Category: Foreign

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Canada to recognise Palestinian state at UN General Assembly

Canada plans to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday, a major policy shift that drew an angry response from US President Donald Trump and was rejected by Israel.

Carney said the move was necessary to preserve hopes of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a long-standing Canadian goal that was “being eroded before our eyes.”

“Canada intends to recognise the State of Palestine at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025,” the prime minister said.

This makes Canada — a G7 nation — the third country, following recent announcements by France and the United Kingdom, to signal plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September.

Carney said the worsening suffering of civilians in Gaza left “no room for delay in coordinated international action to support peace.”

Israel blasted Canada’s announcement as part of a “distorted campaign of international pressure,” while Trump warned that trade negotiations with Ottawa may not proceed smoothly.

“Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine,” the US president wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.”

Asked by reporters if there was a scenario where Canada could change its position before the UN meeting, Carney said: “There’s a scenario (but) possibly one that I can’t imagine.”

Canada’s intention “is predicated on the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to much-needed reforms,” Carney said, referring to the body led by President Mahmoud Abbas, which has civil authority in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Carney said his plans were further predicated on Abbas’s pledge to “hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarise the Palestinian state.”

With Wednesday’s announcement, Carney positioned Canada alongside France, after President Emmanuel Macron said his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state during the UN meeting, the most powerful European nation to announce such a move.

The Israeli embassy in Ottawa said, “Recognising a Palestinian state in the absence of accountable government, functioning institutions, or benevolent leadership, rewards and legitimises the monstrous barbarity of Hamas on October 7, 2023.”

The PA’s Abbas welcomed the announcement as a “historic” decision, while France said the countries would work together “to revive the prospect of peace in the region.”

Canada’s plan goes a step further than this week’s announcement by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer said the UK will formally recognise the State of Palestine in September unless Israel takes various “substantive steps,” including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Carney stressed that Canada has been an unwavering member of the group of nations that hoped a two-state solution “would be achieved as part of a peace process built around a negotiated settlement between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.”

“Regrettably, this approach is no longer tenable,” he said, citing “Hamas terrorism” and the group’s “longstanding violent rejection of Israel’s right to exist.”

The peace process has also been eroded by the expansion of Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, Carney said.

The prime minister said a two-state solution was growing increasingly remote, with a vote in Israel’s parliament “calling for the annexation of the West Bank,” as well as Israel’s “ongoing failure” to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

He framed his decision as one aimed at safeguarding Israel’s future.

“Any path to lasting peace for Israel also requires a viable and stable Palestinian state, and one that recognises Israel’s inalienable right to security and peace,” Carney said. (Punch)

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Unsung hero behind hula hoop invention dies aged 101

Joan Anderson, who coined the name for the hula hoop and played an unsung role in its rise, has died age 101.

The former model was visiting her native Australia from her home in the US when she spotted groups of people swivelling wooden hoops around their waists.

She was so mesmerised by the growing craze in Australia that she had one of the strange new toys shipped to the US.

The 2018 documentary Hula Girl retold Ms Anderson’s story of dubbing it the hula hoop after the hip-swivelling Hawaiian dance, and how it was she and her husband who first showed it to a toy company boss.

It went on to sell millions and become a global sensation – but the couple went uncredited for their role in its rise.

Recounting meeting the boss of American toy conglomerate Wham-O in the early 1960s, Ms Anderson told documentary makers: “We told him, ‘we’ve called it the hula hoop,’.

“He said, ‘looks like it has some merit, if it makes money for us, it’s going to make money for you’.”

Ms Anderson claimed the deal was sealed with a “gentleman’s handshake” and it began to fly off the shelves in the US.

But in the years that followed, the firm’s boss “kept putting us” off, Ms Anderson said, and the pair eventually filed a lawsuit which resulted in a modest financial settlement – but crucially, no formal recognition of their role in its rise.

Later accounts of its invention mentioned how an “Australian friend” brought an early version to the US.

She told documentary makers: “I think that bugged me more than anything. It was never reported correctly at all. I was not a ‘friend’.”

Born Joan Constance Manning in Sydney on 28 December 1923, she worked as a swimsuit model and met Wayne Anderson, a US Army pilot, on Bondi Beach and married him soon after.

