'Trump will never get his Nobel Prize'
For years, the various governments led by Benjamin Netanyahu took an approach that divided power between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank — bringing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to his knees while making moves that propped up the Hamas terror group.
Donald Trump has said his administration is now exploring the possibility of normalising relations with Syria - his comments coming shortly after he met Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The extraordinary encounter, unthinkable just months ago, was short but significant.
"I think he has got the potential," Trump remarked after his meeting in Riyadh, 37 minutes long, with the former Syrian fighter, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, the same group that attacked the twin towers.
The $10m US bounty on his head was only lifted in December.
Or is it just another outlet to moan about Starmer?
If Palestine becomes a safe place to live and work, many millions will return.
Trump will never get his Nobel Prize, and both he and Israel will be on the wrong end of history.
Andrew Nutt
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The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Gaza latest: Emergency meeting set for UN Security Council as Israel plans military takeover
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Saturday following the revelation of Israel 's plans to seize control of Gaza City. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas called for an immediate emergency meeting of the United Nation's most powerful body in order to stop Israel from escalating its military action in Gaza. The Israeli political-security cabinet approved Benjamin Netanyahu 's plan to take full military control of Gaza City on Thursday. Netanyahu's office said that 'the IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones'. Hamas has warned the Israeli government that seizing control of Gaza City would mean 'sacrificing' the hostages inside the besieged enclave, with the group declaring the decision a 'war crime'. Netanyahu said that neither Hamas nor the rival Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank would be allowed involvement in the civil administration that will take over. UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer joined global leaders in condemning the decision to 'further escalate its offensive', adding it 'only brings more bloodshed'. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has said the countries that condemn Israel and threaten sanctions "will not weaken our resolve'. Qatar joins Arab nations in condemning Israel move to occupy Gaza Qatar's foreign ministry has released a statement condemning Israel's move to occupy Gaza. The country joins the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other Arab nations in denouncing the decision by Netanyahu's government, after the Israeli prime minister suggested handing governing duties over the enclave over to Arab forces. Bryony Gooch9 August 2025 03:00 Watch: Former Israeli prime minister calls for end to war in Gaza in critique of Netenyahu Bryony Gooch9 August 2025 02:00 Analysis: Netanyahu's brutal plan for Gaza is a gamble on Israel's very future Netanyahu's brutal plan for Gaza is a gamble on Israel's very future As Germany pauses military sales to Israel in anger over Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu now faces global isolation and a sprint to authoritarianism – only America can stop it, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley Bryony Gooch9 August 2025 01:00 Watch: JD Vances disagrees with Starmer's plans to recognize Palestinian state 9 August 2025 00:00 Mapped: How much of Gaza is under military control? Bryony Gooch8 August 2025 23:00 UAE condemns Israel's occupation plans The United Arab Emirates is the latest country to condemn Israel's move to occupy Gaza, according to its state news agency. The UAE joins the likes of the UK, Iran, Germany, Turkey and Canada in opposing Israel's latest military expansion. Bryony Gooch8 August 2025 22:30 Israel hits back at global condemnation of military takeover Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has said the countries that condemn Israel and threaten sanctions "will not weaken our resolve" ahead of plans to expand its military operation in Gaza. "Our enemies will find us as one strong, united fist that will strike them with great force," he added. Bryony Gooch8 August 2025 21:54 Watch: Families of Israeli hostages protest Netanyahu plan to occupy Gaza Bryony Gooch8 August 2025 21:38 'I don't know what it would mean': JD Vance hits out at Starmer's plans to recognise Palestine JD Vance tells Lammy US won't join UK in recognising Palestinian statehood Mr Vance and Mr Lammy are said to have developed a personal rapport, bonding over their difficult childhoods and Christian faith Bryony Gooch8 August 2025 21:23 Canada: Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City is 'wrong' Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City is "wrong" and will put the lives of the remaining hostages at greater risk, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters on Friday. Bryony Gooch8 August 2025 21:00
