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Military · Geopolitical

Why the Israeli real-estate expo in London must be cancelled Submitted by Nur Nabulsi on Thu, 06/11/2026 - 20:05 As Palestinians, we refuse to see our stolen land traded in a city that was the centre of our people's dispossession for more than a century A demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a protest in London’s Parliament Square on 21 February 2024 (Henry Nicholls/AFP) On If organisers of the “ Great Israeli Real Estate Event ” get their way, stolen Palestinian land will be traded on British soil this Sunday. The event takes places annually in cities across the US and Canada, and has in recent years been coming to London, in an attempt to establish the capital as a regular feature of the expo. Despite keeping the London event under wraps in recent years, the secret is now out - and we’re taking action to stop it. We know that we can cancel the event, because it has been cancelled elsewhere: in 2024, organisers pulled out of Brooklyn amid widespread protest. This battle can be won, and we know how to win it. This week, the Palestinian Youth Movement launched the Stop Stolen Land Sales campaign, bringing together more than 100 organisations in condemning the event and calling on the British government to cancel it. We understand this event as the continuation of more than a century of Zionist expansionism and dispossession of Palestinians, and we call on Britons to recognise and reverse the active role that Britain has historically played in supporting the worst extremes of Zionism, at great cost to our people.. push({}); The upcoming event promotes real-estate sales across historic Palestine, including in Gush Etzion, an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, which Britain rightly views as illegal under international law. But our opposition to this and similar events goes far beyond the illegality of this settlement’s inclusion, as serious an issue as it is. As Palestinians in the diaspora, we would oppose this event even if all the land being sold fell within a single plot in Haifa. Red line The sale of our ancestral land, where our people were massacred and sent into exile in a process that continues to this day is a red line. The real-estate event exemplifies the Zionist brazenness and impunity in flouting international law. We are not merely outraged at the fact that there is an international market trading in our grandparents’ villages. We must understand this upcoming event as the continuation of a long legacy of British support for Zionist expansionism and Palestinian dispossession. The international market trading in our grandparents’ villages is by no means a new phenomenon. No self-respecting people would accept such an unjust state of affairs. Why should we? This support has taken various forms over the years, including the Balfour Declaration in 1917; Britain’s militarisation of Mandatory Palestine during the 1936-39 revolt, which sought to resist such land sales; and the creation of the Jewish National Fund (JNF), which is still registered as a charity here in Britain. Since the late 19th century, the international market for Palestinian land has accelerated the dispossession and exile of our people. International fundraisers for institutions like the JNF have facilitated the forcible transfer of Palestinians, the destruction of our villages, and the expansion of Jewish settlements from the mandate period to the present day. The Israeli legal system, inherited from the British Mandate, entrenches this dynamic within the central pillars of Israeli state doctrine. The 1950 Absentees’ Property Law abolished the property rights of Palestinians forced from our lands before or during the Nakba, and seized that land for the Israeli settler state, with many of those displaced becoming refugees in neighbouring countries. The 1960 Israel Lands Law ensured that this seized land could not be bought back by Palestinians; only transferred between institutions fully committed to the Zionist colonial project, like the JNF. Moral duty The combined effect of these and other discriminatory laws, such as the 1950 Law of Return, means that a Jewish Briton with no ties to the land could attend the event on Sunday and leave owning property that was seized from our grandparents’ generation. They could then move to that property, become an Israeli citizen, join the Israeli military and vote - all while our people languish in refugee camps in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and face settler violence in the occupied West Bank or genocide in Gaza. Jewish National Fund: A century of land theft, belligerence and erasure Read More » No self-respecting people would accept such an unjust state of affairs. Why should we? The same structures that have fractured our people for over 100 years and scattered us to places like London in the first place, are threatening to play out again this weekend, within our local communities. We must stop the real-estate expo from taking place and deter similar events from coming to Britain in the future. Land-sale events are only secretive because they recognise on some level the underhandedness of their endeavour: they cannot trade in the open what was taken through coercion and force. We have a moral and legal right to challenge such abhorrence, up to and including mobilising at the event if it ultimately takes place. We are the people of the land, and we refuse to see it disgraced by those for whom it is a mere trading opportunity. If the government does not cancel the event, we will. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye. Occupation Opinion Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:29 Update Date Override 0

Military · Geopolitical

As the United States quietly pulls its most precious military assets away from the coasts of Asia, they are falling back to places like Guam in Micronesia, a US island territory far beyond the reach of most conventional missiles. It sounds like a retreat but for the Chinese military it is actually a much trickier problem. In modern warfare, distance can become a shield and dispersion a weapon. This is the puzzle a team of Chinese defence scientists has been solving. Their answer, published...

Military · Geopolitical

US has redirected 136 commercial vessels in Strait of Hormuz to date The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday morning that "U. S. Navy warships and air assets continue to patrol regional waters enforcing the blockade against Iran. " According to the X post, the US military has redirected 136 commercial ships and disabled 9 since the start of the blockade.

Military · Geopolitical

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he had called off new military strikes on Iran, claiming a breakthrough in negotiations to end the war. However, Iran quickly played down talk of an imminent deal, speaking to the "deep mistrust" Tehran has of Washington, says France 24's correspondent Reza Sayah.

Military · Geopolitical

The struggle over military service is stoking protests, threatening Israel's coalition and reshaping political debate.