Speaking to the BBC, the filmmaker behind the story of Ms Anderson’s life said: “Telling Joan’s story was such a rewarding experience.

“She was 94 when we met and even with everything she’d been through, she had lived an amazing, full life.

“Seeing her finally get the recognition she deserved after all those years was incredible.”

Ms Anderson died on 14 July at a nursing home in Carlsbad, California, having lived “a wonderful life”, her family said.

She is survived by two sons, a daughter and six grandchildren. Another son, Carl, died in 2023. (BBC)

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President Mahama appoints Said Sinare as Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

President John Dramani Mahama has turned to experienced hands in his latest diplomatic appointments, nominating former NDC National Vice Chairman Alhaji Said Sinare as Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia – a familiar terrain for the seasoned diplomat who previously held the same position during Mahama’s first term. 

The July 21 appointment letter from the Presidency, sighted by our newsroom, forms part of a broader reshuffle that sees eight new envoys deployed to strategic posts including South Korea, Italy and Kenya. But it’s the Saudi Arabia posting that’s generating the most buzz in diplomatic circles, given the Gulf nation’s growing importance to Ghana’s economic interests. 

“Sinare isn’t just going as an ambassador – he’s going as Ghana’s chief negotiator in one of our most critical bilateral relationships,” a Foreign Ministry insider revealed. “From oil deals to Hajj arrangements and infrastructure financing, Riyadh has become too important to leave to inexperienced hands.” 

The ever ambitious diplomat brings rare credentials to the table, having previously served as Ghana’s top envoy in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt. His deep understanding of Arab diplomacy and extensive network across the region are seen as major assets at a time when Ghana is seeking to attract Middle Eastern investment. 

Political analysts view the move as part of Mahama’s strategy to rebuild Ghana’s diplomatic corps with proven performers. “This is back-to-basics foreign policy,” remarked University of Ghana international relations professor Nana Akosua Ankomah. “Rather than political appointments, we’re seeing the return of career diplomats who know how to open doors for Ghana.” 

The appointment has been widely praised within government circles, with NDC executives describing Sinare as “the right man to reconnect Ghana with our Gulf partners.” His supporters point to his track record of facilitating Saudi investment in Ghana’s energy sector during his previous tenure. 

As Ghana positions itself to benefit from shifting global economic alliances, these ambassadorial selections suggest a clear foreign policy direction. With Sinare back in Riyadh, expectations are high for tangible results in Ghana-Saudi relations – from increased oil cooperation to better conditions for Ghanaian migrant workers. 

The Foreign Ministry is expected to complete accreditation processes within weeks, paving the way for what many hope will be a new chapter in Ghana’s economic diplomacy. For Sinare, it’s an opportunity to build on his legacy; for Ghana, a chance to solidify crucial Gulf partnerships at a time of global uncertainty. (Vanguard)

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New York gunman was targeting NFL but went to wrong office, mayor says

A gunman who killed four people when he stormed a skyscraper in the heart of New York on Monday evening left a note that appeared to blame the National Football League (NFL) for a brain injury, the city’s Mayor Eric Adams says.

The attacker, 27-year-old Shane Tamura of Las Vegas, shot himself dead after opening fire in a building where the American football league has its headquarters, but went to a different part of the building after taking the wrong lift.

The gunman was carrying a note in which he blamed CTE, a brain disease triggered by head trauma, for his mental illness, Adams said.

Tamura played football as a teenager but did not play in the NFL, ex-teammates have told US media.

New York City police officer Didarul Islam, 36 – who was working as a security guard at the building – was among those killed.

Another of the victims was an employee of finance giant Blackstone, who was named by her company as Wesley LePatner.

Two male civilians were also killed. An NFL employee was also “seriously injured” in the attack, the league’s commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a message to staff.

Asked about a possible motive, Adams told CBS: “[He] did have a note on him. The note alluded to that he felt he had CTE, a known brain injury for those who participate in contact sports.

“He appeared to have blamed the NFL for his injury.”

Tamura was a football player during his time at high school in California, ex-teammates earlier told NBC News.

The gunman appears to have driven across the US from Las Vegas to New York, and used an assault-style rifle during the attack.

After opening fire in the lobby, Tamura is believed to have entered a lift to the 33rd floor of the skyscraper and continued to open fire.

