The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm August 12, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:45pm (USEDT).
In this episode of A View from Afar political scientist and former Pentagon Analyst, Paul G. Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning will discuss, debate, and assess whether deterrence is still a valid concept in international relations.
Paul and Selwyn will assess whether deterrence has failed in Syria, Ukraine, the Middle East, and failed to stop an intensification of threat in the South China Sea.
And they will consider the questions:
Is nuclear deterrence dead in the water?
Or, does a new-generation arms race, based on advanced nuclear weaponry, made more fearsome due to a rapid advance of artificial intelligence-assisted decision-making and target-selection, mixed with hybrid warfare, cause aggressive nations to rethink the consequences should they preemptively initiate conflict?
And what about the majority of the world, what about small states, small powers, that seek stability and security via multilateralism or a constellation of like-minded nations – how does deterrence impact on their decision-making?
Do alliances, led by global powers, that rely on deterring adversaries through development of superior weaponry and technology, offer small states more risks than benefits?
Specifically, is it preferable for many small states to focus on de-escalation and cooperative security rather than bind themselves to collective security agreements that are focused on deterring adversaries?
And, the big question: How do we as member states in a world where bipolarity and conflict is intensifying, ensure de-escalation occurs without reaching a tipping-point that we cannot return from?
Is cooperative security, and mutually agreed to weapons and technological controls, the way toward restoring an uneasy peace in the world?
Live Audience: Remember, if you are joining us live via the social media platforms, feel free to comment as we can include your comments and questions in this programme.
A View from Afar with Paul G Buchanan and Selwyn Manning.
Building upon recent episodes of A View from Afar, Political Scientist Paul G Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning discuss The Politics of Desperation. This episode flows on from discussions about long transitions and the moment of friction.
As the old status quo begins to crumble (under the weight of fraction), political leaders and elites invested in it get increasingly desperate, leading to more dangerous decisions, more acute moments, and, increased chances of mistake, miscalculation and unanticipated backlash.
The Politics of Desperation accentuates an ongoing downward spiral. And, the Politics of Desperation takes form in differing degrees. For some, the risk of losing is merely a dent in the leader’s ego, reputation, and an awakening that voters have moved on from their style of politics.
But for others, a loss will prove to be devastating, for example; should Donald Trump lose his bid to regain the United States presidency, he will face sentencing as a felon and perhaps even face jail time. For Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, a future loss or a collapse of his right-wing coalition would likely see him facing domestic charges and possibly charges laid by the International Criminal Court for his role in the disproportionate use of military might in Israel’s war on Gaza.
So, Paul and Selwyn discuss the examples of the Politics of Desperation from around the world and assess the risks as the world rests on the cusp of an unknown future.
INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:
Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments.
A View from Afar – In this episode of A View From Afar political scientist Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse how the state of Israel has gone rogue, attacking United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.
At this juncture it is clear this is an intentional attack. Over the past week Israel Defense Force troops have repeatedly attacked UN peacekeepers who were authorised and deployed to the region by the United Nations Security Council.
Also last week; the Government of Israel issued a statement notifying the United Nations Secretary General that he was now banned from Israel and was persona non grata.
Within a day of that statement, IDF troops had fired on UN peacekeeping positions in Southern Lebanon. Since then, the IDF has continued operations that threaten the UN’s presence.
And Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now issued a directive to the UN peacekeeping force to withdraw from the area north of its borders in Southern Lebanon.
Also, despite the United States Biden Administration cautioning Israel on its attacks on UN personnel, overnight New Zealand time, the United States has deployed 100 US troops on the ground in Israel to operate missile defence systems.
Paul and Selwyn consider:
* Why Israel has begun to attack United Nations peacekeepers in the region?
* Why has the United States deepened its involvement in Israel’s so-called defence?
* What of Hezbollah, Hamas; are their attacks on Israel a defence or an attacking offensive?
* What of Iran, what is its position and will it engage in a full-scale war with Israel and what are the consequences should it do so?
INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:
Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments.
To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/
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In this episode of A View From Afar political scientist Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse how conflicts are expanding, arguably with warring sides taking an opportunity to take as much territory, while a ‘Lame-Duck Window’ exists in the United States.
For example;
In Syria, opposition-baked forces have taken Aleppo city and other strategic centres in an attempt to remove Syria’s authoritarian leader Assad. Assad’s forces are resisting on the ground while Russian air forces attacked the opposition force’s positions. Israel announced it may strike Syria government munitions sites in a move to ensure opposition forces do not take possession of such weaponry.
Meanwhile, fighting has intensified on the Ukraine-Russia frontlines after:
North Korea deployed a 10,000-strong assistance force to the Kursk region;
Outgoing US President Joe Biden authorised Ukraine to fire ATTACM missiles deep into Russia;
Ukraine indeed fired ATTACMs into the Russian motherland and has increased its drone attacks on military targets in cities once regarded as safe from attack.
Also, and significantly, Russia fired into Dnipro City in Ukraine a hypersonic “experimental” Medium-Range-Ballistic-Missile – and followed up with the biggest barrage of drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the conflict began.
So-called “red-lines” have been crossed and all sides appear determined to take as much territory as possible before US President-Elect Donald Trump is sworn into office in January.
Paul and Selwyn assess what we can expect to witness in the next two months, how other state actors are being drawn into conflict, and what objectives are driving warring sides at flashpoints around the world.
Live Audience: Remember, we welcome your comments and questions. And also remember to Subscribe. Thank you!
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Actors perform martial arts during an art performance at the UN headquarters in New York, June 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
A series of events was held on Monday at UN Headquarters in New York to commemorate the first anniversary of the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.
The events included a thematic dialogue titled “Promoting dialogue among civilizations, strengthening global solidarity and cooperation,” which was organized by the permanent missions to the United Nations of China, Egypt, Peru, Spain and Uzbekistan as well as the UN Alliance of Civilizations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a video message at the thematic dialogue. In his message, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that dialogue among civilizations is a bond of peace, a driver for development, and a bridge of friendship, saying that it is high time to promote dialogue among civilizations.
He called for efforts to uphold equality and promote intercultural exchange.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his message that dialogue is essential for building bridges of understanding and trust, noting “This International Day is a call to action — to listen, to speak, to connect.”
Calling for recommitment to the ideals and principles of the United Nations Charter, UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang said, “Let us celebrate the unity and diversity of civilizations, and promote tolerance, dialogue and inclusiveness toward a better world for all.”
UN under-secretary-general and high representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Angel Moratinos, along with senior diplomats from Egypt, Peru, Spain, and Uzbekistan, also stressed the importance of dialogue among civilizations.
Another event, an art performance, titled “Beyond borders: Weaving cultures through artistic expressions,” featured performances of music, dance and martial arts, highlighting humanity’s common aspirations for harmonious development.
Proposed by China and co-sponsored by over 80 countries, a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly last year designates June 10 as the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.
Taieri MP Ingrid Leary reflected on her years in Fiji as a television journalist and media educator at a Fiji Centre function in Auckland celebrating Fourth Estate values and independence at the weekend.
It was a reunion with former journalism professor David Robie — they had worked together as a team at the University of the South Pacific amid media and political controversy leading up to the George Speight coup in May 2000.
Leary, a former British Council executive director and lawyer, was the guest speaker at a gathering of human rights activists, development advocates, academics and journalists hosted at the Whānau Community Centre and Hub, the umbrella base for the Fiji Centre, Auckland Rotuman Fellowship, Asia Pacific Media Network and other groups.
She said she was delighted to meet “special people in David’s life” and to be speaking to a diverse group sharing “similar values of courage, freedom of expression, truth and tino rangatiratanga”.
“I want to start this talanoa on Friday, 19 May 2000 — 13 years almost to the day of the first recognised military coup in Fiji in 1987 — when failed businessman George Speight tore off his balaclava to reveal his identity.
She pointed out that there had actually been another “coup” 100 years earlier by Ratu Cakobau.
