36 h. ago Gaza death toll mounts as Hamas is still considering its response to Trump's peace proposal

Hamas is still considering its response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace proposal aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza

Politics

55 h. ago Israel says ‘last opportunity’ for Gaza City residents to leave

Defence minister issues warning, while Hamas reportedly considers seeking amendments to Trump plan The Israeli military has issued what it said was its final warning for Gaza City residents to flee as it intensified its bombardment and offensive on Wednesday, while Hamas was reportedly considering requesting amendments to Donald Trump’s ceasefire ultimatum.Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said the warning was the last opportunity for people to move to southern Gaza as the military encircled the city. Gaza’s civil defence agency said on Wednesday that Israeli forces had killed at least 46 people, including 36 in Gaza City. Continue reading...

Politics

57 h. ago Border wall slicing through Arizona wildlife corridor begins construction: ‘A show of force for nothing’

The 30ft-high wall between the US and Mexico will cut through one of the last unbroken grasslands in the west, leaving residents alarmed over the potential impact on wildlife and water useOn a late summer day in September, the sound of cicadas pierced the profound silence in the sprawling grasslands and gently rolling hills of the San Rafael Valley in southern Arizona. But before long, the shrill buzzing gave way to the rumble of heavy machinery sculpting an unpaved road leading to the US-Mexico border.In the distance, a deer darted across the road and disappeared into a thicket of oak trees. A few miles later, a fenced-in worker camp came into view, next to a construction site full of trucks, bulldozers and cranes. Continue reading...

Politics

59 h. ago Israeli minister says ‘last opportunity’ for Gaza City residents to flee – Middle East crisis live

Israeli offensive intensifies amid reports Hamas will seek amendments to Trump’s Gaza planHere are some images coming in via the newswires today:The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that the “intensification of military operations in Gaza City” has forced the humanitarian organisation to temporarily suspend operations at its Gaza City office and relocate its staff to ICRC offices in southern Gaza “to ensure staff safety and operational continuity”.The ICRC will continue to strive to provide support to civilians in Gaza City, whenever circumstances allow, from our offices in Deir al-Balah and Rafah, which remain fully operational. This includes providing medical donations to the few remaining health facilities in Gaza City and doing the utmost to facilitate the movements of first responders. In Rafah, the Red Cross Field hospital will continue to be a lifeline for the many wounded patients pouring in.The ICRC has been in Gaza City for decades. Following the latest...

Politics

63 h. ago Israel to close last remaining route from southern Gaza to the north as it continues offensive on Gaza City – Middle East crisis live

Hamas has said it will review the outline of Trump’s Gaza plan, as leaders across the Middle East voiced support for the proposalThe Australian government has said it is “deeply concerned” about the safety of its citizens on board a flotilla to Gaza, with expectations the boats could be intercepted by Israeli forces as early as Wednesday afternoon Australian time.The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has said they have been in contact with six Australians confirmed to be on flotilla consisting of more than 40 ships.I’m deeply concerned by the alleged drone attacks on the Global Sumud Flotilla and the risks to the safety of Australians and other passengers onboard.Australia calls on all parties to respect international law and international humanitarian law, and to refrain from any unlawful or violent act against the flotilla.I think people feel pretty calm. And because everybody is really, really concerned about what’s happening in Palestine every single day, it really kind of...

Politics

63 h. ago Residents blast campervans for using drugs, leaving rubbish, and dumping human waste along peaceful riverside road

Residents on Canal Side, in Beeston, Nottingham, say they are fed up of van-dwellers pitching up on a 500m (1,640ft) stretch of road which allows overnight parking

Events

66 h. ago ‘Will my baby be born in a tent? Will it have food?’: what it’s like to be pregnant in Gaza

The World Health Organization has warned that more than 40% of pregnant women in the Gaza Strip are malnourished. Here, Nour Ziad al-Batsh, who is expecting her third child in March, describes her daily struggle to find food and healthcareThis pregnancy is not like my others. I have not been allowed to feel the joy I felt last time, to plan for the future and dream about where my child will go to school and how to decorate his room. In Gaza these days, I can only wonder whether I can find food to keep my baby healthy and how it will be to give birth in a tent.The natural joys I felt for the births of my daughter and son have been overwhelmed by depression, fear and anxiety because of this continuing genocide. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Israel presses on with Gaza assault as Trump again claims ceasefire is close

IDF launches 140 airstrikes in last 24 hours as tanks advance in Gaza City and death toll for same period is put at 77Israel has pressed on with its offensive in Gaza as Donald Trump claimed again to be on the brink of a breakthrough in negotiations for a ceasefire in the devastated territory.Witnesses and medics said Israeli tanks were advancing through central and western neighbourhoods of Gaza City towards crowded coastal areas where hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Israeli strikes kill at least 44 people as military continues Gaza City attack

