World

EU mulls sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and Hamas leadership

Published

1 year ago

December 9, 2023

EU mulls sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and Hamas leadership

The European Union is mulling plans to sanction extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank and toughen restrictions on Hamas’ military leadership, according to diplomatic sources.

Foreign Affairs ministers scheduled to gather in Brussels on Monday are set to discuss proposals by Josep Borrell, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, to issue sanctions on extremist settlers in the West Bank including possible visa bans.

The EU has repeatedly condemned Israeli settlers’ attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank but has steered clear of issuing sanctions. A fresh bout of violence by such settlers in the West Bank following the October 7 attacks commandeered by Hamas in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 200 more taken hostage, has however brought the topic to the fore.

The “orientation note” issued by Borrell’s service, the European External Action Service (EEAS), and seen by Euronews, calls on member states to “explore EU reactions to settler violence in the West Bank”.

“This may include visa bans against extremists attacking civilians and the use of the EU human rights sanction regime,” it adds.

Israeli nationals can currently enter the Schengen Area — which comprises 27 EU and non-EU countries — without a visa for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period.

The note also urges the EU to “enforce continued, full and effective implementation of existing EU legislation and bilateral arrangements applicable to settlements products.”

Following a 2015 decision, Israeli products made by settlers in the West Bank are meant to be clearly labelled as such and subject to less preferential customs arrangements. But it is widely seen as poorly implemented.

A senior EU diplomat said Friday the plan was pitched to member countries “in the framework of preserving the possibility of a Palestinian state,” given that extremist settlers fiercely oppose the so-called two-state solution that the bloc sees as key to a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

“We have shared our idea with the member states that to preserve the integrity of the West Bank, we need to address the problem of violence,” the senior diplomat said,

“We have seen that the Israeli army has not taken due action against these illegal acts,” he added. In recent weeks, the bloc has hit back against proposals by figures within Netanyahu’s cabinet to continue funding for settler communities

The US has already announced it will deny visas to Israeli settlers responsible for undermining peace and security. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo also said this week that the country “will work with the US” and that “extremist settlers in the West Bank will be banned from entering Belgium”.

The note also calls for tougher sanctions against Hamas, which the EU considers a terrorist organisation, by tightening the screw further on its leadership and financing. It says member states should “consider the possibility of a standalone sanction regime”.

“Hamas is an organisation with quite a strong capacity to act. That needs financing, in particular, for its weapons. So it’s obvious that being only a terrorist organisation cannot be, apparently, reason enough for dissuading some people to finance Hamas,” the senior EU diplomat said.

“So we have to focus more on that, on technical issues, how it is financed,” he added, stressing that whilst Hamas’ financing operations were very different, the bloc’s past success in suppressing Daesh’s financing instruments sets a positive precedent.

A second option, another EU diplomat said on Friday, would be to extend the “Iran (sanction) regime to allow another type of designation.”

The Iran regime, the source explained, “concerns the restrictive measures taken within the framework of Iran’s support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, but whose scope could in fact be extended by including the notion of support, or participation from Iran to the regional destabilization.”

The US government estimates that Tehran funds Hamas to the tune of an estimated $100 million a year. Countries including Qatar and Turkey are also believed to fund Hamas indirectly.

EU sanctions have to be approved unanimously by the 27 member states and while new sanctions against Hamas could likely be rolled out before the end of the year, restrictive measures against violent Israeli settlers should prove much more difficult to hash out.

The discussions in Brussels on Monday will come just three days after two Hamas militants – Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa, considered the plotters of the October 7 attack and among the most wanted men by Israel – were added to the EU’s terrorist list.

The individuals’ EU-based funds and assets will be frozen, and operators based in the EU will be prohibited from making economic resources available to them.

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World

China Box Office: ‘Octopus With Broken Arms’ Leads Quiet Start to 2025

Published

1 hour ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

China Box Office: ‘Octopus With Broken Arms’ Leads Quiet Start to 2025

The Chinese box office opened 2025 with “Octopus with Broken Arms” leading the first weekend, earning $16.1 million (RMB117.5 million), according to data provided by consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.

The As One Production release climbed from its second-place debut last week to take the top spot. Directed by Jacky Gan, the crime thriller follows Zheng Bingrui (Xiao Yang), a wealthy businessman whose daughter is kidnapped during a holiday celebration. The film’s cumulative total now stands at $74.7 million.

Last week’s leader, Gengxi Pictures’ “Big World,” slipped to second place, adding $11.4 million in its second weekend. Directed by Yang Lina, the drama stars Jackson Yee as a young man with cerebral palsy preparing for college exams while assisting his grandmother (Diana Lin) with a stage play. The film’s cumulative total has now reached $77.8 million.

Newcomer “Honey Money Phony,” released by Maoyan Pictures on Dec. 31, debuted in third place with $7.5 million. Directed by Su Biao, the comedy follows Lin Qinglang (Jin Chen), a working woman who unexpectedly finds herself deeply in debt after a sweet promise turns sour. Her journey intertwines with Ouyang Hui (Sunny Sun), a scammer whose involvement brings unexpected changes to both their lives.

