Twelve countries sanction Israeli West Bank settlements

6 min agoWith opinion polls forecasting an election loss, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to bring Israel's fractious right-wing parties together before a Tuesday deadline. In closed discussions, he has expressed frustration with the national security minister over a freeze on police appointments and tensions with the police commissioner.

6 min agoPresident Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives has appealed to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to resume negotiations on the archipelago's sovereignty. According to his letter, Mauritius should not receive control of the territory.

1 h agoBritain, France, Canada and nine other countries announced Tuesday they would ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing escalating attacks by settlers on Palestinian villages. British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband said the country could no longer simply condemn injustice but had to act, and that Britain's position was that the occupation was unlawful.

1 h agoA book by Haaretz reporters claims the Israeli prime minister was alerted by the UAE president that Hamas was planning a large-scale offensive a week before the 7 October 2023 attack, but did not act on the warning. Netanyahu called the allegation an "absolute lie". Opposition leaders demanded an investigation into the claim.

2 h agoHungary ordered 10 Russian diplomatic staff to leave, citing activities incompatible with their status under the Vienna Convention, Foreign Minister Anita Orban said September 8. The expulsion marks a shift following Prime Minister Peter Magyar's election, ending Viktor Orban's Russia-friendly government.

2 h agoIn a Tuesday phone call, President Trump conveyed to Vladimir Putin his desire to end the Ukraine conflict quickly and normalize relations between Washington and Moscow, according to the Kremlin. Putin responded by assuring Trump that Russia harbors no hostile designs on Europe.

2 h agoIsrael announced it would shut down its UK consulate in Jerusalem in response to the sanctions. The UK government said it would take the official position that Israel's occupation of the West Bank was unlawful in its entirety, with measures taking up to nine months to come into effect.

2 h agoAccording to la Repubblica, UAE President bin Zayed called Netanyahu on September 23, 2023, to warn him of a Hamas attack risk, and Netanyahu told him the situation was under control without alerting intelligence or military chiefs. Haaretz reported the call lasted 45 minutes and occurred 10 days before the October 7 attack.

2 h agoTwelve countries including Britain, Canada and France said they would limit trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, citing increasing attacks by settlers on Palestinian villages. The UK announced an import ban on goods from the settlements, with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband accusing settler groups of ethnic cleansing in occupied areas.

3 h agoTwo thieves broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on Tuesday and stole paintings valued at 9 million euros ($10 million). The mayor said one of the stolen works was abandoned as the thieves fled after being spotted on video surveillance cameras.