Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says meetings with several countries are ongoing on the robbery of Palestinians who have been driven out of the war in Gaza.

The countries involved are South Sudan, Somaliland, Ethiopia, Libya and Indonesia, a senior Israeli official told CNN. In exchange for incorporating a portion of Gaza’s population of over 2 million, authorities said the country is looking for “significant financial and international rewards.”

On Wednesday, South Sudan rejected an Associated Press report that it was discussing Palestinian resettlement, saying in a statement the report was “basically unfounded and does not reflect an official position.” Earlier this year, Somaliland said there would be no such talks.

And last week, Indonesia said it was ready to bring 2,000 Palestinians from Gaza for treatment, but would return to Gaza once it recovered.

It is unclear how much progress has progressed in any of these arguments and whether they could be realized.

Netanyahu has never given a detailed vision of what will happen in Gaza after the war, but has repeatedly advocated resettlement of Palestinians who have been displaced in other countries, especially after President Donald Trump came up with the idea earlier this year. But even if Trump appears to be chilling the proposal, Israeli officials are accepting it.

In an interview released Tuesday, Netanyahu said, “We’re talking to several countries.”

In an interview with Israel Network I24, Netanyahu claimed that the plan would “not push out” Palestinians, but instead “allow them to leave.”

“Everyone who is interested in Palestinians and says they want to help Palestinians,” Netanyahu said, “We should open their doors.”

“Why are they coming to us and preaching?! Open your door,” he added.

The comment is growing over Israel’s stated plan to take over Gaza, home to more than a million Palestinians, including many already displaced by the war.

According to a tally from the Gaza Ministry of Health in Hamaslan on Wednesday, the densely populated cities continue to suffer Israeli strikes, with at least 123 people dead in the past 24 hours across Gaza.

Meanwhile, more than 100 humanitarian groups have called on Israel to end what is called weaponization of aid in Gaza, saying no significant relief is permitted while the territory is held by starvation.

Shaina Law, correspondent adviser to the Norwegian Refugee Council, said plans to relocate Palestinians were “non-starters” regardless of whether they are within Gaza or abroad.

“They are not accepted under international law. They are not accepted by the Palestinians, and they should not be accepted by the international community,” Law told CNN.

In an interview, Netanyahu was asked by I24News network anchor Sharon Gal if the Prime Minister was “connected” to the vision of “great Israel.”

The term “great Israel” refers to the state of Israel that transcends borders that exist today. It is also often used as a biblical reference to Israel, including parts of Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon today.

The comments were greeted by incisive statements from several Arab countries, and accused the use of the term of peace-provoking and counterproductive.

Egypt “requested a “explanation” for the use of the term given its meaning that it caused instability and reflects claims to escalate and escalate the pursuit of peace in the region.”

Saudi Arabia said it “expresses a complete rejection of the reconciliation and expansionist scheme adopted by Israeli occupation authorities.”

Qatar said the use of the term is considered “an arrogance, an extension of the occupational approach based on promoting crisis and conflict, and a blatant violation of state sovereignty.”

The conversation between Gal and Netanyahu about “Great Israel” was not featured in the full interview on the official channel, but a longer version containing Netanyahu’s comments was posted to X on Gal’s account.

On Thursday, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong claimed that North Korea is eliminating some of its speakers along the South Korean border, and that he is laughing at Seoul’s government to stick to new diplomatic hopes among its war-sector rivals.

South Korean military said over the weekend that North removed some of its speakers a few days after the South dismantled its own frontline speakers used in anti-Northern propaganda broadcasts to ease tensions.

Kim Yeo Jung reiterated his previous North Korean statement that he had no immediate interest in reviving long negotiations with Washington and Seoul, citing joint military exercises with his allies as evidence of continued hostility.

South Korea’s co-chief of staff did not say that North had found a place to remove some of the speakers. North Korean speakers visible from the border area accessible to civilians in the South were still seen by AP photojournalists after the military’s announcement.

