German foreign minister tells Israel to allow more aid into Gaza
BERLIN, June 5 (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip at a press conference with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar in Berlin on Thursday, again calling for more humanitarian aid to be allowed into the enclave.
"That is also the prevailing international law," he said.
Wadephul also decried the Israeli government's announcement that it would allow 22 more settlements in the West Bank, saying it threatened the two-state solution further.
He also expressed concerns about drone and rocket attacks against Israel by Iran and Yemen's Houthis, as well as Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza.
The European Union should maintain its pact governing political and economic ties with Israel, which was placed under review last month due to the situation in Gaza, he added.
Germany would continue to deliver weapons to Israel, he added, saying the country had the right to defend itself.
New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to visit Israel this year in a show of the countries' ties, added Wadephul.
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Scottish Sun
34 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Bitter Trump-Musk breakup forces allies to take sides as MAGA influencers quip Don's ‘not invited to Mars anymore'
LAWMAKERS have been forced to pick sides after President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's bromance came to a screeching halt. Democrats and Republicans are scrambling to pledge their allegiance after Musk called for Trump's impeachment and hurled unfounded accusations about the Epstein files. 7 Elon Musk's feud with President Donald Trump has left some MAGA loyalists picking sides Credit: Reuters 7 The feud erupted over Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which proposed stripping billions in government subsidies from Tesla Credit: AP 7 The drama unfolded when Musk disapproved of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," calling it a "massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill." Trump said the world's richest man was furious because the bill proposes stripping billions in government subsidies from Musk's electric vehicle company Tesla. The two exchanged digital blows with searing social media posts until late Thursday night, when White House aides were said to have scheduled a call between the bitter rivals. RECONCILIATION REJECTED Musk appeared to have offered a possible olive branch when he responded to a post on X from hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. Ackman called for reconciliation, "for the benefit of our great country," and said, "We are much stronger together than apart." In a telling reply, Musk said, "You're not wrong." Speaker Mike Johnson raced to try to get Musk on the phone to negotiate a peace offering. He said they were trying to nail down a time to chat, but haven't been able to iron things out yet. But that all fell apart on Friday morning when Trump blasted Musk again and said he wasn't interested in talking anytime soon. Despite glimmers of hope, politicians and thought leaders have rushed to pick sides and share their two cents on the matter. Trump crushes hopes of 'peace talks' call with Musk as he insists Elon has 'lost his mind' after feud went nuclear Though many of them have been quick to stick to President Trump, not everyone is falling in line. TRUMP SUPPORTERS RALLY Support for Trump was immediate and forceful as allies rallied around the president. Johnson, who oversaw the passage of Trump's "big beautiful bill" in the House that prompted Musk's initial shot across the bow when he called the legislation a "disgusting abomination," was among the first to come to the president's aid. "Look, I know all of you are very concerned about [Musk's] tweets, but I think the American people are concerned about things that really matter," Johnson told reporters Thursday. How did Musk and Trump's relationship crumble? ELON Musk and Donald Trump spent Thursday launching insults on social media as their relationship quickly went sour. The Tesla owner called for Trump's impeachment as the president hit back and warned the government could end all federal contracts with Musk's companies. Here's how it went down: On Tuesday, Musk tweeted that Trump's signature "big beautiful" spending bill was a "disgusting abomination" that would add billions to the federal deficit On Thursday in the Oval Office, Trump addressed Musk's criticism of the bill and accused Musk of trying to kill it because the bill ends federal subsidies for electric vehicles Musk responded by live-posting on X as Trump spoke, initially shrugging off the president's assessment with an unbothered "Whatever," before tearing into the bill's other spending provisions Trump escalated the feud after the Oval Office meeting with multiple posts on Truth Social, saying he told Musk to leave the White House instead of continuing to work with Doge and threatening to dump Musk's federal contracts, which are worth billions Musk fired back on X by saying he was "decommissioning" the Dragon spacecraft made by SpaceX that brought the stranded Nasa astronauts back from the International Space Station in March Musk also escalated the war of words by reposting and replying "Yes" to a tweet claiming that Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance Musk further fanned the flames by claiming that Trump is named in the infamous "Epstein files" and making unfounded accusations that its the reason they haven't been released to the public. "That is making their taxes low, making their economy work, making the border secure, making energy dominance a big thing again, and that's what our bill is going to do." Johnson said he supported Trump's massive tax and spending cuts bill, and called it a "historic step forward." Vice President JD Vance rushed to his bosses aid and blasted "lies the corporate media tells about President Trump." "One of the most glaring is that he's impulsive or short-tempered," he wrote. "Anyone who has seen him operate under pressure knows that's ridiculous." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the feud was an "unfortunate episode from Elon," adding that he wasn't happy with the bill because "it does not include the policies he wanted." "As a businessman, he has a right to speak for his companies, but as president, President Trump has a responsibility to fight for this country," she told Fox News. 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Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky who Musk supported, disagreed that Trump should be impeached but added that he still respects the Tesla CEO. "This is the language Trump speaks in. [Musk] is speaking it back to him," he said. Meanwhile, Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett argued that if Trump were in the files, it would've already be used against him politically. "Honestly, if any of that stuff was true on Trump, don't you think the Biden administration would have brought it out? I mean, that's just ridiculous," he said. 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"Remember, our founders in America did great things, often fought and later made up. "This doesn't need to be a breakup if they let cooler heads prevail." Meanwhile, podcaster Joe Rogan, who endorsed Trump as president, called for Musk's phone to be thrown away. 7 White House aides reportedly set up a phone call between Musk and Trump to clear the air, but it fell through Credit: AP DEMOCRATS DIVIDED ON MUSK PRAISE The feud has had some in the Democratic party praising Musk, which has earned the ire of Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman. "The Dems, we've been dumping all over Musk and vandalizing Teslas or whatever, and now, suddenly, we might be more back into him," he said. Fetterman warned the party against fawning over the billionaire. "It wasn't that long ago that Tesla was like the virtue-signaling kind of accessory for Dems," he said. "I would never want to vandalize Teslas, and the 'big, beautiful bill' is wrong for America. So, from my perspective, I've just tried to be consistent through that." WHO'S STAYING QUIET Some key decision makers are keeping to themselves until tensions cool. "I'm staying out of it," Representative Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, told NBC News. "There's a good verse in Proverbs, 'Stay out of fights.' I'm staying out of this one." Representative Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, said that he has faith the feud will "blow over." When he was asked whether the two would make up, he merely shrugged.
Channel 4
2 hours ago
- Channel 4
Mass casualties ‘change you as a person', says Gaza surgeon
In Israel, the military has said that four of its soldiers were killed today and five injured when a booby-trapped building collapsed in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 16 Palestinians. In Jabalia to the north one strike reportedly left dozens trapped under rubble. It comes as Gazans marked the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adhar amid a precarious humanitarian situation. The controversial Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it had given out over eight thousands food boxes today at two sites – but then halted all operations due to what they called 'excessive crowding'. We spoke to Goher Rabhour, an NHS surgeon who has been working in Gaza's Nasr hospital.
South Wales Argus
3 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
BBC art dealer from Bargain Hunt jailed for terror offence
The 53-year-old admitted to eight counts of failing to disclose during business under the Terrorism Act 2000. Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said Ojiri was aware that he had sold art to Nazem Ahmad, who had been sanctioned in 2019 by the US authorities. Bargain Hunts star Oghenochuko Ojiri jailed for selling art to suspected Hezbollah financier Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organisation in the UK (Image: Ben Whitley/PA) She stated: "These offences are so severe that only a custodial sentence can be justified." According to the BBC, the judge added: "You knew about Ahmad's suspected involvement in financing terrorism and the way the art market can be exploited by people like him. "Your hard work, talent and charisma has brought you a great deal of success... You knew you should not have been dealing with that man." She added that there was no evidence that Ojiri supported any form of extremism but that his conduct undermined he detection of terrorist financing. Representing the BBC Bargain Hunt star, Gavin Irwin said that the art expert's "humiliation is complete," adding that the star has lost "his good name" and the "work he loves." Mr Irwin added: "He'd like to apologise for undermining trust" in the art market. Discussing the case, Cdr Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, said: "Raising money for terrorism is a core part of how terrorist groups are then able to cause harm around the world." Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said Ojiri's motivation appeared "to be financial, along with a broader desire to boost his gallery's reputation within the art market by dealing with such a well-known collector." He added: "This prosecution is believed to be the first of its kind, and the CPS will not hesitate to bring criminal charges against individuals who flout the law in this way." What is Hezbollah and why is it considered a terrorist group? According to the House of Lords Library, Hezbollah is an armed Shiite militia group that is backed by Iran, which largely operates in Lebanon. Giving the UK Government's reasoning for classifying it as a terrorist group in 2024, it added: "It has been proscribed in its entirety by the UK as a terrorist organisation since 2019. "The current conflict between Hezbollah and Israel continues. Hezbollah has fired rockets at Israeli territory whilst Israel has launched retaliatory airstrikes—including that which saw the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah." It concluded by saying: "The UK has called for an immediate ceasefire to provide space for a diplomatic settlement."