Military · Geopolitical

'We knew it was coming': Belfast violence leaves Syrian supermarket in ruins Submitted by Oscar Rickett on Fri, 06/12/2026 - 10:35 Mohammed and Sultan fled Syria to build a new life in Northern Ireland. But for a second time in two years their shop has been destroyed The Sham supermarket in Belfast after it was set fire to by gangs of masked men this week (Oscar Rickett/MEE) Off At the Sham supermarket on Donegall Road, south Belfast, managers Sultan and Mohammed have decided it's time to leave. "It's about to kick off," says Mohammed, who left Syria in 2014 with a shrapnel wound in his leg and became a British citizen in 2015. "We've got to go," says his younger friend Sultan, who was just 10 years old when he and his family fled Aleppo to come to Northern Ireland’s capital. The two men get into Mohammed's car, which is a living monument to what life with six children is like: croissants lie half-hidden under seats, discarded clothes climb up the baby seat, and one of the windows appears to be permanently open. At a Lebanese cafe a few minutes around the corner, the two Syrians, both of whom have lived in Northern Ireland for more than a decade, talk about the destruction of all their hard work.. push({}); Their supermarket, which Mohammed has managed in this staunchly loyalist Protestant area of south Belfast since 2021, has been destroyed for the second time in two years by gangs of masked men targeting minority ethnic people and their businesses. On Monday, the shelves were full, the area out front was lined with fruit and vegetables, and the aisles were gleaming. Now the market is burnt out, its front - and part of the block of flats above it - blackened. 'They burned it all' - Mohammed, Sham supermarket manager The shutters that were supposed to protect it have split in two. A large wheelie bin sits outside. Pigeons work busily in the rubble, picking out bits of food. Both Mohammed and Sultan knew that Monday's knife attack by 30-year-old Sudanese man Hadi Alodid on Stephen Ogilvie could be the trigger for a third summer of racist violence in Belfast. "We saw some things on Facebook, so we knew it was going to happen," Mohammed said. On Tuesday, "out of respect" for Ogilvie, he closed the market. It made no difference. At 7pm, as gangs were beginning to rampage through parts of loyalist Belfast, throwing petrol bombs through the windows of homes they believed belonged to minority ethnic families and torching cars, Mohammed's phone started to light up with messages. "My shop was burning and there was nothing I could do. " The interior of the supermarket sustained severe damage after anti-immigrant demonstrations escalated into racist violence (Oscar Rickett/MEE). push({}); The next morning, Mohammed and Sultan arrived to witness the destruction. The fridges and freezers - all new after the previous attack on the market in August 2024, after riots in the English town of Southport spread across the UK - were gone.. push({}); "The attack took all the produce," Mohammed told Middle East Eye. "They burned it all. " A community under attack Across the road from the Sham supermarket is Sandy Row Rangers Supporters Club. Dedicated to Glasgow's Protestant football club, it’s an establishment that fits into its surroundings. Sandy Row and the area of south Belfast around it are a loyalist heartland wedded to the continued existence of Northern Ireland as part of the British state. On one wall, pictures of the late Queen Elizabeth II celebrate her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, with the title "From Sandy Row to the House of Windsor". Below this homage to Elizabeth is a mural paying tribute to Northern Ireland’s football team, with the inscription "Our wee country". An Israeli flag flies on Sandy Row, south Belfast, on 11 June 2026 (Oscar Rickett/MEE) Other murals along Sandy Row honour the memory of loyalist paramilitary fighters who died during the Troubles, with the crests and insignia of the Ulster Defence Association and Ulster Freedom Fighters - once dubbed "the thugs in hoods" - daubed on red-brick walls. Flags hang from buildings and railings: the Union Jack, the Saint George's Cross and the Israeli flag, which flies in opposition to the Palestinian, and occasional Hezbollah, flags seen in Catholic west Belfast. Belfast riots: Why UK mobs see racial violence as 'national defence' Read More » Outside the Rangers club, a feeling that the entire loyalist community is being tarred as racist clashes with an open hostility directed at the Sham supermarket and the repetition of talking points spread by far-right figures including Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. One man in his 60s accuses the owners of the supermarket opposite him of being drug dealers, and says HM Revenue & Customs frequently raid the place. Sultan says this is just an excuse that has been cooked up to justify the destruction and years of harassment. On the outside of an apartment building across the street, someone has scrawled "Drug dealer flat" in paint. Jackie, 69, and John, who came to Belfast as part of the British Army 50 years ago, both condemn the riots. "These people are thugs," Jackie says of the rioters. "Personally, I think they’re doing the wrong thing," says John. Loyalist Belfast But Jackie and others also accuse migrants arriving in Northern Ireland of "raping and abusing people in these hotels". "The government have let these people in from other countries, where they've emptied their prisons," Jackie says. "This isn't about race," she continues, referencing a Black friend of her grandson, whose family haven't been able to leave their house and for whom she feels great concern. 'The racist attacks are getting worse' - Sultan, Sham supermarket manager "It's sad that people here will suffer," she tells MEE. No one wants to talk openly about the rumoured involvement of loyalist paramilitaries in the riots. The area around Sandy Row is largely poor, and people do speak about organised crime groups "profiting" from the misery around them and holding the area back. "Some of these areas have suffered from the baleful interests of loyalist paramilitaries and protection rackets," Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty's head of nations and regions, tells MEE. "Some of the investment has come from migrants because they set up little businesses and no one is competing with them. " A mural in south Belfast pays tribute to a paramilitary fighter killed by the IRA (Oscar Rickett/MEE) Belfast is still a city largely segregated between Irish Catholic and Protestant areas, but this week - and the equivalent violence that has occurred in the last two summers - has been defined by largely loyalist groups hunting not white Irish Catholics but Black and brown residents. Still, the past hangs heavy. "History is repeating itself," says John, the former British Army soldier. "I got a flashback," says Jackie, "to when I was 11 years old, living up the road, when the soldiers were coming over, the petrol bombs were flying, and the fear of God was in me. " From Syria to Belfast Sultan and Mohammed both know about war. Mohammed was part of the revolution that sprang to life in Syria in 2011. In 2014, in his home city of Latakia, Mohammed was out buying food for his family when an air strike hit close to him. The shrapnel from the blast tore through his leg, leaving him with a lifelong injury. At that point, he was married but he didn’t have children. He left Syria and arrived in Belfast, claiming asylum in the UK and becoming a citizen a year later. His wife came to Northern Ireland in 2018 and his six children were all born here. "I came here and I felt like I'm happy," he says. He worked in restaurants and fast-food shops, including a three-year stint as a cook at KFC. He had been told that, because of his injury, he didn't have to work, but he was full of energy and he saw opportunity. "I told myself it's easy to open businesses here because there are no Arabic shops and rent is cheap. " Mohammed liked Belfast, liked the people and says he knew the history. But, he and Sultan say, there was not a day that went by in Sham supermarket without some kind of harassment. And then in August 2024, it was destroyed. "The racist attacks are getting worse," Sultan says. In December, an official report found that race hate crimes in Northern Ireland were at their highest level since records began 20 years ago. "They have no idea what happened in Syria," Sultan, whose home city of Aleppo was flattened by Assad government and Russian bombs, says of the people who destroyed his supermarket. But Sultan went to school here and has a Northern Irish girlfriend from a mixed Protestant and Catholic family. "My life is here now," he says. "There are a lot of locals who look out for me. My girlfriend is amazing. Her family take care of me. " Both men are going to try once more to rebuild the Sham supermarket. "Life is not going to stop because some people burned a shop," Sultan says. UK Riots Belfast News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Military · Geopolitical

