by Hamas.

Organisers estimated that the turnout reached into the hundreds of thousands, making it one of the biggest anti-government rallies in recent memory. The families of hostages led the movement, warning that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to push for the reoccupation of Gaza City endangered the roughly 20 captives still believed to be alive.…

China Develops Humanoid Robot Capable Of Giving Birth

August 17, 2025 5:10 pm

What has long belonged to the realm of science fiction may soon edge closer to reality. A Chinese tech start-up, Kaiwa Technology, says it is developing the world’s first “pregnancy robot,” a humanoid machine equipped with an artificial womb capable of carrying a baby to term and even giving birth.

The project is being spearheaded by Dr. Zhang Qifeng, the company’s founder, who revealed in a recent interview on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, that a prototype could be unveiled as early as next year. The anticipated price: about 100,000 yuan, or roughly £10,000.

Unlike traditional incubators used …

Israeli Army Chief Okays ‘Next Phase’ In Gaza Conflict

August 17, 2025 12:58 pm

Israel’s top military commander announced on Sunday that the army is preparing to intensify its offensive in Gaza, unveiling what he described as the “next phase” of the war—one that would deepen the campaign against Hamas while laying the groundwork for the reoccupation of the territory.

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Israel’s chief of staff, made the remarks during a field tour of the Gaza Strip, where fighting has raged for ten months. “Today we are approving the plan for the next phase of the war,” he said in a statement released by the army. He insisted that Israeli forces had …

France Presses Mali After Arrest Of Embassy Staffer

August 17, 2025 12:41 pm

France has entered into negotiations with Mali’s military authorities after the arrest of a French Embassy staff member in Bamako, an incident that has opened a fresh rift in already strained relations between the two countries.

Paris has described the accusations as “unjustified,” urging Mali to respect international conventions.

The detained French national, Yann Vezilier, was arrested on Thursday alongside two senior Malian officers: Gen. Abbass Dembele, a former governor of the Mopti region, and Brig. Gen. Naima Sagara. Malian officials allege that the three were part of a wider conspiracy tied to foreign intelligence services, aimed at destabilizing the …

Municipal Elections End In Libya, Counting Now Underway

August 17, 2025 12:30 pm

Libya’s High National Elections Commission announced late Saturday that polls had closed in the second round of municipal council elections, with ballot counting already under way across 26 municipalities.

The vote, part of a broader effort to revive local governance, drew what officials described as unexpectedly strong participation, despite suspensions and attacks that underscored the fragility of Libya’s political landscape.

In its statement, the commission said every polling station in the participating municipalities had shut down “without any notable security violations,” and that the counting process had begun on site. Preliminary figures put voter turnout at 71 percent, with more …

Russia Agrees To ‘Some Concessions’ On Ukraine – US Envoy

August 17, 2025 12:17 pm

Russia has signaled a willingness to compromise on all five of the Ukrainian regions it annexed unilaterally in 2022, according to a senior U.S. envoy, in what could mark the most significant shift since the war began.

The concessions emerged during Friday’s Alaska summit between President Donald J. Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin, a three-hour closed-door meeting that both men later described as productive.

Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Peace Missions, said that Moscow had shown flexibility on Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. “There are five regions here. It’s always, in our view, been …

Gaza Civilians Flee IDF Raids While Israelis Rally In Protest

August 17, 2025 10:48 am

In the southern district of Zeitoun, Gaza City, the sound of explosions has become a grim metronome. For nearly a week, airstrikes and artillery fire have pounded its narrow streets, tearing through homes and shops and sending families streaming out with children in their arms and whatever possessions they can carry.

The devastation is so complete that residents describe the neighborhood as unrecognizable, its once-familiar corners reduced to rubble.

The Hamas-run municipality has called the situation “catastrophic.” On Saturday alone, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported at least 40 deaths across the territory, a number that climbs with each new strike. …