NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India will reopen its embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul that was shut four years ago, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Friday, a significant move that expands the diplomatic links of the country governed by the Taliban.

India had closed its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban seized power following the withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO forces in 2021, but opened a small mission a year later to facilitate trade, medical support, and humanitarian aid.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) -German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that Germany would provide 29 million euros ($34 million) in immediate humanitarian aid for Gaza, following Israel's ratification of a ceasefire with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

"We are providing 29 million euros for humanitarian aid. Together with Egypt, we will invite to a reconstruction conference for Gaza," Merz said on X, adding Germany would assume responsibility in the peace process proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

($1 = 0.8645 euros)

ROME (Reuters) -Israel is blocking 250 tons of aid for Gaza, including food, medical supplies and educational material, because of disagreements over its content, an Italian charity involved in last month's international flotilla said on Thursday.

Italy's Music for Peace NGO said it collected large quantities of aid as part of a mobilisation in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was seeking to breach Israel's naval blockade on the Palestinian enclave.

JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia has denied visas to Israeli gymnasts, costing them a spot in a world championship in Jakarta this month, a sports official in the Southeast Asian nation said on Friday, amid outcry over Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

The Israeli team was set to participate in the World Artistic Gymnastics championship from October 19 to 25 in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, which has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel.

By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan will build a new multi-layered air defence system called "T-Dome" to defend itself against enemy threats and increase defence spending, President Lai Ching-te said on Friday, calling on China to renounce the use of force to seize the island.

Democratically governed Taiwan has faced increased military and political pressure from China, which views the island as its own territory over the strong objections of the government in Taipei.

By Gwladys Fouche

OSLO (Reuters) -The winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday, in a year overshadowed by a months-long campaign by U.S. President Donald Trump to win what is arguably the world's most prestigious award.

By Steve Holland and Ismail Shakil

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States will deploy 200 troops as part of a joint task force for Gaza stability, with no Americans on the ground in the Palestinian enclave, two senior U.S. officials said on Thursday.

The officials, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said the 200 would be the core of a task force that would include representatives from Egypt's military, Qatar, Turkey and probably the United Arab Emirates.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, in a rare interview with an Israeli network Thursday, expressed hope that peace would prevail between Palestinians and Israelis following the signing of a Gaza ceasefire agreement.

"What happened today is a historic moment. We have been hoping -- and continue to hope -- that we can bring an end to the bloodshed taking place in our land, whether in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, or East Jerusalem," Abbas told Israel's Channel 12.

The United Nations said Thursday it had a detailed 60-day plan to rush aid into Gaza once a ceasefire is declared to start helping Palestinians in the war-ravaged territory.

"Our plan, detailed and tested, is in place," said Tom Fletcher, the UN head of humanitarian operations.

"Our supplies, 170,000 metric tons, food, medicine and other supplies, are in place. And our team, courageous and expert and determined, are in place," Fletcher told a press conference by video link from Saudi Arabia.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he plans to leave for the Middle East sometime on Sunday, after Israel and Hamas reached a deal to release hostages held in Gaza.

Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signed an agreement on Thursday to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of Trump's initiative to end the two-year war in Gaza that has upended the Middle East.

(Reporting By Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw)