Portugal to weigh recognising a Palestinian state
France, Britain and Canada have all in recent days voiced, in some cases qualified, intentions to diplomatically recognise a Palestinian state.
Portugal 'is considering recognition of the Palestinian state, as part of a procedure that could be concluded during the high-level week of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, to be held in New York in September', the statement said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Express Tribune
PM Shehbaz condemns Israeli settlers for storming Al-Aqsa mosque
Listen to article Pakistan on Monday unequivocally condemned the recent storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli ministers, accompanied by settler groups and shielded by Israeli police. 'This sacrilege against one of Islam's holiest sites is not only an affront to the faith of over a billion Muslims, but also a direct assault on international law and the collective conscience of humanity,' Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on his X timeline. Pakistan unequivocally condemns, the recent act of storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli ministers, accompanied by settler groups and shielded by Israeli police. This sacrilege against one of Islam's holiest sites is not only an affront to Muslims worldwide but also a… — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) August 4, 2025 He said that such systematic provocations by the occupying power, coupled with reckless calls for annexation, imperil the prospects for peace. The prime minister said that Israel's shameless actions were deliberately inflaming tensions in Palestine and the wider region, pushing the Middle East closer to further instability and conflict. 'Pakistan reiterates its urgent call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to all acts of aggression, and the revival of a credible peace process leading to an independent and viable State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, under international law and relevant UN resolutions,' Prime Minister Shehbaz added. Separately, Islamabad has strongly condemned the provocative and deeply offensive desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque by thousands of Israeli settlers, including senior ministers, officials, and Knesset members, under the protection of Israeli occupying forces. In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said the presence and statements of senior Israeli officials, and the repugnant declaration that 'the Temple Mount is ours,' are a dangerous and deliberate attempt to provoke religious sentiments across the world, escalate tensions, and alter the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque. He said Israel's expansionist attempts are a deliberate effort to destabilize the region and sabotage any meaningful path to peace. These provocations risk igniting a catastrophic spiral of violence across the region. The spokesperson emphasized that the world must not remain silent in the face of such systemic, illegal, inhumane, and unlawful aggression. Such actions constitute a blatant violation of international human rights and humanitarian laws, the UN Charter, as well as various UN and OIC resolutions. He urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take immediate and concrete steps to hold Israel accountable for its illegal actions and to protect the religious sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the rights of the Palestinian people, in particular the right to self-determination. The spokesperson reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering support for the creation of a sovereign, independent, viable, and contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Earlier, Israeli airstrikes continued in Gaza, and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, sparking condemnation from regional powers. Ben-Gvir was among approximately 1,250 individuals who prayed at the site under Israeli military protection. The compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, holds deep religious significance—being the holiest site in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam. It remains under Jordanian custodianship, and a longstanding agreement permits Jewish visits but prohibits prayer.
Business Recorder
14 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Israel says ground troops conducted raids in Syria
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel's military said Sunday ground troops had operated in southern Syria, seizing weapons and questioning individuals suspected of arms trafficking, in the latest cross-border raid since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December. A military statement said that troops had completed overnight 'a mission involving on-site questioning of several suspects involved in weapons trafficking in the Hader area in southern Syria', near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. 'Troops entered four locations simultaneously and located numerous weapons that the suspects had been trafficking,' the statement said. Footage released by the military showed uniformed Israeli troops in armoured vehicles and on foot operating at night. An Israeli army division remains 'deployed in the area, continuing to operate and prevent the entrenchment of any terrorist elements in Syria, with the aim of protecting Israeli civilians, and in particular, the residents of the Golan Heights', the military said. As an Islamist-led offensive late last year toppled Syrian president Assad, Israel deployed troops to the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights which has separated Israeli and Syrian forces following their 1973 war. In July, Israel bombed Syrian government forces in the capital Damascus and in Sweida province to force their withdrawal from the southern region amid a wave of sectarian violence. Israel said it was acting in defence of the Druze community, but some diplomats and analysts say its goal is to weaken the Syrian military and keep the forces of the new government away from the frontier. Israel launched hundreds of strikes on military sites following Asaad's overthrow in December, saying at the time it wanted to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of the new authorities it considers jihadists. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded the demilitarisation of southern Syria.
Business Recorder
14 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Pakistan fully supports Iran's right to develop N-energy: PM
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that Pakistan fully supports Iran's right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. 'Pakistan stands by Iran for the acquisition of peaceful nuclear power,' Sharif said during a joint press conference with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, who is on his first official two-day visit to Pakistan. PM Sharif's comments come as Iran faces renewed scrutiny from Western nations over its atomic activities, which have become a flashpoint in its tensions with Israel. The United States has recently conducted strikes on several Iranian nuclear facilities, further straining relations. 'Pakistan stands with Iran': PM Talks between Tehran and European powers – France, Germany and the United Kingdom – have resumed in recent weeks, with the parties aiming to reach a nuclear accord by the end of August. The discussions have been described as 'frank,' and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed hope that they could pave the way for renewed inspections of Iranian nuclear sites. The talks are part of broader efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which was abandoned by the United States in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. That accord had offered sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear activity. China and Russia remain signatories to the original agreement. A looming October 18 deadline could mark a turning point. Unless the 'snapback' mechanism is invoked by mid-September, all remaining UN sanctions on Iran will expire — potentially unfreezing its banking, defence and hydrocarbons sectors. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