Mayor Adams said a preliminary investigation shows that the gunman mistakenly went to the office of Rudin Management, which owns the building.

Tamura later turned his gun on himself.

The incident brought parts of Midtown Manhattan and public transportation to a halt. A BBC journalist at the scene reported seeing scores of police vehicles and at least one person with a bloodied chest being taken away on a stretcher.

Bystanders reported hearing what sounded like gunshots and police told those in the area, including the BBC journalist, to shelter in nearby buildings. (BBC)

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France defends move to recognise Palestinian state

France defended its decision to recognise Palestinian statehood amid domestic and international criticism on Friday, including against the charge that the move plays into the hands of militant group Hamas.

President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, the most powerful European nation to announce such a move.

Macron’s announcement drew condemnation from Israel, which said it “rewards terror”, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it “reckless” and said it “only serves Hamas propaganda”.

Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, quipped that Macron did not say where a future Palestinian state would be located.

“I can now exclusively disclose that France will offer the French Riviera & the new nation will be called ‘Franc-en-Stine’,” he said on X.

Hamas itself — which is designated a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union — praised the French initiative, saying it was “a positive step in the right direction toward doing justice to our oppressed Palestinian people”.

But French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Friday argued that Macron’s initiative went against what the militant group wanted.

“Hamas has always ruled out a two-state solution. By recognising Palestine, France goes against that terrorist organisation,” Barrot said on X.

With its decision, France was “backing the side of peace against the side of war”, Barrot added.

Domestic reactions ranged from praise on the left, condemnation on the right and awkward silence in the ranks of the government itself.

The leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, said the announcement was “rushed” and afforded Hamas “unexpected institutional and international legitimacy”.

Marine Le Pen, the RN’s parliamentary leader, said the French move amounted to “recognising a Hamas state and therefore a terrorist state”.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Jean-Luc Melenchon, boss of the far-left France Unbowed party, called Macron’s announcement “a moral victory”, although he deplored that it did not take effect immediately.

By September, Gaza could be a “graveyard”, Melenchon said.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, a right winger whose relationship with Macron is tense, declined on Friday to give his opinion, saying he was currently busy with an unrelated “serious topic” linked to the “security of French people on holiday”.

But the vice president of his Les Republicains party, Francois-Xavier Bellamy, blasted the decision as possibly “counter-productive” or, at best, “pointless”.

The move risked “endangering Israeli civilians” as well as “Palestinian civilians who are victims of Hamas’s barbarism”, he said.

Bellamy said that Macron’s move was a departure from the president’s previously set conditions for recognition of Palestine, which included a Hamas de-militarisation, the movement’s exclusion from any future government, the liberation of all Israeli hostages in Gaza and the recognition of Israel by several Arab states.

“None of them have been met,” he said.

Among people reacting to the news in the streets of Paris was Julien Deoux, a developer, who said it had been “about time” that France recognised Palestinian statehood.

“When you’ve been talking about two-state solutions for decades but you don’t recognise one of the two states, it’s a bit difficult,” he told AFP.

But Gil, a 79-year-old pensioner who gave only his first name, said he felt “betrayed” by his president.

“As a Frenchman, I’m ashamed to see that tomorrow Hamas could come to power in the territory,” he said.

While France would be the most significant European country to recognise a Palestinian state, others have hinted they could do the same.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he would hold a call on Friday with counterparts in Germany and France on efforts to stop the fighting, adding that a ceasefire would “put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state”.

Germany, meanwhile, said on Friday it had no plans to recognise a Palestinian state “in the short term”.

Norway, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all announced recognition following the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, along with several other non-European countries.

Once France follows through on its announcement, a total of at least 142 countries will have recognised Palestinian statehood. (Vanguard)

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Bangladesh military jet crash death toll hits 20

A Bangladesh Air Force jet crashed into a college in the capital Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 20 people, according to the military.

The incident is the country’s deadliest air incident in recent memory.

CNN reported that the crash at Milestone School and College campus, in the Diabari neighbourhood of northern Dhaka, injured 171 others, quoting the Bangladesh Armed Forces.

Most of the injured are students who are being treated in hospitals in the capital, the military said.

