What to Know About the Rafah Border Crossing in Gaza
The only crossing that connects Gaza with Egypt has reopened. The move will allow residents to leave for medical care or return to homes and families in the territory.
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Brown calls for inquiry into ‘shocking’ leak of government information by Mandelson to Epstein - UK politics live
Ex-PM has written to the Cabinet Office urging them to investigate his former friend over passing confidential memo to sex offenderPeter Mandelson “leaked a sensitive UK government document to Jeffrey Epstein while he was business secretary that proposed £20bn of asset sales and revealed Labour’s tax policy plans”, the Financial Times is reporting.In his story, Jim Pickard says:The memo, dubbed “Business Issues”, was written on June 13 2009 by Nick Butler, who at the time was special adviser to the then prime minister Gordon Brown.The confidential document, which was released by the US Department of Justice as part of a tranche of millions of files relating to Epstein, had been sent to British government officials including cabinet secretary Jeremy Heywood.It is right that Peter Mandelson is no longer a member of the Labour party. Disciplinary action was underway prior to his resignation. Jeffrey Epstein’s heinous crimes destroyed the lives of so many women and girls, and our thoughts remain with his victims. Continue reading...
House attempts to advance funding bills to end partial government shutdown as battle over DHS spending continues – live
Speaker Mike Johnson faces narrow margins for House passage after Senate split off DHS funding amid backlash over fatal immigration enforcement shootingsHouse speaker Mike Johnson is set to swear in Christian Menefee, a Democrat who recently won a runoff election for a reliably blue seat in Texas.Menefee’s victory, however, means the margin in the House is even more slim: 218 Republicans to 214 Democrats. His current term will end at the end of the year, and he’ll have to start campaigning almost immediately for the 2026 midterms. But this time, it will be for a new district, after the GOP-controlled legislature successfully gerrymandered the state’s congressional map. Continue reading...
Current world order ‘dead’, Draghi warns Europe, as he outlines US and China threats – as it happened
Former Italian PM and ECB chief says Europe must urgently unify on defence and foreign affairsUkraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country’s energy system remained “seriously” challenged by the impact of recent Russian strikes.More than 200 buildings are still without heating in Kyiv, as temperatures plummeted to -17 Celsius, with “crews from many regions of Ukraine … deployed for the repair work.”“Europe absolutely can defend yourself. Please stop whining. Why is this so much whingeing about [on], you know, if the US leave, what are we going to do? Come on.… Europe … why are we so scared: ‘please, don’t leave the US leave…’ Please stand up to my president. Hold us accountable. Make us live up to our talking points.” Continue reading...
Damning EU report lays bare bloc’s ‘dangerous dependence’ on critical mineral imports
Auditor calls renewable energy targets ‘unrealistic’ unless ‘EU ups its game’ in mining, refining and recycling of metals such as rare earthsThe EU is struggling to free itself from dependence on China and countries in the global south for critical minerals and rare earths needed for everything from smartphones to wind turbines and military jets.A damning report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) in Luxembourg found that the bloc’s targets for 2030 were “out of reach” because of lack of progress in domestic production, refining and recycling. Continue reading...
US contractor sent Gaza plan to White House that would secure 300% profits
Gothams LLC’s draft proposal, obtained by the Guardian, suggests seven-year trucking and logistics monopolyA US disaster response firm submitted a plan to White House officials that would guarantee 300% profits and a seven-year monopoly over a new trucking and logistics plan for Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in Gaza, according to a November proposal obtained by the Guardian.The draft plan from Gothams LLC would allow it to collect a fee for every truck moving goods into Gaza, and charge for the use of its warehousing and distribution system. Continue reading...
Laura Fernández Wins Costa Rican Presidency
Laura Fernández’s victory was driven by a crisis in which Costa Rica’s reputation for peace has been tarred by record-breaking violence.
First medical evacuee leaves Gaza as Rafah crossing reopens for handful of Palestinians – latest updates
Only a few people will be allowed to cross in either direction dailyMore than 400 European former top diplomats and officials have urged the EU to increase pressure on Israel to end “excesses and unremitting violations of international law” over Gaza and the West Bank.The statement, due to be sent to EU leaders on Monday, calls on the bloc and its member states to take action in line with its support for a UN resolution for a two-state solution and a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. Continue reading...
‘This is history, it should be free’: Rome’s €2 Trevi fountain fee divides opinion
Charge is designed to protect much-loved monument from overtourism, but not all visitors like the ideaTeresa Romero is in Rome to celebrate a milestone birthday and one of the first things she did on Monday was visit the Trevi fountain to participate in the ritual of tossing a coin into the waters of the late baroque masterpiece.But before the Portuguese tourist could get close to the fountain, she had to hand over €2 (£1.70) – the cost of an access fee that has finally been enacted by Rome council officials after years of discussions. Continue reading...
Ukraine hails 'real results' after Musk restricts Russian Starlink use
Starlink-enabled drones have been linked to a number of recent deadly attacks by Russia on Ukraine.