45 h. ago More than 9,000 children treated for malnutrition in Gaza, says Unicef – Middle East crisis live

Figures come as Palestinian health minister says there have been 29 ‘starvation-related’ deaths in the last few daysIsraeli foreign minister Gideon Saar accused unnamed European officials on Thursday of “toxic antisemitic incitement” he blamed for a hostile climate in which the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington DC took place.Israel has faced criticism from Europe as it has intensified its military campaign in Gaza, where humanitarian groups have warned that an 11-week Israeli blockade on aid supplies has left the Palestinian territory on the brink of famine.There is a direct line connecting antisemitic and anti-Israel incitement to this murder.This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and organisations, especially from Europe.These libels about genocide, crimes against humanity and murdering babies pave the way exactly for such murders. Continue reading...

Society

48 h. ago Israeli army issues evacuation warning for 14 areas in northern Gaza – Middle East crisis live

AFP says army released statement in Arabic claiming it was ‘operating with intense force’ in a number of areasIsraeli foreign minister Gideon Saar accused unnamed European officials on Thursday of “toxic antisemitic incitement” he blamed for a hostile climate in which the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington DC took place.Israel has faced criticism from Europe as it has intensified its military campaign in Gaza, where humanitarian groups have warned that an 11-week Israeli blockade on aid supplies has left the Palestinian territory on the brink of famine.There is a direct line connecting antisemitic and anti-Israel incitement to this murder.This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and organisations, especially from Europe.These libels about genocide, crimes against humanity and murdering babies pave the way exactly for such murders. Continue reading...

Events

50 h. ago Live updates: Aid groups collect some supplies that have entered Gaza

The United Nations say aid groups have collected humanitarian aid carried by about 90 trucks, out of a total of nearly 200 that have entered Gaza since Israel began allowing limited goods in earlier this week

Politics

68 h. ago Trump to meet with South African president amid tensions over aid and Afrikaners: Live updates

Trade agreements and investment opportunities said to be on table as two nations work to reset relations

Politics

69 h. ago Trump to meet with South African president amid tensions over aid, Afrikaners, Israel: Live updates

Trade agreements and investment opportunities said to be on table as two nations work to reset relations

Politics

3 d. ago Israel says ‘external pressure will not divert’ it after UK pauses trade talks – Israel

Israel foreign ministry spokesperson accuses Britain of ‘anti-Israel obsession’ after UK pauses trade talks over blockade of GazaPhilippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of Unrwa, the UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees, has been speaking to Euronews.He said US President Donald Trump has the unique power to force Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “change the situation” in Gaza.I do believe that President Donald Trump has the necessary influence to change the situation in Gaza and make sure that the siege be lifted and that the population get access to the assistance it deserves.It’s an outrage that we are confronted by a situation of starvation when it comes to Gaza. It’s a completely fabricated one. We are in a situation where hunger and food are being weaponised for political and military purposes What is needed in Gaza is a massive, unhindered, uninterrupted assistance of supply to make sure that we are reversing the trend of the spreading hunger. Continue...

Politics

4 d. ago Netanyahu hits back after UK, France and Canada threaten action – Israel

Leaders of UK, France and Canada condemn Israel’s ‘egregious actions’ in Gaza and warn of joint action if offensive continuesFull report: Netanyahu vows to ‘take control’ of GazaAs we mentioned in the opening post, the UK, France and Canada issued a rare joint condemnation of Israel, denouncing its expanded offensive in Gaza and the blocking of aid into the territory.It marks a change in tone from the UK and Canada - in particular – which have broadly backed Israel’s war and insisted on its “right to defend” itself despite it being accused of committing genocide and carrying out widespread and systematic violations of international law. France has been more openly critical of the Israeli military’s conduct. Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago UK, France and Canada threaten action if Israel’s offensive continues as first aid crosses into Gaza in weeks – Israel

Joint statement warns of ‘concrete action’ over Israel’s latest Gaza offensive; nine trucks allowed through but UN aid chief, Tom Fletcher, says significantly more are neededIn a post on X, the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee has told residents living in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, Bani Suheila and Abasan to “evacuate immediately” ahead of an “unprecedented attack” he claims is targeting Hamas infrastructure.“The IDF will launch an unprecedented attack to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations in this area,” he wrote in the social media post.You should know that when Gazans who were related to those who were holding me were injured by IDF actions, I would be badly beaten and sent to solitary confinement for long days with no food fit for human consumption and with a hygiene level comparable to concentration camps in the Holocaust Does it seem logical that I’m the one who needs to be here to shout for the freedom of my beloved Ariel (her partner), his brother D...

Politics

5 d. ago IDF tells Palestinians to evacuate Khan Younis ahead of ‘unprecedented attack’ – Israel

People in area told it is ‘considered a dangerous combat zone’In a post on X, the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee has told residents living in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, Bani Suheila and Abasan to “evacuate immediately” ahead of an “unprecedented attack” he claims is targeting Hamas infrastructure.“The IDF will launch an unprecedented attack to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations in this area,” he wrote in the social media post.You should know that when Gazans who were related to those who were holding me were injured by IDF actions, I would be badly beaten and sent to solitary confinement for long days with no food fit for human consumption and with a hygiene level comparable to concentration camps in the Holocaust Does it seem logical that I’m the one who needs to be here to shout for the freedom of my beloved Ariel (her partner), his brother David or the rest of the hostages Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Netanyahu vows Israel will ‘take control of all’ of Gaza but says famine must be avoided – Israel

Israeli PM says his forces will not give up in attempt to seize control of Gaza but warns Israel must not let people there reach point of famineIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has posted a video message on Telegram. Here is some of what he said:Israeli forces will “take control of all” of the Gaza Strip. “The fighting is intense and we are making progress. We will take control of all the territory of the Strip,” he said. “We will not give up. But in order to succeed, we must act in a way that cannot be stopped.”Israel must not let the population (of Gaza) sink into famine, both for “practical and diplomatic reasons”.“In order to complete our victory, to defeat Hamas and free the hostages, we cannot reach a point of famine,” Netanyahu said, adding that images of famine in Gaza would have hindered his objectives.Everyone in Gaza is hungry. Without immediate action, nearly a quarter of the population could be pushed into famine. Food aid must be allowed into Gaza now to preve...

