China Urged to Prioritize Economy Over Territorial Ambitions, Says Taiwan’s President Lai 
U.S. Expected to Expand Travel Ban to More Than 30 Countries 
Australia and Japan Strengthen Defence Cooperation Amid Rising Regional Tensions 
Cuba Reaffirms Anti-Drug Cooperation as Tensions Rise in the Caribbean 
Taiwan Opposition Criticizes Plan to Block Chinese App Rednote Over Security Concerns 
Pentagon Probe Finds Hegseth’s Use of Signal Risked Exposing Sensitive Yemen Strike Details 
New Orleans Immigration Crackdown Sparks Fear as Federal Arrests Intensify 
Hong Kong Faces Low Turnout in “Patriots-Only” Election Amid Public Grief After Deadly Fire 
California Launches Portal for Reporting Alleged Misconduct by Federal Immigration Agents 
U.S. Justice Department Orders Intensified Probe Into Antifa and Domestic Extremist Groups 
Drones Spotted Near Zelenskiy’s Flight Path in Ireland Trigger Security Alert 
Trump Administration Tightens H-1B Visa Vetting With New Focus on Free Speech and Censorship 
Honduras Election Turmoil Deepens as Nasralla Alleges Fraud in Tight Presidential Race 
Israel Receives Body of Deceased Hostage as Rafah Crossing Reopening Hinges on Final Returns 
Taiwan Signals Openness to Renew Ties with Honduras as Election Unfolds 
China’s Expanding Maritime Military Presence Alarms Taiwan and Japan 
Trump and Lula Discuss Trade, Sanctions, and Security in “Productive” Phone Call 
Israel confirmed on Tuesday that it had received the body of Staff Sergeant Itay Chen from Hamas through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza. According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Chen’s remains were formally identified following their handover. Hamas claimed it had discovered the body in Shejaia, an eastern suburb of Gaza City, where the group said Israeli forces had allowed joint access for recovery operations.
The exchange occurred under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that began on October 10, allowing Hamas to release all 20 surviving hostages in Gaza in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. As part of the agreement, Hamas pledged to return the remains of deceased hostages but has cited the extensive destruction across Gaza as a challenge to locating all bodies. Israel has accused the group of delaying the process.
So far, Hamas has returned 21 of the 28 Israeli hostages’ bodies believed to be buried in Gaza, while Israel has handed over 270 bodies of Palestinians killed since the conflict erupted in October 2023, according to Gaza health officials.
The war began after Hamas-led militants launched a deadly cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel’s extensive military campaign in Gaza has killed over 68,000 Palestinians, health officials in the enclave report.
Despite the ongoing ceasefire, violence continues sporadically. Palestinian health officials claim that Israeli strikes have killed 239 people since the truce took effect, including nearly half in a single day last week following a militant assault. Israel reported three soldiers killed and dozens of militants targeted near its withdrawal lines.
Chen was serving as a soldier when he was captured during Hamas’s October 7 assault on southern Israel.
