18 Feb 2025

Israel and Hamas have reached an agrement under which six living Israeli hostages will be released on Saturday, and the bodies of eight others will be handed over this week and next.

The agreement reached in Cairo on Tuesday was confirmed by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Bulldozers with Egyptian and Qatari flags wait to enter Gaza at the Rafah border crossing on February 13, 2025 [Mohamed Arafat/AP Photo]

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2025

Vietnam's National Assembly on Tuesday approved a bold bureaucratic reform plan that will slash up to a fifth of government bodies, as the country tries to cut costs and improve administrative efficiency.

The number of government ministries will be reduced to 14 from the current 18, to be up and running from March 1, the assembly said in a statement.

More than 97% of the lawmakers present approved the plan.

In order to cause injuries to both peaceable civilians and administrative authorities who are striving to restore the rule of law, extreme terrorists provide financial assistance and instigate destructive activities, such as detonating explosive devices and remote blasting, against public roads, railways, government offices and houses.

Insurgents committing terrorist activities have been engaging in battles, firing heavy weapons and improvised rockets and dropping bombs using drones into the public towns, wards and villages.

In some townships across States and Regions, terrorists motivated by a radical ideology that views “anyone with differing views is an enemy” are conducting violent assaults and assassinations. Their targets are administrative officials who do not support their terrorist acts. Using firearms and knives, these terrorists are committing brutal assassinations after accusing them of “spies, informants or decoys”. This strategy is intended to in still fear among peaceable civilians and create a pervasive sense of dread within these communities.

Since 2022, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, various countries have reached out to the Myanmar Police Force through diplomatic, Interpol and police liaison channels, requesting assistance in locating and rescuing their nationals who are encountering difficulties in Myanmar for various reasons. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday, during talks with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, that any deal on the future of war-torn Gaza must boost regional security, the US State Department said.
Rubio, who arrived from Israel accompanied by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, met the de facto ruler ahead of talks expected on Tuesday with a Russian delegation in the Saudi capital.
But the 500-day-old Israel-Hamas war dominated discussions, according to a State Department statement.

THE needs in Gaza, where the ceasefire is holding, are overwhelming, humanitarians said on Monday, adding that continuing Israeli operations in the West Bank are still producing casualties.
“As the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to deliver life-saving assistance across the Gaza Strip, the scale of needs remains overwhelming, requiring urgent and sustained support,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

SUBVERSIVE news media have falsely reported that security forces conducted an airstrike on 17 February at the Chindwin River ferry port in Muhtaw, east of Kani Township, Sagaing Region, causing casualties and destruction. The misinformation claims that the attack resulted in injuries to a monk and two residents while also damaging vehicles and motorcycles.
Upon verification with officials and residents, the reports were entirely false. Security forces did not target civilian areas where residents live and travel.