Politics

5 d. ago Live updates: A UN official says 20 aid trucks with food are waiting to enter Gaza

Israel says it will allow a limited amount of humanitarian aid into Gaza even as its "extensive” new ground operations are underway

Society

7 d. ago 'Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll? We were too exhausted': Spandau Ballet singer TONY HADLEY relives Live Aid 40 years on

From the biggest charity concert ever staged to powerful women bosses on national newspapers - the 80s defined life as we know it. The people who were there remember

Events

7 d. ago Bono: Stories of Surrender review – megastar tries out humility

Cannes film festival The U2 singer’s ‘quarter-man’ solo stage show sees him reflect likably on his anguished family past and have a decent go at being an ordinary JoeThe stadium-conquering rock superstar Bono finds a smaller arena than usual for this more intimate and much acclaimed “quarter-man” show, performed solo without his U2 bandmates Adam Clayton, David “The Edge” Evans and Larry Mullen Jr and filmed live on stage at New York’s Beacon theatre in 2023 by Andrew Dominik. It’s a confident, often engaging mix of music and no-frills theatrical performance, with Bono often coming across like some forgotten character that Samuel Beckett created but then suppressed due to undue levels of rock’n’roll pizzazz.Bono delivers anecdotes from his autobiography Surrender, starting with his recent heart scare and going back to his Dublin childhood, his musical breakthrough to global fame, his post-Live Aid charity work on poverty and famine relief (though no discourse on the question of whet...

Politics

7 d. ago Bono: Stories of Surrender review – megastar tries out humility in likable one

Cannes film festival The U2 singer’s solo stage appearance sees him reflect on his anguished family past and have a decent go at being an ordinary JoeThe stadium-conquering rock superstar Bono finds a smaller arena than usual for this more intimate and much acclaimed “quarter-man” show, performed solo without his U2 bandmates Adam Clayton, David “The Edge” Evans and Larry Mullen Jr and filmed live on stage at New York’s Beacon theatre in 2023 by Andrew Dominik. It’s a confident, often engaging mix of music and no-frills theatrical performance, with Bono often coming across like some forgotten character that Samuel Beckett created but then suppressed due to undue levels of rock’n’roll pizzazz.Bono delivers anecdotes from his autobiography Surrender, starting with his recent heart scare and going back to his Dublin childhood, his musical breakthrough to global fame, his post-Live Aid charity work on poverty and famine relief (though no discourse on the question of whether Live Aid was...

Politics

2 w. ago Solution to get food and aid to Gaza is ‘steps away’, US state department says – live

Gaza is on the brink of catastrophe after two months of a total blockade by Israel, aid workers say, with many families down to one meal a dayThe winners and losers of Trump’s first tariff war strongly suggest that bankruptcies and farm consolidation could surge during his second term, with major corporations best placed to benefit from his polices at the expense of independent farmers.New analysis by the non-profit research advocacy group Food and Water Watch (FWW), shared exclusively with the Guardian, shows that Trump’s first-term tariffs were particularly devastating for farmers in the Maga rural heartlands. Continue reading...

Society

2 w. ago Palestinians ‘desperate for food but getting bombs’, says UN as it criticises Israel’s Gaza aid plan – Middle East crisis live

Reports say that Israel is planning to use private American security contractors in move that OCHA says falls short of ‘humanitarian principles’China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, said Beijing is “highly concerned about the current Palestine-Israel situation”.“We oppose Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza, and hopes all parties continuously and effectively implement the ceasefire agreement,” Jian said.The government of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, hopes that the Israel Defense Forces’ call-up of tens of thousands of reservists, the threat of the new offensive and the prospect of Israel seizing swaths of territory will force Hamas’s leaders to make concessions.If it fails to do so, then physical possession of terrain will offer useful leverage in future negotiations and allow Hamas to be squeezed further in the meantime Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago 80s pop icon looks unrecognisable as he's pictured at Wembley stadium

The musician was a key organiser of the original two-venue benefit, held in July 1985, which intended to raise relief funds for the Ethiopian famine that claimed approximately 300,000 to 1.2 million lives.

Politics

3 w. ago Bob Geldof vows to carry on 'vital' work as he launches Live Aid musical

As the 40th anniversary of the iconic concert approaches, the Boomtown Rats star announced another exciting project back where it all began

Politics

3 w. ago Bob Geldof and Midge Ure return to Wembley Stadium for Live Aid: The Musical cast recording as they prepare for 40 year anniversary of iconic famine relief concerts

The original two-venue benefit, held on July 13 1985, was organised by Geldof and Ure to raise relief funds for Ethiopia as the East African country battled a devastating famine.

Culture

3 w. ago Bob Geldof says he's 'blue in the face' hearing Freddie Mercury's Live Aid performance with Queen

The musician and activist was at Wembley for the launch of Just for One Day - The Live Aid musical ahead of it’s West End opening

Politics