Israel expels Palestinians from their homes to use them as military posts Submitted by Fayha Shalash on Fri, 06/12/2026 - 10:41 After the 'ethnic cleansing' of camps in the West Bank, families say Israeli forces are now taking over buildings in surrounding neighbourhoods Israeli army soldiers take position in the balcony of a building while surrounding another during an army raid in Qabatiyah, south of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank on 19 September 2024 (Zain Jaafar/AFP) Off Mohammed Rahal spent a year and a half displaced after the Israeli army forced him from his home in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. Eventually, the Palestinian father bought a new house on the edge of the camp. After months of painstaking work preparing it for his large family, Israeli soldiers came knocking once again. This time, they told him he had to leave so the house could be used as a military outpost for the next two months. "Sometimes I worked 20 hours a day preparing the house," Rahal told Middle East Eye. "I was hoping for stability and peace after the hardship of displacement. " The Israeli military's use of civilian homes as military positions has become increasingly common in the occupied West Bank.. push({}); The practice has intensified since October 2023 alongside Israel's escalating crackdown across the territory. In early 2025, the Israeli army launched a large-scale offensive in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas. The operation devastated refugee camps across the northern West Bank, with homes demolished, burned or requisitioned by soldiers. Nearly 40,000 Palestinians were displaced, most of them from Jenin refugee camp. Human rights groups and experts have accused Israel of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank assault. Ordered to leave Rahal and his family were among those forced out when the assault began in January 2025.. push({}); "My family, my five brothers and their families all lived in the same building inside the camp," he said. "When the military operation started, we had to flee because the building was damaged and partially destroyed. " For the next 14 months, the family lived in student accommodation at the Arab American University, which Rahal described as difficult and overcrowded. Determined to rebuild their lives, he and his sons pooled their resources to buy a house in the nearby Jabriyat neighbourhood, overlooking the camp. 'Even though the order is for two months, the occupation is unpredictable' - Mohammed Rahal, Jenin resident The property sits on the edge of a seven-dunum plot of land that Israel seized in May, despite it being located in Area A under the Oslo Accords, an area officially administered by the Palestinian Authority. Just two months after moving in, Israeli soldiers arrived at the house on Tuesday and ordered Rahal to leave within 10 minutes. Following discussions with the family, the soldiers extended the deadline until Thursday morning. Rahal spent the next two days hurriedly removing furniture and belongings he had spent weeks buying and arranging. Now, he can only wait for the military order to expire on 23 August and hope he will be allowed to return. But after everything his family has endured, he has little confidence that the house will be handed back as promised. "Even though the order is for two months, the occupation is unpredictable," he said. ". "They could extend the takeover for another period, and then another, until the house is seized permanently. push({}); Nowhere to go Next door, Fidaa Abu al-Haija received a similar order to vacate her home. Residents believe the Israeli army is preparing to establish a military camp on the land it recently confiscated between the houses. Many fear the takeover will spread beyond a handful of properties and eventually encompass the entire neighbourhood. Abu al-Haija's home overlooks the seized land, reinforcing fears that the military presence is intended to be long-term. As genocide continues in Gaza, the West Bank is pushed into a new Nakba Read More » She lives there with her three children while her husband has been imprisoned by Israel for nearly four years. A similar expulsion order was issued for the nearby home of her brother-in-law, Abdel Salam, who has also been imprisoned for more than four years. His family of four must leave as well. Even before the latest order, Abu al-Haija said, soldiers frequently raided the house during the assault on Jenin, frightening her children and leaving rooms damaged. Much of the furniture is now unusable. "At times I had to turn back halfway home from work because soldiers were everywhere," she recalled. "I knew they wouldn't leave me alone. " The formal expulsion order, however, marks a new escalation and has fuelled fears that the takeover could become permanent. With her husband's family home inside Jenin camp already destroyed, Abu al-Haija said she has nowhere else to go. Speaking to MEE as workers hurriedly removed furniture from her house, she said she was now searching for a rental property while trying to salvage what remained of her family's life. "The furniture is piled up outside because I want to save it before it's destroyed," she said. "We've been living through this tragic situation for more than a year. " ‘Ghost town’ The Jabriyat neighbourhood overlooks Jenin refugee camp, making it strategically valuable to Israeli forces and increasingly vulnerable to home seizures. Mu'tasim Istaiti lives nearby and fears his home could be next. His family spent more than a year displaced after soldiers occupied their house during the assault on the camp. He later returned in an attempt to protect it. 'We fear the displacement of these families will become permanent' - Mohammad Jarrar, mayor of Jenin "Since we came back, it feels like we're living in a ghost town," he said. "All we hear are military vehicles. This used to be a vibrant neighbourhood. Now it's almost deserted. " Concerned for their safety, Istaiti rarely allows his children to leave the house alone. The army has also blocked the main access road with barbed wire, forcing residents onto a rough alternative route. "We know staying here is dangerous, but we want to protect our homes until the very last moment,” he said. “We don't know what the future holds for our children and us after the decision to confiscate the land near us. " Mohammad Jarrar, mayor of Jenin, said Jabriyat is one of the city's largest neighbourhoods, home to around 10,000 Palestinians. Because parts of the area overlook the refugee camp, a growing number of homes have been seized. At least 15 families in Jabriyat have been forced from their homes there since the assault began. Israel seeks to erase refugee camps from Jenin and Tulkarm Read More » Jarar said Israeli restrictions have also prevented municipal crews from reaching some neighbourhoods near the camp to provide basic services to many families still living there. In one area, he said, a damaged sewage pipe has flooded streets and created a health hazard, but municipal workers have been unable to access the site. "We fear the displacement of these families will become permanent," Jarar told MEE. "The occupation appears intent on displacing as many residents as possible out of the neighbourhoods surrounding the camp. " According to the municipality, around 800 families have now been displaced from neighbourhoods across Jenin city, excluding the refugee camp itself. "Even those who remain are being pressured through the withholding of services," Jarar added. "The aim is to make life so difficult that people leave on their own. " Occupation Muhammad Ateeq Jenin, occupied Palestine Ramallah News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Military · Geopolitical