At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, South Korea’s new liberal president, Lee Jae Myung, described the North’s alleged steps as “mutual measures,” hoping that South Korea will “gradually resume dialogue and communication.”

Kim accused Lee’s government of misleading the public, saying that North Koreans “have never deleted speakers installed in border areas and are not willing to remove them.”

The Southern government and military did not immediately respond to Kim’s comments published by state media.

She also used this week’s planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump to dismiss South Korean media speculation that North Korea may use this week’s planned meeting to convey a message to Washington through Moscow.

“Why should we send a message to the US?” she said.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, North Korea has become a priority in Russia’s foreign policy, sending thousands of troops, including artillery and missiles, as well as a massive amount of military equipment to support Russia’s war.

North and Russia’s state media said Kim Jong Un and President Putin had called on Wednesday to discuss their deep ties with Ukraine and war efforts.

Russia’s TASS news agency also shared information about Putin’s upcoming talks with Trump held in Alaska on Friday, but the North Korean report did not mention the Trump conference.

Kim Yeo Jung also rejected a statement in July that he wanted to resume diplomacy aimed at softening the nuclear nuclear program in Washington and Seoul.

In recent months, South Korean border residents complained that North Korean speakers have blown up stimulating sounds in Tart’s response to South Korean propaganda broadcasts, including howling animals and pounding gongs.

South Korean military said North Korea stopped broadcasting in June after Lee ordered South broadcasts to halt broadcasts in the South, in his first concrete step in his government to ease tensions among rivals divided into wars.

The Confederates began removing speakers from the border areas last week, but did not say whether they would be repositioned once tensions ignite.

North Korea was extremely sensitive to its authoritarian leadership and external criticism of its third generation rulers, and South Korean anti-prince propaganda broadcasts were broadcast as a major provocation.

The conservative government in the South resumed daily speaker broadcasts last June. This was suspended in retaliation from balloons that opened up garbage flying south by North Korea.

The speakers blasted propaganda messages and K-Pop Songs. This is a playlist designed to hit the nerves in Pyongyang, part of an attempt to strengthen family dynasty rule, and is pushed by Kim Jong’s people to eliminate the influence of Korean pop culture and language among the population.

The Psychological Wars Campaign further heightened tensions already inflamed by North Korea’s advance nuclear programme and South Korea’s efforts to expand joint military exercises with the US and trilateral security cooperation with Japan.

After taking office in June, Lee, who took office in an early election, hopes to replace the cozy Yun Seok Yeol and improve his relationship with Pyongyang.

However, experts say North Korea clearly feels the urgency to resume diplomacy between South Korea and the US, and continues to focus on its alliance with Russia.

Peninsula tensions could rise later this month in a massive year combining South Korean military exercises in the Southern United States, starting on August 18th.

North Korea portrays joint drills as rehearsals for invasions, often using them as an excuse for military demonstrations and weapons testing to advance nuclear programs.

Mexico City
AP
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Nearly five centuries after Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortez signed, decades after someone swiped from Mexico’s National Archives, the FBI returned valuable manuscript pages to Mexico on Wednesday.

In a statement, the FBI said that the document has changed hands over many eras over the years so no one will be charged.

“This is an original manuscript page actually signed by Hernán Cortés on February 20, 1527,” said Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, a member of the FBI’s Arts Crime Team. By then, Cortez had conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521, two years after landing in what is now Mexico.

A popular archive archivists in Mexico were microfilming a collection of documents signed by Cortez in 1993, but found that a 15-page manuscript was missing. They believe it was stolen between 1985 and 1993.

Mexico sought help from the FBI’s art crime team last year for this particular page.

The FBI eventually narrowed its search to the US and found the documents, but the agency didn’t say who had it. The New York City Police Department, the US Department of Justice and the Mexican government were all involved in the investigation.

This is the second Corte document that the FBI has returned to the Mexican government. In 2023, the agency returned a 16th century letter from Cortez.

“This is something Mexicans have in the archives with the purpose of a better understanding of history, as these works are considered protected cultural assets and represent precious moments in Mexican history,” she said.

