Israeli forces have tightened restrictions around the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, closing roads and entrances to several towns and villages, Wafa news agency reported.
The development comes after Israeli authorities decided to impose a “comprehensive closure” on the occupied West Bank and close crossings into the territory until Saturday for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
„I certainly have solutions. I think we need to go to war in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). To do there what we did in Gaza. To dismantle the Palestinian Authority, which is a terror authority,“ he said.
Asked what war would mean, Smotrich pointed to earlier Israeli operations in West Bank refugee camps.
„We already did it. There are three refugee camps there that are empty, that we evacuated the population from for its protection and cleansed of all the terror. I want to kill all the terrorists and collect all the weapons,“ he said.
Religious Zionist Party leader calls for dismantling Palestinian Authority and eliminating terror infrastructure; accepts ‘collective responsibility’ for Oct. 7, defends government’s wartime record and vows crackdown on illegal weapons and crime
Leo raised existential concerns about scientific progress, life and human rights during his opening speech to President Emmanuel Macron and diplomats at the Élysée Palace.
He invoked France‘s „deep Christian roots“ and the recognition of human rights in warning about scientific progress and artificial intelligence.
„If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a ‘paradise of machines‘ invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment and the capacity to acknowledge the moral good,“ he said.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was proclaimed here in Paris — and in the drafting of which the French jurist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate René Cassin played a leading role — sought to foster a broader awareness of the inalienable dignity of the human person. Saint John Paul II, who regarded the Declaration as “a real milestone on the path of the moral progress of humanity,” was well aware that “any threat to human rights, whether in the field of material realities or in that of spiritual realities, is equally dangerous for peace, since in every instance it concerns man in his entirety.”
The question of respect for human dignity and the fundamental rights and freedoms that derive from human nature is one that arises in every age and must necessarily keep pace with societal change and technological progress. To be sure, “over the centuries, technological development has significantly improved the living conditions of humanity. At the same time, each phase of progress has also revealed the ambiguity of tools that can cause harm when not oriented toward the good” (Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 4). In his own day, Georges Bernanos saw the threat that blind obedience and irresponsibility could lead to a “Paradise of Machines,” and pointed out that French civilization had instead sought for centuries to form free men and women who are fully responsible for their actions.
For this reason, I considered it essential to address the subject of Artificial Intelligence in my first Encyclical Letter, with the aim of making the human person once more the focal point of reflection. If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a “paradise of machines” invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment and the capacity to acknowledge the moral good. This is indispensable if we are to recognize the genuine good that enables human beings to flourish in accordance with their primordial vocation, with unconditional respect for their interior freedom and their sacred dignity. Here, I would once more observe that “a truly free society does not impose uniformity but protects the diversity of consciences, preventing authoritarian tendencies and promoting an ethical dialogue that enriches the social fabric” (Address to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, 9 January 2026).
We live at a dangerous moment.
But our future is not predetermined.
War is a choice.
Peace is also a choice.
And sometimes —
the greater courage, lies, not in starting a war —
but in preventing one.
Pakistan has made its choice.
We have chosen dialogue over confrontation.
We have chosen cooperation over coercion.
We have chosen peace over war.
Let this eighty-first General Assembly make it unanimous choice.
For ourselves.
For our children.
And for generations yet unborn.
Let us restore trust. Let us preserve peace.
And let us prove that even in a divided world —
humanity can still choose to stand together.
I thank you.
Transcript & summary
The U.S. military attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.
The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 231 in 69 strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls „narcoterrorists“ about one year ago.
The Commission condemns the attacks carried out by the Houthis against civilian targets and economic infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, as well as attacks and threats against commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The Commission expresses particular concern over reports of attempted attacks targeting Makkah and other holy cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It stresses that holy sites, as well as civilians and pilgrims visiting them, must be fully protected and must under no circumstances become targets of military action.
The Commission further strongly reaffirms the principle of freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in accordance with international law. Any action aimed at obstructing or threatening navigation along this strategic maritime route poses a serious risk not only to the littoral States, but also to international trade, global supply chains, energy security and African economies.
The organisation also emphasised that the security of the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb strait was “a major strategic interest for Africa, particularly for the States of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea littoral States”.
The commission joined a number of other states, global organisations, and individuals that also came forward to condemn ongoing attacks.
Streamed live 56 minutes ago #BernieSanders #SteveBannon #ArtificialIntelligence
Watch live coverage from Washington, D.C., as U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and conservative commentator Steve Bannon address the Pro-Human Assembly. In a rare political alignment, Sanders and Bannon gather to discuss artificial intelligence regulations, tech oversight, and guardrails for rapid AI development.
“When the future of humanity is at stake, we need a PAUSE on advanced AI development and a ban on artificial superintelligence — an AI mind smarter than any human and capable of operating independently beyond our control,” Sanders said.
The US Senator further said: “At their upcoming AI summit, Trump and Xi must negotiate a treaty to pause AI and ban superintelligence before it is too late.”
(September 8, 2026)
Statement of the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK on the Two-State Solution
1. The Government of Israel’s actions in the West Bank are undermining the possibility of a two-State solution. The situation is rapidly deteriorating amid unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion, including the unacceptable decision to publish tenders for the E1 settlement project. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the President of France Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney have agreed on the need to take action to prevent further damage.
Today, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK confirm their intention to introduce national and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements which are illegal under international law, or that they are actively considering these and other measures, in accordance with their national procedures. In this regard, the UK, France and Canada welcome the important action already taken by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium and will bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods.
(September 8, 2026)
U.K. Foreign Minister Ed Miliband said the British sanctions would target specific companies and individuals who provide services including construction, infrastructure, financing or real estate for settlement expansion, as well as sanctions against individual settlers accused of violence against Palestinians.