Students were attending afternoon classes when the BAF F7 jet hit the two-storey campus around 1:18 pm local time (3:18 a.m. EST) after a mechanical fault, according to state media BSS News, citing the country’s armed forces.

The plane’s pilot made “every effort to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas toward a more sparsely inhabited location,” the military said. The pilot was among those killed, The Associated Press reported, citing regional officials.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Scores of people rushed toward the crash site, where emergency crews could be seen trying to extinguish the smoking wreckage of the jet.

The government announced a day of mourning and special prayers, BSS News said.

“I express my deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incident of casualties caused by the crash,” the country’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, wrote in a post on X.

“This is a moment of profound pain for the nation. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and direct all concerned authorities, including hospitals, to address the situation with the utmost priority,” the interim leader added.

“When I was picking (up) my kids and went to the gate, I realised something came from behind,” Masud Tarik, who is a teacher at the school, told Reuters. “I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke.”

A family member was heard saying his injured sister is a grade four student. Another family member told Channel 24 that the first batch of victims arrived at the hospital with severe burns.

“We literally saw skin being torn off,” she said.

Condolences came in from across the region with Pakistan and India’s prime ministers expressing their solidarity with Bangladesh, CNN reported. (Punch)

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Saudi Arabia’s ‘Sleeping Prince’ dies after 20 years in coma

Prince Al Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, known to millions as Saudi Arabia’s “Sleeping Prince”, has died after spending 20 years in a coma, his family announced on Saturday.

The prince, a nephew of billionaire Saudi Arabian investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, had been in a coma since being admitted to hospital following a car accident in 2005.

A family statement posted on X expressed “profound sadness and sorrow” over the death of the prince. It said his funeral will take place in Riyadh on Sunday.

Over the years, he became a symbol of hope and endurance, with many across the Arab world keeping him in their prayers and wishing for his recovery.

Videos and photographs of Prince Al Waleed connected to a life-support machine have been shared by members of his family over the years. One showed him covered with a Saudi Arabian flag with the words “Our Country is in Our Hearts”.

In a video shared by his family five years ago, he was seen moving his fingers, giving hope to wellwishers who had hoped to see him make a full recovery. (National)

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Donald Trump files suit against Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones over Wall Street Journal’s Jeffrey Epstein story

Donald Trump has followed through on his threat to sue Rupert Murdoch and his media companies over the Wall Street Journal‘s report on a bawdy letter in his name that was included in an album given to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003.

A defamation lawsuit (read it here) was filed in a Florida federal court Friday seeing damages “not less than $10 billion” and a jury trial. It names Murdoch, Journal publisher Dow Jones, parent company News Corp and its CEO Robert Thomson and the reporters on the story, Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo.

Trump confirmed the filing in a Truth Social post, writing in part, “This lawsuit is filed not only on behalf of your favorite President, ME, but also in order to continue standing up for ALL Americans who will no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media.”

He added, “I hope Rupert and his ‘friends’ are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case.”

The WSJ story published on Thursday included Trump’s denials that he ever wrote the letter, as well as his legal threat.

A spokesperson for the Journal said, “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”

The WSJ report centered on a birthday album that was given to Epstein in 2003, featured collected letters from some of his friends. Among the letters was one bearing Trump’s name that “contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker,” the Journal reported, adding that a “pair of small arcs denotes the woman’s breasts, and the future president’s signature is a squiggly ‘Donald’ below her waist, mimicking pubic hair.”

The letter text included an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, according to the Journal, that concluded with the line, “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

In the president’s lawsuit, he claimed that the reporters “falsely pass off as fact that President Trump, in 2003, wrote, drew, and signed this letter. And on the other hand, Defendants Safdar and Palazzolo failed to attach the letter, failed to attach the alleged drawing, failed to show proof that President Trump authored or signed any such letter, and failed to explain how this purported letter was obtained. The reason for those failures is because no authentic letter or drawing exists. Defendants concocted this story to malign President Trump’s character and integrity and deceptively portray him in a false light.”

The Journal reported that it was Ghislaine Maxwell who collected the letters from Trump and dozens of Epstein’s other associates. The story described the letter as one “bearing Trump’s name.”

Trump’s lawsuit stated that the letter “does not explain whether Defendants have obtained a copy of the letter, have seen it, have had it described to them, or any other circumstances that would otherwise lend credibility to the Article.”