US Navy Guided Missile Destroyer Runs Free Operation of the Voyage (FONOP) contested on Scarborough Shawl in the South China Sea on Wednesday, just two days after two Chinese military vessels collided while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel in nearby waters.

The presence of US ships in the area prompted the Chinese military to accuse the US Navy of violating territorial sovereignty, but said the US Navy had the right to be there.

“USS Higgins (DDG 76) has advocated the right to voyage and freedom of the South China Sea near Scarborough Reef. It is consistent with international law.”

China, the Philippines and Taiwan all assert sovereignty over Scarborough Shawl, which is approximately 140 miles (222 km) west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

However, according to the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative, China has effectively dominated unmanned shallow waters since 2012, since 2012 and since 2012 by maintaining a nearly constant coast guard presence in nearby waters.

China and Taiwan each need advance notice of passage within the territory of the Reef in violation of international law that guarantees the right to “innocent passing” by foreign warships, Merrill said. The Philippines does not impose this requirement, she added.

Merrill denied previous claims by China’s Southern Theatre Command to “track, monitor, monitor, warn and expel U.S. warships for “violating China’s territorial sovereignty.”

“China’s statement about this mission is false,” Merrill said.

“The US defends the right to fly, sail and operate where international law allows, as USS Higgins did here. China would not say otherwise would block us,” Merrill said.

The USS Higgins, located near Scarborough Shawl on Wednesday, was not the only US warship, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.

Spokesman Jay Taliella said in a statement from X that the coastal combat ship USS Cincinnati was also nearby.

Merrill only confirmed to CNN that Cincinnati was active in the South China Sea.

Chinese ships collide with the South China Sea

Chinese ships collide with the South China Sea

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Phonop on Wednesday was near the first Scarborough Shawl in over six years, according to Colin Co, a Singaporean researcher who holds the U.S. Freedom of Navigation Database, according to Colin Co, a researcher at S. Rajaratnam International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore.

It was also the second phonop of 2025 after one in the Splatley Islands in May.

According to KOH’s database, the US ran five people in 2023, then ran two Fonops in the South China Sea in 2024.

China says such a mission by the United States threatens sovereignty, peace and stability in the South China Sea.

Tensions around Scarborough Shoal, home to rich fishing grounds, are increasing as Beijing becomes more assertive by asserting sovereignty over most of the South China Sea.

Wednesday’s US naval operation took place two days after a Chinese navy guided missile destroyer and a Coast Guard vessel collided near shallow waters while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.

The collision caused major damage to the bow of a Chinese Coast Guard ship.

In a report by the state-run Global Times late Wednesday, Chinese experts were blamed on the incident in the Philippines on Monday and indirectly in the United States, an ally of the National Defense Treaty.

The Philippine Coast Guard vessel repeatedly carried out dangerous maneuvers in front of the Chinese Coast Guard vessel, according to a Global Times report, which states that it will not mention the existence of Chinese destroyers.

The media outlet reported that Chinese experts have said that “the operation of a Philippine ship severely violated the safety of the Chinese ship’s voyages and seriously violated the most fundamental principles and regulations of maritime voyages.”

The report was accompanied by a 26-second video clip. This is said to indicate the reckless behavior of the Philippine ship, but it did not show the moment of collision between the Chinese ships.

“The Philippines is fully liable for the resulting damages, and all losses must be borne by the Philippine ship that caused and caused the incident at sea,” the report said, with a possible reference to the collision, and China does not specifically acknowledge.

Former US Navy captain Carl Schuster reviewed CNN’s Global Times video and said that the Chinese ship is an overtaking vessel and is responsible for showing its intentions towards the Philippine ship.

“There is no evidence that they did that, and the Philippine Coast Guard vessels are not obligated to be strong,” Schuster said.

The Global Times article cited Yang Xiao, a maritime affairs expert at the Institute of Modern International Relations in China. He pointed out a finger of criticism to the US military for training Philippine allies with grey zone tactics.

Yang said the tactics violate “the internationally accepted norms of maritime law enforcement,” and “can lead to serious miscalculation at sea and increased risk of conflict.”