Daily Mirror
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN: Plane passenger caught hiding 2 turtles in bra as one dies
In this week's round-up of the maddest news from across the Pond: shell-shocked stowaways, Trump denying the reality of phones, and rogue fish arson Christopher Bucktin is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years of experience, the majority of which he has spent at the Daily Mirror. A former Press Gazette Reporter of the Year, he has held senior roles including Head of Features, Head of Showbusiness, and Head of Content, before relocating to the United States in 2013 to become US Editor. Renowned for breaking agenda-setting exclusives, he has reported from the front lines of America's biggest news stories, led investigations into the Trump administration, and exposed key details in the Jeffrey Epstein case. His career highlights include securing the first interview with the Peru Two inside prison, becoming the first journalist to descend into drug lord El Chapo's escape tunnel, and spearheading coverage of Prince Andrew's ties to Epstein. He holds weekly columns in the Daily Mirror, Daily Star and Reach's regional titles. Just hours after his company announced it was launching a Trump-branded smartphone, Donald Trump declared he "doesn't believe in telephones'. That's right, the same man whose social media rants are powered by thumbs and fury apparently doesn't trust the ancient magic of voice calls. While aboard Air Force One, he explained why he'd rather be in Washington. "Not having to use telephones so much, because I don't believe in telephones," he said, with the conviction of a man who thinks Bluetooth is a conspiracy and voicemail is Deep State. He doubled down, naturally: "Because people like you listen to them, you know. So being on the scene is much better." It's unclear how the soon-to-be-released TrumpPhone will work if its namesake doesn't even trust the device to make a call. Perhaps it'll ship with a Sharpie, Fox News livestream, and a pre-installed Truth Social app - and no ability to dial out, just in case the FBI is listening. *** North of the border, a solo camper in British Columbia accidentally triggered a full-blown search and rescue operation - by simply singing his heart out. Volunteers from Central Okanagan Search and Rescue were wrapping up their weekly training when a 911 call came in. Two concerned hikers near Kelowna's Boulderfields reported repeated cries echoing through the mountains. Search crews, police, and even a drone team fanned out across the area, chasing what they believed was a distressed hiker. After an intense search effort, the team found the source: a lone camper, mid-serenade, completely oblivious to the mountain-wide panic he'd caused. *** A Florida woman was caught trying to smuggle two turtles through airport security by hiding them in her bra. Yes, really. The woman, whose identity, like the reptiles, was kept under wraps, was stopped at a TSA checkpoint at Miami International Airport. Agents discovered the shell-shocked stowaways wrapped in gauze and plastic wrap and tucked neatly into her bra because apparently pockets just weren't an option. Tragically, one of the turtles didn't survive the journey. The other was turned over to the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife, presumably for trauma counselling and a long nap. *** A Minnesota woman who helpfully detailed her auto theft in her own journal has avoided jail, despite practically doing the police's job for them. Vanessa Guerra, 31, admitted in April to receiving stolen property after swiping a $2,000 Ford van and flogging it for scrap. Unfortunately for her, police didn't need to dig very far for clues: her mother handed over her handwritten confessions, lovingly documented in a journal. According to the criminal complaint, staff at the scrapyard had no problem pointing to Guerra as the one who sold them the van. Still, it was her own diary that sealed the deal. *** Is this New York's next top model? Meet Joe Macken: part artist, part architect, part madman with a glue stick. For the past 21 years, Joe has been building a jaw-droppingly detailed 3D replica of New York City entirely by hand. His materials? Balsa wood, glue, and a seemingly endless supply of patience. *** A rogue fish caused a power outage and a wildfire near Ashcroft last week after an osprey dropped it onto a power line, sparking flames in the dry grass below. The bizarre BBQ began when firefighters were called to a brush fire six kilometres south of town. Crews from Ashcroft Fire, the local power company, and local ranch hands quickly joined forces to douse the flames with nearly 5,000 gallons of water. The culprit? A fish, likely dropped by a weary osprey that either couldn't hold on or fancied a cooked lunch.
