Protests, plum blossom and the Steel Heart of Azov: photos of the day
A woman sings during a protest outside the Capitol against efforts by Donald Trump and Elon Musk to shrink the federal government Photograph: Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
Boys take part in the Utilita football festival hosted by West Bromwich Albion Photograph: Ryan Browne/REX/Shutterstock
Timo Arp, a butcher from Jagel, uses a chainsaw to cut up a sperm whale carcass that washed up on a local beach Photograph: Jonas Walzberg/AP
, Gaza Strip Palestinians sit around a fire amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israel's offensive Photograph: Mahmoud Issa/Reuters
Pilgrims board a train after visiting the Kashi Vishwanath temple Photograph: Niharika Kulkarni/AFP/Getty Images
The northern lights appear over the island's capital Photograph: Emilio Morenatti/AP
A person crossing Sofiiska Square is framed by the Steel Heart of Azov, which commemorates Ukrainian soldiers killed fighting Russian forces Photograph: Ukrinform/REX/Shutterstock
A watermelon vendor at a market Photograph: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
A jetski rider practices before the Nazare Big Wave surfing contest Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
Indian soldiers on parade to welcome the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the official residence of the Indian president Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
Donald Trump waves in the direction of supporters as he leaves the Trump International golf club Photograph: Ben Curtis/AP
An aerial view of the snow-covered Ishak Pasha Palace, one of the most important Ottoman monuments in Anatolia Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
Representatives of trademark owners cut up a counterfeit luxury handbag at a press conference on the infringement of intellectual property rights Photograph: Rungroj Yongrit/EPA
A bird perches on a branch of plum blossom Photograph: Costfoto/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
An tea vendor waits for customers at a livestock market Photograph: Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images
A state memorial service for the former German president Horst Koehler takes place at the city's Dom Cathedral Photograph: Sean Gallup/EPA
Nigel Farage (right) is interviewed by Jordan Peterson at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference Photograph: Ben Whitley/PA
Fans of the Bay Golf Club cheer their team at the SoFi Center Photograph: Carmen Mandato/TGL/Israeli soldiers sit on a bomb shelter in northern Israel after withdrawing from villages in southern Lebanon Photograph: Ariel Schalit/AP
A cat is seen through a destroyed window in the Nur Shams camp. The 'Iron Walls' operation launched by the Israeli army on camps in the Palestinian National Authority areas in the northern West Bank has displaced thousands of Palestinian families from their homes.
Photograph: Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock
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South Wales Argus
6 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Two Israeli ministers sanctioned by UK for ‘inciting extremist violence'
Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's security minister and finance minister respectively, will be subject to a travel ban and asset freeze. The UK is taking the action to ramp up pressure on Israel alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway. Mr Lammy said the two Israeli ministers had been 'inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months and months, they have been encouraging egregious abuses of human rights'. In a joint statement with foreign ministers from the four other countries who have announced sanctions, the Foreign Secretary said the two senior Israelis had also incited 'serious abuses of Palestinian human rights'. The statement added: 'These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.' Mr Smotrich and Mr Ben-Gvir both belong to right-wing parties which help to prop up Benjamin Netanyahu's fragile coalition government. Both have been criticised for their hardline stance on the war in Gaza. Mr Smotrich has campaigned against allowing aid into Gaza, and also supported the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. Meanwhile, Mr Ben-Gvir has called for Gaza's people to be resettled from the territory. Asked if the Israeli government's actions in the Palestinian territories amounted to ethnic cleansing, Mr Lammy told reporters at the Foreign Office: 'I was clear to the House of Commons back in September that we did believe that there was a clear risk of a breach of international humanitarian law, and that's why we made a decision to suspend arms (sales). 'Today we are making a decision also to stand against those who encourage abuses of human rights, also to stand against those who encourage violence against Palestinian people.' The Foreign Secretary did not directly answer when asked why similar action had not been taken against Mr Netanyahu, and called on the Israeli government to 'disavow and condemn' the language used by the two ministers. David Lammy (Carlos Jasso/PA) Asked whether the UK would encourage Mr Netanyahu to sack the ministers, Mr Lammy said: 'The Israeli government will make their own determination.' But from the UK's perspective, he said: 'We have to be clear that we act when we see these egregious individuals encouraging – encouraging – abuses of human rights in this way.' The UK and its allies have increased pressure on Israel in recent months amid ongoing aid shortages in Gaza, as well as suggestions it could launch a new large-scale offensive into the territory. Reports suggest only scarce amounts of aid are making it into the hands of Gazans, amid a new aid initiative backed by the US and Israel, which has replaced the previous UN-run programme. The slow flow of food and medicines has prompted warnings of famine and starvation among the territory's population. In May, Mr Lammy paused negotiations towards a UK-Israel trade deal as the Government sought to pressure Israel to abandon its planned offensive into Gaza. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney also wrote a joint statement last month warning that Israel's leaders risked 'breaching International Humanitarian Law', and calling for more aid to be allowed into Gaza. Mr Netanyahu responded by claiming the three leaders were on the 'wrong side' of history. In September last year, the Government halted 30 out of around 350 arms sales licences to Israel, for fear they may be used for war crimes. Ministers insist that this means F-35 fighter jets used by Israel no longer receive replacement parts from the UK, and no British-made bombs or ammunition are used in Gaza. Lord David Cameron has previously said he considered sanctioning both Israeli ministers in his final days as foreign secretary in Rishi Sunak's Conservative government.
