February 25, 2025

Israel prepares to occupy Gaza with US backing "Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said that the military is gearing up to occupy Gaza under newly appointed Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir—coordinating efforts with US President Donald Trump’s administration. Smotrich issued a stark warning to the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, vowing a devastating offensive. He also said that when they decide the time has come to resume the war, everyone will be surprised by the unity, strength, and lethal precision of Israel's Gaza occupation. The Trump administration, he added, firmly backs the Israeli invasion of Gaza." UNSC passes resolution calling for end to Russia-Ukraine war "The UN Security Council has passed a resolution urging a “swift end” to the Russia-Ukraine war, though it fell short of stronger language pushed by the UK and EU. The US-drafted measure passed with 10 votes in favor and five abstentions. While hailed as a crucial step toward peace, the resolution avoided direct mention of Russia’s annexations—fueling criticism. European envoys stressed Ukraine must dictate its own peace, rejecting any “false equivalence” between aggressor and victim." Russia proposes joint exploration of rare earth metals, energy with US "Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a rare economic deal with the US, offering joint exploration of rare earth metals and a potential supply of 2 million tons of aluminum annually—if US tariffs are lifted. He also hinted at energy cooperation in Siberia. Putin chaired a meeting with his officials to discuss rare earth metals following US President Donald Trump's statement, in which he said major economic development transactions with Russia would take place. Meanwhile, the Russian president signaled openness to slashing defence budgets by 50 percent to ease global tensions." Fighting in DR Congo's east kills 7,000 since January "Fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern region has claimed 7,000 lives since January, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka has confirmed. Speaking in Geneva, she highlighted that over 3,000 deaths occurred in Goma alone, many of them civilians. Tuluka echoed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' concerns about the M23 rebel offensive, which is fuelling violence and human rights abuses. Amid growing fears of a regional war, she called for an immediate ceasefire and troop withdrawal, and welcomed US sanctions against Rwanda for supporting the rebel group." Apple announces $500B US investment in software development "Apple has pledged a massive investment of over $500 billion in the US over the next four years, a move that will create 20,000 new jobs, focusing on research and development, artificial intelligence, and software development. The tech giant will also open a manufacturing plant in Houston and an academy in Detroit to support advanced manufacturing. The company's CEO Tim Cook expressed confidence in America's innovation future, further cementing the company’s commitment to US growth, following President Trump's tariff-driven push for domestic production."