‘Illegal and immoral’: How Luxembourg became the EU hub for Israeli war bonds Submitted by Sebastian Shehadi on Thu, 06/11/2026 - 12:23 The grand duchy stepped in to approve bond sales after public pressure forced Ireland to give up the role. Now it faces accusations of complicity in genocide Israel Bonds have been marketed as an opportunity for investors to show their support for the country's military campaigns (Screengrab/X) Off On 1 September 2025, a little-noticed administrative decision by the financial regulator of one of Europe's smallest countries set off a legal storm that is still building. The regulator, Luxembourg's Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), approved a prospectus for Israel's diaspora bond programme allowing it to sell its "Israel Bonds" to retail investors across the European Union. These bonds were explicitly marketed with the slogan "Stand with Israel. Israel is at War" – and the opportunity for Luxembourg to approve them came about due to growing outrage and accusations of genocide faced by Israel over its actions in Gaza. For years, the bond programme had been anchored in Ireland, with its central bank serving as its regulatory home. But sustained parliamentary and civil society opposition in Dublin - linking the bond sales to the financing of military operations in Gaza - created enough pressure that the issuer of the bond, the US -based Development Corporation for Israel (DCI), sought a transfer. Under EU regulation, an issuer can request that "approval competence" for a specific prospectus be delegated to the regulator of another member state.. push({}); Luxembourg agreed to receive it, with the CSSF as the regulator. What happened next was highly irregular given the political controversy surrounding these bonds: the CSSF did not consult Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs before approving the prospectus. Francesca Albanese: Why I'm accusing 63 nations of complicity in the Gaza genocide Read More » Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, was unsparing in her assessment of the arrangement when she spoke at a conference in Luxembourg last month, organised by Amnesty International, to examine the country's legal exposure to Israel. "The sale of these bonds is illegal under international law because it goes directly to funding the genocide," she said. "International law [demands] that all financial actors have to abstain from directly being linked to human rights crimes. And those who have authorised the sale of bonds are implicated. It is morally and legally wrong to sell these bonds. " Governments issue bonds to raise money for public spending or to repay debts. For Israel, those bond sales have been crucial to the financing of its wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Bonds marketed for war To understand why legal scholars and parliamentarians are now calling Luxembourg's approval a potential breach of international law, it helps to understand what DCI’s Israel Bonds actually are. Unlike standard Israeli government bonds sold to institutional investors (as covered by Middle East Eye), Israel Bonds are marketed directly at retail investors, religious organisations, and municipal funds - often through diaspora networks and appeals to solidarity. DCI's own promotional material at the time of the Luxembourg approval left little ambiguity about their purpose: supporting Israel’s wartime budget. Since 7 October 2023, Israel Bonds have raised $7.7bn for the Israeli government, according to DCI’s website and Instagram page. Proceeds from these bond sales flow as unrestricted general financing into Israel's treasury at a moment when military expenditure has surged from roughly 20 percent to over 30 percent of total government consumption. Israel Bonds posts on Instagram promoting support for Israel's military (Instagram). push({}); A detailed report released last month - prepared by a team of legal scholars, economists, and financial regulation specialists and presented at Amnesty International’s conference in Luxembourg - lays out the risks posed by Israel Bonds to the grand duchy, and to investors as well. DCI’s marketing strategy, the report argues, leverages political and emotional sentiment that obscures numerous financial and legal issues.. push({}); Even as Israel's own official financial filings in the US warn of severe economic contraction, DCI assures buyers of a "resilient" economy poised to outperform other developed nations. The report calls this a "patriotic premium" - the idea that buyers, motivated by solidarity rather than financial calculation, accept returns far below what the risk actually warrants. An investor lending money to Ukraine for a year, for example, would demand a return of around 25 percent; for Russia, around 15 percent. In short, lending money to countries at war usually means high returns for investors. But Israel Bonds are yielding around four percent despite the country being at war and running a deficit of nearly seven percent of GDP. The gap, the authors argue, is being filled not by sound economics but by sentiment - and retail investors are carrying risks they have never been properly told about. Is Luxembourg ignoring international law? The report's legal framework centres on three provisional measures orders issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024, each affirming the plausibility that Israel is committing genocide, although the case against Israel at the ICJ is ongoing. It also cites the ICJ Advisory Opinion of July 2024, which imposed obligations of non-assistance and non-cooperation on all states with respect to Israel's unlawful occupation. "The processing of Israel Bonds in EU markets is undeniably a grave violation of international law," Shahd Hammouri of Law for Palestine, one of the conference's keynote speakers, told MEE. "This act cannot be justified with reference to financial or bureaucratic considerations. " She went further, arguing that Luxembourg's financial regulator had possessed - and failed to use - the tools to refuse. "Luxembourg did have discretionary authority under the prospectus regulation to refuse the approval whenever there are systematic risks to public interest, peace, and the maintenance of an unlawful regime. To fail to exercise this discretion when the risk of complicity is serious is indeed a clear breach of their duties. " Most strikingly, Hammouri argued that personal criminal liability may follow. "By facilitating the processing of fungible proceeds from Israel Bonds, Luxembourg is aiding and abetting according to the standards of facilitation... and those who made the decision to approve the prospectus are indeed at personal criminal responsibility for facilitating acts of genocide. " The report draws an explicit historical parallel with Luxembourg's own past. Between 1967 and 1975, Kredietbank Luxembourg extended approximately $625m in loans to apartheid South Africa, while European loans to the regime were booked on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The international