Powys County Times
7 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Two Israeli ministers sanctioned by UK for ‘inciting extremist violence'
The UK has sanctioned two Israeli government ministers for 'inciting violence' and abuses of Palestinian human rights, David Lammy has said. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's security minister and finance minister respectively, will be subject to a travel ban and asset freeze. The UK is taking the action to ramp up pressure on Israel alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway. Mr Lammy said the two Israeli ministers had been 'inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months and months, they have been encouraging egregious abuses of human rights'. In a joint statement with foreign ministers from the four other countries who have announced sanctions, the Foreign Secretary said the two senior Israelis had also incited 'serious abuses of Palestinian human rights'. The statement added: 'These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.' Mr Smotrich and Mr Ben-Gvir both belong to right-wing parties which help to prop up Benjamin Netanyahu's fragile coalition government. Both have been criticised for their hardline stance on the war in Gaza. Mr Smotrich has campaigned against allowing aid into Gaza, and also supported the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. Meanwhile, Mr Ben-Gvir has called for Gaza's people to be resettled from the territory. Asked if the Israeli government's actions in the Palestinian territories amounted to ethnic cleansing, Mr Lammy told reporters at the Foreign Office: 'I was clear to the House of Commons back in September that we did believe that there was a clear risk of a breach of international humanitarian law, and that's why we made a decision to suspend arms (sales). 'Today we are making a decision also to stand against those who encourage abuses of human rights, also to stand against those who encourage violence against Palestinian people.' The Foreign Secretary did not directly answer when asked why similar action had not been taken against Mr Netanyahu, and called on the Israeli government to 'disavow and condemn' the language used by the two ministers. Asked whether the UK would encourage Mr Netanyahu to sack the ministers, Mr Lammy said: 'The Israeli government will make their own determination.' But from the UK's perspective, he said: 'We have to be clear that we act when we see these egregious individuals encouraging – encouraging – abuses of human rights in this way.' The UK and its allies have increased pressure on Israel in recent months amid ongoing aid shortages in Gaza, as well as suggestions it could launch a new large-scale offensive into the territory. Reports suggest only scarce amounts of aid are making it into the hands of Gazans, amid a new aid initiative backed by the US and Israel, which has replaced the previous UN-run programme. The slow flow of food and medicines has prompted warnings of famine and starvation among the territory's population. In May, Mr Lammy paused negotiations towards a UK-Israel trade deal as the Government sought to pressure Israel to abandon its planned offensive into Gaza. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney also wrote a joint statement last month warning that Israel's leaders risked 'breaching International Humanitarian Law', and calling for more aid to be allowed into Gaza. Mr Netanyahu responded by claiming the three leaders were on the 'wrong side' of history. In September last year, the Government halted 30 out of around 350 arms sales licences to Israel, for fear they may be used for war crimes. Ministers insist that this means F-35 fighter jets used by Israel no longer receive replacement parts from the UK, and no British-made bombs or ammunition are used in Gaza.
Telegraph
12 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Russian billionaire and Putin critic launches AI data centres in the UK
A Russian billionaire and critic of Vladimir Putin is preparing to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in artificial intelligence (AI) data centres in the UK. Nebius, a technology company headquartered in the Netherlands, will invest £200m to establish an 'AI factory' in Britain, deploying 4,000 graphics-processing chips designed to power the latest generation of machine-learning technology. The $12bn (£9bn) business is assessing potential data centre sites in the South East. Nebius was formed as part of a carve-up of Yandex, a company known as 'Russia's Google'. Arkady Volozh, a Russian entrepreneur worth a reported $2bn, founded Yandex in 1997 as a Russian rival to the US search engine. The business later listed in New York and in 2021 was valued at more than $30bn. However, its shares were suspended in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Mr Volozh was sanctioned by the European Union. Over the years Yandex faced growing pressure from the Kremlin to censor online news and search results, and the company was accused by Brussels of helping to spread Kremlin propaganda. In 2023, Mr Volozh labelled Vladimir Putin's invasion 'barbaric' and said he was 'horrified' by the war. He said: 'I am categorically against it. Although I moved to Israel in 2014, I have to take my share of responsibility for the country's actions. 'There were reasons to stay silent during this long process. While there will anyway be questions about the timing of my statement today, there should be no questions about its essence. I am against the war.' The European Union removed its sanctions of Mr Volozh last year. Nebius was formed as part of a carve-up of Yandex, which spun off its Russian search division in a $5bn deal to Russian investors. Nebius, which is listed in the US, is made up of the remaining European, US and Israeli assets, including several data centres powered by Nvidia microchips and its self-driving car technology. Mr Volozh, Nebius's chief executive, said: 'The UK is where AI is being built, tested, and deployed at scale across industries from fintech to life sciences. Being here puts us closer to the start-ups, researchers, and enterprise leaders shaping what's next.' Nebius's UK investment comes after Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, announced plans to spend more than £1bn to boost the UK's computing power in a speech at London Tech Week alongside Jensen Huang, the Nvidia chief executive. On Monday, the Government announced a series of AI investments ahead of this week's Treasury spending review. These included £1bn for an AI research resource, made up of powerful AI data centres and supercomputers, as well as £187m to boost the technological skills of the UK workforce. On Tuesday, Peter Kyle, the Technology Secretary, also announced plans for a new Turing AI fellowship in a speech at London Tech Week. Backed by £25m, the programme will seek five AI experts who will be offered a substantial package to relocate to the UK and hire a team to conduct AI research. Mr Kyle said: 'We will harness the vast potential of our trillion-pound tech sector to help remake our country for the better.'
