Faraz Saeed

Pakistan has formally launched the licencing process for cryptocurrency exchanges, marking a key milestone for the country&rsquo;s digital finance sector. With over 40 million users trading nearly $300 billion annually in the shadows, the move marks a historic shift from underground activity to a regulated digital-finance market. The government says this will boost investor trust, attract foreign capital, and make remittances faster and cheaper, setting the stage for a $300 billion crypto revolution.

Shorts

Pakistan has launched licensing for cryptocurrency exchanges, shifting a $300 billion shadow market into regulation. Officials say the move will boost investor confidence, attract foreign investment, and streamline remittances for over 40 million users.

$300B Revolution: Crypto goes legit in Pakistan government rolls out licences

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Sunday the United States wants to help China, not hurt it, striking a conciliatory tone days after threatening an additional 100 percent tariff on the world&#39;s second-largest economy.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s statements on Friday as well as his threat to cancel a meeting with Xi later this month sent Wall Street stocks tumbling into negative territory as traders worried the trade war between Washington and Beijing could reignite.&nbsp;&quot;The USA wants to help China, not hurt it!!!&quot; Trump said in Sunday&#39;s post on Truth Social, adding that &quot;respected President Xi (Jinping)doesn&#39;t want Depression for his country.&quot;&nbsp;Trump on Friday said that he would impose the extra levies from November 1 in response to what he called &quot;extraordinarily aggressive&quot; new Chinese export curbs on the rare-earths industry.&nbsp;Beijing, in turn, accused Washington of acting unfairly, with its Ministry of Commerce on Sunday calling Trump&#39;s tariff threat a &quot;typical example of &#39;double standards.&#39;&quot;&nbsp;The ministry said Washington had ratcheted up economic measures against Beijing since September.&nbsp;&quot;Threatening high tariffs at every turn is not the right approach to engaging with China,&quot; it said in an online statement.&nbsp;Chinese goods currently face US tariffs of 30 percent under levies that Trump imposed while accusing Beijing of aiding in the fentanyl trade as well as unfair trade practices.&nbsp;China&#39;s retaliatory tariffs are currently at 10 percent.&nbsp;Rare earths have been a major sticking point in recent trade negotiations between the two superpowers.&nbsp;They are critical to manufacturing everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to military hardware and renewable energy technology but produced and processed almost exclusively by China.

Americas

China

President Trump stated that the US wants to help China, not harm it, following earlier threats of higher tariffs over rare-earth exports. China criticized the tariff threat as unfair, amid ongoing trade tensions affecting global markets.


Trump says US wants to help China, not hurt it'

