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Saudi, Italy condemn Israel over latest Gaza displacements

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Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan

Saudi, Italy condemn Israel over latest Gaza displacements

LONDON: Saudi Arabia and Italy on Thursday “unequivocally rejected” the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, as Israel ramped up its bombardment of Gaza City.

“The principles of non-transfer and non-expulsion must be fully upheld,” they said in a statement posted by the Saudi Foreign Ministry on social media platform X.

Earlier, the Israeli military warned that an evacuation of Gaza City was “inevitable” amid an onslaught designed to destroy the remaining Hamas stronghold.

Families fled attacks in the city’s suburbs on Thursday, the latest displacements in a conflict that has already forced most of the 2 million people living in Gaza to flee at least once.

The joint declaration by Saudi Arabia and Italy came after talks in Rome between the Kingdom’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani.

It called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza “in line with our joint commitment to achieve a just, secure, comprehensive and sustainable peace in the Middle East.”

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Both countries demanded the immediate release of all hostages, and condemned any “unilateral or violent actions in the West Bank that undermine the two-state solution.”

They added: “We call for unfettered access for humanitarian assistance and life-saving supplies throughout the Gaza Strip, as well as the release of all withheld Palestinian clearance revenues,” a reference to taxes collected by Israeli authorities on behalf of the Palestinian Authority that have yet to be handed over.

The statement continued: “We underscore that any postwar arrangements must be firmly linked to a clear, time-bound implementation of a political solution that ends the occupation and delivers a just and comprehensive peace.”

Speaking earlier, during a press conference in Rome, Prince Faisal condemned Israeli attacks in the occupied West Bank and said the Kingdom agreed with Italy on the important need to halt the war in Gaza.

Ahead of the prince’s visit, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivered a strong rebuke of Israel following the attack on a Gaza hospital on Monday in which at least 20 people were killed, including five journalists. She said Israel’s war had “gone beyond the principle of proportionality.”

During their meeting on Thursday, the Saudi and Italian foreign ministers also discussed ways in which economic and other relations between the two countries might be enhanced.

Tajani praised Saudi authorities for their efforts to encourage Russia and the US to align their perspectives in an effort to resolve the war in Ukraine, the Saudi Press Agency reported

Saudi, Italy condemn Israel over latest Gaza displacements

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Trump Links French Protests To Islam ‘Taking Over’ France

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Trump Links French Protests To Islam ‘Taking Over’ France
US President Donald Trump

Trump Links French Protests To Islam ‘Taking Over’ France

US President Donald Trump has linked the ongoing student protests in France to what he described as “out of control” mass migration and an alleged attempt by Islam to take over the country.

Trump made the claim Tuesday in a post on his Truth Social platform, rejecting the view that the protests are primarily about education and school conditions.

The protests have spread across France since late September, with students, teachers and parents demanding better-funded schools, more teachers, improved infrastructure and action over overcrowded classrooms.

More than 250,000 people took part in demonstrations across the country on Tuesday, according to French authorities, while organisers put the turnout at about 450,000.

Trump wrote that the unrest was “nothing less than out of control mass migration” and claimed: “This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country!”

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However, there has been no established link between the protests and religious or identity-based demands. The grievances publicly cited by student groups have centred on teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating school buildings and inadequate resources.

The demonstrations have nevertheless escalated in some areas, with clashes between protesters and police reported in cities including Paris, Strasbourg, Rennes and Toulouse.

French authorities said hundreds of people were arrested Tuesday, while hundreds of students, school staff and police officers have reportedly been injured during the unrest.

The protests have also become part of a wider debate over France’s public finances, government spending and political direction ahead of the country’s next presidential election.

Trump’s comments add an international political dimension to the crisis, as the US president continues to make migration in Europe a major focus of his political messaging.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said France was working to present its own account of the unrest rather than allowing foreign governments and political actors to define the narrative around the protests.

For now, the central demands of the protest movement remain focused on education, even as the unrest has become increasingly entangled with broader political disputes over immigration, public spending and France’s future.

