European Union foreign ministers on Monday agreed new sanctions on Israeli settlers over violence against Palestinians, as a change of government in Hungary ended months of blockage.

“It’s done. The European Union is sanctioning today the main Israeli organisations guilty of supporting the extremist and violent colonisation of the West Bank, as well as their leaders,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote on social media.

“These most serious and intolerable acts must cease without delay.”

Israel responded by denouncing the planned EU sanctions as “arbitrary and political” and vowed to stand ‘”for the right of Jews” to settle in the West Bank.

The move in response to rising violence and settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank had been stalled by former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban.

But the ouster of the nationalist leader and Israel ally, by rival Peter Magyar, now appears to have paved the way for the veto to be lifted.

EU officials said seven settlers or settler organisations would be blacklisted. The bloc also agreed to sanction representatives from Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The occupied West Bank has been gripped by almost daily violence since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, involving Israeli troops and settlers.

There has been a surge in deadly attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank since the start of the Iran war on February 28, Palestinian officials and the United Nations have said.

While the EU is moving ahead with the sanctions on Israeli settlers, there remains no consensus among member states to take further steps against Israel, such as curbing trade ties.

A number of countries are pushing to ban products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

“The work on trade measures for products coming from the illegal settlements moves forward,” an EU diplomat said.

Source: AFP

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has downplayed the impact of the US decision to withdraw troops from Germany and Washington’s plans to suspend the deployment of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles in the country, insisting the moves will not weaken NATO’s deterrence in Europe. 

“I have absolutely no doubt that there will be no reduction in NATO’s conventional deterrence capability in Europe,” Wadephul said at a news conference in Athens, Greece, on Monday.

“That will be offset one way or another in any case,” he added.

His remarks came in response to questions about US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany and reports that Washington has dropped plans to deploy long-range missiles in the country.

“We must not overestimate individual measures,” Wadephul said, noting that the troop withdrawal had been widely expected as part of a US global defense posture review.

He also described the planned deployment of US long-range missiles as merely a “temporary measure” until Europe develops its own similar capabilities.

“We will now first seek close dialogue with the United States to determine what decisions have been definitively made and what options we have to consider,” he said.

“And second, we must view this as a new call to develop and make our own capabilities available more quickly. There is simply no way around this.”

Tensions between the German government and the Trump administration escalated last week after Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the American aggression against Iran for lacking a clear exit strategy.

Merz said Tehran “humiliated” Washington with its negotiating tactics.

Merz also cast doubt on a swift end to the conflict, stating: “The Iranians are obviously stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly don’t have a truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either.”

In response, Trump said on social media that Merz “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

The Pentagon subsequently announced it would pull back 5,000 troops from Germany, with Trump indicating that even larger reductions were forthcoming.

US media also reported that the Trump administration intends to cancel a 2024 decision by then-President Joe Biden to deploy a battalion equipped with long-range Tomahawk weapons to Germany, which was presented as a deterrent against Russia.

Source: Press TV

Hungary’s incoming prime minister Peter Magyar said Monday the country will execute International Criminal Court warrants against anyone, after he invited the Israeli regime’s leader Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted under just such a warrant, to Budapest later this year. 

In 2024, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including starvation as a method of warfare, in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. 

Hungary’s outgoing leader Viktor Orban announced last year that his country was withdrawing from the ICC, after meeting with Netanyahu in Budapest.  

The withdrawal was due to take effect by June 2 this year. 

Last week Magyar made clear he wants Hungary to reverse that decision, but he also invited the Israel premier to visit Budapest again in October, according to an Israeli readout of a call between the two leaders. 

Asked by a reporter to clarify, Magyar said he issued invitations to all prime ministers and presidents he spoke on the phone for the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s anti-Soviet uprising of 1956. 

But he also said that he had made it clear, “even to the Israeli prime minister”, that it was his intention to stop the country’s withdrawal from the ICC. 

“If someone is a member of the International Criminal Court and a person who is wanted enters our country, then they must be taken into custody,” the pro-EU conservative told reporters. 

“I don’t need to spell everything out over the phone. I assume that every head of state and government is familiar with these laws,” he added. 

Magyar also said his incoming government can halt the withdrawal process before Hungary formally leaves the ICC. 

The United States has slapped sanctions on top ICC judges and prosecutors for issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu over Gaza war crimes. 

The United Nations has criticized the sanctions as “reprisals”. 