“Speight had seized Parliament holding the elected government at gunpoint, including the politician mother, Lavinia Padarath, of one of my best friends — Anna Padarath.
Hostage-taking report “Within minutes, the news of the hostage-taking was flashed on Radio Fiji’s 10 am bulletin by a student journalist on secondment there — Tamani Nair. He was a student of David Robie’s.”
Nair had been dispatched to Parliament to find out what was happening and reported from a cassava patch.
“Fiji TV was trashed . . . and transmission pulled for 48 hours.
“The university shut down — including the student radio facilities, and journalism programme website — to avoid a similar fate, but the journalism school was able to keep broadcasting and publishing via a parallel website set up at the University of Technology Sydney.
“The pictures were harrowing, showing street protests turning violent and the barbaric behaviour of Speight’s henchmen towards dissenters.
“Thus began three months of heroic journalism by David’s student team — including through a period of martial law that began 10 days later and saw some of the most restrictive levels of censorship ever experienced in the South Pacific.”
Leary paid tribute to some of the “brave satire” produced by senior Fiji Times reporters filling the newspaper with “non-news” (such as about haircuts, drinking kava) as an act of defiance.
“My friend Anna Padarath returned from doing her masters in law in Australia on a scholarship to be closer to her Mum, whose hostage days within Parliament Grounds stretched into weeks and then months.
Whanau Community Centre and Hub co-founder Nik Naidu speaking at the Asia Pacific Media Network event at the weekend. Image: Khairiah A. Rahman/APMN
Invisible consequences “Anna would never return to her studies — one of the many invisible consequences of this profoundly destructive era in Fiji’s complex history.
“Happily, she did go on to carve an incredible career as a women’s rights advocate.”
“Meanwhile David’s so-called ‘barefoot student journalists’ — who snuck into Parliament the back way by bushtrack — were having their stories read and broadcast globally.
“And those too shaken to even put their hands to keyboards on Day 1 emerged as journalism leaders who would go on to win prizes for their coverage.”
Speight was sentenced to life in prison, but was pardoned in 2024.
Taieri MP Ingrid Leary speaking at the Whānau Community Centre and Hub. Image: Nik Naidu/APMN
Leary said that was just one chapter in the remarkable career of David Robie who had been an editor, news director, foreign news editor and freelance writer with a number of different agencies and news organisations — including Agence France-Presse, Rand Daily Mail, The Auckland Star, Insight Magazine, and New Outlook Magazine — “a family member to some, friend to many, mentor to most”.
Reflecting on working with Dr Robie at USP, which she joined as television lecturer from Fiji Television, she said:
“At the time, being a younger person, I thought he was a little bit crazy, because he was communicating with people all around the world when digital media was in its infancy in Fiji, always on email, always getting up on online platforms, and I didn’t appreciate the power of online media at the time.
“And it was incredible to watch.”
Ahead of his time She said he was an innovator and ahead of his time.
Dr Robie viewed journalism as a tool for empowerment, aiming to provide communities with the information they needed to make informed decisions.
“We all know that David has been a champion of social justice and for decolonisation, and for the values of an independent Fourth Estate.”
She said she appreciated the freedom to develop independent media as an educator, adding that one of her highlights was producing the groundbreaking 1999 documentary Maire about Maire Bopp Du Pont, who was a Tahitian student journalist at USP and advocate for the Pacific community living with HIV/AIDs.
She became a nuclear-free Pacific campaigner in Pape’ete and was also founding chief executive of the Pacific Islands AIDS Foundation (PIAF).
Leary presented Dr Robie with a “speaking stick” carved from an apricot tree branch by the husband of a Labour stalwart based in Cromwell — the event doubled as his 80th birthday.
In response, Dr Robie said the occasion was a “golden opportunity” to thank many people who had encouraged and supported him over many years.
Massive upheaval “We must have done something right,” he said about USP, “because in 2000, the year of George Speight’s coup, our students covered the massive upheaval which made headlines around the world when Mahendra Chaudhry’s Labour-led coalition government was held at gunpoint for 56 days.
“The students courageously covered the coup with their website Pacific Journalism Online and their newspaper Wansolwara — “One Ocean”. They won six Ossie Awards – unprecedented for a single university — in Australia that year and a standing ovation.”
He said there was a video on YouTube of their exploits called Frontline Reporters and one of the students, Christine Gounder, wrote an article for a Commonwealth Press Union magazine entitled, “From trainees to professionals. And all it took was a coup”.
Dr Robie said this Fiji experience was still one of the most standout experiences he had had as a journalist and educator.
Along with similar coverage of the 1997 Sandline mercenary crisis by his students at the University of Papua New Guinea.
He made some comments about the 1985 Rainbow Warrior voyage to Rongelap in the Marshall islands and the subsequent bombing by French secret agents in Auckland.
But he added “you can read all about this adventure in my new book” being published in a few weeks.
Taieri MP Ingrid Leary (right) with Dr David Robie and his wife Del Abcede at the Fiji Centre function. Image: Camille Nakhid
Biggest 21st century crisis Dr Robie said the profession of journalism, truth telling and holding power to account, was vitally important to a healthy democracy.
Although media did not succeed in telling people what to think, it did play a vital role in what to think about. However, the media world was undergoing massive change and fragmentation.
“And public trust is declining in the face of fake news and disinformation,” he said
“I think we are at a crossroads in society, both locally and globally. Both journalism and democracy are under an unprecedented threat in my lifetime.
“When more than 230 journalists can be killed in 19 months in Gaza and there is barely a bleep from the global community, there is something savagely wrong.
“The Gazan journalists won the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize collectively last year with the judges saying, “As humanity, we have a huge debt to their courage and commitment to freedom of expression.”
“The carnage and genocide in Gaza is deeply disturbing, especially the failure of the world to act decisively to stop it. The fact that Israel can kill with impunity at least 54,000 people, mostly women and children, destroy hospitals and starve people to death and crush a people’s right to live is deeply shocking.
“This is the biggest crisis of the 21st century. We see this relentless slaughter go on livestreamed day after day and yet our media and politicians behave as if this is just ‘normal’. It is shameful, horrendous. Have we lost our humanity?
“Gaza has been our test. And we have failed.”
Dr Robie praised the support of his wife, social justice activist Del Abcede, and family members.
Other speakers included Whānau Hub co-founder Nik Naidu, one of the anti-coup Coalition for Democracy in Fiji (CDF) stalwarts; the Heritage New Zealand’s Antony Phillips; and Multimedia Investments and Evening Report director Selwyn Manning.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney
To reduce the chances of things going wrong, governments issue official travel advisories: public warnings meant to help people make informed travel decisions.
Sometimes these advisories seem puzzling – why, for example, does the US still have the “safest” rating despite the ongoing volatility in Los Angeles?
How do governments assess where is safe for Australians to travel?
Australia started providing travel advisories in 1996 and now runs its system under the Smart Traveller platform.
To determine the risk level, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) draws on diplomatic reporting, assessments from Australian missions overseas about local security conditions, threat assessments from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and advice from Five Eyes intelligence sharing partners (Australia, the US, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada).
The goal is to create “smart, responsible informed travellers”, not to restrict tourism or damage foreign relationships.
A detailed analysis of US State Department travel warnings from 2009 to 2016 found only a weak correlation between the number of American deaths in a country and the warnings issued.
In some cases, destinations with no record of US fatalities received frequent warnings, while places with high death tolls had none.
In early 2024, Australia issued a string of warnings about rising safety concerns in the US and extremely strict entry conditions even with an appropriate visa.
Until early June 2025, Sweden was also rated Level 2 due to localised gang violence, despite relatively low risks for tourists. Its rating has since been revised down to Level 1.
Travel advisories often apply a blanket rating to an entire country, even when risks vary widely within its borders.
For instance, Australia’s Level 1 rating for the US doesn’t distinguish between different regional threats.
In June 2025, 15 people were injured in Boulder, Colorado after a man attacked a peaceful protest with Molotov cocktails.
Earlier in 2025, a major measles outbreak in West Texas resulted in more than 700 cases reported in a single county.
