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(Adds context on pressures on Netanyahu, UN secretary-general statement, paragraphs 20-22) * Trump announces Israel and Hamas agree on first phase of Gaza ceasefire, hostage release * Trump says all hostages will be released 'very soon' * Trump says all parties will be treated fairly * Hamas confirms agreement reached to end the war By Matt Spetalnick, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON/CAIRO, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Israel and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, a ceasefire and hostage deal that could open the way to ending a bloody two-year-old war that has upended the Middle East. Just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas militants' cross-border attack that triggered Israel's devastating assault on Gaza, indirect talks in Egypt yielded an agreement on the initial stage of Trump’s 20-point framework to bring peace to the Palestinian enclave. The accord, if fully implemented, would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt a war that had evolved into a regional conflict, drawing in countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon, deepened Israel's international isolation and reshaped the Middle East. But the deal announced by Trump late on Wednesday was short on detail and left many unresolved questions that could still lead to its collapse, as has happened with previous peace efforts. Successful completion of the deal would mark a significant foreign policy achievement for the Republican president, who had campaigned on bringing peace to major world conflicts but has struggled to swiftly deliver, both in Gaza and on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan," Trump said on Truth Social. "This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace," Trump added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a written statement, referring to the hostages held by Hamas: "With God's help we will bring them all home." He said he would convene his government on Thursday to approve the agreement. Hamas confirmed it had reached an agreement to end the war, saying the deal includes an Israeli withdrawal from the enclave and a hostage-prisoner exchange. But the group called on Trump and guarantor states to ensure Israel fully implements the ceasefire, it added in a statement. Trump said earlier that a deal was almost done and that he may travel to Egypt this weekend, possibly leaving as soon as Saturday. "All Parties will be treated fairly!" he said on Truth Social. "This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen." Senior envoys from the U.S., Qatar and Turkey had joined the talks, apparently adding momentum to discussions launched on Monday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. Trump sent his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Israel was represented by Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu. Despite the hopes raised for ending the war, crucial details are yet to be spelled out, including the timing, a post-war administration for the Gaza Strip and the fate of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Gaza authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed and much of the enclave has been flattened since Israel began its military response to the Hamas cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage back to Gaza, according to Israeli officials, with 20 of the 48 hostages still held believed to be alive. HOSTAGE RELEASE EXPECTED IN DAYS A Hamas source said the living hostages would be handed over within 72 hours of the Israeli government approving the deal. Hamas officials have insisted it will take longer to recover the bodies of dead hostages, believed to number about 28, from Gaza’s rubble. An Israeli government spokesperson said the hostage release was expected to begin on Saturday. Netanyahu and Trump spoke by phone and congratulated each other on an "historic achievement," and the Israeli prime minister invited the U.S president to address Israel’s parliament, according to Netanyahu's office. Trump had pushed Netanyahu, to whom he had largely given free rein in Gaza until recently, to make concessions. The conservative Israeli leader has also been under growing pressure from hostage families and, according to opinion polls, a war-weary public. But Netanyahu has also faced threats from far-right members of his governing coalition to quit the government if he gives up too much to the Palestinians. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for all sides to abide fully by the terms on the hostage agreement. “Immediate and unimpeded entry of humanitarian supplies and essential commercial materials into Gaza must be ensured. The suffering must end,” he said in a statement. Hamas said earlier on Wednesday it had handed over its lists of the hostages it held and the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel that it wanted to be exchanged. The list of Palestinians Hamas wants freed was expected to include some of the most prominent prisoners ever jailed by Israel, whose release had been off limits in previous ceasefires. According to a Palestinian source close to the talks, the list includes Marwan al-Barghouti, a leader of the Fatah movement, and Ahmed Saadat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Both are serving multiple life sentences for involvement in attacks that killed Israelis. Hamas has so far refused to discuss Israel's demand that Hamas give up its arms, which the Palestinian source said Hamas would reject as long as Israeli troops occupy Palestinian land. Two sources familiar with the talks confirmed that sticking points included the mechanism for the Israeli withdrawal, with Hamas seeking a clear timeline linked to the release of hostages and guarantees of a complete pullout by Israeli forces. Within Gaza, Israel has dialled down its military campaign at Trump's behest, but it has not halted strikes altogether. Gaza medical authorities reported eight people killed in Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, the lowest toll for weeks. Daily death tolls had been around 10 times as high over the past month as Israeli forces advance on Gaza City. ARAB COUNTRIES SAY PLAN MUST LEAD TO PALESTINIAN STATE The next phase of Trump's plan calls for an international body led by Trump and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to play a role in Gaza's post-war administration. Arab countries which back the plan say it must lead to eventual independence for a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never happen. There is no clear indication who will rule Gaza when the war ends. Netanyahu, Trump, Western and Arab states have ruled out a role for Hamas, which has run Gaza since driving out Palestinian rivals in 2007. Hamas has said it would relinquish Gaza governance only to a Palestinian technocrat government supervised by the Palestinian Authority and backed by Arab and Muslim countries. It rejects any role for Blair or foreign rule of Gaza. Global outrage has mounted against Israel's assault. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a U.N. inquiry say it amounts to genocide. Israel calls its actions self-defence after the 2023 Hamas attack. (Reporting by Dawoud Abu Elkas, Tuvan Gumrukcu and Daren Butler in Ankara, Jana Choukeir and Tala Ramadan in Dubai, Maayan Lubell and Alexander Cornwell in Jerusalem, John Irish in Paris, Angelo Amante in Rome, Trevor Hunnicutt Steve Holland and David Morgan in Washington; Writing by Michael Georgy, Peter Graff, and Timothy Heritage and Matt …

