Ishaan Tharoor: Destruction of Gaza has brought Europe to point of no return in dealing with Israel
Continued support for Netanyahu's regime hurts EU's credibility in efforts to end war in Ukraine, French leader says
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Far from European capitals and the ruins of the Gaza Strip, France's leader still found cause to criticise Israel. Emmanuel Macron opened his speech at a recent Asian security forum in Singapore with a warning about 'double standards' in international politics.
European entreaties over the war in Ukraine and the need for global solidarity against Russia's invasion, he said, were hurt by the West's continued support of Israel's campaign against Palestinian militant group Hamas.
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Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Government fined €550,000 by privacy regulator and warned over facial scans for Public Services Card
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Three killed in Ukraine as Russia continues drones offensive
Russian forces pummelled Ukraine with drones and other weapons on Thursday, killing three people and injuring scores of others despite international pressure to accept a ceasefire, officials said. According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia launched a barrage of 63 drones and decoys at Ukraine overnight. It said that air defences destroyed 28 drones while another 21 were jammed. Ukraine's police said two people were killed and six were injured over the past 24 hours in the eastern Donetsk region, the focus of the Russian offensive. One person was killed and 14 others were also injured in the southern Kherson region, which is partly occupied by Russian forces, police said. A rescue worker evacuates a woman from a building which was damaged by a Russian strike in Kharkiv (Ukrainian emergency services via AP/PA) The head of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said 15 people, including four children, were injured by Russian drone attacks overnight. Kharkiv city mayor Ihor Terekhov said Russian drones targeted residential districts, educational facilities, nurseries and other civilian infrastructure. 'Kharkiv is holding on. People are alive. And that is the most important thing,' Mr Terekhov said. The Russian military has launched waves of drones and missiles in recent days, with a record bombardment of almost 500 drones on Monday and a wave of 315 drones and seven missiles overnight on Tuesday. The recent escalation in aerial attacks has come alongside a renewed Russian battlefield push along eastern and north-eastern parts of the 600-mile front line. While Russian missile and drone barrage have struck regions all across Ukraine, regions along the front line have faced daily Russian attacks with short-range exploding drones and glide bombs. Ukraine hit back with drone raids, with Russia's defence ministry saying air defences downed 52 Ukrainian drones early on Thursday, including 41 over the Belgorod region that borders Ukraine. Rescue workers put out a fire of a building which was damaged by a Russian strike in Kharkiv (Ukrainian emergency services via AP/PA) Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said three people were injured by Ukrainian attacks. The attacks have continued despite discussions of a potential ceasefire in the war. During their June 2 talks in Istanbul, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators traded memorandums containing sharply divergent conditions that both sides see as non-starters, making any quick deal unlikely. Speaking at a meeting of leaders of south-east European countries in Odesa, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the European Union to toughen its latest package of sanctions against Russia. He argued that lowering the cap on the price of Russian oil from 60 US dollars (£44) to 45 dollars (£33) as the bloc has proposed is not enough. German defence minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on Thursday on an unannounced visit, noting that the stepped-up Russian attacks on Ukraine send a message from Moscow that it has 'no interest in a peaceful solution at present', according to German news agency dpa. Pistorius said his visit underlines that the new German government continues to stand by Ukraine. 'Of course this will also be about how the support of Germany and other Europeans will look in future – what we can do, for example, in the area of industrial co-operation, but also other support,' he said.
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Bid to dissolve Israeli parliament defeated in vote
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government survived an attempt to dissolve parliament early on Thursday. Most of Mr Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox coalition partners joined him in voting against a Bill that would have forced them to register for military service while the country is at war. The vote was the most serious challenge to the government since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, the biggest security failure in Israel's history and the trigger for the ongoing war in Gaza. The Bill's failure means no other Bill to dissolve Knesset can be submitted for at least six months, shoring up Mr Netanyahu's embattled coalition. The ultra-Orthodox parties are furious that the government has failed to pass a law exempting their community from mandatory military service. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men block a highway during a protest against army recruitment in Bnei Brak, Israel (Leo Correa/AP/PA) The issue has long divided the Jewish Israeli public, especially during the 20-month war in the Gaza Strip. Israel's opposition had hoped the public anger over the exemptions would help topple the government. But just two of the 18 ultra-Orthodox members of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, supported the bill to dissolve. Most Haredi MKs agreed to vote against the bill after foreign affairs and defence committee chairman Yuli Edelstein said he and the ultra-Orthodox parties had reached an understanding on the basis of a new draft law, which they will continue discussing over the coming week. Military service is mandatory for most Jews in Israel but the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox, who make up roughly 13% of Israeli society, have traditionally received exemptions if they are studying full-time in religious seminaries. The ultra-Orthodox, also known as Haredim, or 'God-fearing' in Hebrew, say that integrating into the army threatens their traditional way of life. Each year, roughly 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the conscription age of 18, but less than 10% enlist, according to parliament's state control committee, which held a hearing examining the issue. Israel is engaged in the longest active war in the country's history, which has stretched its military to the breaking point. The Haredim's widespread refusal to serve, and threats to topple the government during war-time, have enraged many Israelis, especially those who have served multiple rounds of reserve duty.
