Abbas decries Israel’s ‘genocide’ and says Hamas will have no role in future Gaza government

Palestinian Authority president speaks to UN by video about Israel’s ‘war crime’ after visa was revoked by the US Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, has decried Israel’s “war of genocide” and settlement expansion, while condemning Hamas and saying the armed group would hand over its weapons in any postwar settlement in a closely watched … Read more

Liev Schreiber and Debra Messing among names rejecting pledge to boycott Israeli films

More than 1,200 industry figures claim the pledge is ‘a document of misinformation’ and that much of the Israeli film and TV industry are ‘often the loudest critics of government policy’ More than 1,200 entertainment industry figures have signed a new open letter rejecting the recent high-profile pledge by thousands of their peers to boycott … Read more

Israel carrying out crime against humanity in Gaza, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas tells UN – as it happened

Speech by Palestinian Authority president also says Hamas should have no role in governing Palestine and must disarm Alimi says the policy of containment has given the Houthis time to expand its arsenal. “It has become clear the peace we seek cannot be asked for but must be imposed by force,” he says. Continue reading…

Activists outraged after Rio lawmakers approve ‘wild west bonus’ for police who kill ‘criminals’

Similar legislation introduced in Rio in mid-1990s caused an explosion of extrajudicial killings in the city’s favelas Human rights activists have voiced outrage after Rio de Janeiro’s parliament approved plans to pay police officers a “wild west bonus” for “neutralizing criminals” during operations. The move is a throwback to the mid-1990s when Rio’s then governor, … Read more

Sarkozy says he will ‘sleep in prison, but with head held high’ following guilty verdict in Libya trial – as it happened

Sarkozy found guilty of criminal conspiracy for receiving millions of euros from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and will spend time in custody even if he appeals Here is a bit more on that from Reuters: Sarkozy, who has always denied the charges, was accused of making a deal with Gaddafi in 2005, when he … Read more

Sarkozy says he will ‘sleep in jail but with head held high’ after conviction

Former French president receives five-year prison sentence for criminal conspiracy over pact with Gaddafi regime The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy said he would “sleep in jail but with my head held high” after receiving a five-year prison sentence for criminal conspiracy – the first time a former head of state has been sent to … Read more

Lack of resources and outdated policies led to delayed response to LA wildfires, report says

Outdated alert process led to delays in warning residents to evacuate during Eaton and Palisades fires, per the report An outside review of Los Angeles county’s response to January’s deadly wildfires found a lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delays in warning residents about the need to evacuate as … Read more

Sarkozy’s spectacular downfall marks turning point in France’s struggle against graft

Experts say political legacy of former president convicted of criminal conspiracy now appears impossible to rebuild Nicolas Sarkozy given five-year prison sentence after Libya trial When a Paris court handed Nicolas Sarkozy a five-year prison sentence on Thursday – for criminal conspiracy over a scheme to get election campaign funds from the regime of the … Read more