Maham Khan

ISLAMABAD: The latest teaser for Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan starrer Neelofar hit the Pakistani cinema scene on Sunday, creating significant buzz with its 1:37-minute runtime. Slated for a November 28 release, the teaser offers a short glimpse into a quintessential love story between the country&#39;s most famous on-screen pair. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/387cca99-e592-40c5-b192-10cce9b93d37-4.png" alt="(Neelofar the film/YouTube)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(Neelofar the film/YouTube)</figcaption></figure> This is Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan&rsquo;s third on-screen collaboration, following famed performances in Humsafar and The Legend of Maula Jatt. Love&#39;s playful prelude The teaser begins with a playful exchange that immediately captures the audience&#39;s attention. Mahira&#39;s character playfully challenges Fawad&#39;s, saying, &quot;Next time you will dance with me,&quot; to which he responds with a simple &quot;no.&quot; Her clever retort, &quot;Why? I will not see, promise,&quot; hints at her character&#39;s blindness. Nostalgia&#39;s embrace Fawad Khan appears in a study that breathes nostalgia, surrounded by books and an antique office table. Dressed in a traditional shawl and akan pajama, he picks up a woman&#39;s scarf, immediately creating a sense of memory and longing. The scene is carefully crafted to evoke a sense of past and present, drawing viewers into a living time capsule. Moments between memories The teaser navigates between different time periods, with scenes of Fawad Khan&#39;s character blindfolding himself echoing earlier moments where Neelofar ties a scarf around his eyes. Echoes of Lollywood&#39;s golden era The teaser is a nostalgic love letter to mid-20th-century Pakistani cinema. It features vintage elements like a radio cassette recorder, the main couple dancing in the fields, the heroine releasing a kabootar&nbsp;(pigeon) into the sky&ndash; &ndash;and, of course, the hero and heroine sharing a moment in the iconic green train cabin&mdash;capturing the essence of Lollywood&rsquo;s golden age. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/88c60a96-e6b4-4d4a-8eec-cad73f8afb01-2.png" alt="Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan on a Pakistani train. (Neelofar the film/YouTube)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan on a Pakistani train. (Neelofar the film/YouTube)</figcaption></figure> The mid-20th century setting is meticulously captured with Fawad Khan in a newsboy cap reminiscent of Bhutto&#39;s style. From hairstyles to clothing, the movie transports viewers to a bygone period. A love destined for heartbreak The teaser suggests a potentially tragic love story. Fawad&#39;s character appears to be reminiscing about a passionate romance marked by tragedy. One particular scene shows Neelofar leaving Pakistan, crying as she boards an airplane. Humsafar&#39;s mini reunion The film boasts an impressive ensemble cast including Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Madiha Imam, Sarwat Gilani, Atiqa Odho, and Behrooz Sabzwari. It feels like a mini Humsafar reunion, bringing together several beloved actors from that iconic drama. Producer&#39;s first dance While the film is written and directed by Ammar Rasool, it marks Fawad Khan&#39;s debut as a producer. Braille and brilliance A notable detail is the film&#39;s title displayed in Braille, cleverly reflecting Mahira&#39;s character&#39;s blindness. Audience&#39;s reaction Initial reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. Viewers expressed eagerness to see the film, particularly praising the soft music and the intimate romantic scenes between Fawad and Mahira. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/3195179d-4c47-4736-9591-b2344915e41f-1.png" alt="The movie has a mid-20th century setting. (Neelofar the film/YouTube)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">The movie has a mid-20th century setting. (Neelofar the film/YouTube)</figcaption></figure> Nostalgia gravy train It seems Pakistan will not miss out on the nostalgic (particularly the mid-20th century setting) gravy train sweeping the globe, with several 2025 releases diving into the positive, sunshine and rainbows era of the 60s. (We&rsquo;re looking at you in particular, The Fantastic Four: First Steps!) This isn&#39;t Hum&#39;s first foray into nostalgic storytelling either, with previous dramas exploring similar time periods this year alone.

Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan reunite for the third time in Neelofar. (Neelofar the film/YouTube)

Film & TV

Entertainment

This is Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan’s third on-screen collaboration, following famed performances in Humsafar and The Legend of Maula Jatt.

Mahira and Fawad: Pakistan’s ultimate on-screen couple reunites in Neelofar

MADRID: England&#39;s Marco Penge held his nerve to seal his third European Tour title of the season with a playoff victory over Daniel Brown at the Spanish Open in Madrid on Sunday.&nbsp;Penge sealed victory on the first sudden-death hole, after his fellow countryman Brown had come back from five shots behind heading into the last round.&nbsp;&quot;It felt like I was really up against it, but I feel like I managed myself really well and managed to stay solid,&quot; said world number 55 Penge.&nbsp;&quot;I felt good. I was just trying to stick to the same stuff I&#39;ve been doing for the last six months.&quot;&nbsp;Penge also won the Hainan Classic and the Danish Golf Championship earlier this year in a breakthrough campaign.&nbsp;The 27-year-old struggled to a two-over front nine to give playing partners Brown and Joel Girrbach hope after starting the day four strokes clear at the top of the leaderboard, but a birdie on the 12th helped him stay in front.&nbsp;Brown, ranked 102nd, forced added holes with a birdie on the 18th, a short par four.&nbsp;But Penge turned the tables when they played the closing hole again a few minutes later in the playoff to take the spoils.&nbsp;Switzerland&#39;s Girrbach finished alone in third place on 14-under for the tournament, one shot outside the playoff.&nbsp;Three-time champion and home favourite Jon Rahm delighted the crowds with a final-round 65 to finish in a tie for ninth.

Athletics

England’s Marco Penge won his third European Tour title of the year at the Spanish Open in Madrid, defeating Daniel Brown in a playoff. Penge held his nerve despite a challenging round, securing a breakthrough season.


