India-Pakistan truce. Top military officials from the countries are meeting today after a truce announced on Saturday mostly held. U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington helped mediate the talks that ended four days of fighting; Pakistan also cited support from China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom (UK). Both sides declared military victory.
Hamas to free Israeli-American. Hamas agreed to release hostage Edan Alexander as part of a “good faith” gesture in response to mediation efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, Trump wrote yesterday on social media. A senior Hamas official said that the group is ready to make a deal to end the war and exchange prisoners. The Israeli prime minister’s office said the country remains committed to all of its war objectives.
Kurdish insurgent group disbands. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) announced today it will disband and disarm after forty years of insurgency against Turkey, saying it has “completed its historic mission.” The group had announced a unilateral ceasefire against Turkey in March. The conflict has hampered economic development in southeast Turkey for decades. Next steps for disarmament were not immediately clear; the PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey and Western allies.
Zelenskyy to travel for talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would go to Istanbul on Thursday in an effort to begin peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin there. Putin suggested meeting in Turkey after Zelenskyy called for a thirty-day ceasefire last week. The last time the two leaders met in person was in December 2019.
Bangladesh bans political party. The interim government announced a ban on the Awami League Saturday while lawsuits against the party run their course. A UN fact finding committee said in February that members of the party and law enforcement officials killed 1,400 people in demonstrations last year. The party, whose most recent leader fled to India in August after a student-led protest movement, called the interim government and the ban illegitimate on its social media page.
Iran nuclear talks. Three hours of talks in Oman yesterday between U.S. envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were “difficult but useful,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said. Araghchi said Iran was willing to temporarily alter the total amount and the purity of its uranium enrichment to build confidence, but it would not forsake domestic enrichment completely. Both sides agreed to continue talking.
UK to cut legal migration. The UK government announced it will restrict work visas for lower-skilled jobs, toughen requirements for permanent settlement in the country, and end the ability to recruit care workers internationally. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the changes would include an increase in domestic workforce training. They come after the anti-immigration party Reform UK made gains in recent local elections.
Detained Tufts University student released. Turkish graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk was released from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention on Friday, after a judge said she had raised a “substantial claim” that her constitutional rights were violated. The Trump administration is seeking to deport Öztürk, saying she was potentially undermining U.S. foreign policy. The administration produced no evidence against Öztürk other than an op-ed criticizing Tufts’ response to the Israel-Hamas war, the judge said.