Despite this, Australia continues to classify the entire country as a low-risk destination.
This can make it harder for travellers to make informed, location-specific decisions.
Recent travel trends
Recent data indicate a significant downturn in international travel to the US: in March 2025, overseas visits to the US fell by 11.6% compared to the previous year, with notable declines from Germany (28%), Spain (25%) and the UK (18%).
Australian visitors to the US decreased by 7.8% compared to the same month in 2024, marking the steepest monthly drop since the COVID pandemic.
This trend suggests travellers are reassessing risk on their own even when official advisories don’t reflect those concerns.
The US case shows how politics can affect travel warnings: the country regularly experiences mass casualty incidents, violent protests and recently has been detaining and deporting people from many countries at the border including Australians, Germans and French nationals.
Yet it remains at Level 1.
What’s really going on has more to do with political alliances than safety: increasing the US travel risk level could create diplomatic friction.
What travellers can do now
If you’re a solo female traveller, identify as LGBTQIA+, are an academic, come from a visible minority or have spoken out online against the country you’re visiting, your experience might be very different from what the advice suggests.
So, here are some tips to stay safe while travelling:
Check multiple sources: don’t rely solely on travel advisories – compare travel advice from other countries
Get on-the-ground updates: check local news for coverage of events. If possible, talk to people who’ve recently visited for their experiences
For broader safety trends, tools like the Global Peace Index offer data on crime, political stability and healthcare quality. If you’re concerned about how locals or police treat certain groups, consult Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, or country-specific reports from Freedom House
Consider identity-specific resources: there are travel guides and safety indexes for LGBTQIA+ travellers like Equaldex, women travellers (Solo Female Travelers Network) and others. These may highlight risks general advisories miss.
Travel advisories often reflect whom your country trusts, not where you’re actually safe. If you’re relying on them, make sure you understand what they leave out.
Samuel Cornell receives funding from an Australian Government Research Training Program
Scholarship.
Milad Haghani does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Flash quote from Pascale Coissard, MSF emergency coordinator
“Israeli forces’ displacement orders and bombings in the close vicinity of Nasser hospital, in Khan Younis, have forced MSF to adjust its operations in the hospital and move part of its burn and orthopaedic activities to our field hospital in Deir Al Balah. This minimises the risk to some patients and staff, whose safety is our top priority. Despite the insecurity and movement restrictions, our commitment to Nasser hospital continues through our physical presence and our work in the maternity and paediatric wards, technical expertise, specialist visits, and financial support.
“This facility has the last functioning intensive care units for children and newborns in the south, which cannot be moved. Nasser hospital is the only remaining hope for Palestinians in southern Gaza, especially women and children in need of urgent medical care who are living under constant bombardment and displacement with no access to even basic supplies and services. It is crucial that this medical facility is fully protected, respected and remains able to function.”
MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
New Real Madrid signing Dean Huijsen was officially presented as a new player at the club’s Valdebebas training ground on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old’s transfer to Real Madrid from Bournemouth for almost 60 million euros was confirmed on May 17th, but he wasn’t officially presented due to his commitments with the Spain national team and he played both the semi-final and the final of the UEFA Nations League, which the Spanish lost on penalties to Portugal on Sunday night.
Huijsen impressed both against Portugal and also against France in the semifinal and the club hopes he will provide balance and height for a defense that struggled with defensive injuries last season, with both Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal suffering campaign ending injuries early in the campaign and David Alaba never getting fully fit after knee surgery.
Although he was born in the Netherlands, Huijsen grew up close to Malaga and moves to Real Madrid after an impressive debut season in the Premier League.
At his presentation he admitted it had been easy to make the decision to return to Spain despite interest from other English clubs.
“I’m joining the best club in the world and I’m here to give my all,” he said, adding that he had “wanted to be here since day one, since they called me, I didn’t consider any other team.”
“I’m here to give my all. I’m going to work as hard as I can and remain humble. Hopefully, we can win lots of trophies together, starting with the Club World Cup,” said Huijsen.
The defender will have his first training session with his new team-mates on Tuesday and then after two more Real Madrid flies to Miami to play its opening game against Saudi Arabian outfit, Al-Hilal on June 18th.
The United States has denounced sanctions by Britain and allies — including New Zealand and Australia — against Israeli far-right ministers, saying they should focus instead on the Palestinian armed group Hamas.
New Zealand has banned two Israeli politicians from travelling to the country because of comments about the war in Gaza that Foreign Minister Winston Peters says “actively undermine peace and security”.
New Zealand joins Australia, Canada, the UK and Norway in imposing the sanctions on Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Peters said they were targeted towards two individuals, rather than the Israeli government.
“Our action today is not against the Israeli people, who suffered immeasurably on October 7 [2023] and who have continued to suffer through Hamas’ ongoing refusal to release all hostages.
“Nor is it designed to sanction the wider Israeli government.”
The two ministers were “using their leadership positions to actively undermine peace and security and remove prospects for a two-state solution”, Peters said.
‘Severely and deliberately undermined’ peace “Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have severely and deliberately undermined that by personally advocating for the annexation of Palestinian land and the expansion of illegal settlements, while inciting violence and forced displacement.”
The sanctions were consistent with New Zealand’s approach to other foreign policy issues, he said.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (left) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich . . . sanctioned by Australia, Canada, the UK and Norway because they have “incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable,” says British Foreign Minister David Lammy. Image: TRT screenshot APR
“New Zealand has also targeted travel bans on politicians and military leaders advocating violence or undermining democracy in other countries in the past, including Russia, Belarus and Myanmar.”
New Zealand had been a long-standing supporter of a two-state solution, Peters said, which the international community was also overwhelmingly in favour of.
“New Zealand’s consistent and historic position has been that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are a violation of international law. Settlements and associated violence undermine the prospects for a viable two-state solution,” he said.
“The crisis in Gaza has made returning to a meaningful political process all the more urgent. New Zealand will continue to advocate for an end to the current conflict and an urgent restart of the Middle East Peace Process.”
‘Outrageous’, says Israel Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the move was “outrageous” and the government would hold a special meeting early next week to decide how to respond to the “unacceptable decision”.
His comments were made while attending the inauguration of a new Israeli settlement on Palestinian land.
Peters is currently in Europe for the sixth Pacific-France Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Nice.
US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters: “We find that extremely unhelpful. It will do nothing to get us closer to a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Britain, Canada, Norway, New Zealand and Australia “should focus on the real culprit, which is Hamas”, she said of the sanctions.
“We remain concerned about any step that would further isolate Israel from the international community.”
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
COMMENTARY:By Steven Cowan, editor of Against The Current
The New Zealand Foreign Minster’s decision to issue a travel ban against two Israeli far-right politicians is little more than a tokenistic gesture in opposing Israel’s actions.
It is an attempt to appease growing opposition to Israel’s war, but the fact that Israel has killed more than 54,000 innocent people in Gaza, a third under the age of 18, still leaves the New Zealand government unmoved.
Foreign Minister Peters gave the game away when he commented that the sanctions were targeted towards two individuals, rather than the Israeli government.
Issuing travel bans against two Israeli politicians, who are unlikely to visit New Zealand at any stage, is the easy option.
It appears to be doing something to protest against Israel’s actions when actually doing nothing. And it doesn’t contradict the interests of the United States in the Middle East.
Under the government of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, New Zealand has become a vassal state of American imperialism.
New Zealand has joined four other countries, the United States, Britain, Australia and Norway, in issuing a travel ban. But all four countries continue to supply Israel with arms.
Unions demand stronger action Last week, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions demanded that the New Zealand government take stronger action against Israel. In a letter to Winston Peters, CTU president Richard Wagstaff wrote:
“For too long, the international community has allowed the state of Israel to act with impunity. It is now very clearly engaged in genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
“All efforts must be made to put diplomatic and economic pressure on Israel to end this murderous campaign.”
THE CTU has called for a series of sanctions to be imposed on Israel. They include “a ban on all imports of goods made in whole or in part in Israel” and “a rapid review of Crown investments and immediately divest from any financial interests in Israeli companies”.