England's Penge wins third title of year at Spanish Open

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is setting off for Israel and Egypt on Sunday to celebrate the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas and urge Middle East allies to seize the opportunity to build a durable peace in the volatile region. It&#39;s a fragile moment with Israel and Hamas only in the early stages of implementing the first phase of the Trump agreement designed to bring a permanent end to the war sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas-led militants. Trump thinks there is a narrow window to reshape the Mideast and reset long-fraught relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. It is a moment, the Republican president says, that has been helped along by his administration&#39;s support of Israel&#39;s decimation of Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The White House says momentum is also building because Arab and Muslim states are demonstrating a renewed focus on resolving the broader, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, in some cases, deepening relations with the United States &ldquo;I think you are going to have tremendous success and Gaza is going to be rebuilt,&rdquo; Trump said Friday. &ldquo;And you have some very wealthy countries, as you know, over there. It would take a small fraction of their wealth to do that. And I think they want to do it.&rdquo; A tenuous point in the agreementThe first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the final 48 hostages held by Hamas, including about 20 believed to be alive; the release of hundreds of Palestinian hostages held by Israel; a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gaza&rsquo;s main cities. Israeli troops on Friday finished withdrawing from parts of Gaza, triggering a 72-hour countdown under the deal for Hamas to release the Israeli hostages, potentially while Trump is on the ground there. He said he expected their return to be completed on Monday or Tuesday. Trump will visit Israel first to meet with hostage families and address the Knesset, or parliament, an honor last extended to President George W. Bush during a visit in 2008. Vice President JD Vance on Sunday said Trump also was likely to meet with newly freed hostages, too. &ldquo;Knock on wood, but we feel very confident the hostages will be released and this president is actually traveling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person,&rdquo; Vance told CBS&#39; &ldquo;Face the Nation.&rdquo; Trump then stops in Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries on peace in Gaza and the broader Middle East. It is a tenuous truce and it is unclear whether the sides have reached any agreement on Gaza&rsquo;s postwar governance, the territory&#39;s reconstruction and Israel&rsquo;s demand that Hamas disarm. Negotiations over those issues could break down, and Israel has hinted it may resume military operations if its demands are not met. &ldquo;I think the chances of (Hamas) disarming themselves, you know, are pretty close to zero,&rdquo; H.R. McMaster, a national security adviser during Trump&#39;s first term, said at an event hosted by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies on Thursday. He said he thought what probably would happen in the coming months is that the Israeli military &quot;is going to have to destroy them.&quot; Israel continues to rule over millions of Palestinians without basic rights as settlements expand rapidly across the occupied West Bank. Despite growing international recognition, Palestinian statehood appears exceedingly remote because of Israel&rsquo;s opposition and actions on the ground, The war has left Israel isolated internationally and facing allegations of genocide, which it denies. International arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister are in effect, and the United Nations&#39; highest court is considering allegations of genocide brought by South Africa. Hamas has been militarily decimated and has given up its only bargaining chip with Israel by releasing the hostages. But the Islamic group is still intact and could eventually rebuild if there&rsquo;s an extended period of calm. Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would continue with its demilitarization of Hamas after the hostages are returned. &ldquo;Hamas agreed to the deal only when it felt that the sword was on its neck &mdash; and it is still on its neck,&rdquo; Netanyahu said Friday as Israel began to pull back its troops. Trump wants to expand the Abraham AccordsMuch of Gaza has been reduced to rubble and rebuilding is expected to take years. The territory&#39;s roughly 2 million residents continue to struggle in desperate conditions. Under the deal, Israel agreed to reopen five border crossings, which will help ease the flow of food and other supplies into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. Trump is also standing up a U.S.-led civil-military coordination center in Israel to help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance into Gaza. Roughly 200 U.S. troops will help support and monitor the ceasefire deal as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector players. U.S. troops will not be sent to Gaza, Adm. Brad Cooper, the U.S. military commander for the region, said in a social media post Saturday. The White House has signaled that Trump is looking to quickly return attention to building on a first-term effort known as the Abraham Accords, which forged diplomatic and commercial ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. A permanent agreement in Gaza would help pave the path for Trump to begin talks with Saudi Arabia as well Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, toward normalizing ties with Israel, according to a senior Trump administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity. Such a deal with Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy Arab state, has the potential to reshape the region and boost Israel&rsquo;s standing in historic ways. But brokering such an agreement remains a heavy lift as the kingdom has said it won&rsquo;t officially recognize Israel before a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Middle East

President Donald Trump departs for Israel and Egypt to celebrate the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal, push Middle East leaders toward lasting peace, and revive the Abraham Accords amid fragile postwar Gaza negotiations and ongoing regional tensions

