2 months ago
By Alexander Cornwell
TEL AVIV, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered unauthorized settler outposts in the West Bank to be dismantled, two people familiar with the matter said on Sunday, amid pressure from the U.S. to crack down on settler attacks on Palestinians.
The order applies to outposts established by settlers without official authorisation from the Israeli state, the sources said. Outposts typically consist of prefabricated caravans and house a small number of settlers. The state has from time to time demolished such structures and also formally recognized others, allowing them to access government funding.
It was not immediately clear when the operation would begin.
U.N. bodies and most governments deem all Israeli settlements illegal under international law and consider the West Bank to be occupied territory under military control. Israel argues the territory is disputed, not occupied.
#israeli #occupied
TEL AVIV, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered unauthorized settler outposts in the West Bank to be dismantled, two people familiar with the matter said on Sunday, amid pressure from the U.S. to crack down on settler attacks on Palestinians.
The order applies to outposts established by settlers without official authorisation from the Israeli state, the sources said. Outposts typically consist of prefabricated caravans and house a small number of settlers. The state has from time to time demolished such structures and also formally recognized others, allowing them to access government funding.
It was not immediately clear when the operation would begin.
U.N. bodies and most governments deem all Israeli settlements illegal under international law and consider the West Bank to be occupied territory under military control. Israel argues the territory is disputed, not occupied.
#israeli #occupied
4 months ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a $95 billion legislative plan focused on boosting defense, aiding farmers and enacting stricter voter registration rules, a sequel to the massive tax and spending cut bill that President Donald Trump signed into law last year.
The 47-page outline, called a budget resolution, is a long-shot undertaking designed to supplement Pentagon funding for the Iran war and address Trump's top priority of changing voter registration requirements. A more ambitious effort was narrowed to address concerns from some conservatives about adding to the deficit. The plan does not seek any offsets to pay for the new spending.
House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed ahead after meeting with Trump at the White House this week in what will be the Republicans' calling card to voters this fall heading into the midterm elections, with control of Congress at stake.
"Safeguarding American elections and strengthening our national defense are the most basic responsibilities of Congress," Johnson said in a statement.
Johnson welcomed the chance to again use a legislative process that would allow Republicans to overpower Democratic objections and eventually approve legislation on a party-line vote, saying the Democrats won't be able to block the GOP's priorities "any longer."
The 47-page outline, called a budget resolution, is a long-shot undertaking designed to supplement Pentagon funding for the Iran war and address Trump's top priority of changing voter registration requirements. A more ambitious effort was narrowed to address concerns from some conservatives about adding to the deficit. The plan does not seek any offsets to pay for the new spending.
House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed ahead after meeting with Trump at the White House this week in what will be the Republicans' calling card to voters this fall heading into the midterm elections, with control of Congress at stake.
"Safeguarding American elections and strengthening our national defense are the most basic responsibilities of Congress," Johnson said in a statement.
Johnson welcomed the chance to again use a legislative process that would allow Republicans to overpower Democratic objections and eventually approve legislation on a party-line vote, saying the Democrats won't be able to block the GOP's priorities "any longer."
4 months ago
Ukraine's battlefield changes so fast that arms makers need to adapt constantly.
One drone maker said manual ******* embly is key to making rapid updates.
Too much automation can mean "freezing the product version," the company said.
A Ukrainian drone maker said keeping up with the rapidly changing battlefield requires manual ******* embly for some of its work instead of relying only on big machines.
Ukraine needs large quantities of weaponry as quickly as possible, a demand that typically pushes companies toward automation. But Ukraine also needs those weapons to be up-to-date as the war changes, something that too much automation can make difficult.
One drone maker said manual ******* embly is key to making rapid updates.
Too much automation can mean "freezing the product version," the company said.
A Ukrainian drone maker said keeping up with the rapidly changing battlefield requires manual ******* embly for some of its work instead of relying only on big machines.
Ukraine needs large quantities of weaponry as quickly as possible, a demand that typically pushes companies toward automation. But Ukraine also needs those weapons to be up-to-date as the war changes, something that too much automation can make difficult.
5 months ago
By Steve Holland, Parisa Hafezi and Maayan Lubell
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France/DUBAI/JERUSALEM, June 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has already been signed by the United States and Iran, though details have yet to be made public.