The CTU is also calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador.
This article was first published on Steven Cowan’s website Against The Current. Republished with permission.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese vice premier meets with foreign guests attending Belt and Road conference
CHENGDU, June 10 — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Tuesday held separate meetings with several foreign guests who are in China to attend the second Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
When meeting with Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia Marina Ragus, Ding, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with Serbia to implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, support each other’s major concerns and core interests, deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, transform sci-tech innovation cooperation into a new growth point for bilateral relations, and promote further achievements in the construction of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era.
Ragus said that Serbia highly values its friendship with China, adheres firmly to the one-China principle, and is willing to strengthen practical cooperation with China in such fields as investment, the economy and trade, and science and technology, with the aim of building a community with a shared future between the two countries.
When meeting with Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ramatov Achilbay Jumaniyazovich, Ding said China is ready to work with Uzbekistan to consolidate their political mutual trust and long-standing friendship, deepen their alignment of development strategies, and promote in-depth, substantive cooperation in areas such as connectivity, the economy and trade, and sci-tech innovation under the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
Ramatov said that Uzbekistan is willing to deepen practical cooperation with China under the guidance of the strategic consensus reached between the two heads of state, and to promote the continuous development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
When meeting with Iran’s Vice-President of Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy Hossein Afshin, Ding said that guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, China is willing to make joint efforts with Iran to implement the China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan well, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and further tap the cooperation potential in the field of science and technology to bring more tangible benefits to the people of the two countries.
Afshin said that Iran attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations with China and is willing to enhance its people-to-people bonds with the country, promote the implementation of the comprehensive cooperation plan, and make new progress in sci-tech cooperation.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), spoke with Secretary of the Navy John Phelan and raised the importance of properly funding cutting-edge directed energy programs — the class of weapons systems that use electromagnetic energy, such as high-energy lasers. Calling it the “weapon of the future,” he received commitment from Secretary Phalen to advocate for an increase in the directed energy budget.
“It’s unclear in the budget where the directed energy money is if it’s in there. Those missiles that we’re using in the Red Sea to knock down $20,000 Yemen drones cost $4 million apiece. Directed energy is an incrediblyimportant priority. The prior administration grossly underfunded it. I hope this administration will pay attention. This is cost-effective and it’s the weapon of the future. Mr. Secretary, are you going advocate for directed energy and see an increase in that budget,” asked Senator King.
“Yes, senator. I think it’s very important. Our capability, and as you mentioned, it’s a cost-effective one. We continue to be working very hard with the one system we have been testing live right now that appears to be working well, so we continue to work on that. So, yes,” replied Secretary Phelan.
Senator King also touted Bath Iron Works’ (BIW) role in helping construct the U.S. Navy’s Guided-Missile Destroyer (DDG) ships. Earlier in their exchange, Senator King thanked Secretary Phelan for his visit earlier this year to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) to discuss the strategic value of developing a strong workforce and expanding shipbuilding in the U.S. to stay ahead of foreign adversaries.
“I want to thank you for your visits to the Portsmouth naval shipyard and Bath Iron Works, particularly for the time you took to talk with the men and women on the deck plates, the people who are out there doing the work. It meant a lot to those people, it meant a lot to the workforce, and the fact that you took the time to do that, I think is exemplary. The other thing I want tonote at the beginning, we always get in these hearings and there’s a lot of criticism and harsh questions. I want to compliment the Navy for the performance in the Red Sea. It’s the longest protracted naval battle since World War II, and the Navy has performed extraordinary well. I’ve had briefings both in this committee and the Intelligence Committee about the work that has been done under very difficult circumstances, so I think that should be acknowledged in a hearing like this. I should also note some of the workhorses in the Red Sea are DDGs, which are— I visited a government facility some years ago that had a spot on the map of the whole world of all the U.S. Assets, and DDGs were all over that map. Truly the workhorse of the Navy,” said Senator King.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as an authoritative voice on national security and foreign policy issues. Senator King has previously spoken up about the emerging threats of Russia and China’s development of “nightmare weapon” hypersonic missiles, which he has described as “strategic game-changers.” He previously urged the Department of Defense (DoD) to take advantage of private sector technologies or risk losing access to innovative defense technologies and encouraged the (DoD) to reevaluate its acquisition process of defense technologies. Additionally, Senator King has been a steady voice on the need to address the growing nuclear capacity of our adversaries.
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) is a key economic driver in Maine, supporting thousands of jobs integral to America’s national security. After calls from Senators King and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the U.S. Department of Defense exempted the shipyard workforce from the civilian hiring freeze. The Senators, alongside Sena too Susan Collins (R-ME), once again called on the Administration to process PNSY civilian hires to support the work of the Shipyard. Earlier this year, Senator King visited the Shipyard with Navy Secretary Phelan to highlight the Shipyard’s role in supporting U.S. national security and the need to bolster the Shipyard’s workforce to meet workload demand.
The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –
WASHINGTON—House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) voted today in favor of two House Resolutions—H. Res. 481 and H. Res. 488—to denounce antisemitic attacks, reaffirm her commitment to confronting antisemitism across the United States, and express appreciation to law enforcement, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for keeping Americans safe.
H. Res. 481, sponsored by Rep. Jefferson Van Drew (R-N.J.), expresses that Congress fully condemns the rise in antisemitic attacks across the United States, including the June 1, 2025, terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, the May 21, 2025, attack against two Israeli embassy staffers, and the April 13, 2025, attempted assassination of Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, and his family.
H. Res. 488, sponsored by Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.), also denounces the antisemitic terrorist attack that occurred in Boulder, Colorado. The attacker shouted “Free Palestine,” an antisemitic slogan that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and the Jewish people. The resolution also expresses appreciation for the law enforcement officers, including ICE agents, for keeping Americans safe.
Chairwoman McClain released the following statement:
“American Jews have a target on their back. They should not have to be scared to go to school, a synagogue, or simply be Jewish. It doesn’t have to be this way. But so long as Democrats collectively refuse to denounce, condemn, or even agree that this is problematic, the Jewish community will continue to have to live in fear. Things have got to change, and House Republicans are committed to being part of the solution,” Chairwoman McClain said. “House Republicans stand with law enforcement officers, and, unfortunately, House Democrats voted against thanking ICE, too.”
DETROIT – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Detroit arrested two criminal aliens in Detroit June 10. Ahmad Fareez Thabateh, 49, a Palestinian, and Kassim Saleh Wasil, 70, a Yemeni , who will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.
Thabateh has a final order of removal and has a previous conviction of arson in Pontiac, Michigan.
Wasil also has a final order of removal and has a criminal history to include 2nd degree murder, assault, resisting or obstructing an officer, and cruelty to a dependent adult.
“A convicted murderer and an arsonist are just some of the many public safety threats and immigration violators that our officers work to take off the streets every day,” said acting Detroit Field Office Director Kevin Raycraft. “I’m proud of their efforts to safeguard communities across Michigan and Ohio.”
Members of the public can report immigration crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE Detroit’s mission to increase public safety in our Michigan and Ohio communities on X at @ERODetroit and @HSIDetroit.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Micropolis Holding Company (“Micropolis” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: MCRP), a pioneer in unmanned ground vehicles and AI-driven security solutions, announced today that it has filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 8, 2025. The annual report on Form 20-F, which contains Micropolis’ audited annual financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, can be accessed on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov, as well as via the Company’s investor relations website at https://investors.micropolis.ai/filings.
The Company will deliver a hard copy of its 2024 annual report on Form 20-F, including its complete audited financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders upon written request to Fareed Aljawhari, Chief Executive Officer, at fareed@micropolis.ae.
About Micropolis Holding Company Micropolis is a UAE-based company specializing in the design, development, and manufacturing of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), AI systems, and smart infrastructure for urban, security, and industrial applications. The Company’s vertically integrated capabilities cover everything from mechatronics and embedded systems to AI software and high-level autonomy.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “plan”, “intend”, “believe”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “can have”, “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements represent Micropolis’ current expectations regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the registration statement filed with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.