Trump sets off for the Mideast to mark ceasefire deal

WASHINGTON: The release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas is imminent, US Vice President JD Vance said Sunday, while vowing that the Trump administration would apply all necessary pressure to ensure future stability in Gaza. &quot;It really should be any moment now,&quot; the vice president told NBC News&#39; &quot;Meet the Press&quot; when asked about the timing for the release of the hostages by Hamas. He added later on ABC&#39;s &quot;This Week&quot;: &quot;We expect to see them alive here in the next 24 hours, probably early tomorrow morning, US time, which will be later in the day, of course, in Israel.&quot; Asked on CBS&#39;s &quot;Face the Nation&quot; whether Washington is committed to continuing to apply pressure to stabilize the Middle East, Vance said: &quot;It is going to take consistent leverage and consistent pressure from the president of the United States on down.&quot; Speaking on a succession of Sunday morning talk shows, Vance also stressed that 200 American troops being deployed to Israel would be responsible for monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza and were never intended for any sort of combat role. Vance added that US troops will not be deployed on the ground in Palestinian territory. &quot;That&#39;s everything from ensuring that the Israeli troops are at the agreed-upon line, ensuring that Hamas is not attacking innocent Israelis, doing everything that they can to ensure the peace that we&#39;ve created, actually sustains and endures,&quot; Vance said on ABC. &quot;But the idea that we&#39;re going to have troops on the ground in Gaza, in Israel, that that is not our intention, that is not our plan.&quot;

US Vice President JD Vance said the release of remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas is imminent, adding that 200 U.S. troops in Israel will monitor the Gaza ceasefire but won’t take part in combat

Vance says Israel hostages could be freed 'any moment'

Asfandyar Yahya

From a 1907 invention that promised a modern miracle to a global crisis choking our planet. This is the story of plastic. How it changed everything, how it trapped us, and how innovators in Pakistan are fighting back with recycled roads, eco-bricks, and smarter solutions. This weeks &ldquo;Tell Me Why&rdquo; unpacks the rise, ruin, and rethinking of the material that defines our age.

Tell Me Why

Tell me why - We built a Plastic World

Rome: Zinedine Zidane confirmed Sunday he would one day like to coach the France national team, but did not say if he was hoping to take over from outgoing boss Didier Deschamps.&nbsp;Zidane, who scored twice in France&#39;s 1998 World Cup final win over Brazil, led Real Madrid to three Champions League titles in his only previous senior head coaching role.&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;m sure I&#39;ll get back into coaching,&quot; Zidane said at an event organised by Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;m not saying it&#39;s going to happen now, what I want one day is to coach the national team.&quot;&nbsp;The 53-year-old is the favourite to take over from Deschamps when the 2018 World Cup-winning coach steps down after next year&#39;s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.&nbsp;&quot;The most important thing is to have a passion for football and to want to pass on something to your players, what you have in you, deep within you,&quot; added Zidane, whose second spell in charge of Real Madrid ended in 2021.&nbsp;&quot;A coach has an important role in the success of his team. In my opinion his energy and desire are 80 percent of whether things go well.&quot;

Football

Zinedine Zidane confirmed his desire to coach France’s national team someday, expressing passion for football and leadership.

Zidane confirms ambition to coach France

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: &nbsp;Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Egypt on Monday to attend the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, a high-stakes gathering aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza and launching a new era of regional stability. Hosted jointly by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and US President Donald Trump, the summit will bring together leaders from across the Arab and Islamic world alongside the United States to endorse a peace agreement that diplomats describe as &ldquo;a turning point for the Middle East.&rdquo; According to a statement from Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, &ldquo;Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the signing ceremony of the peace agreement aimed at ending the prevailing grave situation in Gaza.&rdquo; He will be accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, as well as senior cabinet members. The Ministry noted that the summit &ldquo;is the culmination of diplomatic efforts that began on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month,&rdquo; where Pakistan joined leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, and T&uuml;rkiye in talks with President Trump. &ldquo;Prime minister&rsquo;s participation in the Summit reflects Pakistan&rsquo;s historic, consistent, and unwavering support for the just cause of the Palestinian people,&rdquo; the statement added. Islamabad expressed optimism that the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit &ldquo;will pave the way for full Israeli withdrawal, protection of Palestinian civilians, and reconstruction of Gaza.&rdquo; Pakistan reaffirmed that peace in the Middle East must rest on &ldquo;a credible political process aimed at achieving an independent, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,&rdquo; in line with UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. The summit is widely seen as a crucial test of renewed international cooperation for lasting peace in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian supporters wave flags as they wait for the arrival of South African activists at OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park

Foreign Affairs

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt alongside global leaders, aiming to push for a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, and Palestinian statehood under pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds as its capital

