7 h. ago Trump’s men come to Israel with plenty to say. But they’re silent on any real future for Gaza | Roy Schwartz

Kushner, Witkoff, Vance and Rubio – they’ve all been sent to keep the ceasefire in place. Now we need to hear about a concrete planThese days present quite a unique phenomenon: the first-ever US march of the babysitters. They vary in their qualifications and attributes, but they all share the same mission – to prevent an Israeli breach, or even destruction, of Gaza’s fragile ceasefire. Since the war ended, there have been few days without at least one of Donald Trump’s envoys on the ground. Just this past week saw the likes of Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, JD Vance and Marco Rubio – all arriving to perform their duties.Israel keeps them busy. In just a few days it launched a series of attacks in Gaza after the killings of two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers – resulting, according to reports, in dozens of Palestinian casualties. Several ministers called for a resumption of the war, and the Knesset passed a preliminary decision to annex the West Bank. The US reaction was somewher...

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31 h. ago Trump shuts down reporter over Israel's vote to annex West Bank after his threat to cut support

The reporter's question centred on the Israeli Knesset, where right-wing lawmakers voted on Wednesday to advance a bill to impose Israeli sovereignty on the occupied West Bank.

Politics

47 h. ago Trump threatens to cut all support for Israel in extraordinary escalation after JD Vance 'personal insult'

President Donald Trump revealed a red line that will force his administration to yank its support for Israel as it attempts to hold a fragile ceasefire with Hamas: annexation of the West Bank.

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48 h. ago Vance says Knesset votes on annexing West Bank are an ‘insult’ as Netanyahu halts progress

US vice-president suggests votes were ‘stupid political stunt’ as Israeli PM halts further work on billsMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has ordered a halt to the advancement of parliamentary bills linked to the annexation of the West Bank after the US vice-president, JD Vance, described a vote on two bills in the Knesset as an “insult”.The bills applying Israeli law to the occupied West Bank, which would be tantamount to the annexation of land Palestinians want for a state, won preliminary approval from Israel’s parliament on Wednesday, barely a week after Donald Trump pushed through a deal aimed at ending a two-year Israeli offensive in Gaza. Continue reading...

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64 h. ago New York City mayoral debate live: Mamdani, Sliwa and Cuomo trade jabs over Israel, rent and Trump

Candidates come out swinging as they vie for New Yorkers’ votes in final debate“It’s us versus them,” Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate, says in his brief opening statement, in which he claims that he is the true representative of New Yorkers.Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor, begins by urging the Knicks to win, and then pivots to attacking “my main opponent”, Zohran Mamdani. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago The EU was complicit in the war in Gaza. Trump's plan can't be an excuse to dodge responsibility now | Nathalie Tocci

Tiptoeing around Israel has cost Europe its credibility. It must exert meaningful pressure to ensure the horrors we have seen never happen againThe first phase of Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza has drawn a collective sigh of relief from European leaders. After two years of slaughter, the ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli military’s partial withdrawal from Gaza and humanitarian access to the territory offer hope – and unfortunately, an excuse for Europe to continue doing nothing.When it comes to the war in Gaza, unlike Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European governments have shown their worst colours. They are divided, and their political splits have led to policy paralysis. But worse than sitting on the sidelines hand-wringing, European governments and EU institutions in Brussels can be accused of complicity in Israel’s war crimes. They have been unwilling to exert any pressure on the perpetrators, while continuing economic, political and...

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4 d. ago Trump claims allies in Middle East will send troops into Gaza and ‘straighten out Hamas’ if ceasefire fails

US president claimed leaders told him ‘explicitly’ they would act against militant group ‘at his request’

Events

4 d. ago JD and Usha Vance arrive in Israel for urgent talks as Netanyahu drops 153 tons of bombs on Gaza

The vice president and second lady are hoping to shore up support for the historic peace deal brokered by Donald Trump between Israel and Hamas.