Investor Contact: KCSA Strategic Communications Valter Pinto, Managing Director PH: (212) 896-1254 Valter@KCSA.com
PM call with Prime Minister Støre of Norway: 10 June 2025
The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway this afternoon.
The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway this afternoon.
They agreed on the importance of this afternoon’s announcement between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom, confirming sanctions on two Israeli Ministers for their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians.
The Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to a two-state solution, which ensures a safe and secure future for Israelis and Palestinians.
Discussing the publication of last week’s Strategic Defence Review, the leaders agreed that the UK and Norway are key partners, showcased through Norway’s vital contribution to the Carrier Strike Group.
They agreed on the vital importance of all NATO allies stepping up on our collective defence at an increasingly dangerous time for the world.
A Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was extradited to the United States on June 10, in connection with an indictment filed in the Southern District of New York. Khan was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO), the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. Khan is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court on June 11.
“The foreign terrorist organization ISIS remains a clear and present danger to the American people, and our Jewish citizens are especially targeted by evil groups like these,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice is proud to help secure this extradition, and we will prosecute this man to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Khan allegedly tried to enter the United States to commit an attack on the Jewish community in New York City, planning an ISIS-inspired mass shooting around the one-year anniversary of the attack on Gaza by Hamas,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Thankfully, the great work of the FBI and our partners shut that down, and Khan has now been extradited to New York to face American justice. I want to thank our teams and partners for their diligent work in this case and executing the mission.”
“As alleged, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan attempted to enter the United States to carry out a deadly terrorist attack on a Jewish center in New York City,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “He planned to use automatic weapons to kill as many members of our Jewish community as possible, all in support of ISIS. Khan’s deadly, antisemitic plan was thwarted by the diligent work of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors in this Office who are committed to rooting out antisemitism and stopping terror. Thanks to their efforts, Khan will now face justice in New York.”
Khan was provisionally arrested in Canada on Sept. 4, 2024 based on a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York. As alleged in the complaint, Khan, who resided in Canada, attempted to travel from Canada to New York City, where he intended to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. Khan began posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for ISIS in or about November 2023, when, among other things, Khan distributed ISIS propaganda videos and literature. Subsequently, Khan began communicating with two undercover law enforcement officers (collectively, the UCs).
During those conversations, Khan confirmed that he and a U.S.-based ISIS supporter (Associate-1) had been planning to carry out an attack in a particular U.S. city (City-1). Among other things, Khan said that he had been actively attempting to create “a real offline cell” of ISIS supporters to carry out a “coordinated assault” in City-1 using AR-style rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].” During subsequent conversations, Khan repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified the specific locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. Khan also provided details about how he would cross the border from Canada into the United States to conduct the attacks. During these conversations with the UCs, Khan emphasized that “Oct 7th and oct 11th are the best days for targeting the jews” because “oct 7 they will surely have some protests and oct 11 is yom.kippur.”
On or about Aug. 20, Khan changed his target location from City-1 to New York City. After initially suggesting certain neighborhoods in New York City to the UCs, Khan decided to target Location-1, a Jewish center located in Brooklyn, New York. Khan told the UCs that he planned to carry out this attack on or around Oct. 7, 2024 — which Khan recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal terrorist attacks in Israel by Hamas, a designated FTO, which, on Oct. 7, 2023, launched a wave of violent, large-scale terrorist attacks in Israel. In support of his choice of New York City as his target location, Khan boasted that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population In america” and therefore, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.” Khan proclaimed that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and sent a photograph of the specific area inside of Location-1 where he planned to carry out the attack.
Thereafter, Khan continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, ammunition, and other equipment for his attack, including “some good hunting [knives] so we can slit their throats.” Khan repeatedly reiterated his desire to carry out the attack in support of ISIS, and discussed planning for the attack, including by identifying rental properties close to Location-1 and paying for a human smuggler to help him reach and cross the border from Canada into the United States. During one communication, Khan noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”
On or about Sept. 4, as Khan said he planned to do in connection with his attack, Khan attempted to reach the U.S-Canada border. To do so, Khan used three separate cars to travel across Canada towards the United States, before he was stopped by Canadian authorities in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.
Khan is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles Field Offices are investigating the case. The Justice Department is grateful to Canadian law enforcement for their actions in this matter. The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division accomplished the extradition of Khan from Canada.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Kevin C. Nunnally of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint or an indictment merely contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Question for written answer E-002184/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Yannis Maniatis (S&D)
The Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine of the God-Trodden Mount Sinai, located in the foothills of Mount Horeb, is an immortal symbol of the coexistence of the three Abrahamic religions. Founded in 548 AD, it is the world’s oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery and listed as a World Heritage Site. Last week, an Egyptian court handed down a ruling reportedly stripping the monks of their ownership rights over the monastery and its surrounding lands. According to reports, the operative part of the ruling granted the monks the right to practise their religious duties on the monastery’s land – which will be owned, however, by the Egyptian state and managed by the Office for the Protection of Antiquities. As a result, the monks – the vast majority of whom do not have Egyptian citizenship and whose residence there depends on residence permits (visas) renewed annually – are essentially ‘guests’, which endangers the functioning of the monastery after 15 centuries of continuous operation.
In view of the fact that the EU and Egypt have signed an agreement on macro-financial assistance under specific conditions, including respect for human rights, which includes the protection of freedom of religion and religious minorities, can the Commission say:
Is it aware of this ruling by the Egyptian court, and what will it do to ensure the unhindered operation and the survival of the Holy Monastery of Sinai?
Under the common market Organisation Regulation[1] the Commission may adopt exceptional measures financed by the agricultural reserve and may provide emergency support to farmers negatively affected by extreme adverse weather events and natural disasters as it recently did for producers in Spain, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia and Hungary[2].
This exceptional measure followed a request for support from the five Member States and was designed following an assessment of the situation and of its exceptional nature by the Commission services, based inter alia on the available information and data on actual damages and losses per sector provided by the relevant Member States.
The Commission has not received information from Romania on damages due to frost events that occurred in March 2025.
Question for written answer E-002163/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Rima Hassan (The Left), Manon Aubry (The Left), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE), Carola Rackete (The Left), Abir Al-Sahlani (Renew), Ana Miranda Paz (Verts/ALE), Leila Chaibi (The Left), Marc Botenga (The Left), Irene Montero (The Left), Rudi Kennes (The Left), Özlem Demirel (The Left), Thijs Reuten (S&D), Arash Saeidi (The Left), Damien Carême (The Left), Marina Mesure (The Left), Cecilia Strada (S&D), Hanna Gedin (The Left), Li Andersson (The Left), Maria Walsh (PPE), Diana Riba i Giner (Verts/ALE), Lucia Yar (Renew), Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE)
On 6 February 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The broad and ambiguous scope of these sanctions seriously undermines the ICC’s ability to deliver on its mandate to end impunity for the most serious crimes of international concern. Asset freezes and targeted sanctions against ICC staff have a chilling effect on companies and civil society organisations that might otherwise engage with the ICC.
At a time when victims of international law violations are growing in number – in Ukraine, Palestine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan – these sanctions obstruct access to justice for all those affected by crimes within the ICC’s jurisdiction. Yet the EU has a legal instrument to counter such extraterritorial measures: the EU Blocking Statute, designed to neutralise the effects of sanctions imposed by non-EU countries.
In its 2024 annual report on human rights and democracy in the world[1], Parliament called on the Commission to ‘urgently activate the Blocking Statute’.
1.What concrete steps has the Commission taken to respond to this request?
2.Has the Commission assessed the impact of these sanctions on the Member States and on European actors cooperating with the ICC?
Question for written answer E-002164/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE)
According to recent reports, the Egyptian authorities have obtained a court ruling that provides for the suspension of the operation of the historic Monastery of St Catherine in Sinai, the confiscation of its property and the removal of the monks. The Monastery in question, which was founded in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian, is the oldest functioning Christian monastery in the world and is globally recognised as a place of significant cultural and religious heritage.
