
Israeli court allows use of dead soldier's sperm for surrogacy
According to Channel 12, the court authorised the highly unusual procedure for Maor Eisenkot, an Israeli combat soldier killed during operations in Gaza in December 2023. The ruling marks the first of its kind since Israel's war on Gaza started.
The decision was based on testimony alleging that the soldier had spoken about wanting to have children, including permitting the use of his sperm posthumously—even by someone he had never met.
His mother reportedly learned of his wishes only after his death, through a friend he had confided in during childhood.

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Gulf Today
30 minutes ago
- Gulf Today
BRICS nations slam Trump tariffs, condemn strikes on Iran
BRICS leaders at a summit on Sunday took aim at US President Donald Trump's "indiscriminate" import tariffs and recent Israeli-US strikes on Iran. The 11 emerging nations -- including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- account for about half the world's population and 40 per cent of global economic output. The bloc is divided about much, but found common cause when it comes to the mercurial US leader and his stop-start tariff wars -- even if it avoided naming him directly. Voicing "serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff" measures, BRICS members said the tariffs risked hurting the global economy, according to a summit joint statement. Trump fired back at the bloc directly on social media Sunday night. "Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Russia's President Vladimir Putin appears on a screen as he attends the opening meeting of BRICS Summit remotely with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday. Reuters Earlier, BRICS also offered symbolic backing to fellow member Iran, condemning a series of military strikes on nuclear and other targets carried out by Israel and the United States. In April, Trump threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties, before offering a months-long reprieve in the face of a fierce market sell-off. Trump has warned he will impose unilateral levies on partners unless they reach "deals" by August 1. In an apparent concession to US allies such as Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia, the summit declaration did not criticize the United States or its president by name at any point. No show Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to US and western European power. But as the group has expanded to include Iran, Saudi Arabia and others, it has struggled to reach meaningful consensus on issues from the Gaza war to challenging US global dominance. BRICS nations, for example, collectively called for a peaceful two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict -- despite Tehran's long-standing position that Israel should be destroyed. An Iranian diplomatic source said his government's "reservations" had been conveyed to Brazilian hosts. Still, Iran -- a BRICS member since 2023 -- stopped short of rejecting the statement outright. The bloc also called for an "immediate" ceasefire and the "full withdrawal of Israeli forces" from the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been at war with the Palestinian group Hamas for 21 months. Hamas's armed wing welcomed BRICS's position, calling on them to "exert pressure" on Israel to "lift the criminal siege imposed on two and a quarter million people." In perhaps a further sign of the diplomatic sensitivities, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister skipped Sunday's discussions entirely, according to a Brazilian government source. World leaders partake in the 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday. AP Saudi Arabia is among the world's leading beneficiaries of high-tech US military exports and is a long-standing US partner. The political punch of this year's summit has been depleted by the absence of China's Xi Jinping, who skipped the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president. The Chinese leader is not the only notable absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, charged with war crimes in Ukraine, also opted to stay away, participating via video link. He told counterparts that BRICS had become a key player in global governance. The summit also called for regulation governing artificial intelligence and said the technology could not be the preserve of only rich nations. The commercial AI sector is currently dominated by US tech giants, although China and other nations have rapidly developing capacity. Agence France-Presse


The National
an hour ago
- The National
Benjamin Netanyahu visits Donald Trump in Washington as Gaza ceasefire talks advance
President Donald Trump is set to meet Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, as hopes grow that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is within reach. Israel and Hamas earlier held indirect talks for a second day in Qatar. A source familiar with those discussions told The National that any progress towards a ceasefire would be announced by Mr Trump during Mr Netanyahu's visit. Mr Netanyahu's visit is his third US trip since Mr Trump took office in January. He was scheduled to meet special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Previous meetings between Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu have included a welcome in the Oval Office in front of the world's press. This trip's initial meeting, a dinner on Monday, will be closed to the public. The meeting comes after Mr Trump last month joined Israel's war against Iran, striking three nuclear sites. He now wants to see an end to the 21-month-old war in Gaza. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Israel launched a massive military offensive in Gaza in response, which has killed more than 57,500 Palestinians and reduced much of the coastal territory to rubble. Talks on a permanent end to the war – which would include a full Israeli withdrawal – are expected to begin as soon as a ceasefire goes into effect.


Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Opinion: Britain is more worried about words than war crimes
Ismail Patel, visiting research fellow at the University of Leeds and Chair of NGO Friends of Al-Aqsa, has written in a column for Middle East Eye that Britain is "more worried about words than war crimes" He writes: "The controversy ignited by Bob Vylan's Glastonbury performance - specifically the chant of 'death to the IDF', in reference to the Israeli army - has exposed far more than artistic outrage. It has laid bare the limits of free speech in Britain when it comes to Palestine, the deep discomfort with confronting complicity, and the ease with which expressions of solidarity are demonised as hate. Glastonbury has long served as a cultural platform for political protest. From the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament to environmental justice, anti-poverty activism, women's rights and LGBTQ+ equality, it has never shied away from uncomfortable truths. The festival's founder, Michael Eavis, famously said that if people don't like the politics of Glastonbury, they 'can go somewhere else'. The festival also hosts a dedicated political space called Left Field, featuring daily debates and discussions on a wide range of issues. Over the years, the festival has witnessed powerful political moments, from solidarity with striking miners in the 1980s to a video address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2022." You can read the full column below. Bob Vylan performs at Glastonbury in Somerset, England, on 28 June 2025 (Oli Scarff/AFP)