The lawsuit claimed that Murdoch and Thomson “authorized the publication of the Article after President Trump put them both on notice that the letter was fake and nonexistent.” In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump wrote that he “told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn’t print this Fake Story.”

To prevail in a defamation case, Trump would have to show not only that the article’s statements were false, but that they were done with malice or reckless disregard for the truth. He claimed in the lawsuit that the defendants acted with “actual malice, oppression and fraud in that they were aware at the time of the falsity of the publication and thus, made said publications in bad faith, out of disdain and ill-will directed towards Plaintiff without any regard for the truth.”

Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier on Friday, “I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!” (Deadline)

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Three killed in explosion at Los Angeles police training facility

Three officers were killed in an explosion at a law enforcement training facility in East Los Angeles, officials say.

The blast occurred at around 07:30 local time (15:30 BST) on Friday at the Biscailuz Center Academy Training facility, which houses the Sheriff’s department’s special enforcement bureau and arson explosives detail, including the bomb squad.

The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but Sheriff Robert Luna of the LASD described it as “an isolated incident”. There were no additional injuries.

The three officers killed in the blast were “fantastic experts” and veterans of the department, each serving between 19 to 33 years, the sheriff said.

Authorities have not released the names of the deceased officers, citing the need to notify their families first. All three were assigned to the sheriff department’s arson explosives detail.

Friday’s incident represents the department’s largest loss of life in a single incident since its founding in 1857, Sheriff Luna said.

“We have to go back and investigate what happened from the very beginning,” he said. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting with the investigation.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the incident “horrific” and said federal agents had been deployed on the scene and “working to learn more”.

Authorities say the explosion took place in the parking lot of the facility’s special enforcement bureau.

US media, citing sources, report that officers were handling an unexploded ordnance recovered from a recent bomb disposal call when it detonated.

The bomb squad typically picks up potential explosives across the region daily, but it’s a situation that’s always fraught with danger because it’s hard to assess the stability of materials and their age, the Los Angeles Times reported citing law enforcement sources.

The area surrounding the facility was evacuated and has since been sealed off as investigators continue to work at the scene.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed about the explosion and he is “closely monitoring the situation”, his office said in a statement on X.

Newsom’s office added that state assistance has also been offered to help respond to the incident.

Kathryn Barger, Chief of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, wrote in a statement that she is “closely tracking the situation as we learn more about what occurred and the condition of those affected”.

“My heart is heavy, and my thoughts are with the brave men and women of the Sheriff’s Department during this difficult time,” she said. (BBC)

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North Korea bans foreigners from seaside resort weeks after opening

North Korea has announced that its newly opened seaside resort will not be receiving foreign tourists.

The Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, opened on 1 July, has been touted as a key part of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s ambitions to boost tourism.

In the lead-up to its opening, the resort was promoted as an attraction for both locals and foreigners. But as of this week, a notice on North Korea’s tourism website says that foreigners are “temporarily” not allowed to visit.

Last week, the first Russian tourists reportedly arrived at the resort in Wonsan – around the same time that Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov met Kim in the city.

Lavrov hailed the seaside development as a “good tourist attraction”, and said he hoped it would become popular among Russians, AFP reported. The two countries are set to launch direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang by the end of the month.

A Russian tour guide previously told NK News that they had planned several more trips to the resort in the coming months.

Wonsan, a city along North Korea’s east coast, is home to some of the country’s missile facilities and a large maritime complex. It’s also where Kim spent much of his youth, among holiday villas belonging to the country’s elites.

The new seaside resort has lined 4km (2.5 miles) of its beachfront with hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and a water park. It has a capacity of some 20,000 people, according to state media.

However, since the resort began construction in 2018, human rights groups have protested the alleged mistreatment of its workers. They point to reports of people being forced to work long hours to finish the massive project, under harsh conditions and inadequate compensation.

Russian ambassadors attended the resort’s completion ceremony on 24 June, along with Kim and his family.

Last year, North Korea allowed Russian tourists to visit North Korea after a years-long suspension of tourism during the pandemic.

In February, North Korea also started to receive tourists from the West, including Australia, France, Germany and the UK. It abruptly halted tourism weeks later, however, without saying why. (BBC)