Health officials say most deaths were in the strip’s largest city, where hundreds of thousands are trapped and starvingIsraeli strikes and shootings have killed at least 44 people in Gaza, according to health officials in the territory, with most of the killings in Gaza City.The Israeli military continues to press ahead with an attack on the strip’s largest city, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are trapped and starving, despite international pressure for a ceasefire. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago An American nurse in Gaza City films a hospital's collapse as Israeli forces surround it

The health care system in Gaza City is coming under fire and being pushed toward collapse as Israeli troops bear down

Politics

7 d. ago Doctors Without Borders suspends work in Gaza City during ‘relentless’ Israeli attack

The charity said the deteriorating security situation had made it impossible to safely continue treating patients

Politics

7 d. ago Recognising statehood is the minimum – now the EU must protect Palestine with money

As Europe’s socialist leaders, we call for a trade deal and aid package for Palestine – along with sanctions on Israel to halt the genocideApplause rang out through the UN general assembly this month after it endorsed the so-called New York declaration on the revival of the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. Adopted by a large majority, 142 countries, this initiative from France and Saudi Arabia offers a rare glimmer of hope in one of the most devastating crises of our time.Separately, the conclusions of the UN commission of inquiry have echoed what human rights organisations and genocide experts have been warning for months: Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. As the ground invasion of Gaza City intensifies, the international community has a legal and moral obligation to act. This includes the immediate imposition of sanctions on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to halt war crimes.Pedro Sánchez is the president of the Socialist International, secretary general of PS...

Politics

8 d. ago Moment burst pipe ERUPTS filling streets with thousands of gallons of water as locals evacuated after windows smashed

THIS is the shocking moment thousands of gallons of water spill out of a broken pipe - leaving a residential street completely submerged. Homes have been evacuated along the road in Marylebone, central London, after the water main erupted in the early hours today. Dozens of firefighters were scrambled to Enford Street at around 5.20am...

Politics

9 d. ago Massive sinkhole opens up right next to hospital and swallows police car as people flee

While the Bangkok hospital's main structures remained intact, residents of nearby apartments were also ordered to leave as a precaution. Miraculously, no injuries were reported

Events

9 d. ago A mother stranded in Gaza City says she and her daughters are 'waiting to die'

Noor Abu Hassira is one of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians staying in Gaza City as Israel presses on with an offensive to take it over

Events

9 d. ago ‘We are at our limit’: Gaza’s last hospitals overwhelmed as thousands flee south

‘Not enough of anything’, says surgeon, as Israel’s assault forces injured, sick and hungry people to leave Gaza CityThe few remaining hospitals and clinics in central and southern Gaza are being overwhelmed by a “tsunami” of injured and sick patients fleeing a new Israeli offensive in the north of the devastated territory, medics say.At both Nasser medical complex, in the southern city of Khan Younis, and field hospitals in al-Muwasi, the coastal “humanitarian zone” designated by Israel, staff are struggling to cope with large numbers of new arrivals forced out of Gaza City in the north of the devastated Palestinian territory. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago As Western nations recognize Palestinian statehood, Palestinians doubt its impact

Palestinians across the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank are welcoming news that some Western countries have recognized a Palestinian state

Politics

1 week ago New Zealand just made it easier for skilled migrants to gain residency as record number of citizens leave

New visa policy to help in plugging workforce gaps

Events

1 week ago New Zealand loosens residency restrictions as record number of citizens leave

Minister for economic growth said visas for skilled and experienced migrants could help plug gaps in the workforceNew Zealand is making it easier for migrant workers to come and live in the country, in its latest attempt to bolster the workforce and economy.Announcing two new residency pathways, the minister for economic growth, Nicola Willis, on Tuesday said skilled and experienced migrants could help plug gaps in the workforce. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago France recognises state of Palestine, Macron tells UN; Abbas says Hamas to ‘surrender their weapons’ – Middle East crisis live

French announcement followed by Morocco, Belgium, Malta and Luxembour; Palestinian president says Hamas must have ‘no role’ in governing GazaThe Israeli military, which justifies its assault on Gaza City by saying it wants to “destroy Hamas military infrastructure” hasn’t given a timeline for the ground offensive, but there are indications it could take months.Amid this flurry of diplomatic activity, Israel is continuing to launch deadly attacks on Gaza, including on Gaza City, the biggest urban centre in the territory. Continue reading...

Events