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Permission to climb the world’s tallest mountain costs an impressive $15,000. This is before adding airfare, gear and guide prices.

However, Nepal has been trying to diversify its tourism supply beyond Mount Everest, but has come up with new plans to attract tourists to areas that visit cheaper and cheaper.

The government has announced that it will open 97 peaks to international climbers in Karnari and Sudrupasim, two provinces in western Nepal.

“There are so many mountains in Nepal,” Himal Gautam, director of Nepal Tourism, told CNN.

“To date, the Nepal government has opened 462 mountains for commercial expeditions. 102 mountains are still virgins and they are waiting for the first climbers.” He did not specify exactly which mountains were closed.

Gautam added that “these mountains are not being sold properly” due to the remoteness and poverty of the area.

Karnari and Sudurpasim are adjacent to the Uttarakhand state of India on one side and the Tibet region on the other.

Gautam said permission to climb these Himalayan peaks is free for the next two climbing seasons. The government then reevaluates the plan. 77 mountains are located in Karnali, while 20 others are located in Sudrupasim.

“The Nepal government wants to spread it to the global climbing community, as there are so many attractive and valuable mountains in these two provinces. And there are many other tourist destinations (there) there,” Gautam said.

It’s not easy to bring travelers to these areas. Sudurpaschim is 535 km (330 miles) from Kahmundu, while Karnali is about 400 km (250 miles). Both require a 3-hour flight from the capital. Entering Sudurpaschim and Karnali, the roads are challenging and amenities are sparse.

Tourism is a large company in Nepal.

The country welcomed 1.15 million international tourists in 2024, and the tourism industry employs over 1 million Nepali people.

Overcrowding on the world’s tallest mountains has seen an increase in problems over the past few decades. As a result, Nepal, which lives up to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, has made efforts to crack down on the number of unprepared climbers in Everest, while also redirecting tourists to other parts of the country.

The price of mountain climbing permits rose 36% from $11,000 earlier this year. And now Everest climbers must provide evidence of previously expanded mountains of at least one 7,000 metres or more.

Some of the mountains on the new free crime list fit your bill and offer the opportunity to practice, explore and set records.

Editor’s Note: Reported by Esha Mitra of CNN.

Peruvian President Dina Boralto signed the law on Wednesday and signed a bill that would grant pardon to civilian Self-Defense Force members who participated in counterterrorism efforts during a bloody 20-year battle with police officers, military personnel and left-wing guerrilla groups.

The pardon covers security forces members who have been accused of abuse during that period but have already been found guilty or who have been accused of terrorism or public corruption.

Between 1980 and 2000, Peruvian security forces were engaged in battles with rebel groups, including the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, which killed an estimated 69,000 people, between 1980 and 2000, according to the Peruvian Truth Committee.

In addition to those killed, many people disappeared.

The pardon has been opposed by several human rights groups who argue that it undermines efforts to bring accountability for the atrocities committed during that time. Some lawmakers opposed the passage of the law in Congress.

The pardon also applies to people over the age of 70 who are already in prison, unless they are convicted of terrorism or public corruption.

Currently, more than 1,000 people have been indicted or investigated for participation in the fight against terrorism, according to the official newspaper El Peruano.

During the signing ceremony, Bolalto said the new law would benefit those who defended the country from terrorist groups.

“Let’s make this pardon a message of peace rather than division. Turn the page and it’s time to close the malicious, bloody chapters that terrorism represents,” the president said.

Justice Minister Enrique Alcantara defended the new law and rejected the idea that it promotes immunity.

“This law calls for justice and is based on the principles set out in our Peruvian Constitution and the Inter-American Treaty on Human Rights. Everyone has the right to resolve the legal situation in a reasonable amount of time,” he said.

However, Human Rights Watch said the new law is “betrayal” for victims of abuse.

“(The law) undermines decades of efforts to ensure accountability for atrocities and further weaken the country’s rule of law,” said Juanita Goebertus, American director at Human Rights Watch.