
Midwife brings claim against trust after ‘Prevent referral over Palestine posts'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Recorder
4 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
Iran says will deploy new missiles if Israel attacks again
TEHRAN: Iran said Wednesday it was prepared for any new Israeli attack, announcing it has developed missiles with greater capabilities than those used during their recent 12-day war. 'The missiles used in the 12-day war were manufactured... a few years ago,' Defence Minister Aziz Nassirzadeh said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency. 'Today, we have manufactured and possess missiles with far greater capabilities than previous missiles, and if the Zionist enemy embarks on the adventure again, we will undoubtedly use them.' In mid-June, Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran, triggering a war in which Iran responded with missile and drone strikes. The Israeli offensive killed senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others, striking both military sites and residential areas. The United States briefly joined the war with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24. Iranian officials have since warned that another round of fighting could erupt at any moment, emphasising that Tehran does not seek war but remains prepared for any confrontation. On Monday, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Iran should be 'prepared at every moment for confrontation'. 'We are not even in a ceasefire; we are in a cessation of hostilities,' he added. Iranian media reported that the army is to begin a two-day military exercise on Thursday, featuring a wide range of short and medium-range cruise missiles. Western governments have repeatedly voiced concern about Iran's missile programme, calling it a threat to regional security. In July, France called for a 'comprehensive deal' with Tehran that covers not only its nuclear programme but also its missile programme and its regional ambitions. Iran has insisted that its military capabilities are not up for negotiation.


Business Recorder
4 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
Most Americans believe countries should recognize Palestinian state: poll
WASHINGTON: A 58 percent majority of Americans believe that every country in the United Nations should recognize Palestine as a nation, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, as Israel and Hamas considered a possible truce in the nearly two-year-long Gaza war. Some 33% of respondents did not agree that UN members should recognize a Palestinian state and 9% did not answer. The six-day poll, which closed on Monday, found a pronounced partisan divide on the issue, with 78% of Democrats supporting the idea, far more than the 41% of President Donald Trump's Republicans who agreed. A narrow 53% majority of Republicans did not agree that all UN member nations should recognize a Palestinian state. Israel has long counted on the US, its most powerful ally, for billions of dollars a year in military aid and international diplomatic support. An erosion of US public support would be a worrisome sign for Israel as it faces not only Hamas militants in Gaza but unresolved conflict with Iran, its regional arch-foe. A widely condemned Israeli settlement plan that would cut across occupied West Bank land which the Palestinians seek for a state received final approval on Wednesday, according to an Israeli government statement. The poll was taken within weeks of three countries, close US allies Canada, Britain and France, announcing they intend to recognize a Palestinian state. This ratcheted up pressure on Israel as starvation spreads in Gaza. The survey was taken amid hopes that Israel and Hamas would agree on a ceasefire to provide a break in the fighting, free some hostages and ease shipments of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip. Britain, Canada, Australia and several of their European allies said last week that the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn Palestinian enclave has reached 'unimaginable levels,' as aid groups warned that Gazans are on the verge of famine. The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday Israel was not letting enough supplies into the Gaza Strip to avert widespread starvation. Israel has denied responsibility for hunger in Gaza, accusing Hamas of stealing aid shipments, which Hamas denies. Some 65% of the Reuters/Ipsos poll respondents said the US should take action in Gaza to help people facing starvation, with 28% disagreeing. The number disagreeing included 41% of Republicans.


Wales Online
5 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Israel calls up 60,000 reservists with invasion of Gaza's largest city imminent
Israel calls up 60,000 reservists with invasion of Gaza's largest city imminent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli military to prepare for a major ground assault on Gaza City, where almost half of the territory's displaced residents are now sheltering Almost half of all people surviving in Gaza live in Gaza City (Image: Getty) Israel's military is preparing to launch a major ground offensive on Gaza City, with thousands of troops being positioned as part of "preliminary actions" to seize the densely populated civilian zone. 60,000 Israeli citizens have been mobilised for active service ahead of the substantial assault on Gaza's largest city, where nearly half of the territory's displaced population is currently taking refuge. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a security cabinet meeting this week (August 21) to secure approval for the military operation on Gaza City, where 70 per cent of all structures have sustained damage following repeated air strikes and a catastrophic siege in 2024. This cabinet session will not address the ceasefire agreement accepted by Hamas earlier this week, which Netanyahu has declined to discuss, according to Haaretz reporting. The Prime Minister's office stated instead: "Netanyahu has ordered the timetable for taking over the last terrorist strongholds and defeating Hamas." The estimated death toll in the territory now exceeds 62,000 during the 21 months of Israel's response to the October 7 terror attacks, when militant groups from Gaza killed 1200 Israeli soldiers and civilians, whilst taking 240 hostage. After months of food aid restrictions and with no conclusion to the conflict in sight, 266 Gazans have now perished from starvation, 122 of those who starved to death have been children according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Thousands of Israeli soldiers have begun deploying to areas near Gaza City ahead of a new offensive (Image: Getty) Hamas, reacting to Israel's preparations to seize and control Gaza City, declared the offensive "will fail, just as previous military operations have." Their spokesperson further stated that the assault "aims to destroy the remaining foundations of life in Gaza." Article continues below The banned terror organisation continued: "Netanyahu's disregard for the mediators' proposal and his failure to respond to it proves that he is the true obstructionist of any agreement, that he does not care about the lives of [Israeli captives], and that he is not serious about their return." IDF troops are already positioned close to the major city, with forces gathering in Jabalia and Zeitoun, where military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin cautioned: "We will deepen the damage to the terror infrastructure above and below the ground and sever the population's dependence on Hamas." This proposed ground offensive will unfold in a city that has already been "reduced to dust," according to one local who spoke to Al Jazeera. "There is no form of life if we wish to return. "We can't find water or homes, we can't even live in tents." Israel's armed forces have indicated they will instruct all civilians to leave Gaza City and move to humanitarian areas in the south, where many of the Palestinian territory's two million displaced people are already taking refuge. In this section of Gaza, analysis by BBC Verify and other organisations has revealed Israeli bulldozers and controlled demolitions flattening districts that previously housed tens of thousands of residents. Article continues below Numerous allies of Israel have criticised the proposed occupation of Gaza City, along with Prime Minister Netanyahu's strategy for military control of the entire Gaza Strip, which surfaced following the collapse of ceasefire negotiations last month. France's President Macron declared on Wednesday that the offensive "can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war".