This ruling contradicts the public commitments of the Egyptian President to the Greek Government, while raising serious questions regarding the protection of religious freedom, cultural heritage and the rights of the monks who have resided there for centuries.
Given the EU’s close relations with Egypt and the fundamental values that the Union upholds:
1.How does the Commission intend to react to this blatant violation of religious freedom and the property rights of the monks of the Monastery of St Catherine?
2.Does the Commission intend to raise the issue in EU-Egypt political dialogue and demand the lifting of the restrictive measures on the Monastery?
3.What actions, including financial and/or political sanctions, does the Commission intend to take to protect the Monastery’s cultural heritage and prevent it from being turned into a tourist attraction, against the will of the religious community?
Question for written answer E-002165/2025 to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Rule 144 Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE)
Between 12 and 21 May 2025, Azerbaijani special forces and the ground forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) held a joint military exercise called ‘Aras-2025’ in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region from which the Armenian population was forcibly expelled in September 2023.
The IRGC is under European Union sanctions due to serious human rights violations as well as its involvement in supporting the Russian Federation in its aggressive war against Ukraine. According to reports, IRGC units entered Azerbaijani territory through the Bileh Savar border crossing.
This military cooperation between a country designated by the EU as a strategic partner and an organisation subject to sanctions raises serious concerns about the credibility and coherence of the Union’s external activities, including the sanctions regime.
1.How does the High Representative/Vice-President assess the impact of this military cooperation on the effectiveness and credibility of European sanctions policy?
2.Is the European Commission considering a review of the Strategic Partnership with Azerbaijan, including the Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Energy?
At the Foreign Affairs Council meeting of 20 May 2025[1], following the proposal of the Netherlands, and with the support of 17 Member States, the High Representative/Vice-President announced the launch of a review of Israel’s compliance with the provisions of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
As regards the extension of the EU-Israel Action Plan, discussions are ongoing in the relevant Council’s preparatory bodies.
The European Council in March 2025[1] deplored the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza, and called for an immediate return to the full implementation of the ceasefire-hostage release agreement.
It stressed the need for a ceasefire leading to the release of all hostages and a permanent end to hostilities. Joint statements by the High Representative/Vice-President, the Commissioner for the Mediterranean and the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management on the importance of lifting the blockade on humanitarian aid into Gaza were issued on 12 April 2025[2] and 7 May 2025[3].
The EU has been consistently calling for the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza and encouraged all similar appeals.
The EU remains committed to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with the international law and relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
The EU continues its efforts promoting a political process through the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution. The EU also continues to support the Palestinian Authority[4] to address its most pressing needs, build institutional capacities, and implement its reform agenda.
At the EU-Palestine High-Level Political Dialogue, which took place on 14 April 2025 in Luxembourg, the Commission proposed a multiannual Comprehensive Support Programme[5] worth up to EUR 1.6 billion, to foster Palestinian recovery and resilience for 2025-2027.
It is structured around three pillars: 1) Support to services for Palestinian people (EUR 620 million in grants of direct assistance); 2) Support to recovery and stabilisation of the West Bank and in Gaza (EUR 576 million in grants, including EUR 82 million per year for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East); and 3) Support for the private sector (up to EUR 400 million of European Investment Bank in loans).
[4] This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.
Question for written answer E-002090/2025 to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Rule 144 Fabrice Leggeri (PfE), Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE), Anna Maria Cisint (PfE), Susanna Ceccardi (PfE), Nikola Bartůšek (PfE), Jorge Buxadé Villalba (PfE), Marieke Ehlers (PfE), António Tânger Corrêa (PfE), András László (PfE), Viktória Ferenc (PfE), Tamás Deutsch (PfE), Kinga Gál (PfE), Enikő Győri (PfE), András Gyürk (PfE), György Hölvényi (PfE), Ernő Schaller-Baross (PfE), Pál Szekeres (PfE), Annamária Vicsek (PfE)
On 21 May 2025, the French Government published a report entitled ‘The Muslim Brotherhood and Political Islamism in France’. It revealed 70 years of Muslim Brotherhood strategy, including hundreds of shell associations, faith-based schools and Qatari funding in France and Europe. France and the European Union are described as being undermined by these Islamists.
The report also states that ‘the European External Action Service (EEAS) has received training provided by supporters of the movement, such as Sondos ASEM, former advisor to Mohammed Morsi’, the latter being a former Egyptian president and member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
While it is well documented that these Islamists wield influence within the European Commission and Parliament, notably through Femyso and ENAR, this shows that Islamists are infiltrating other European institutions. This is all the more serious given that the EEAS is the EU’s diplomatic service.
Can the head of the EEAS, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, therefore say:
1.What this training was and how much it cost?
2.Whether she will undertake to ensure that the EEAS no longer has any links with the Muslim Brotherhood and therefore relying on its support for training courses?
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) tonight took to the Senate floor to slam the Trump Administration’s reckless request to rescind $9.4 billion in Fiscal Years (FY) 2024 and 2025 Congressionally-appropriated funds, which provide vital support to Americans through public broadcasting and radio networks and promote U.S. global leadership.
In his remarks, Senator Welch emphasized how rescinding these funds will put American lives at risk, damage security alliances and global partnerships, and erode Congress’s constitutional authority over appropriations.
“The President likes to talk about his historic mandate. He did win—it was 2 million votes out of 152 million cast. It was a small margin of victory, the smallest by a Republican presidential candidate since the 1900s. My point here is not so much the size of the ‘mandate.’ Whatever the ‘mandate,’ a President should embrace the responsibility that he or she has to the entire country, and that includes folks who didn’t vote for him,” said Senator Welch.
“I do not believe even those who did were voting to risk their lives and their children’s lives by cutting funds to stop the spread of Ebola, or measles, or West Nile virus. This wasn’t a mandate to shut down programs to defend democracy where it’s under assault. This was not a vote to withdraw from UNICEF. This was not a vote, necessarily, to turn our back on the world’s refugees, including in particular, Afghan refugees who saved lives of our men and women in uniform.”
Senator Welch concluded: “Of course, Article I gives to the Congress the power to tax and the power to spend. And it is absolutely essential we do that carefully and wisely because our constituents are the ones who are going to pay the bill through taxes we assess, and they are the ones who are going to receive the benefits through appropriations we make. But to abdicate that power—which is essentially what this rescission would accommodate for the executive—is to turn over that power to the President. And it’s not just a matter of it being this President—it’s any President. In order for us to meet our responsibilities, we have to adhere to our constitutional responsibility under Article I. We are the ones who are subject to the will of the people—in the House every two years, in the Senate every six years—to account for how we tax and how we spend. Let’s not dodge by delegating that power to the executive.”
Watch Senator Welch’s full speech below:
The following programs would be eliminated or drastically reduced if the Trump Administration’s request for recissions are approved:
A cut of $1.1B for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
A cut of $500 million for Global Health Programs, for activities to protect child and maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, and other infectious diseases.
A cut of $800 million for assistance for refugees, like those fleeing genocide in Darfur and Burma.
A cut of $83 million for programs to support democracy, through organizations like the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, and Freedom House, which have always received strong bipartisan support.
A cut of $1.65 billion for the Economic Support Fund, which funds economic assistance for Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Lebanon, and scores of other programs that combat corruption, transnational money laundering and terrorist financing, human and wildlife trafficking, and that build markets for U.S. exports.
A cut of $460 million for assistance for Georgia, Armenia, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the other former Soviet Republics.
A cut of $496 million for international disaster assistance that provides life-saving aid for victims of natural and man-made disasters, from earthquakes and hurricanes to armed conflicts.
A cut of $202 million for specialized agencies, including for the United States’ contribution to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Senator Welch has been a leading voice in pushing back against the Trump Administration’s unlawful efforts to dismantle vital programs and terminate billions of dollars in life-saving aid. Following the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE’s, unlawful firings of over 5,500 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees, Senator Welch demanded answers from the State Department on DOGE’s actions that directly violate funds appropriated by Congress through the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act.
