Online Reporter
Donald Trump ordered Israel to “immediately” stop bombing Gaza as he welcomed Hamas’ partial acceptance of his ultimatum to end the nearly two-year war.
Hamas has agreed to release all hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, as well as surrender governing power in the Gaza Strip, in accordance with Trump’s plan.
In a statement on Friday evening, the Palestinian militant group asked for further negotiations on other parts of the plan, and did not say whether it would lay down its arms — a key part of Trump’s proposal unveiled on Monday last week.
Despite the qualified response by Hamas, Trump said in a post on Truth Social: “Based on the statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting peace.
“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that.
“We are already in discussions on details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone; this is about long sought peace in the Middle East.”
In a brief video message posted separately, Trump said it was a “very special day” and added that “everybody will be treated fairly”.
The unprecedented order from Trump underlined that Israel and Hamas are the closest they have been in two years to achieving an end to the war in Gaza.
After the Hamas response, the office of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a statement cited by the local media, saying Israel was preparing for an “immediate implementation” of the first stage of the plan for the immediate release of all hostages.
“We will continue to work in full cooperation with the president and his team to end the war in accordance with the principles laid out by Israel, which correspond with Trump’s vision for ending the war,” the statement said, making no mention of Trump’s demand that Israel stop bombing Gaza.
Trump is widely seen as the only international leader with the power to compel Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire deal. — theguardian.com
****************
Fathers entitled to equal parental leave, SA top court rules
South Africa’s highest court has unanimously ruled that all parents of new-borns are entitled to equal parental leave — a landmark judgment hailed as a major victory for gender equality and family rights.
Under the current law, mothers are granted four months of leave, while fathers receive just 10 days.
In its ruling, the Constitutional Court declared parts of the legislation unconstitutional, calling it discriminatory against fathers, and ruled that both parents may now share the granted leave however they choose.
“This is a ground-breaking step for equality, family well-being and the future of fatherhood in South Africa,” said Sthembiso Phakathi, founder of Single Dads Network.
In 2023, a lower court found certain sections of the Basic Conditions of Employment
Act (BCE) Act and the Unemployment Insurance Fund Act (UIF) unjust and ruled that
they violated the rights of various family structures.
The Gauteng High Court then ruled that the law unfairly treated types of parents differently regarding the length of parental leave and unemployment benefits received.
The case was brought to court by a married couple, the Commission for Gender Equality and others, who sought to address the unfair societal burden placed primarily on mothers, highlighting that parenting responsibilities should be shared.
The petitioners argued that the current legislation unfairly discriminated against parents who were not the birth mother — specifically, fathers, adoptive parents and parents of children born to surrogates — by granting them only 10 days of parental leave, while the birth mother received four months.
Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Zukisa Tshiqi said both parents should be entitled to share the available days as they saw fit, describing the current law outdated and one which “unfairly burdened mothers and excluded fathers”. — bc.com
****************
Egypt accuses Ethiopia of “reckless” Nile management as flooding fears rise
Egypt has launched a sharp diplomatic offensive against Ethiopia, accusing its upstream neighbour of “reckless and irresponsible” management of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) after unilateral water releases were linked to severe flooding in Sudan, raising fears for Egyptian lands and lives.
In a statement, Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation condemned Ethiopia’s actions as a violation of international law.
The ministry asserted that “reckless unilateral measures” in operating the “illegal dam” represent a “direct threat to the lives and security of the peoples of the downstream states”.
It further charged that Ethiopia’s practices “expose beyond doubt the falsehood” of its previous claims of causing no harm. — Wires
The accusations centre on the management of the GERD, a US$5 billion mega-dam that Ethiopia officially inaugurated on September 9.
The dam, located on the Blue Nile, is Africa’s largest hydroelectric facility and can hold up to 74 billion cubic metres of water.
Egypt alleges that Ethiopia opened the dam’s gates without coordination, causing a sudden convergence of water that, combined with heavy rainfall, submerged Sudanese villages and agricultural lands.
In response to the rising threat, Egyptian authorities have activated emergency protocols.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly warned that water levels are expected to rise through October, threatening northern governorates.
Local authorities in areas like Beheira and Monufia have ordered evacuations of riverside homes, with reports of floodwaters already submitting lands in the Ashmoun District.
The crisis has escalated diplomatic tensions.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty emphasised that Egypt “fully retains its right … to defend its existential interests and water rights by all means and tools”, underscoring the high stakes in the long-running dispute over the Nile’s waters. – Wires
Ends