response eventually culminated in the US Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, which explicitly prohibited the purchase of South African government debt. "Today's framework is materially stronger," the report notes, "anchored in binding ICJ findings rather than accumulated political pressure. " The contradiction is sharpened by the fact that Luxembourg formally recognised the State of Palestine on 22 September 2025 - just three weeks after the CSSF approved the bond prospectus. ‘Inaction is not an option’ Amnesty’s conference in Luxembourg on 18 May 2026 brought together more than 200 people, including Albanese, political economist Shir Hever, Irish senator Alice-Mary Higgins, and several Luxembourgish parliamentarians. It generated five concrete calls for action, to be implemented within six to 12 months. The most urgent is the September 2026 deadline, the point at which bond prospectuses are renewed annually. Senator Higgins, one of the politicians who helped to force the original transfer out of Ireland, made clear that neither Dublin nor Luxembourg should facilitate the next one. Ireland's central bank to stop approving sale of Israeli 'war bonds' Read More » "These authorities have tools which they should be using to ensure that these bonds are not renewed in September," she said. If that happened, and no other country within the bloc agreed to approve the bonds then they could no longer be sold in the EU, she added. Higgins also took direct aim at the tendency of governments to hide behind their regulators' independence. "The government would like to create deniability by saying the independence of the competent authority means 'there's nothing we can do'," she said. "That is not an acceptable position. " Franz Fayot, a Luxembourgish MP from the centre-left LSAP party, told the conference that his team had now published two legal opinions - one from scholars at the University of Luxembourg, another from Utrecht University in the Netherlands - both of which concluded that the gravity of Israel's violations of international law was beyond question, and that Luxembourg's inaction was not an option. "It is also very clearly stated that Luxembourg even now has possibilities to act economically through sanctions, but also to take action through its financial sector. That is the big leverage that we have. " Fayot pledged that a parliamentary debate - which he was organising together with the Greens and the Lenk (Left) party - would result in concrete proposals. "We will undoubtedly propose certain initiatives, motions, and possibly draft bills in order to improve the existing framework and truly hold the government to account. " Political side-stepping Luxembourg's centre-right coalition government has so far responded to the pressure with a carefully constructed evasion. When questioned in parliament in late May 2026, ministers declined to say whether the CSSF's September 2025 approval had engaged Luxembourg's international responsibility - citing the regulator's independence. Asked whether the government intended to intervene to prevent a repeat, ministers said the same thing: the CSSF acts with full independence and autonomy, and the government cannot intervene in its decision-making. On the street, the response has been no different. When activists from the newly launched Stop Israel Bonds campaign protested outside the finance ministry, Finance Minister Gilles Roth's office issued a statement saying only that "the CSSF is the competent authority". Luxembourg's Prime Minster Luc Frieden addresses the UN in September 2025 after his country's recognition of Palestinian statehood (Government of Luxembourg) It was the same line given by ministers to journalists in February 2026. The CSSF itself has maintained that its role is purely technical - limited to determining whether the information in the Israel Bonds prospectus was complete, consistent, and comprehensible. It has stressed that approval does not constitute a judgment on the economic or financial merits of the transaction, nor on the quality or solvency of the issuer. Critics argue this position is legally untenable. Speaking to MEE, Anas Obeidat, a Luxembourg-based activist and one of the report's co-authors, put it directly: "Hiding behind technicality does not remove responsibility. Legal and financial distancing mechanisms cannot be used as a shield against accountability for what is happening in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and [Luxembourg’s role in facilitating the financing behind war crimes]. " ESG capital of Europe There is one more dimension to the controversy that Luxembourg's financial sector may find uncomfortable. The grand duchy has invested heavily in positioning itself as Europe's leading hub for sustainable finance and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investment. The Norway Government Pension Fund - whose exclusion list functions as a benchmark for the ESG community globally - has already divested from companies linked to the unlawful occupation, alongside a string of other European financial institutions. Luxembourg's own public pension fund, the Fonds de Compensation, however, remains invested in several companies listed on a United Nations database of business enterprises supporting Israeli settlements. "Luxembourg is Europe's largest ESG hub," the report notes, and the CSSF's approval of the Israel Bonds prospectus "places this positioning under significant reputational and political strain. " Hammouri offered a broader vision of what action by Luxembourg could mean: "A political movement in Luxembourg regulating the financial sector in a way that makes it impossible to contribute to or benefit from serious violations in contexts of war would be revolutionary for the global economy. " Looming deadline A lawsuit is reportedly being prepared in Luxembourg against the CSSF, based on its alleged failure to protect investors from risks the prospectus did not adequately disclose - mirroring a case filed in Dublin against the Central Bank of Ireland before the transfer. The Stop Israel Bonds campaign, launched at the May conference, is coordinating civil society pressure across Luxembourg, Ireland, and the wider EU, with the explicit goal of preventing the bonds from simply moving to Germany or another willing host if Luxembourg ultimately declines renewal. The September deadline looms large. The question now is whether Luxembourg's government will continue to insist that its hands are tied - or whether its parliament, its civil society, and the accumulating weight of international legal opinion will force a different answer before the Israel Bonds prospectus comes up for renewal. As Martina Patone, another co-author of the report, tells MEE: "What is written in this report is not unknown to our European governments. But keeping it on the page will remind the future of what was done, and hopefully expose, in the present, those who chose not to act. " Business News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Military · Geopolitical