In April, Senator Welch spoke on the Senate Floor on how President Trump’s January 20th Executive Order suspending admission to the United States for Afghan refugees has left vulnerable families stranded and abandoned thousands who face persecution. In his remarks, the Senator urged Congress to expedite the resettlement of Afghan refugees, many of whom worked with, and for, the U.S. government, our diplomats, and our intelligence officers.
Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
June 10, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – At today’s “Unite for Veterans” rally on the National Mall, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered impassioned remarks slamming Donald Trump for using our nation’s heroes as political pawns, firing them by the thousands and making it harder for them to access the quality care and benefits they’ve earned. In her speech, the Senator drew from her personal experience serving in the military to call on her fellow Veterans to continue their lifelong mission of keeping this nation strong by pushing back against Trump’s cruel, anti-Veteran agenda. Photos of the event can be found on Duckworth’s website, and video of Duckworth’s remarks can be found in the rally’s livestream.
Key Quotes:
“America is what it is today because of the blood our brothers and sisters shed in combat zones. Our children grow up with the rights they deserve because of the sweat that’s poured down our faces, everywhere from the dust of Fallujah to the jungles of Vietnam. Our sacrifices were the currency we paid to defend America’s freedoms. And even as I stand here on titanium legs, with my wheelchair by my side, I wouldn’t take back those sacrifices for a second. Because America is worth it. As flawed as she may be, she is worth it.”
“We’re here because we refuse to see the democracy that we fought so hard for get dismantled. Because we refuse to let the health care that our buddies earned be gutted. And because we refuse to let thousands of Veterans who chose to continue serving this nation as federal workers be fired for no apparent reason…It’s a middle finger to our heroes. It’s a slap in the face to the sacrifices they’ve made. It’s bullshit, frankly…We’ve come together this afternoon because even if we’re no longer wearing the uniform, we are always wearing the flag on our shoulder, facing forward. We’re here because we’re not afraid to call out wrongs that need to be righted—or to call out wannabe kings that need a history lesson.”
“Personally, I’m tired of a guy who was never brave enough to serve claiming that the America that some of our buddies died for isn’t already great. And it pisses me off that a man who cried “bone spurs” when his nation need him the most—a five-time-draft-dodging coward who calls fallen servicemembers “suckers and losers”—it pisses me off that that guy would use our heroes as political pawns to get elected, then screw them over so badly once he took office. If you’re pissed off too…if you think Veterans deserve better than to be fired by the thousand…if you think our buddies deserve more than to have their health care ripped away because Trump wants to put another dollar in a rich guy’s pocket…Well then I need you by my side.”
Senator Duckworth’s remarks as prepared can be found below:
Hello everyone!
First off, let me say a huge thank you to everyone who made this afternoon possible.
I’m honored to get the chance not only to speak today in my capacity as a Senator, but also to listen, as one of you, as a Veteran.
Because I may currently be a Member of Congress, but in my heart, first and foremost, I will always be an Army grunt. And I’m damn proud of that.
I’m here today because I love this nation. I know the same is true for all of you.
But I’m also here because I’m sick of politicians promising to look out for Veterans when they’re on the campaign trail, then abandoning them when they take office. I’m sick of military families being treated like props.
And I’m sick of people in power wrapping themselves in the flag with their left hand, then with the other, signing off on orders that sell out our heroes to line their own pockets. You deserve better. You’ve earned better.
After all, since the first shots rang out at Lexington and Concord…Since the Tuskegee Airmen took to the skies to defend a nation that still wouldn’t let them sit at the same lunch counter as their white peers…Since our warriors landed on the beaches of Normandy, on this very day, 81 years ago…Those who’ve worn the uniform have defied the odds to define America at its best.
America is what it is today because of the blood our brothers and sisters shed in combat zones.
Our children grow up with the rights they deserve because of the sweat that’s poured down our faces, everywhere from the dust of Fallujah to the jungles of Vietnam. Our sacrifices were the currency we paid to defend America’s freedoms.
And even as I stand here on titanium legs, with my wheelchair by my side, I wouldn’t take back those sacrifices for a second.
Because America is worth it. As flawed as she may be, she is worth it.
I know some of us here hung up our uniforms long ago. But looking out at you all, I see a group who recognizes that in this perilous moment for our country, our mission today is not too different than what it was when we served: To protect our democracy. To defend our freedoms. To keep our nation as strong as she should be.
That is why each of you took off work… travelled from every pocket of this country… and showed up in this heat today. Not because it was easy—it’s never easy. But because we love this country enough to try to shape it for the better, even when the road ahead is hazy. Even when the task ahead is daunting.
We’ve come together this afternoon because even if we’re no longer wearing the uniform, we are always wearing the flag on our shoulder, facing forward. We’re here because we’re not afraid to call out wrongs that need to be righted—or to call out wannabe kings that need a history lesson.
We’re here because we refuse to see the democracy that we fought so hard for get dismantled. Because we refuse to let the health care that our buddies earned be gutted. And because we refuse to let thousands of Veterans who chose to continue serving this nation as federal workers be fired for no apparent reason.
Employees who include folks working at the Veterans Crisis Line, for God’s sake…The Veterans working there are doing some of the toughest work imaginable to support our heroes in their absolute darkest hour.
These are the people this Administration has kicked to the curb over the past few months. That should tell you everything you need to know about how the guys in power actually feel about our Vets.
Let’s be clear: The only reason they’re doing all this is to try to find enough loose change behind the couch cushions so that they can give even bigger tax breaks to the rich guys they pal around with on the golf course.
Let me say that another way: They care more about making sure billionaires can buy yet another private jet than ensuring our Veterans have access to the benefits and care they’ve earned. They care more about stroking Donald Trump’s ego to the tune of a 30-million-dollar birthday parade than spending that money to provide child care for military families. Or to save Veterans’ jobs. Or to better their health care.
So let’s call this what it is: It’s a middle finger to our heroes. It’s a slap in the face to the sacrifices they’ve made. It’s bullshit, frankly. And every one of us who has served should feel insulted. I certainly do. I’d bet some of you do, too.
But the important thing now is to channel our outrage into action.
A couple months after my Black Hawk was shot down in Iraq, a U.S. Senator named Dick Durbin walked into my Walter Reed hospital room and gave me his phone number, saying to call him any time if I or any of the other patients around me needed some help.
He…well, I’m not sure he thought I would take his words quite so literally. I called him…a lot. I called him way, way too much. I was the highest-ranked amputee on the ward at the time, so I felt responsible for the men and women around me.
So I kept on ringing up a United States Senator to help me help these folks get their pay… get their benefits… even to help get that one elevator in the hospital working better. At that point, I was so early in my recovery that I could barely sit up for 15 minutes at a time. But when Dick looked at me, he saw past the wounds…saw past the wheelchair.
He saw a Soldier in search of her next mission. Recognizing long before I did that just because I could no longer fly Black Hawks for the Army didn’t mean that I couldn’t find a new way to serve my nation.
And he said the words that changed my life. He told me that I could best help the Veterans around me by running for Congress myself.
I thought he was nuts. But it turns out, he was right. So all these years later, I’m asking each of you to take on a new mission, too.
Because personally, I’m tired of a guy who was never brave enough to serve claiming that the America that some of our buddies died for isn’t already great.
And it pisses me off that a man who cried “bone spurs” when his nation need him the most—a five-time-draft-dodging coward who calls fallen servicemembers “suckers and losers”—it pisses me off that that guy would use our heroes as political pawns to get elected, then screw them over so badly once he took office.
If you’re pissed off too…if you think Veterans deserve better than to be fired by the thousand…if you think our buddies deserve more than to have their health care ripped away because Trump wants to put another dollar in a rich guy’s pocket…Well then I need you by my side.
I need you to think of today not just as a singular moment, but as the start of our new collective mission: A mission to stand up for the buddies we served with. To do right by the warriors who came before us.
