10 h. ago An Airbnb in a war zone? Global holiday rental giant facing legal action over offering stays in 100s of homes in illegal Israeli settlements

According to a complaint, Airbnb have breached UK anti-money laundering laws by listing more than 300 holiday rentals in illegal Israeli settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Society

12 h. ago EU may take action against Israel if conditions in Gaza do not improve

Bloc’s foreign affairs chief warns of a response unless action is taken to ‘stop the suffering’ in Gaza Strip The EU may take action to increase pressure on Israel unless there are “concrete” improvements for the inhabitants of Gaza, its foreign policy chief has said.After meeting the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels, Kaja Kallas said it was “very clear” that Israel had breached its human rights commitments in Gaza and the West Bank. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago EU finds 'indications' Israel is breaching their trade deal with its actions in Gaza

The European Union says there are ″indications″ that Israel's actions in Gaza are violating human rights obligations in its trade agreement with the EU

Politics

17 h. ago The strait of Hormuz: how could Iran close it and why does it matter to global trade?

Iran’s parliament approved a measure to close the vital global trade route, through which more than a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through dailyTrump floats regime change in Iran – follow it livePresident Donald Trump’s unprecedented decision to bomb three Iranian nuclear sites has deepened fears of a widening conflict in the Middle East.Joining Israel in the biggest western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution, the world is now bracing for Iran’s response. Continue reading...

Politics

27 h. ago The strait of Hormuz: what is it, and why does it matter to global trade?

Iran’s parliament approved a measure to close the vital global trade route, through which more than a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through dailyTrump floats regime change in Iran – follow it livePresident Donald Trump’s unprecedented decision to bomb three Iranian nuclear sites has deepened fears of a widening conflict in the Middle East.Joining Israel in the biggest western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution, the world is now bracing for Iran’s response. Continue reading...

Politics

64 h. ago EU review ‘paints grim picture’ of Israel’s actions in Gaza, Irish premier says

EU countries including Ireland had called for an agreement with Israel to be reviewed to see if human rights clauses had been breached.

Politics

4 d. ago Starmer warns of ‘real risk’ in Middle East as Trump mulls bombing Iran

The Prime Minister pushed for de-escalation amid signs that the US president could join Israel’s military action against Iran.

Events

5 d. ago Will the new Middle East crisis rock the world economy? The markets say no – but I fear they’re wrong | Larry Elliott

The oil shocks of the 1970s-90s had brutal economic impacts. As Israel attacks Iran, a moderate rise in oil prices rests on questionable assumptionsFinancial markets picked up the clear message when Donald Trump cut short his stay at the G7 summit in the Canadian Rockies this week. Despite calls from fellow western leaders to de-escalate the crisis, the president’s early return to the White House was taken as a sign that the US is considering joining Israel in its military action against Iran. Trump says he wants Iran’s unconditional surrender.This is where modern summitry came in half a century ago. In 1975, the first meeting of what eventually became the G7 was convened at Rambouillet in France in an attempt to work out a joint response to the oil shock that accompanied the Yom Kippur war between Israel and its neighbours.Larry Elliott is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by em...

Economics

6 d. ago Keir Starmer admits Channel situation is 'deteriorating' and hints visas could be slashed for countries that don't tackle illegal migrants

Keir Starmer delivered a grim assessment as pictures emerged of migrants battling through teargas grenades on a beach near Calais this morning before setting off for Britain.

Events

6 d. ago The Iranian people were starting to win their battle for liberty and prosperity. Then Israel attacked | Esfandyar Batmanghelidj

Something was shifting in Iran, but now missiles and the return of foreign interference may tear up the green shoots of progressMissiles follow trajectories. So do countries. And over the past few days, Israel’s attacks have dramatically changed Iran’s trajectory.Some believe that Iran was already on a downward spiral and that Israel’s actions will simply accelerate the descent. In an op-ed published on Monday, several of Iran’s most prominent civil society figures, including Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, declared that the “only credible path to safeguard [Iran] and its people is the resignation of the current leadership”. In this view, the war could be construed as a deliverance – Israeli officials are openly suggesting that their operations could lead to regime change in Iran. But if Iran’s decline was already precipitous, why are ordinary Iranians terrified by the outbreak of war? Why have they not welcomed Benjamin Netanyahu as the saviour he imagines himself to b...

