World leaders return to UN amid wars in Middle East and Ukraine

The White House has criticised CNN reporter Kristen Holmes after she questioned US President Donald Trump about his relationship with executive assistant Natalie Harp. The confrontation took place during an Oval Office event on Monday honouring 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams, who recently rescued a child from dangerous ocean swells off California. Holmes asked Trump about remarks made by Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, who had recently referred to Harp during a campaign speech. The question drew a sharp response from the White House, which accused the reporter of using an event honouring a young hero to raise an unrelated political issue. Trump also confronted Holmes when she later asked a question about North Korea. He called her “very disrespectful” and told her to remain quiet, accusing her of being “fake news.” The White House’s Rapid Response team separately criticised Holmes on social media, describing her question as inappropriate and directing strong personal remarks at the journalist. CNN strongly defended Holmes and condemned the White House’s response. The network said the attacks were inappropriate and “beneath the office” of the presidency. It also said it stood firmly behind its reporter. The dispute comes amid increased public attention surrounding Harp, a former television news personality who has become a prominent member of Trump’s staff. She is frequently seen accompanying the president and has gained attention for regularly providing him with printed information, earning her the nickname “human printer.” Harp was also reportedly among a small group of aides present during a secret Air Force One aircraft change in July, prompting speculation and discussion online. Ossoff recently criticised Trump over his focus on a planned $400 million White House ballroom and his association with Harp. Trump dismissed the senator’s remarks and attacked him personally while defending the ballroom project. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung also criticised Ossoff, calling him a political loser. The latest clash adds to growing tensions between the Trump administration and journalists, particularly female reporters who have faced public criticism from the president and his allies.

US President Donald Trump announced that the international Board of Peace has reached a historic agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in the Gaza Strip. Under the proposed framework, Hamas has agreed to the phased inventorying, storage, and decommissioning of its heavy and light weaponry under Palestinian supervision, marking the first time in the group’s history that it has accepted a formal plan to disarm completely. The agreement forms the core of the second phase of the US-brokered 20-point peace plan designed to end the long-running war. According to the terms, Israeli military forces will gradually withdraw from Gaza as disarmament milestones are met, transferring local security to an International Stabilisation Force operating alongside a newly formed Palestinian police force. Civil administration will simultaneously transition to a technocratic governing body, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. The breakthrough follows months of intensive negotiations in Cairo mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. Internal momentum within Hamas shifted following leadership elections that elevated Gaza-based leader Khalil al-Hayya, alongside mounting pressure from the severe humanitarian crisis affecting over two million residents in the enclave. Senior Hamas officials confirmed their acceptance of the framework and indicated an official statement would be issued shortly, expecting mediators and the Board of Peace to guarantee Israeli compliance with the withdrawal timeline. Uncertainties remain regarding full implementation, as Israeli officials have expressed skepticism and maintained that complete demilitarisation remains a non-negotiable prerequisite. US officials acknowledged that whilst full disarmament and troop withdrawal could take up to a year, the consensus represents the most viable operational roadmap for ending the conflict to date.

At least 44 people have died after an severely overcrowded passenger ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, according to updated statements from national police authorities. The vessel, which had a maximum rated capacity of 90 individuals, was carrying at least 114 adult passengers, five crew members, and an unrecorded number of children under ticketing age when it encountered severe waves. A surviving crew member reported that up to 153 passengers may have been aboard when the boat began taking on water roughly 30 minutes after departing the port town of Kariba. Zimbabwe’s Civil Protection Unit deployed a specialized aquatic rescue team and helicopters to locate dozens of individuals who remain unaccounted for. While initial emergency reports placed the confirmed death toll at 15, police retrieved additional bodies from the water throughout Wednesday afternoon, raising the official fatality count significantly. Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made lake by volume, serves as a crucial transit route for rural communities traveling between mainland settlements, fishing camps, and islands. Local officials and disaster management agencies have recommended that the incident be formally declared a national disaster as search and recovery operations continue.