GAZA/JERUSALEM -- Israel on Wednesday rejected Hamas' proposal for reaching a comprehensive ceasefire deal in Gaza to end the war, saying its army will continue to prepare for a major attack on Gaza City.
In a press statement released on Wednesday, Hamas reiterated its willingness to reach a "comprehensive deal" under which Israeli hostages in Gaza would be released in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. (Gaza Strip-Hamas-Israel)
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WASHINGTON -- A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday sided with Harvard University in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, ruling that the federal government illegally froze billions of dollars in research funds.
Allison Burroughs, judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, wrote in a ruling that "Defendants (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Justice) used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country's premier universities." (US-Trump-Harvard-Funding)
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MOSCOW -- China's trial visa-free policy for Russian citizens is "amazing news" that will change Russians' approach to travel in China, said the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST), cited by RIA Novosti.
Earlier on Tuesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced that China has decided to temporarily introduce a visa-free policy for Russian citizens holding ordinary passports starting from Sept. 15, 2025 to Sept. 14, 2026, allowing stays of up to 30 days for purposes such as business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, or exchange visits and transit. (CEI-Tourism)
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PARIS -- France's data protection authority on Wednesday fined Google for failing to comply with regulations on online trackers.
The CNIL announced it was imposing a fine of 325 million euros (378.9 million U.S. dollars) on the U.S. tech giant, according to a statement on its website. (France-Google) ■