 Pakistan to join global push for historic Gaza peace summit in Egypt

ANTANANARIVO: Madagascar&#39;s presidency said on Sunday that an attempt to grab power by force was underway in the African nation as more soldiers joined a youth-led protest movement that has rocked the former French colony for more than two weeks. Troops from the elite CAPSAT unit that helped President Andry Rajoelina seize power in a 2009 coup, urged fellow soldiers to disobey orders on Saturday and back the youth-led protests, which began on September 25 and pose the most serious challenge to Rajoelina&#39;s rule since his reelection in 2023. CAPSAT officers said on Sunday they had command over the country&#39;s security operations and would coordinate all branches of the military from their base on the outskirts of the capital, Antananarivo. They said they had appointed General Demosthene Pikulas as head of the army. A unit of the paramilitary gendarmerie, which had so far tackled the protests together with the police, also broke ranks with the government on Sunday. &quot;All use of force and any improper behaviour towards our fellow citizens are prohibited, as the gendarmerie is a force meant to protect people and not to defend the interests of a few individuals,&quot; the Intervention Forces of the National Gendarmerie said in a statement broadcast on Real TV. It said it was coordinating with the CAPSAT headquarters. The Defence Ministry and the military general staff declined to comment. A Reuters witness saw three people injured after shots were fired along a road to the CAPSAT barracks on Sunday. Other witnesses said there was no sign of ongoing clashes. In a statement on the presidency&#39;s official social media account, Rajoelina&#39;s office said &quot;an attempted illegal and forcible seizure of power&quot; was underway, adding that the president had urged &quot;dialogue to resolve the crisis&quot;. Rajoelina&#39;s whereabouts were unknown on Sunday, but late on Saturday his office said he and the prime minister were &quot;fully in control of the nation&#39;s affairs&quot;. Gen Z protesters want president to step down The protests, inspired by Gen Z-led movements in Kenya and Nepal, began over water and electricity shortages but have since spread, with demonstrators calling for Rajoelina to step down, apologise for violence against protesters, and dissolve the Senate and electoral commission. Some demonstrators have been sporting T-shirts and flags with the same symbol - a skull with a straw hat from the Japanese manga series &quot;One Piece&quot; - used by youth-led demonstrators in countries including Indonesia and Peru. Thousands of protesters gathered in Antananarivo on Sunday to protest against the government and pay tribute to a slain CAPSAT soldier, whom the army unit said was killed by the gendarmerie on Saturday. The peaceful gathering was attended by church leaders and opposition politicians, including former President Marc Ravalomanana, as well as CAPSAT troops. Madagascar, a country where the median age is less than 20, has a population of about 30 million - three-quarters of whom live in poverty, according to the World Bank. A video broadcast by local media showed dozens of soldiers leaving the barracks on Saturday to escort thousands of protesters into the May 13 Square in Antananarivo, the scene of many political uprisings, which had been heavily guarded and off limits during the unrest. The African Union Commission&#39;s chief Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for calm and restraint. Citing the security situation on the ground, Air France-KLM&#39;s AIRF.PA French division suspended flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport and Antananarivo from October 11 to October

Protesters cheer members of the Madagascar military behind a fence during a nationwide youth-led demonstration over frequent power outages and water shortages, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, October 11, 2025. (Reuters)

Africa

Madagascar faces an attempted coup as elite soldiers join youth protests demanding President Rajoelina’s resignation amid unrest, with calls for dialogue and flight suspensions.

Madagascar president warns of coup attempt as more soldiers join protests

JERUSALEM: Israel plans to destroy what remains of Hamas&#39;s network of tunnels under Gaza, working with US approval after its hostages are freed, it said Sunday.&nbsp;Defence Minister Israel Katz said the operation would be conducted under an &quot;international mechanism&quot; led by the United States, sponsor of the three-day-old Gaza ceasefire.&nbsp;&quot;Israel&#39;s great challenge after the hostage release phase will be the destruction of all Hamas terrorist tunnels in Gaza,&quot; Katz said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;I have ordered the army to prepare to carry out this mission.&quot;&nbsp;Katz said the remainder would be destroyed under the framework of Hamas&#39;s disarming and demilitarisation, foreseen in the next stages of the US-backed ceasefire plan.&nbsp;Hamas has agreed to the first stage of the plan, which led to a ceasefire on Friday and on Monday should see the release of 48 Israeli hostages, living and dead.&nbsp;In exchange, Israel is expected to release 250 &quot;national security prisoners&quot;, including several blamed for deadly attacks, and 1,700 Gazans detained by the military.&nbsp;But Hamas has resisted calls to disarm, and on Sunday senior official Hossam Badran told AFP the second phase of the US plan &quot;contains many complexities and difficulties&quot;.

Israel plans to destroy what remains of Hamas's network of tunnels under Gaza, Hamas has agreed to the first stage of the plan, which led to a ceasefire on Friday.