Source: Press TV’

The King’s brother was arrested at 08:00 GMT on Thursday morning at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk – here’s how the news broke

Meanwhile, King Charles does not respond to questions about Andrew’s arrest as he attends an event in central London – watch the moment.

Earlier, the King, who was not told of the arrest in advance, released a statement saying “the law must take its course”. Prince William and Catherine are understood to support his remarks.

Police are searching addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk, including the Royal Lodge in Windsor where the former prince lived until recently.

It comes after Thames Valley Police said they were assessing a complaint over the alleged sharing of confidential material by the former prince with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew, who turns 66 today, has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein; he has not responded to the BBC’s requests for comment on the specific allegations in relation to the release of millions of Epstein files in January.

Source: BBC

Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been charged with “gross corruption” over his ties with the US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, police have said.

The charge was brought after the Council of Europe lifted Jagland’s immunity, which he enjoyed because of his past diplomatic role. He denies criminal liability and is willing to cooperate, his lawyer says.

Emails released by the US government are thought to show that Jagland planned solo and family visits to Epstein’s homes in Paris, New York and Palm Beach after the billionaire was convicted of a child sex offence.

Three of Jagland’s properties were searched by Norwegian crime unit Økokrim and he is now expected to be questioned.

As well as serving as prime minister from 1996 to 1997, Jagland is also a former head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and spent a decade as secretary general of the Council of Europe.

Jagland had diplomatic immunity from heading the Council, Europe’s watchdog for democracy and human rights, for alleged acts carried out during his 2009 to 2019 tenure.

Økokrim requested the Council revoke his immunity after it launched an investigation earlier this month into allegations of gross corruption made against him between 2011 and 2018.

The so-called Epstein files appear to show instances where the late financier covered the travel expenses to his properties for Jagland and his family.

The former leader had planned a family trip to Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2014, but it was ultimately cancelled after Epstein fell ill.

Jagland also faces allegations that he solicited Epstein’s help in obtaining a bank loan in another exchange, although it is not clear whether this materialised, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Police have not confirmed whether this allegation is part of the gross corruption charge.

Mention in the Epstein files – which have been released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) – does not indicate any wrongdoing.

Jagland was seen walking out of his home alongside his lawyer in Oslo on Thursday, one of the properties – alongside two in Risør and Rauland – that Økokrim confirmed it had searched.

Politicians, celebrities and royals have been caught up in the turmoil after the US DOJ published the latest tranche of files last month, containing millions of private emails, images and FBI reports into the late sex offender – who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.

The Nordic country has seen several public figures drawn into the widening scandal, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit, diplomats Mona Juul and Terje Rød-Larsen, and chief executive of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Borge Brende.

Mette-Marit gave a “profound apology” to Norwegians for her friendship with Epstein, after it emerged they had exchanged messages for three years.

Mona Juul and her husband Terje Rød-Larsen are also being investigated by Norway’s Økokrim for “aggravated corruption” following Norwegian media reports, that each of her children would receive $5m (£3.6m) in a will allegedly signed by Epstein days before he died.

Juul’s lawyer has said she “does not recognise the accusations made against her” and Rød-Larsen’s lawyer said he is confident the investigation will clarify “there is no basis for criminal liability”.

The WEF ordered an independent review into Brende – who also served as the Norwegian foreign minister – over his interactions with the paedophile.

Brende has acknowledged dining with Epstein three times in 2018 and 2019 and communicating with him by email and text, but said he was “completely unaware” of his past criminal activity. He added that he welcomes the WEF’s decision to launch a review.

Source: BBC

At least 21 people have been killed and several injured after two trains collided in southern Spain, the emergency services said Sunday.

A police spokesman initially told AFP there were five dead after the accident in the province of Cordoba, but soon after updated the toll to 21.

A train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz, crossing onto the other track where it hit an oncoming train, which also derailed, Spain’s ADIF rail body posted on X.

“We have received calls from people reporting that there were injured and trapped,” a spokesperson for the Andalusian emergency services told AFP.

One witness told public broadcaster TVE that one of the carriages of the first train had completely overturned.

Television images showed medical crews and fire services at the scene.

A journalist from public broadcaster RNE who was travelling on one of the trains said the impact had felt like “an earthquake”.

Passengers had used emergency hammers to break carriages windows and get out, he said.

Spanish media reports suggested that a total of 400 people have been on the two trains.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a statement he was “closely monitoring” the situation.

The president of the Madrid region, Isabel Diaz Ayuso said its hospitals were available to the Andalusia region if required.

Rail travel between Madrid and Andalusia has been suspended.

Source: AFP