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4 d. ago ‘Real hope’ for future of wildcats after another 18 released in Highlands

Experts said some of the animals previously released into the wild have produced kittens.

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4 d. ago Gaza ceasefire live: Vance arrives in Israel as Qatar condemns ‘continued violation’ of ceasefire

US vice-president’s trip comes a day after two Trump envoys met NetanyahuUS vice-president JD Vance has arrived in Israel with his wife, Usha.Vance is expected to meet top US Middle East envoys and military experts monitoring the truce on Tuesday. He is expected to meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and president Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem tomorrow. Continue reading...

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4 d. ago Hamas release another dead hostage to Israel after Trump warns ‘behave or be eradicated’

Trump warned the Palestinian militants to ‘be nice’ as US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Tel Aviv to salvage a fragile ceasefire

Events

4 d. ago Hamas to release another dead hostage to Israel after Trump warns ‘behave or be eradicated’

Trump warned the Palestinian militants to ‘be nice’ as US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Tel Aviv to salvage a fragile ceasefire

Events

5 d. ago Woman tries 'futuristic' product which gives the illusion of having makeup on

One woman has shared she's been "obsessed" with a new beauty trend – which has been dubbed "makeup glasses" and now explained how they can make you look so chic

Politics

5 d. ago US envoys arrive in Israel to shore up the Gaza ceasefire after a major flareup

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy says that Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the U.S. president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner have arrived in Israel

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5 d. ago Gaza ceasefire live: Trump’s envoys arrive in Israel amid scramble to shore up fragile truce – Middle East crisis live

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner expected to meet members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s governmentUS President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner have returned to Israel, a US embassy spokesperson has said.They are overseeing the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which they helped broker, and are expected to meet members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Truce resumes after Israeli airstrikes on Gaza amid scramble to shore up ceasefire – Middle East crisis live

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly heading to Israel on Monday Donald Trump said yesterday the ceasefire he brokered was still in place.The US president told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that Hamas has been “quite rambunctious” and “they’ve been doing some shooting.” He suggested that the violence might be the fault of “rebels” within the organization rather than its leadership. “It’s going to be handled toughly but properly,” he said. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago The Guardian view on hybrid cars: profitable for carmakers but not very green | Editorial

Plug-in hybrids pollute more than their manufacturers claim – and delay the real shift to electric and shared mobility“Why the future is hybrid,” chirruped the Economist in 2004. While electric vehicles (EVs) looked like science fiction, that prediction looked prescient. Fast‑forward 20 years and battery technology has improved dramatically; EVs are affordable. Last week it emerged that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) aren’t very green. The sales pitch had been that motorists could use “clean” battery power for city jaunts and dirty petrol for longer trips. This promised sustainable travel without the anxiety of a limited range. But real‑world tests, by the European non-profit Transport and Environment, show that PHEVs emit just 19% less carbon dioxide than petrol and diesel cars – far short of the 75% claimed in the lab.Hybrid vehicles are, however, very profitable. Carmakers can charge top dollar for what are essentially re-engineered petrol cars with a battery ...

Politics

6 d. ago Israel ramps up strikes in Gaza on Hamas 'terror targets' after 'blatant violation' of ceasefire agreement

The Israeli military said Hamas carried out 'multiple attacks' beyond the 'yellow line' buffer zone, including a rocket-propelled grenade and sniper fire, calling it a 'blatant violation'

Events

6 d. ago Israel launches military strikes in southern Gaza after Hamas' 'bold violation of ceasefire' with attack on IDF troops

The Israeli military said Hamas carried out 'multiple attacks' beyond the 'yellow line' buffer zone, including a rocket-propelled grenade and sniper fire, calling it a 'blatant violation'

Events

7 d. ago Hamas continues efforts to return bodies of hostages under ceasefire deal

Hamas has delivered the remains of nine individuals, plus a tenth body Israel claimed was not a hostage

Events