And to look out for all those men and women still serving.
Those young Soldiers and Sailors, those Marines and Airmen and Coasties, who are ready to sacrifice everything at the drop of a hat if the drums of war start beating again like they did for many of us when we were still in uniform.
Look, I get how in this moment, it’d be easy to feel defeated…to want to tune out rather than turn on the news. But now more than ever, we can’t let ourselves become disengaged. Because there’s too much at stake to get discouraged. The reality is, there will always be people in big fancy buildings who try to use their power to only look out for themselves.
But there are three things I know: First, the power of the people is always greater than the people in power. Second, those of us here today have never been too scared to take on a tough mission, especially when it means protecting the democracy we’ve fought so long to defend. And third, we Veterans sure as hell would never leave a comrade behind—whether that was one of our buddies on the battlefield or, now, one of the folks getting fired or left without care from the VA.
So if we want tomorrow to be better than yesterday, we have to come together. We have to recognize that our voices do still matter. Then we’ve got to use those voices to speak out. Even if—especially when—anyone tries to silence us.
Because we Veterans have always been the ones helping keep this nation as strong as she should be. This moment is no exception.
And along the way, you have my word that I’ll be right there with you. That I am one of you. And that I will always live by the Soldier’s Creed: never, ever leaving you behind.
It’s an honor to call myself part of this team—and to have you as my partners on the front lines.
Thank you.
-30-
A Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was extradited to the United States on June 10, in connection with an indictment filed in the Southern District of New York. Khan was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO), the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. Khan is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court on June 11.
“The foreign terrorist organization ISIS remains a clear and present danger to the American people, and our Jewish citizens are especially targeted by evil groups like these,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice is proud to help secure this extradition, and we will prosecute this man to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Khan allegedly tried to enter the United States to commit an attack on the Jewish community in New York City, planning an ISIS-inspired mass shooting around the one-year anniversary of the attack on Gaza by Hamas,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Thankfully, the great work of the FBI and our partners shut that down, and Khan has now been extradited to New York to face American justice. I want to thank our teams and partners for their diligent work in this case and executing the mission.”
“As alleged, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan attempted to enter the United States to carry out a deadly terrorist attack on a Jewish center in New York City,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “He planned to use automatic weapons to kill as many members of our Jewish community as possible, all in support of ISIS. Khan’s deadly, antisemitic plan was thwarted by the diligent work of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors in this Office who are committed to rooting out antisemitism and stopping terror. Thanks to their efforts, Khan will now face justice in New York.”
Khan was provisionally arrested in Canada on Sept. 4, 2024 based on a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York. As alleged in the complaint, Khan, who resided in Canada, attempted to travel from Canada to New York City, where he intended to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. Khan began posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for ISIS in or about November 2023, when, among other things, Khan distributed ISIS propaganda videos and literature. Subsequently, Khan began communicating with two undercover law enforcement officers (collectively, the UCs).
During those conversations, Khan confirmed that he and a U.S.-based ISIS supporter (Associate-1) had been planning to carry out an attack in a particular U.S. city (City-1). Among other things, Khan said that he had been actively attempting to create “a real offline cell” of ISIS supporters to carry out a “coordinated assault” in City-1 using AR-style rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].” During subsequent conversations, Khan repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified the specific locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. Khan also provided details about how he would cross the border from Canada into the United States to conduct the attacks. During these conversations with the UCs, Khan emphasized that “Oct 7th and oct 11th are the best days for targeting the jews” because “oct 7 they will surely have some protests and oct 11 is yom.kippur.”
On or about Aug. 20, Khan changed his target location from City-1 to New York City. After initially suggesting certain neighborhoods in New York City to the UCs, Khan decided to target Location-1, a Jewish center located in Brooklyn, New York. Khan told the UCs that he planned to carry out this attack on or around Oct. 7, 2024 — which Khan recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal terrorist attacks in Israel by Hamas, a designated FTO, which, on Oct. 7, 2023, launched a wave of violent, large-scale terrorist attacks in Israel. In support of his choice of New York City as his target location, Khan boasted that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population In america” and therefore, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.” Khan proclaimed that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and sent a photograph of the specific area inside of Location-1 where he planned to carry out the attack.
Thereafter, Khan continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, ammunition, and other equipment for his attack, including “some good hunting [knives] so we can slit their throats.” Khan repeatedly reiterated his desire to carry out the attack in support of ISIS, and discussed planning for the attack, including by identifying rental properties close to Location-1 and paying for a human smuggler to help him reach and cross the border from Canada into the United States. During one communication, Khan noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”
On or about Sept. 4, as Khan said he planned to do in connection with his attack, Khan attempted to reach the U.S-Canada border. To do so, Khan used three separate cars to travel across Canada towards the United States, before he was stopped by Canadian authorities in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.
Khan is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles Field Offices are investigating the case. The Justice Department is grateful to Canadian law enforcement for their actions in this matter. The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division accomplished the extradition of Khan from Canada.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Kevin C. Nunnally of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint or an indictment merely contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
ROME TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT
The Secretary-General landed in Rome a short while ago – after he concluded his program in Nice at the Ocean conference.
Tomorrow, Wednesday 11 June, he will be in Vatican City for an audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. The Secretary-General looks forward to continuing the cooperation between the United Nations and the Holy See, notably on efforts to build a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.
The Secretary-General will return to New York tomorrow.
OCEAN CONFERENCE
During a press event at the Ocean Conference, the Secretary-General told journalists we are in Nice on a mission – to save the ocean to save our future.
He warned that the Ocean is approaching a tipping point, adding that powerful interests are pushing us towards the brink.
We are facing a hard battle with a clear enemy: greed, Guterres told journalists. A greed that sows doubt, that denies science, that distorts truth, that rewards corruption and destroys life for profit.
He added we are in Nice this week to stand in solidarity against those forces and reclaim what belongs to us all.
The Secretary-General said we have a moral duty to ensure future generations inherit oceans swarming with life, and he called for stronger global cooperation, for action on plastic pollution and for the fight against climate change to extend to the seas.
He also encouraged those countries that have yet to sign the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction to do so without delay. With ratifications coming in at a record rate, the treaty’s entry into force is now within sight.
Before leaving Nice, the Secretary-General also held bilateral meetings with Mohamed Al-Menfi, the Head of the Presidential Council of Libya and with Dr. Philip Isdor Mpango, the Vice-President of Tanzania.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that hostilities and hunger continue to fuel desperation among more than two million people who are being denied the basics necessary for their survival, amid reports of ongoing Israeli military operations.
In northern Gaza, Israeli military operations have intensified in recent days, with mass casualties reported. Hungry and displaced people have also reportedly been killed while risking their lives to access food at militarized distribution hubs.
Meanwhile, four new displacement orders have been issued by the Israeli authorities for northern areas of Gaza since 6 June. The last of these was said to be in response to reported Palestinian rocket fire into Israel. Combined, they cover about eight square kilometres but largely overlap with previously issued orders.
OCHA underscores that civilians must be protected, including those fleeing and forced to leave through displacement orders and those who remain despite those orders. Civilians who flee must be allowed to return as soon as circumstances allow. OCHA reiterates that civilians must be able to receive the humanitarian assistance they need, wherever they are. All of this is required by international humanitarian law.
Yesterday, some supplies, mainly flour, were collected from the Kerem Shalom crossing. The aid was bound for Gaza City but was taken directly from the trucks by hungry and desperate people who have now endured months of deprivation.
Separately, there have also been some instances of violent looting and attacks on truck drivers, which are completely unacceptable. OCHA reiterates that Israel, as the occupying power, bears responsibility with regards to public order and safety in Gaza. That should include letting in far more essential supplies through multiple crossings and routes, to meet humanitarian needs and help reduce looting.
Today, additional supplies have been sent to Kerem Shalom, and humanitarian partners continue their efforts to pick up supplies when they are allowed access by the Israeli authorities.
Full Highlights:
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=10%20June%202025