Trump Links French Protests To Islam ‘Taking Over’ France

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Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’

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Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’
Leader of the UK Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’

UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has warned against the emergence of what she described as “little ghettos” of separatist migrant communities in Britain, arguing that newcomers must integrate and respect the country’s culture and values.

Badenoch made the remarks while opening the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Birmingham, where she set out her vision for rebuilding the party and Britain.

Speaking about immigration and integration, the Conservative leader said she wanted Britain to remain a “high-trust” society in which people coming into the country accept the social expectations and responsibilities that come with living there.

“I don’t want lots of little ghettos of separatist communities where they are recreating the place that they came from. That will ruin the United Kingdom,” Badenoch said.

She added that Britain was “not a dormitory” or “a hotel” and argued that migrants who come to the country, including those who come primarily to work, should respect British culture and values.

Badenoch stressed that she was not advocating race-based citizenship, saying Britain had never operated such a system. However, she argued that British culture, norms and expectations remained important to maintaining social cohesion.

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“It is not just about the values and the principles,” she said, arguing that the way people conduct themselves and the expectations they share also form part of British culture.

The remarks form part of Badenoch’s broader attempt to establish a tougher Conservative Party position on immigration, integration and national identity as the party seeks to regain political ground.

She has also acknowledged failures by previous Conservative governments to deliver promised reductions in immigration. In her newly published policy document, The Right Way, she argues that the party needs clearer principles and a more consistent approach to government.

The Conservatives are also proposing tougher conditions for migrants seeking permanent settlement in the UK, including changes to the rules governing indefinite leave to remain.

Badenoch’s comments have drawn attention because of the sensitivity surrounding immigration and multiculturalism in Britain, with critics arguing that language about migrant communities risks stigmatising minority groups.

Her supporters, however, say the emphasis on integration rather than race is intended to reinforce a shared national identity and social cohesion.

The debate comes as immigration remains a major political issue in the UK, with the Conservatives facing pressure from Reform UK over migration while the Labour government continues to face questions over legal and irregular immigration.

Badenoch, who became Conservative leader in November 2024, used the conference to present her party as a political alternative focused on economic growth, stronger national security, reduced bureaucracy and stricter immigration policies.

Her comments on migrant communities are expected to remain a significant part of the Conservatives’ political message as the party seeks to redefine its approach to immigration, integration and British identity.

Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’

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Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

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Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

President Donald Trump has approved the execution by U.S. Army firing squad of former Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who was sentenced to death for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, that left 13 people dead and 32 others wounded.

The Pentagon announced the decision on Monday, saying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had recommended the firing-squad execution and Trump approved it.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Secretary of the Army would determine the date and location of the execution.

Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, opened fire at a medical facility at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009, shortly before he was due to deploy to Afghanistan.

The attack killed 12 active-duty soldiers and one retired serviceman, while 32 others were wounded. Hasan was shot and seriously injured by a responding civilian police officer and has been partially paralysed since the attack.

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A military jury convicted Hasan in 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder and sentenced him to death.

During his court-martial, Hasan represented himself and did not call witnesses in his defence. He acknowledged that he carried out the shooting and argued that his actions were intended to protect Muslims whom he believed were being targeted by U.S. military operations.

Hasan has remained on military death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, while pursuing legal challenges to his conviction and sentence.

Trump’s approval does not mean the execution will take place immediately. Further legal and administrative procedures remain, and Hasan could seek relief through the federal courts, potentially delaying the execution.

If carried out, Hasan’s execution would be an extraordinary event in the history of the U.S. military justice system.

The U.S. military has not carried out an execution since 1961, when Army Private John Bennett was hanged. The last known U.S. military execution by firing squad took place in 1945.

The decision also comes amid renewed debate in the United States over methods of execution. The Trump administration has expanded the available methods for carrying out federal executions, while recent difficulties surrounding lethal injection have intensified scrutiny of capital punishment.

Hasan’s case has remained one of the most prominent military death-penalty cases in the United States since the Fort Hood attack nearly 17 years ago.

The Army is now expected to determine when and where the execution will take place, subject to the remaining legal process.

Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

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