At least a hundred Russian troops have infiltrated Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, with Ukraine's defence forces recording the Russians in the centre of the city.

Military · Geopolitical

Morning update Good morning Middle East Eye readers, Momentum towards a US-Iran agreement accelerated overnight after President Donald Trump said he cancelled planned strikes on Iran and declared the war effectively over. Tehran acknowledged progress in negotiations but stressed that no final agreement has yet been reached, while Israeli operations in Lebanon continued despite growing diplomatic efforts across the region. Trump said he cancelled planned US strikes on Iran after being informed that negotiations had reached the highest levels of Iran’s leadership and were nearing completion. The US president declared that the war with Iran had effectively ended and said a time and place for signing an agreement would be announced soon. Iran’s foreign ministry said a draft understanding is nearly complete but stressed that no final agreement with Washington has been approved. Trump said regional partners, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Jordan, had endorsed the framework under discussion. Iranian authorities reported intercepting an unauthorised oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz amid continuing maritime security concerns. The Israeli military said it had taken operational control of the Saluki Valley area in southern Lebanon, signalling continued activity on the Lebanon front despite progress in US-Iran talks. Israel said it is reviewing its Iran strategy while diplomatic efforts continue, with Netanyahu's office noting that Israel is not a party to the proposed memorandum of understanding. Israeli attacks continued across southern Lebanon, pushing the death toll from the conflict since March to 3,711, according to Lebanese health authorities. Two UN peacekeepers were wounded in an attack on a convoy in southern Lebanon, underscoring ongoing instability despite ceasefire efforts. Financial markets reacted positively to signs of a breakthrough, with major US stock indexes advancing on expectations of a possible agreement.

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Seize the opportunity to reach agreement, Egypt says on US-Iran ceasefire Egypt has welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement that planned military strikes against Iran had been cancelled, expressing hope that the move would create momentum for a comprehensive agreement between Washington and Tehran. In a statement posted on X, Egypt’s foreign ministry said it viewed the development with “great satisfaction” and urged all parties to seize the opportunity to resolve outstanding issues through negotiations. pic. Egypt hopes “the available opportunity will be seized to reach an agreement on various outstanding issues and to foster an environment conducive to ending the war and launching a new phase of regional stability”, the ministry said. twitter. com/NtRpUjNtvN — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt (@MFAEgOfficial) June 11, 2026

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Oil declined after President Donald Trump insisted a deal with Iran was close. Trump once again pulled back on a threat of more military strikes on the Islamic Republic. However Iran has not confirmed that a deal has been made. Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, Associate Fellow for MENA at Chatham House spoke to Bloomberg’s Abeer Abu Omar on Horizons Middle East and Africa on the likelihood of a deal announcement soon. (Source: Bloomberg)

Military · Geopolitical

NYT: US plans major reduction of military assets assigned to Nato The United States plans to significantly reduce the number of aircraft and naval assets it makes available to Nato operations in Europe, according to a report by The New York Times, which cited two senior European officials. The newspaper said allies were informed of the decision in a written document circulated earlier this month, describing it as part of a broader shift in Washington’s security posture towards Europe. According to the report, the proposed reductions include cutting the number of F-16 and F-15E fighter aircraft assigned to Nato missions from about 150 to 100, reducing maritime patrol aircraft from 26 to 15, and withdrawing all eight aerial refuelling aircraft currently allocated to Europe. The changes would also reportedly involve the reassignment of an aircraft carrier, a missile submarine, several warships and strategic bombers, a move officials told the newspaper could weaken the alliance’s long-range strike and aerial reconnaissance capabilities. Italian soldiers stand in formation after participating in Strike Back 26 exercise in southern Bulgaria, 11 June 2026 (Nikolay Doychinov/AFP)

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Two UN peacekeepers wounded in attack on convoy in southern Lebanon Two Unifil peacekeepers from Malaysia were wounded in an attack on a logistics convoy near the village of Haris in southern Lebanon, according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. Dujarric said the peacekeepers were in stable condition and that Unifil would investigate the incident. He did not identify who was responsible for the attack. In a separate incident, Dujarric said an Israeli military tank fired near a UN convoy in the vicinity of Bint Jbeil, forcing the convoy to take an alternative route before safely continuing its journey. He also reported significant drone activity observed by Unifil peacekeepers in the Biyyada area on Wednesday and reiterated the UN's call for all parties to respect the inviolability of UN personnel and assets. Woman sits inside temporary cemetery for Hezbollah fighters and civilians killed in war, in Sidon, Lebanon, 11 June 2026. (Anwar Amro/AFP)

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Israeli military says it intercepted drone near Metula The Israeli military said its air force intercepted a drone that entered an area where Israeli forces were operating in southern Lebanon, after sirens warning of a hostile aircraft sounded in the northern Israeli town of Metula. In a statement, the Israeli army said the drone was identified and intercepted shortly after the alerts were activated. It added that missile and rocket warning sirens were triggered during the interception attempts. The incident comes amid continued Israeli military operations and incursions in southern Lebanon.

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President Donald Trump pulled back threatened military strikes against Iran, a reversal that came after he vowed to hit the Islamic Republic “VERY HARD” and threatened to seize its oil infrastructure. Bloomberg's Jill Disis has the latest. (Source: Bloomberg)

Military · Geopolitical

Israel reviews Iran strategy amid diplomatic efforts by Washington Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held "security consultations with senior ministers and defence officials" to discuss developments related to Iran, as Israel closely monitors ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran, according to Israeli media reports. The reports said officials assessing the situation warned that a failure to reach an agreement in the coming weeks could increase the likelihood of renewed military confrontation between Israel and Iran. The consultations followed comments by US President Donald Trump indicating that planned strikes against Iran had been cancelled and that a broader regional understanding could be close.

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Bases across Iran have been hit by US strikes, with experts identifying damage to jets and warships.

Military · Geopolitical

Oil extended declines after President Donald Trump said a peace deal with Iran could be signed as soon as the weekend following two days of US military strikes that cast doubt over progress to end the war.

Military · Geopolitical

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he had halted plans for new military strikes on Iran, claiming negotiators were close to extending a fragile ceasefire, just hours after threatening to intensify the conflict by targeting Iran’s oil industry.

