Latest News
Gaza peace plan talks to continue as Trump says chance of a deal is ‘really good’
Indirect talks aimed at reaching a final agreement on a US peace plan to end the war in Gaza are set to continue on today [Tuesday] in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
Palestinian and Egyptian officials have told the BBC that the sessions are focused on “creating the field conditions” for a possible exchange that would see the release of all Israeli hostages in return for a number of Palestinian prisoners.
Israel’s prime minister said on Saturday that he hoped to announce the release of hostages “in the coming days”.
As the officials met on Monday, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House: “We have a really good chance of making a deal, and it’ll be a lasting deal.”
Hamas has said it agrees to the peace plan proposals in part, but has not responded to several key demands – including its disarmament and not having any future role in the governance of Gaza.
The second day of the talks, which will see Egyptian and Qatari officials holding shuttle meetings with delegations from both Israel and Hamas separately, will be taking place on the second anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response. Since then, 67,160 have been killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza, including 18,000 children, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
In a statement commemorating the anniversary, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Trump’s plan “presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end”.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reiterated his support for the plan in his statement commemorating the anniversary, saying: “We welcome the US initiative towards peace in the Middle East, and this government will do everything in our power to bring about the day where every child of Israel can live peacefully, alongside their Palestinian neighbours, in safety and security.”
A senior Israeli security source said the talks initially would focus only on the release of hostages and give Hamas a few days to complete that phase.
These discussions are expected to be among the most consequential since the start of the war and could determine whether a path toward ending the conflict is finally within reach.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani are among those attending.
Trump, writing on social media, has urged everyone involved in efforts to end the Gaza war to “move fast” and says he has been told the first phase of the peace plan – which includes the hostage release – “should be completed this week”.
On Monday, he told reporters that “Hamas has been agreeing to things that are very important.”
“I really think we’re going to have a deal,” he said at the White House.
A Palestinian official close to the negotiations told the Reuters news agency that the first session ended late Monday evening, and more talks were due to take place on Tuesday.
State-affiliated Al-Qahera News also said talks would continue on Tuesday – and that the first day had ended “amid a positive atmosphere”.
The 20-point plan, which has been agreed upon by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, proposes an immediate end to fighting and the release of 48 hostages, only 20 of whom are thought to be alive, in exchange for hundreds of detained Gazans.
The plan stipulates that once both sides agree to the proposal “full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip”.
It also states that Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza, and it leaves the door open for an eventual Palestinian state.
However, after the plan was announced publicly a week ago, Netanyahu reinstated his longstanding opposition to a Palestinian state, saying in a video statement: “It’s not written in the agreement. We said we would strongly oppose a Palestinian state.”
On Friday, Hamas responded to the proposal in a statement, in which the group agreed “to release all Israeli prisoners, both living and dead, according to the exchange formula contained in Trump’s proposal” – if the proper conditions for the exchanges are met.
It did not specifically mention or accept Trump’s 20-point plan but said it “renews its agreement to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats), based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support.”
The statement made no mention of one of the key demands of the plan – that Hamas agree to its disarmament and to playing no further role in the governance of Gaza.
It added that the part of the proposals dealing with the future of Gaza and the rights of Palestinian people was still being discussed “within a national framework”, of which it said Hamas will be a part.
Many Palestinians described Hamas’ response to the peace plan as unexpected, after days of indications that the group was preparing to reject or at least heavily condition its acceptance of Trump’s peace plan proposal.
Instead, Hamas refrained from including its traditional “red lines” in the official statement, a move many interpret as a sign of external pressure.
European and Middle Eastern leaders have welcomed the proposal. The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has called the US president’s efforts “sincere and determined”.
Iran – which has been one of Hamas’s main sponsors for many years – has also now signalled its support for Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
Israeli bombardment continued in several parts of the Gaza Strip on Monday ahead of the talks beginning.
Israel is carrying out an offensive in the city, which it has said is aimed at securing the release of the remaining hostages.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defence, told the BBC that “no aid trucks have been allowed into Gaza City since the offensive began four weeks ago”.
“There are still bodies we cannot retrieve from areas under Israeli control,” he said.
Hundreds of thousands of Gaza City residents have been forced to flee after the Israeli military ordered evacuations to a designated “humanitarian area” in the south, but hundreds of thousands more are believed to have remained.
Israel’s defence minister has warned that those who stay during the offensive would be “terrorists and supporters of terror”.
In the last 24 hours, 21 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and a further 96 injured, the Hamas-run health ministry said in its latest update.
International journalists have been banned by Israel from entering the Gaza Strip independently since the start of the war, making verifying claims from both sides difficult.
[BBC]
Mark Chapman bludgeoned 78 off 28 balls before New Zealand survived a late onslaught to record their first T20I victory of the home season in a bounce back against West Indies at Eden Park.