"The deal's all signed," Trump said after he arrived in France for a summit of the G7 group of big economies, adding that Vice President JD Vance would attend a formal signing ceremony in Geneva on Friday.
The agreement would reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz and extend a ceasefire for 60 days, allowing negotiators to tackle difficult issues like the future of Iran's nuclear program. Oil prices fell to their lowest level since March 10, shortly after the conflict cut off one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
The deal is the most significant step yet to resolve the conflict, which has killed at least 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, and upended global energy markets.
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France/DUBAI/JERUSALEM, June 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has already been signed by the United States and Iran, though details have yet to be made public.
"The deal's all signed," Trump said after he arrived in France for a summit of the G7 group of big economies, adding that Vice President JD Vance would attend a formal signing ceremony in Geneva on Friday.
The agreement would reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz and extend a ceasefire for 60 days, allowing negotiators to tackle difficult issues like the future of Iran's nuclear program. Oil prices fell to their lowest level since March 10, shortly after the conflict cut off one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
The deal is the most significant step yet to resolve the conflict, which has killed at least 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, and upended global energy markets.
5 months ago
Tomorrow is going to be a big day in the nation's capital. June 14 happens to be Flag Day, the anniversary of the U.S. Army's founding and President Trump's 80th birthday. It also comes just under three weeks before the United States' semiquincentennial — the overly complex word for its 250th anniversary.
At the same time, the Trump administration is hosting the first-ever professional fights on the White House's grounds, while Trump's critics will hold a concert and community events to protest his administration.
Here's a rundown of what's going down in Washington, D.C., and across the country on Sunday.
The marquee event on Sunday is the unprecedented mixed martial arts competition being held on the White House grounds. A massive, 90-foot-tall arch that's been dubbed "The Claw" and a temporary 5,000-seat arena have been built on the South Lawn of the White House for the event.
A separate viewing area on the Ellipse will allow as many as 80,000 fans to watch the matches on giant screens. The fights, which are headlined by a lightweight championship contest between Spanish-Georgian Ilia Topuria and American Justin Gaethje, will also be broadcast live on Paramount+ starting at 8 p.m. ET.
At the same time, the Trump administration is hosting the first-ever professional fights on the White House's grounds, while Trump's critics will hold a concert and community events to protest his administration.
Here's a rundown of what's going down in Washington, D.C., and across the country on Sunday.
The marquee event on Sunday is the unprecedented mixed martial arts competition being held on the White House grounds. A massive, 90-foot-tall arch that's been dubbed "The Claw" and a temporary 5,000-seat arena have been built on the South Lawn of the White House for the event.
A separate viewing area on the Ellipse will allow as many as 80,000 fans to watch the matches on giant screens. The fights, which are headlined by a lightweight championship contest between Spanish-Georgian Ilia Topuria and American Justin Gaethje, will also be broadcast live on Paramount+ starting at 8 p.m. ET.
5 months ago
President Donald Trump uses a lot of fictional statistics. He usually deploys them with a breezy confidence.
At an event in Wisconsin on Friday, though, he made a statistical claim that sounded so clearly dubious that he wondered aloud where it had come from.
"And we've also had huge drops in — and I'll tell you, this is something that's amazing: African American unemployment is now doing better than it's ever done. And I don't know where that stat came from, but I'll take it," he said. "I don't know where the ******* that stat come — but we'll take it."
The mystery "stat" isn't true.
The most recent unemployment rate for Black or African Americans was 6.6% in May, federal statistics show (all unemployment figures in this article are seasonally adjusted). That's an improvement from the previous rate, 7.3% in April, and from its highest rate during Trump's second term, 8.2% last November — but it's not close to a record low.
At an event in Wisconsin on Friday, though, he made a statistical claim that sounded so clearly dubious that he wondered aloud where it had come from.
"And we've also had huge drops in — and I'll tell you, this is something that's amazing: African American unemployment is now doing better than it's ever done. And I don't know where that stat came from, but I'll take it," he said. "I don't know where the ******* that stat come — but we'll take it."
The mystery "stat" isn't true.
The most recent unemployment rate for Black or African Americans was 6.6% in May, federal statistics show (all unemployment figures in this article are seasonally adjusted). That's an improvement from the previous rate, 7.3% in April, and from its highest rate during Trump's second term, 8.2% last November — but it's not close to a record low.
