PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

 Trump pledges to disarm Hamas, offers few details on Gaza's future President Donald Trump spent a whirlwind 12 hours in the Middle East on Monday, celebrating what he called a “new dawn” for the region as the first phase of a ceasefire deal he helped broker between Israel and Hamas began. The deal, which included the release of the last 20 living Israeli hostages and the return of some Palestinian prisoners to Gaza, marked a major milestone after months of tense negotiations. Back in Washington, Trump faced questions about the next steps, particularly the disarmament of Hamas, a key component of his 20-point peace plan that was not addressed in the initial phase. “They’re going to disarm, and because they said they were going to disarm. And if they don’t disarm, we will disarm them,” Trump said, declining to provide specifics on how it would be done. When asked about a timeline, he offered only “pretty quickly” and “a reasonable period of time.” Trump also said the process could b...

 2 hikers hospitalized after grizzly bear and cubs encounter on trail Two hikers were hospitalized after being attacked by a grizzly bear while encountering a mother bear and her two cubs on a trail in British Columbia, Canada. The incident happened on Sunday on Farm Cabin Trail near Pass Lake, according to the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service (COS). The hikers, who were not named, were taken to the University Hospital of Northern BC, where officials say both are in stable condition and recovering. Investigators from the COS Predator Attack Team concluded the bear acted defensively, and no action will be taken against the animals due to the location and circumstances of the attack. The trail remains closed, and signage has been posted warning hikers about the presence of bears, with authorities urging the public to respect the closure. COS officials also reminded hikers of safety precautions in bear country. They advised staying alert, making noise to avoid surprising ...

 Hong Kong lawmakers approve bill to regulate Uber and other ride-hailing services Hong Kong lawmakers on Wednesday approved a bill to regulate online ride-hailing services, requiring platforms such as Uber, along with their vehicles and drivers, to obtain official licenses, ending years of tension with the city’s taxi industry. Officials said the first licensed platforms are not expected to begin operating until late 2026 at the earliest. Under the new rules, the transport commissioner will consider a company’s experience, financial capacity, and planned investments in Hong Kong when granting licenses. Licensed services must maintain “proper and efficient” operations and ensure all vehicles and drivers hold valid permits. Drivers must be at least 21 years old, hold a private car license for at least one year, have no serious traffic convictions in the past five years, and complete a pre-service course and test. The bill represents a major development for ride-hailing in Hong Kong,...

 Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Odinga dies in India  Kenyan opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga dies in India, some Indian and Kenyan media report, quoting hospital and police sources. Odinga, 80, who had arrived at Koothattukulam in Kerala's Ernakulam district for Ayurvedic treatment, died on Wednesday following a cardiac arrest, news agency Press Trust of India reports, quoting police and hospital authorities. There has been no official confirmation by the Kenyan government. President William Ruto is set to hold a press conference. However, Reuters News Agency reports a source in Odinga's office has confirmed the news. Odinga collapsed during a morning walk within the premises of the Ayurvedic facility and was rushed to a private hospital in Koothattukulam, where he was pronounced dead around 9.52 am, a spokesman for the Ayurvedic eye hospital told Press Trust of India. Some African leaders have started sending their condolences with Ethiopian P...

 ‘Anyone Not Wearing Tinubu’s Cap Will Be Sent Out’ — Okpebholo Warns Commissioners Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo has read a riot act to commisisoners in the state, threatening to send any of them that failed to wear ‘Asiwaju cap’ – also known as ‘President Bola Tinubu cap’ – out of the weekly Executive Council meeting. Okpebholo said he would not forgive any of the commissioners that failed to wear the cap. The governor read the riot act on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, during the swearing in of 20 new commissioners and members of various boards in the state. Okpebholo, who said the swearing in of the appointees wouldn’t have been possible without the support of President Bola Tinubu, noted that several elections have been conducted in the state in the past and the All Progressives Congress, APC, lost because of lack of support from the sitting president. “First of all, before we begin I want to say that this couldn’t have happened if we did not have a responsible President. W...

 ‘APC filled with most corrupt people’ – Macaroni reacts to Tinubu’s pardon for criminals Content creator and activist, Mr Macaroni has tagged the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as a party filled with the most corrupt members. Mr Macaroni stated this amid the ongoing controversy and criticism trailing the recent presidential pardon granted to some convicted criminals in Nigeria. DAILY POST reports that President Bola Tinubu granted pardon to 175 drug barons, human traffickers, murderers, illegal miners, and other notorious criminals last week. The development sparked criticism and condemnation from Nigerians especially on social media. A user @DOlusegun wrote; “In saner climes, civil society organizations should be on the streets protesting pardon of the criminal alams by now”. Reposting the post on his X handle, Mr Macaroni accused APC of now practicing all the evils they once condemned without conscience. While describing APC as marriage of doom, Macaroni wrote, “Every ev...

 German policy needs a decisive "Africa shift", association says German economic policy is in need of a decisive "Africa shift" in light of geopolitical tensions and critical dependencies on raw materials, the Sub-Saharan Africa Initiative of German Business (SAFRI), a paper seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed, Reuters reported. "Africa is not just a market for the future, but a partner for our economic resilience," said SAFRI chairman Thomas Schaefer. "If we are serious about diversification, raw material security and new growth areas, we must act now." Raw materials such as lithium, copper, and cobalt are indispensable for the transformation of the economy and SAFRI called for legally binding strategic raw-material deals with African partners to reduce dependencies on individual countries. "Export stoppages from China are already leading to declines in production in Germany today and thus also endangering Europe as an industrial location,...