Military · Geopolitical

Report says Israeli military responsible for majority of explosive weapon deaths in 2025 More than half of all civilian deaths caused by explosive weapons in 2025 were attributed to the Israeli military, according to a new report by the Explosive Weapons Monitor. The report found that of the 22,600 civilian deaths recorded globally from explosive weapons this year, 56 percent were linked to Israeli military attacks. It also said the use of explosive weapons in attacks affecting humanitarian aid rose by 52 percent in 2025, with around 90 percent of all such incidents recorded in Palestinian territory. “When explosive weapons are used in populated areas, civilians suffer,” said Katherine Young, the organisation’s research and monitoring manager. ” “What is particularly alarming is that this harm has become persistent across conflicts worldwide, risking the normalisation of civilian suffering on a massive scale.

Military · Geopolitical

Trump says 'settlement' reached to end war on Iran Submitted by Sean Mathews on Thu, 06/11/2026 - 21:28 Iranian media says chances of an agreement are high, but cautions not to take Trump's word until deal officially sealed US President Donald Trump speaks before signing a proclamation in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on 11 June 2026 (Kent Nishimura/AFP) Off Iran and the US both signalled a breakthrough in ceasefire talks on Thursday, with US President Donald Trump saying an agreement to end the war and start wider negotiations could be signed over the weekend, while Iranian media said the chances of a deal were “high”. "We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. He added that "subject to finalisation of documents, which should get done, over the next few days, [we will] probably have a signing, maybe in Europe. ” Trump now has an established pattern of saying a deal is at hand only for expectations to fizzle and fighting to flare up again. However, Iran’s semi-official Fars News agency reported on Thursday that the text the US accepted was already approved by Iran and that Tehran is likely to seal the agreement. The report added that no formal response has been delivered yet. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office also issued a muted statement suggesting a deal was within reach.. push({}); "President Trump spoke this evening with Prime Minister Netanyahu about the emerging memorandum of understanding with Iran for entry into negotiations," the statement said. "Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, [but] the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump's commitment that the final agreement at the conclusion of the negotiations will include the removal of the enriched material, the dismantling of the enrichment infrastructure, the limitation of missile production, and the cessation of Iran's support for its terrorist proxies in the region," the statement added. Iran's Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, dismissed Trump's statement, noting the US president had made similar declarations in the past without any outcome. "Until Iran announces the matter of a potential understanding, any news from Trump on this subject should be regarded as his previous messages," it said. Trump says Vance will go to Europe for deal Trump, however, had already begun to frame expectations for a signing ceremony in Europe, with US Vice President JD Vance in attendance. There "could be a signing over the weekend in Europe.... I won't be able to be there, but JD Vance will", he told reporters.. push({}); Trump said the deal meant that "Iran will never have a nuclear weapon" but gave no details of how that would happen. Trump threatens to invade Iran's Kharg Island, then says Americans lack the 'stomach for it' Read More » "It was a big, very big thing, but we have a signing soon, and the documents are in pretty final shape, so we'll see," said Trump. He added that the Strait of Hormuz would also open once the deal was signed. "The whole Middle East is happy, and long beyond the Middle East," Trump said. Trump’s remarks capped a head-spinning Thursday, where he fluctuated from threatening to seize Iran’s Kharg Island, only to back out with the justification that the American people “don’t have the stomach” for a land invasion. Iran's chief negotiator in the talks, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, issued a stark warning in response to Trump’s threats. "Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years," he said. General Ali Abdollahi, head of the Iranian military's central headquarters, warned that if the US attacked "it will receive a harsher response than before, and the flames of war, in addition to creating insecurity in the region, will become more widespread and far-reaching”. Trump then wrote a social media post retracting his pledge to hit Iran “very hard”. 'Cancelled' air strikes “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have… cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran,” Trump said on Truth Social. Trump added that “all parties involved” in the talks had agreed on the “final points” of a deal, citing “Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and others”. The US and Iran have been trading fire for days now, despite a fragile ceasefire they agreed to in April. US top diplomat picks Bahrain as first wartime Gulf visit, sources say Read More » Iran has responded to US attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and strikes on its land forces by targeting the US's Arab partners, including Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the US bombed water storage facilities in southern Iran. Attacks on civilian infrastructure are generally considered a war crime under international law. Kuwait said Iranian strikes that targeted its territory on Thursday morning caused injuries and damaged its airport radar, causing a temporary closure of its airspace. But behind the bluster, there were signs that backroom diplomacy was taking place. Diplomatic manoeuvres Qatari negotiators travelled to Tehran on Wednesday to finalise a US-Iran ceasefire agreement, Reuters reported. The UAE dispatched diplomats to engage in face-to-face talks with senior Iranian officials this week to de-escalate tensions, Bloomberg reported.. push({}); A Gulf diplomat told Middle East Eye their government believed the meeting was held in Tehran, citing an open-source account on X that tracked an Emirati plane known to carry Emirati officials. MEE revealed this week that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planning a trip to the Gulf, where he will visit Bahrain, the UAE and Kuwait - a trip that would likely not take place if fighting erupted again. Any deal between the US and Iran is expected to be temporary, allowing the two sides 60 days to work through negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme and the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been subjected to competing Iranian and US blockades. Axios News, which is close to the Trump administration and has often reported a deal was close only for talks to fall through, said the agreement still needed to be approved by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The text narrows the differences between the two sides on a mechanism to release Iran’s frozen assets and set up parameters for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Military · Geopolitical

President Donald Trump called off new U. S. military strikes on Iran on Thursday, saying "final points" of an initial peace deal had been approved and details of a signing ​ceremony would ‌be announced shortly. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported that Tehran had not approved ⁠the text of any agreement. Since mid-March, Trump has repeatedly claimed that a deal with Iran to ‌end the war is close. FRANCE 24's Carys Garland and Monte Francis report.

