Iranian director Jafar Panahi, whose latest film won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, told AFP he would continue to defy his country's censors and ignore the risk of returning to prison.

His new film "It Was Just an Accident", released internationally from Wednesday, chronicles the story of five Iranians confronting a man who could be their former jailor.

Firmly grounded in contemporary Iranian society, it also examines universal themes such as the impact of state repression as well as questions about the role of violence and forgiveness.

KABUL -Afghanistan's internet and mobile telephone services were down nationwide on Tuesday, residents and monitoring services said, but the Taliban administration offered no immediate explanation.

In the past, the Taliban have voiced concern about pornography online, with authorities having cut fibre-optic links to some provinces in recent weeks, as officials cited morality concerns.

NetBlocks, an international internet access monitoring organisation, said the internet was disconnected in phases.

ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday praised Donald Trump's "efforts and leadership" to end the war in Gaza, after the U.S. leader secured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's support for a U.S.-sponsored peace proposal.

After talks between Trump and Netanyahu in Washington, the White House released a 20-point plan that would see an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas disarmament and a transitional government led by an international body.

Colombian officials said Monday the country has produced its first combat rifle, a cheaper, lighter weapon aimed at replacing the arms that were once supplied its former military ally Israel.

Leftist President Gustavo Petro broke ties with Israel in 2024 to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

State-owned weapons manufacturer Indumil produced the arms -- the first combat rifle manufactured in Colombia -- to replace the Galil, a rifle that had been assembled in Colombia using Israeli components since the 1990s.

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A peace plan released by the White House on Monday to end Israel's war in Gaza included surprise roles in a post-war Gaza for two familiar political figures: former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Here are details of the proposed interim governance structure of the coastal territory:

WHAT DOES THE PLAN SAY ON INTERIM GOVERNANCE?

Key Muslim nations have thrown their weight behind a plan by US President Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza, even as some Palestinians decried the proposal as a "farce".

Washington's European allies have urged Hamas to accept the plan, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supported as he warned the Palestinian armed group of more devastation if it did not comply.

Eight Arab or Muslim-majority nations said they "welcome the role of the American president and his sincere efforts aimed at ending the war in Gaza".

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump published on Monday a 20-point peace proposal for Gaza that would end the war between Israel and Hamas militants and require the return of all hostages living and dead within 72 hours of a ceasefire.

The plan leaves many details for negotiators to hash out and hinges on acceptance by Hamas militants who launched the war against Israel on October 7, 2023. It refers to a redeveloped Gaza as "New Gaza."

As US President Donald Trump announced his Gaza peace plan with the backing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Israelis expressed cautious hope that the nearly two-year conflict could finally be drawing to a close.

In the coastal hub of Tel Aviv, protesters grasped US and Israeli flags, alongside placards bearing the faces of the remaining hostages held by militants in the Palestinian territory.

"I am more optimistic although I am still a little afraid of being so optimistic," said Hannah Cohen, the aunt of slain hostage Inbar Hayman.

Residents of war-torn Gaza expressed scepticism over the latest peace plan unveiled Monday by US President Donald Trump, dismissing it as a farce that fails to end the war.

"It's clear that this plan is unrealistic", 39-year-old Ibrahim Joudeh told AFP from his shelter in the so-called humanitarian zone of Al-Mawasi in south Gaza.

TEL AVIV (Reuters) -Israeli opposition lawmaker Benny Gantz on Monday said in a post on X that U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to end the nearly two-year war in Gaza was an opportunity to free the hostages held there and safeguard Israel's security.

Gantz, who joined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government after the Hamas attack in October 2023 but later left, leads the Blue and White Party, which holds eight of the 120 seats in the Knesset.