Police raid at a rare island of dialogue in Jerusalem sparks fears of a free speech crackdown
For years, the Palestinian-owned Educational Bookshop in east Jerusalem has been a rare island of dialogue in an increasingly divided city, but an Israeli police raid on the store this week has sparked fears about the suppression of free speech. While the well-known store and its smaller branch across the street were open Tuesday, the bust saw detectives confiscate books in trash bags and arrest two members of the owner’s family. The incident has raised broader concerns about the status of shared places where Israelis and Palestinians can peacefully come together and debate.
After meeting with Trump, Jordan's King Abdullah II reiterates 'steadfast opposition' to moving Palestinians out of Gaza
WASHINGTON — Jordan’s King Abdullah II said he reiterated Tuesday during a meeting with President Donald Trump his country's and the region's "steadfast opposition" to the president's plan to resettle millions of Palestinians out of Gaza. “I stressed that my foremost commitment is to Jordan, to its stability and to the well-being of Jordanians,” he said on X. “I reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This is the unified Arab position.”
Trump threatens 'all hell is going to break out' if Hamas delays hostage releases
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was at risk of faltering Tuesday after President Donald Trump warned “all hell is going to break out” if the Palestinian militant group does not release “all” the remaining hostages this week. The war in the Gaza Strip is on pause following a complex agreement in which the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are incrementally exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel.
'A lot of people will die': How Trump's USAID overhaul could lead to famine in Sudan
For a country ravaged by two years of brutal civil war and with over 30 million people — or more than half of the population — in need of humanitarian assistance, President Donald Trump’s 90-day freeze on all foreign aid could not have come at a worse time for Sudan. As battles rage in the North African country, a network of communal kitchens has had to immediately stop most of its operations due to a lack of funding, about 75% of which came from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), according to their organizers.
Migrants’ bodies in Libya mass graves had gunshot wounds, IOM says
Some of the bodies of migrants found in two mass graves in Libya bore gunshot wounds, the International Organization for Migration said Monday, adding that one of the sites is thought to contain up to 70 bodies. Libya’s attorney general said Sunday that at least 28 bodies had been recovered from a mass grave in the desert north of Kufra city and blamed a gang for subjecting illegal migrants to torture and inhumane treatment.
How a land law sparked Elon Musk's accusations of 'genocide' against his home country
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order cutting U.S. aid to South Africa, following claims he has made about the country discriminating against white farmers. “South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY,” the president said in an initial post on his social media platform Truth Social earlier this month. “Massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see.”
Russia says U.S. relations are on brink of collapse, refuses to confirm Trump call claim
The Kremlin said Monday that U.S.-Russia relations were on the brink of collapse and refused to confirm whether Russian President Vladimir Putin had spoken with President Donald Trump, despite Trump saying so Sunday. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told a media conference Monday that relations with Washington “are balancing on the brink of a breakup” and reiterated that the war in Ukraine would last until Kyiv drops its ambitions to join NATO and withdraws from the four regions occupied by Russian forces.
Trump says Palestinians wouldn't be allowed back into Gaza under his plan
President Donald Trump said Palestinians wouldn't be permitted to return to the Gaza Strip as part of his plan for the United States to take ownership of the war-torn territory. In a taped interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, a clip of which was released Monday, Trump was asked about his proposal to "own" and rebuild Gaza, first announced last week during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House.
Hamas suspends hostage release, says Israel isn't following ceasefire agreement
Hamas said Monday it was suspending the upcoming hostage release in the Gaza Strip, blaming Israel for not following the terms of a ceasefire agreement that paused the 15-month war in the Palestinian enclave. Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, cited alleged Israeli violations of the deal over the past three weeks, including delaying the return of displaced people to northern Gaza, not allowing aid to enter the enclave, and shelling and gunfire in various areas of the strip.
Israeli delegation in Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks
CAIRO — An Israel delegation arrived in Qatar on Sunday for more Gaza truce talks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson said, as its military withdrew from an important crossing point in the enclave, as agreed under the truce with Hamas. Indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on the next stage of the ceasefire are set to start this week following Netanyahu’s visit to the United States last week.