West Indies were down and out in the 208-run chase at 93 for 6 in the 13th over. They needed 18 an over from there but the required rate suddenly nosedived as Rovman Powell launched stunning hitting at the death.
Needing 16 runs off the final over, West Indies were suddenly in the box seat after a couple of Matthew Forde boundaries meant they required eight off four balls.
But Powell holed out to quick Kyle Jamieson on the fourth ball in a game-changer before Forde could only score a single off the final delivery as West Indies fell three runs short.
Jamieson held his nerve with a superb slower ball in a major relief for New Zealand, who were under pressure after a seven-run defeat in the series-opener at the same ground just 24 hours earlier.
After New Zealand were sent in to bat, Chapman ignited his side in favourable batting conditions and completely dominated the middle-latter overs with a slew of belligerent blows.
While chasing, West Indies succumbed to spinners Ish Sodhi, the only change from either team from game one, and Mitchell Santner combining for six wickets.
There was a late twist but the result snapped the West Indies’ five-game T20I winning streak.
DRS was used in this match after technical issues meant the technology could not be in place for the opener.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 207 for 5 in 20 overs (Mark Chapman 78, Tim Robinson 39, Devon Conway 16, Rachin Ravindra 11, Daryl Mitchell 28*, Mitchell Santner 18*; Mathew Forde 1-17, Jason Holder 1-34, Romario Shepherd 1-38, Roston Chase 2-33) beat West Indies 204 for 8 in 20 overs (Alick Athanaze 33, Shai Hope 24, Jason Holder 16, Rovman Powell 45, Romario Shepherd 34, Mathew Forde 29*; Jacob Duffy 1-21, Kyle Jamieson 1-51, Michell Santner 3-31, Ish Sodhi 3-39) by three runs
[Cricinfo]
The Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill for the year 2026 (Budget Speech) is scheduled to be presented to Parliament tomorrow (07) at 1.30 p.m. by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance.
Subsequently, the debate on the Appropriation Bill (Budget Debate) is scheduled to be held from November 8 to December 5, 2025.
The Appropriation Bill for 2026, which was presented to Parliament for the First Reading on September 26, 2025, will have its Second Reading Debate for 6 days from November 8 to 14. Accordingly, the vote on the Second Reading will be held on November 14 at 6.00 p.m.
The Committee Stage Debate on the Appropriation Bill for the year 2026 will take place for 17 days, from November 15 to December 5, including 3 Saturdays. The Third Reading Vote on the Appropriation Bill will then be held on December 5 at 6.00 p.m.
During the Budget Period the Budget Debate will be held every day, including Saturdays, except for public holidays and Sundays. Also, during the Committee Stage Debate Period, Parliament is scheduled to meet at 9.30 a.m. on Mondays and at 9.00 a.m. on all other days.
Accordingly, during this period, in addition to the business under Standing Orders 22(1) to (6), time has been allocated for 5 Questions for Oral Answers and 1 Question under Standing Orders 27(2). Also, during this period, the Budget Debate is scheduled to be held until 6.00 p.m. and on all days except voting days, from 6.00 to 6.30 p.m., time will be allotted for Motions at the Adjournment Time based on a 50:50 allocation between the Government and the Opposition.
The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Kandy, Kegalle and Ratnapura valid from 12:30 hrs on 06.11.2025 to 12:30 hrs on 07.11.2025
Accordingly,
Level II warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Division and surrounding areas of Yatiyanthota in the Kegalle district and Ratnapura, Elapatha and Kuruwita in the Ratnapura district.
Level I warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Division and surrounding areas of Ganga Ihala Korale in the Kandy district, Warakapola and Kegalle in the Kegalle district and Kiriella, Kahawaththa, Ayagama, Kalawana, Eheliyagoda, Nivithigala and Pelmadulla in the Ratnapura district.
China sentences infamous Myanmar scam mafia members to death
Chapman stars as New Zealand survive West Indies scare to level series
President to present the 2026 Budget tomorrow (7th November) at 1.30 p.m.
Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Kandy, Kegalle and Ratnapura
Death toll from Kentucky UPS plane crash rises to 12, black box recovered
Seven Italian climbers missing in Nepal as storms, avalanches leave 9 dead
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Features7 days agoEndane Biodiversity Corridor – Reuniting forest, rekindling life
-
News5 days agoTeachers threaten strike against education reforms and ‘bid to shut down more than 1,500 schools’
-
Features5 days agoRolls – Royce in Ceylon
-
News5 days agoSri Lanka: Fewer births, rapid ageing mark a new demographic era
-
News6 days agoSupermarkets to charge shoppers for bags from today
-
Business6 days agoRs. 2 billion private sector leisure and real estate investment in Pinnawela
-
Business4 days agoRajaputhra Foundation, Nawaloka Hospitals partner for free breast cancer awareness and screening
-
Opinion7 days agoLeading Sri Lanka’s savings culture with innovation — NSB honoured with the prestigious International WSBI Award