Events

7 d. ago Democratic senator proposes curbing Trump’s war powers amid Israel

Tim Kaine introduces measure to prohibit US forces from taking action against Iran without approval from CongressAs Iran and Israel exchange missile attacks for a fourth day, Democrats in Washington are moving swiftly to reassert congressional authority over US military engagement in the region amid fears of American involvement in a broader conflict.Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, on Monday introduced a war powers resolution that would prohibit US armed forces from taking direct action against Iran without explicit authorization from Congress or a declaration of war. The measure, like other attempts to claw back power from the executive branch, faces a steep climb in the GOP-controlled Congress, where Republicans have been mostly unwilling to challenge Donald Trump’s authority. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago The Guardian view on Netanyahu’s Iran war: long planned, recklessly pursued – and perilous for all | Editorial

Israel’s strikes against Tehran risk spiralling conflict, flout legal norms and may permanently bury the last chance for nuclear diplomacyIn late 2020, Gen Mark Milley – then chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff – urged Donald Trump not to attack Iran and to ignore pressure from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who was pushing hard for military action. Mr Trump backed down after the general warned that attacking Iran would start a war, with the risk of US officials being “tried as war criminals in The Hague”.Five years on, Israel’s prime minister has the fight with Tehran that he has spent decades preparing for, bolstered by Mr Trump’s claims that international law no longer applies. After all, why worry about red lines when The Hague’s already got a warrant out for you and your allies pretend not to notice? It helps when the US treats the international criminal court like a rogue actor. Mr Trump has even gone after the court’s judges and prosecutor for ...

Events

8 d. ago Huge turnout at a second Dutch protest seeking government action against Israel

Tens of thousands of demonstrators in the Netherlands have donned red and marched to protest the Dutch government’s policy towards Israel, exceeding the turnout for a similar event in May

Politics

9 d. ago Tehran threatens UK as Starmer scrambles RAF: Prime Minister sends jets to the Middle East as war rages between Iran and Israel 

Sir Keir Starmer ordered the deployment of fast jets and refuelling aircraft from UK bases to bolster UK forces despite bloodcurdling warnings from Tehran not to meddle in the conflict.

Politics

9 d. ago UK moves jets to Middle East as Starmer refuses to rule out defending Israel

Military assets to provide ‘contingency support’ as PM repeats call for de-escalation after Iran’s retaliatory strikesMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe UK is moving jets and other military assets to the Middle East, Keir Starmer has said, refusing to rule out defending Israel from Iranian strikes despite Tehran’s threat that such an action could see British bases in the region also targeted.Speaking to reporters on the plane to the G7 summit, Starmer reiterated his call for de-escalation, saying he had held a series of calls with other world leaders in the hours after Israel’s attack on Iran, including the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump scrambles to claim credit for Israel’s Iran attack he publicly opposed

Discordant US response as president says he was fully aware of plans for what Marco Rubio called a ‘unilateral action’ Middle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump is walking a tightrope as he claims that he was fully aware of Israel’s plans to launch massive airstrikes against Iran while continuing to distance the US from those strikes and deny Washington took any active role in the preparations.The White House’s messaging has shifted quickly from Marco Rubio’s arms-length description of the Israeli attack as a “unilateral action”, to Trump claiming on Friday morning that he was fully in the loop on the operation and that it came at the end of a 60-day ultimatum he had given Iran to “make a deal” on its nuclear programme. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Phone and passport confiscated in Egypt from Irish politician marching to Gaza

Paul Murphy was among a large group of people attempting to reach the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza.

Politics

1 week ago Phone and passport confiscated from Irish politician marching in Egypt to Gaza

Paul Murphy was among a large group of people attempting to reach the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza.

Politics

1 week ago Irish politician says passport confiscated while detained on march to Gaza

Paul Murphy has said he is among several people detained by Egyptian authorities while on a march to Gaza.

Politics

1 week ago Israeli strikes hit more than 100 targets in Iran including nuclear facilities

Tehran says strikes are ‘declaration of war’ as senior military commanders and scientists are also killedMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsraeli strikes have hit more than 100 major targets in Iran, including nuclear facilities and missile sites, and killed senior military commanders and scientists in what Tehran said was a “declaration of war”.As Israeli officials indicated the strikes were the first phase of a larger operation, Donald Trump described the attack as “excellent” and warned further strikes would be more brutal unless Tehran agreed to back down over its nuclear programme, contradicting Washington’s official stance that the Israeli action was unilateral. Continue reading...

Events