Reuters
18 minutes ago
- Reuters
As Gaza faces starvation, reluctant Germany starts to curb support for Israel
BERLIN, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel's plans to expand military control over the enclave have pushed Germany to curb arms exports to Israel, a historically fraught step for Berlin driven by a growing public outcry. Conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, hitherto a staunchly pro-Israel leader, made the announcement on Friday arguing that Israel's actions would not achieve its stated war goals of eliminating Hamas militants or bringing Israeli hostages home. It is a bold move for a leader who after winning elections in February said he would invite Benjamin Netanyahu to Germany in defiance of an arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister issued by the International Criminal Court. The shift reflects how Germany's come-what-may support for Israel, rooted in its historical guilt over the Nazi Holocaust, is being tested like never before as the high Palestinian civilian death toll in Gaza, massive war destruction and images of starving children are chipping away at decades of policy. "It is remarkable as it is the first concrete measure of this German government. But I would not see it as a U-turn, rather a 'warning shot'," said Muriel Asseburg, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. It caps months of the German government sharpening its tone over Israel's escalating military campaign in the small, densely populated Palestinian enclave, though still shying away from tougher steps that other European countries and some voices in Merz's ruling coalition were calling for. The suspension of arms deliveries to Israel would affect just those that could be used in Gaza. The move reflects a hardening mood in Germany, where public opinion has grown critical of Israel and more demanding that its government help ease a humanitarian disaster - most of the 2.2 million population is homeless and Gaza is a sea of rubble. According to an ARD-DeutschlandTREND survey released on Thursday, a day before Merz's announcement, 66% of Germans want their government to put more pressure on Israel to change its behaviour. That is higher than April 2024, when some 57% of Germans believed their government should criticise Israel more strongly than before for its actions in Gaza, a Forsa poll showed. Despite Germany helping air drop aid to Gaza, 47% of Germans think their government is doing too little for Palestinians there, against 39% who disagree with this, the ARD-DeutschlandTREND this week showed. Most strikingly perhaps, only 31% of Germans feel they have a bigger responsibility for Israel due to their history - a core tenet of German foreign policy - while 62% do not. Germany's political establishment has cited its approach, known as the "Staatsraison", as a special responsibility for Israel after the Nazi Holocaust, which was laid out in 2008 by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel to the Israeli parliament. Reflecting that stance days before his most recent trip to Israel in July, Merz's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Die Zeit newspaper that Berlin could not be a "neutral mediator". "Because we are partisan. We stand with Israel," he said, echoing similar statements by other conservative figures in Merz's party. But Merz's junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD), had already been more explicit in wanting to put sanctions against Israel on the table. Adis Ahmetovic, an SPD foreign policy spokesperson, said suspending weapons shipments was only the first step. "More must follow, such as a full or partial suspension of the (European Union) Association Agreement or the medical evacuation of seriously injured children, in particular," Ahmetovic told Stern magazine. "Furthermore, sanctions against Israeli ministers must no longer be taboo." The deepening divide within Germany has also played out in its media landscape. In two major editorials published in late July, Der Spiegel magazine accused Israel of violating international humanitarian law and condemned what it said was the German government's complicity. The front cover displayed a picture of Gaza women holding out empty bowls with the headline: "A Crime". Meanwhile Bild, the mass-market daily owned by Axel Springer, Germany's largest media group, decried the lack of outrage toward Islamist Hamas whose cross-border assault on Israeli communities triggered the war, pointing to what it saw as growing anti-Israel sentiment and one-sided protests. Filipp Piatov, a Bild reporter whose X account is followed by Merz, accused the chancellor on Friday of doing exactly what he had criticised others for, "that Germany is cutting off support to its ally in the middle of a war." Israel denies having a policy of starvation in Gaza, and says Hamas, which killed some 1,200 people in its October 7, 2023 attack and took 251 hostages back to Gaza, could end the crisis by surrendering. Israel's ground and air war in Gaza has killed over 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry. Critics had argued that Germany's approach has been overly hesitant, weakening the West's collective ability to apply meaningful pressure for an end to the fighting and restrictions on humanitarian aid to the Israeli-besieged enclave. Germany had hitherto even been cautious about a modest sanction such as supporting the partial suspension of Israel's access to the EU's flagship research funding programme. There are other reasons for Germany's reluctance to criticise Israel beyond its Nazi past, analysts say, including its strong trading relationship with Israel and the United States. Germany is Israel's second biggest weapons supplier after the U.S., but also buys arms from Israel as part of a massive revamp of its armed forces since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. That includes the Arrow-3 missile interception system. Last week, Israeli defence company Elbit Systems announced a $260 million deal with Airbus to equip the German Air Force's A400M planes with directed infrared defence systems. "German arrogance should be avoided," Volker Beck, a former member of parliament and the head of the German-Israeli Society, told Reuters. "If Israel were to retaliate by restricting arms deliveries to Germany, the future of German air security would look grim." ($1 = 0.8590 euros)