„The set of measures I have announced represents a clear message to the government of Israel, to the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, and to the world that we will not acquiesce in the destruction of the two-state solution,“ Miliband said.
The titles of two new books about Israel’s genocide in Gaza succinctly state their shared argument: Corporate, mainstream media have been complicit in the horrific violence the Zionist state has inflicted and continues to inflict on Palestinians in Gaza. Print and online media, as well as cable news, have sold the genocide to their readers and audiences, turning reality on its head by portraying the Israeli perpetrators as victims of bloodthirsty terrorists and their Palestinian victims as bloodthirsty terrorists, terrorist sympathizers, or terrorists-to-be. As Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Nissim Vaturi said in a televised 2025 interview, “any child” born in Gaza is “already a terrorist from the moment of his birth.”
Adam Johnson, a media analyst and co-host of the podcast Citations Needed, and Robin Andersen, professor emerita of media studies at New York’s Fordham University and contributor to various independent media, have meticulously documented how U.S. media enable Israel’s mass killings. Their reviews of print, online, and cable coverage illustrate how media have acted as virtual mouthpieces for Israel’s government and its military as well as for the U.S. State Department.
Monday 7 September 2026
Alleged Breaches of Certain International Obligations in respect of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Nicaragua v. Germany) – First round of oral argument of Germany
Germany told the United Nations’ top court on Monday that a genocide case over weapons sales to Israel was improperly filed by Nicaragua and should be thrown out.
The Central American country accuses Berlin of violating the Genocide Convention and international humanitarian law by “facilitating” acts of genocide in Gaza by providing arms and other military support to Israel.
(May 11, 2026)
Millions of people around the world are demanding that their leaders act to stop Israel’s violations. Humanity must win.
(September 2, 2026)
The violence and torture that Israel inflicted on hundreds of flotilla volunteers this past spring, including severe beatings, repeated tasering, and sexual assault, has not deterred the FFC, just as Israel’s murder of 10 flotilla activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, in 2010 did not stop the movement. If anything, action is needed now more than ever. While much of the world has moved on from Gaza, believing a supposed “ceasefire” has ended the genocide, Israel continues to kill Palestinians in Gaza at will; use its blockade to restrict and manipulate the entry of the food, medicine, and fuel that a besieged population depends on to survive; and deny Palestinians their fundamental right to freedom.
The new mission involves a port-to-port voyage throughout Europe, bringing together human rights advocates, union activists, elected representatives, journalists, medical professionals, and other supporters of Palestinian freedom.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has announced a new international effort to break Israel‘s blockade of Gaza, with ships sailing between European ports before a planned attempt to reach the besieged Palestinian territory in October.
The FFC said its latest mission would go ahead despite the violence and torture meted out to flotilla volunteers on previous attempts, including severe beatings, repeated tasering and sexual assault.
Cuba denounced on Friday the impact of the US blockade on human rights, just days before the presentation of the report by Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan to the United Nations.
According to Alejandro González, Director of International Organizations at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the report on the negative repercussions of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights in the Caribbean nation will be presented in Geneva on September 8 and 9.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate a missile attack by the United States that hit a wedding party in the southern town of Kuhestak, killing at least four people and wounding dozens.
In a letter to the court on Wednesday, the humanitarian group said the attack warrants “an independent, impartial, thorough, and effective investigation” given the “civilian character of the location”.
(August 31, 2026)
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The newspaper says, „Western states should take a common stand on banning exports from settlements they deem illegal.should unite to suspend the bloc‘s association agreement with Israel.“
This initiative has been discussed in top EU forums consistently over the past two years, but has been torpedoed by pro-Israeli EU countries, including Germany and Italy.
The European Commission, in fact, avoided commenting on the substance of the matter on Tuesday and referred to the work of the European External Action Service (EEAS) on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).
EU spokesperson Paula Pinho explained that the issue falls under the purview of the EEAS and stated that the Commission has no information of its own on this matter.
He said research by the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Union‘s diplomatic service, indicated links with Israeli and Russian networks, but he gave no further details.
„It is evident that if Russia gets involved in spreading disinformation on this issue, or Israel also spreads disinformation on this issue, criticizing the Spanish government, it will not be because they are concerned about migration in Spain or Europe, but precisely because of the political positions we are taking — courageous ones, I believe — regarding the genocide in Gaza or Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine,“ Sánchez said.
The EEAS did not immediately respond to a CBS News request for comment on the research cited by Sánchez.
The Proposal
That the General Assembly will put forward an immediate motion to vote for the expulsion of Israel from the United Nations.
(June 23, 2026)
On Monday, several Chilean organizations delivered more than 80,000 signatures to the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, demanding Israel’s expulsion from the organization for war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip.
The collection was led by the Lawyers for Palestine association and the Sign for Palestine campaign, with collection points in various countries. The signatures were presented at the United Nations headquarters in Santiago, Chile.
Vom 7. bis 10. September richten sich die Augen der Weltöffentlichkeit auf den Internationalen Gerichtshof, der im Fall „Nicaragua vs. Deutschland“ verhandelt – eine juristische Auseinandersetzung, die Deutschlands Waffenlieferungen und Unterstützung für Israel sowie die Aussetzung der UNRWA-Finanzierung in den Fokus der internationalen Verantwortung rückt. „Nicaragua gegen Deutschland“ könnte den Beginn markieren, um auch andere Staaten, die Israel während des Genozids in Gaza unterstützt haben, zur Rechenschaft zu ziehen.
(October 15, 2024)
Over the past year, Israel has launched attacks on multiple countries and occupied territories: the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran.
Yet countries and territories aside, Israel has also targeted one specific organization with a series of unprecedented rhetorical and violent attacks.
Yes, the United Nations. We have all witnessed Israel, in effect, declare war on the UN.