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CHINA COMMERCE MINISTRY: CHINESE CITIZENS, ORGANIZATIONS SHALL NOT, WITHOUT PERMISSION, PROVIDE ANY SUBSTANTIVE ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT FOR OVERSEAS RARE EARTH MINING, SMELTING SEPARATION, METAL SMELTING, MAGNET MANUFACTURING

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By Gabriel Robert-Gironcelle VICTORIA, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Voters in Seychelles will return to the polls on Thursday for a run-off election between the sitting president and the leader of the Indian Ocean archipelago's longtime governing party, which has already reclaimed a majority in parliament. In the first round last month, Patrick Herminie, a former National Assembly speaker from the United Seychelles party, outpaced President Wavel Ramkalawan by over 2 percentage points with 48.8% of the more than 64,000 ballots cast. Seychelles is Africa's wealthiest country per capita, located across 1.2 million kilometres (463,000 square miles) in the western Indian Ocean and a prime tourist destination as well as a target for investment from, and security cooperation with, China, Gulf nations and India. The nation of 115 islands is, however, also among the world’s most climate vulnerable, and has one of the highest per-capita rates of heroin use. ELECTION COULD PRODUCE DIVIDED GOVERNMENT Voting will begin on the outlying islands and for some essential workers on Thursday, with polling stations on the three main islands opening on Saturday. Results are due on Sunday. Ramkalawan, a former Anglican priest, came to power in 2020, becoming the first president from outside United Seychelles – formerly the Seychelles People’s Progressive Front – since a coup one year after independence from Britain in 1976. He has touted his management of Seychelles' economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, saying he needs a second five-year term to build social protection and infrastructure while defending the country's neutrality to draw investment. His Linyon Demokratik Seselwa coalition lost its parliamentary majority in last month's vote, meaning he would preside over a divided government should he win. "I think the people of Seychelles want a balance of power to get the best deal," Ramkalawan told Reuters. OPPOSITION CANDIDATE BOOSTED BY ENDORSEMENTS Herminie, who was arrested in 2023 on charges of witchcraft that were later dropped, is aiming to restore United Seychelles' control of both the presidency and parliament for the first time since 2015. His campaign has been boosted by endorsements from eliminated candidates, including Marco Francis, who received around 2% of the vote in the first round. "We needed just 1% to win State House," Herminie told supporters at a rally. "That means 500 votes. And today, I’m telling you: we will get those 500 votes and go to State House on October 11." His platform includes lowering the retirement age that Ramkalawan raised and cancelling a hotel project environmentalists say threatens a UNESCO-listed coral atoll. (Editing by Aaron Ross and Ed Osmond)

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(Updates October 8 story with details from Chinese readout) ROME/BEJING, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi backed an Italian plan to propose a global ceasefire to the United Nations ahead of next year's Milano-Cortina winter Olympics, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday. Tajani spoke to reporters after a meeting between the two ministers in Rome. Statements from the Chinese foreign ministry on the meeting did not address the global ceasefire plan but quoted Wang as saying that China is ready to work with Italy as a constructive force in maintaining peace, stability and development, and building a more equitable and reasonable global governance system. Wang also said that China and Italy should draw upon their "successful experiences" in bilateral exchanges, to provide valuable insights for the development of international relations. China was also willing to provide a fair, transparent, non-discriminatory and predictable business environment to encourage more two-way investment among enterprises from both countries, one of the ministry statements said. (Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro in Rome and Liz Lee in Beijing; Editing by Christopher Cushing)

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Oct 9 (Reuters) – Australian shares gained on Thursday, with miners set for a sixth straight session of gains as firm commodity prices and a wave of rare earths deals lifted sentiment. The S&P/ASX 200 index gained 0.3% to 8,975.2 points by 2325 GMT. The benchmark had closed marginally lower on Wednesday. Miners added 1.3%, setting the sub-index on track for its sixth straight session of gains, as copper prices hovered near a 16-month high and rare earths miners surged following an influx of deals. Copper-focussed producers underpinned the sub-index, with Sandfire Resources and local shares of Capstone Copper gaining 4.7% and 8.5%, respectively, ranking among the top percentage gainers on the benchmark. BHP, the world's largest listed miner, gained 1.8% and Rio Tinto rose 0.5%. Lynas Rare Earths, the world's largest producer of rare earths outside China, added 2.4% after signing an agreement to supply rare earth permanent magnets to U.S. defence and commercial sectors. Brazilian Rare Earths jumped as much as 7.7% to a record high on a 10-year supply deal, while peer European Lithium grew 12.1% after its partner, Critical Metals , signed a rare earths agreement. Overnight gains on Wall Street lifted Australian market sentiment, with local tech stocks rising 0.6% in line with the broader U.S. rally. Real estate stocks also drove the benchmark higher with a 0.6% rise after data centre landlords gained on AI optimism in the U.S. following chip deals. In company news, shares of Mexican-themed fast food chain Guzman Y Gomez soared as much as 26.2%, its biggest ever percentage gain, on announcing a A$100 million ($65.6 million) share buyback. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index gained 0.1% following its record close on Wednesday, a day after the domestic central bank announced a bumper half-percent rate cut. ($1 = A$1.5186) (Reporting by Nichiket Sunil in Bengaluru; Editing by Sumana Nandy)

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