Military · Geopolitical

Trump threatens to invade Iran's Kharg Island, then says Americans lack the 'stomach for it' Submitted by Sean Mathews on Thu, 06/11/2026 - 17:26 US president's flip-flopping on high-stakes military operations comes as he expresses bewilderment that Iran hasn't 'submitted' to his terms A woman walks past a giant banner depicting Iranian missiles and a sword belonging to Imam Ali, the first imam of Shia Muslims, at Vanak Square in Tehran, on 10 June 2026 (Atta Kenare/AFP) Off President Donald Trump threatened to seize Iran’s main oil export hub, Kharg Island, on Thursday, before flip-flopping on the grounds that the American people "don't have the stomach" for what military experts say would be an invasion entailing large US casualties. "The United States will be hitting Iran... VERY HARD TONIGHT," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network on Thursday. "At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela," he added. The Trump administration considered launching an operation to take Kharg Island in the first month of the war on Iran, but eventually backed off the plan. Former senior US and western military officials told Middle East Eye at the time that the US would likely be able to establish a bridgehead on Kharg Island, but that a US invading force would face intense fire from Iran as it approached the island and more difficulties trying to hold it.. push({}); But the threat to escalate comes as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio eyes a visit to the Gulf states, stopping in Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE, MEE reported. Trump himself appeared to acknowledge the high casualty cost of such an operation. He walked back the threat in an interview with Fox News shortly after his post. 'The country has no appetite for it' "My preference has always been - take Kharg Island... my preference would be that. I don't know that America has the stomach for ​it," Trump told Fox News. Kalev Sepp, a former US special forces officer and emeritus professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School, told MEE that a US invasion force would likely depend on basing in Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Kuwait. “They can’t do this without neighbouring Gulf states giving them access to bases,” he told MEE. 'Shooting gallery': How a US invasion of Iranian islands might unfold Read More » The Gulf states generally supported US military activity at the height of the war, but have since shifted towards pushing for a negotiated settlement. Even the UAE, which has been the most hawkish Gulf state towards Iran, engaged in face-to-face talks with senior Iranian officials this week in a bid to de-escalate tensions, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. A Gulf diplomat told MEE their government believed the meeting was held in Tehran, citing an open-source account on X that tracked an Emirati plane known to carry Emirati officials. In addition to Gulf buy-in, the bigger strategic challenge for the US would be holding Kharg Island after landing marines or paratroopers there, experts say. “These forces are very good at securing a foothold because they are extremely light and can move quickly. The moment they become static, they become a target that needs to be protected and supplied,” Daniel Davis, a former US Army lieutenant colonel, told MEE. ”It would be a shooting gallery. ” 'Submit' Trump’s flip-flopping again underscored the disconnect between his public statements on Iran and its continued demonstration of military capabilities.. push({}); Trump said Iran’s “Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE,” which suggests that it would be an easy battle to take Kharg Island. Trump also walked back a threat to attack Iran’s civilian infrastructure, which is a war crime. "I'd rather not do it, because once you do that, the people suffer," Trump said, after threatening to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges. US top diplomat picks Bahrain as first wartime Gulf visit, sources say Read More » But the US has escalated its strikes on Iran in defiance of a ceasefire it reached with Tehran in April. The New York Times reported that the US on Thursday targeted a drinking-water facility on Iran’s southern coast, which Iranian officials said left 20,000 people without water. Attacking civilian infrastructure like water facilities is considered a war crime under international law. The US also attacked a commercial tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, killing three Indian crew members. The US said it targeted the ship for failing to abide by its blockade of the waterway. Oman launched a rescue operation after the US strike, and India summoned the US deputy chief of mission at the American embassy in New Delhi to protest against the strike. The US’s attacks come as Trump increasingly expresses his frustration that Iran is failing to agree to his terms to end the war. "The whole thing is crazy, and they're really in submission; they just don't know it yet," Trump told Fox. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, vowed on Thursday to use Iranian funds to pay for damage that the country causes to Gulf allies. Iran has attacked Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait in response to the US strikes. All these countries are home to US military bases.. push({}); "Any damage it inflicts on our allies in the Gulf will be paid for with funds extracted from Iranian Accounts," Bessent wrote on X. Bessent also said that "any tolls paid to the Persian Gulf Strait Authority will be offset by funds extracted from their accounts". The authority is Iran's new agency for collecting transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy transit waterway that Tehran has essentially closed off since early in the war. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Military · Geopolitical

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had cancelled planned military strikes against Iran after negotiations with Tehran reached what he described as the highest levels of the Iranian leadership and received approval from all parties involved. “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings...

Military · Geopolitical

Ukrainian military personnel struck a Russian Black Sea Fleet facility in temporarily occupied Sevastopol overnight on 10-11 June. The Ukrainian Navy said the attack was carried out using a domestically produced Neptune coastal missile system.

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Rights groups accuse the RSF paramilitary group of killing civilians in el-Obeid, a city on the civil war's front line.

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India calls for end to attacks on ships after three nationals killed The Indian Ministry of External Affairs demanded attacks on ships to cease after a third vessel with an Indian crew was targeted by US forces off the coast of Oman this week. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on Thursday that a third ship, named Jalveer, was attacked ‌‌by the US Navy, which was confirmed by the US military the same day. “These attacks must cease, and we reiterate our call for dialogue and diplomacy to ensure an early return to peace and stability in the region,” Jaiswal said. He added that the ongoing attacks on “shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and are a direct consequence of the ongoing conflict there”. “The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region in keeping with international law must be restored at the earliest,” an official statement by India ’s Ministry of External Affairs has said on Wednesday.

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Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday it had launched missile attacks on US military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation to US strikes.

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Ted Lasso will deliver a message of hope before the USA’s first game, in an America that is not a fit or desirable host right now Shortly before 6pm local time on Friday night at the Los Angeles Stadium, the actor who plays Ted Lasso – the fictional manager of a fake team in a falsely heartwarming version of football – will tell hundreds of millions of TV viewers tuning in to watch the start of the American leg of the Fifa World Cup that football unites the world. In an interesting twist, the actor Jason Sudeikis will do this at a time when the World Cup host is simultaneously bombing the second-ranked country in Group G, having recently murdered its head of state. The message of unity is one likely to be heard by the US president, Donald Trump, who has initiated six military conflicts in his second term, and whose brutally divisive immigration policies have now led to the barring of Omar Artan, the reigning African referee of the year. Continue reading...