“Hot Pot Artist,” released by Chengdu Film Group on Jan. 3, entered the chart in fourth place with $1.8 million. Directed by Cui Zhijia, who also stars as Li Ruyi, the film tells the story of a young man from Northeast China pursuing his dream of becoming a director. When his career doesn’t go as planned, he returns home to inherit his father-in-law’s hot pot restaurant, leading to unexpected challenges and personal growth.

In fifth place, “Detective Conan: Crossroad in the Ancient Capital” – originally released in Japan in 2003 – fell two spots from last week’s third position. The anime titled grossed $1.5 million over the weekend, bringing its cumulative earnings to $13.8 million. Directed by Kodama Kenji, the film follows Conan Edogawa and Heiji Hattori as they solve a mystery involving a stolen Healing Buddha statue.

Meanwhile, “Paddington in Peru” debuted in sixth place and has collected $3.9 million over five days of release, per data from Ent Group. In eighth place, “Mufasa: The Lion King” has a $14 million cume after 17 days in release, according to Ent Group.

The weekend’s total box office reached $44.3 million, down from the $68.3 million grossed during the final weekend of 2024. Despite the quieter start, the cumulative gross for 2025 stands at $95.9 million, up 5.9% compared to the same period last year.

World

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to announce resignation as early as Monday: report

Published

2 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to announce resignation as early as Monday: report

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is reportedly expected to resign from his position as early as Monday, according to Canadian media.

The news was first reported by the Globe and Mail on Sunday night, citing three sources. The outlet said that it is unclear when exactly the Liberal Party leader will step down, but a resignation is expected to come before a national caucus meeting on Wednesday.

The news comes as Trudeau’s popularity continues to dwindle in Canada, which has a national election planned for Oct. 20 of this year. The country continues to suffer from a housing crisis, a declining per-capita GDP and high inflation, among other issues.

According to Canadian pollster Angus Reid, Trudeau has a disapproval rate of around 68% as of Dec. 24, with a meager 28% of Canadians supporting him.

TRUMP SUGGESTS CANADA BECOME 51ST STATE AFTER TRUDEAU SAID TARIFF WOULD KILL ECONOMY: SOURCES

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could announce his resignation as early as Monday, Canadian media reports. (DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The potential resignation would also come after Trudeau, who became prime minister in 2015, braved a difficult few months in politics. In September, he faced a no confidence vote in parliament that later failed, despite efforts from the Conservative Party to remove him from office.

On Dec. 16, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced that she was stepping down from Trudeau’s cabinet, dealing a significant blow to the prime minister. In her resignation letter, she claimed that the only “honest and viable path” was to leave the Cabinet.

“For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada,” Freeland, who was previously seen as a Trudeau loyalist, wrote.

“Our country is facing a grave challenge,” the letter added. “That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war.”

Later in December, one of Trudeau’s key allies, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh, said that he planned to present a formal motion of no-confidence on Jan. 27.

CANADA’S TRUDEAU FACING REVOLT FROM WITHIN AS POPULAR CONSERVATIVE LEADER LOOKS TO CAPITALIZE

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been facing dwindling popularity in his country. (DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

“No matter who is leading the Liberal Party, this government’s time is up. We will put forward a clear motion of non-confidence in the next sitting of the House of Commons,” Singh said.

Trudeau’s personal choices have also invited backlash from his opponents. At the end of November, Trudeau faced international criticism after he was seen dancing at a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto while a destructive riot took place in his home city of Montreal.

Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.

“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” the Canadian politician wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”

“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” Stewart added. Trudeau later denounced the lawlessness, calling the riot “appalling.”

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will step down, according to the Globe and Mail. (DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital has reached out to Trudeau’s office for comment.

Fox News’ Chris Massaro, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to andrea.margolis@fox.com.

World

The Take: What lies ahead for world politics in 2025?

Published

3 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

The Take: What lies ahead for world politics in 2025?

Podcast, The Take

Al Jazeera’s correspondents look ahead to global politics in 2025.

As 2025 unfolds, the world faces significant shifts. From climate crises in West Africa to continuing wars in Gaza and Sudan, Al Jazeera correspondents share their insights on the key events and challenges shaping the year ahead.

In this episode:

Kimberly Halkett (@KimberlyHalkett), Al Jazeera White House correspondent
Dorsa Jabbari (@DorsaJabbari), Al Jazeera correspondent
John Holman (@Johnholman100), Al Jazeera Mexico and Latin America correspondent
Nicolas Haque (@NicolasHaque), Al Jazeera correspondent
Tony Cheng (@tlcbkk), Al Jazeera Asia correspondent
Maram Humaid (@maramgaza), Al Jazeera digital correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra and Chloe K Li with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline and Malika Bilal.

The Take production team is Marcos Bartolome, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sari el-Khalili, Tamara Khandaker, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K Li, Ashish Malhotra, Khaled Soltan, and Amy Walters. Our editorial intern is Hagir Saleh and the host is Malika Bilal. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Aya Elmileik is the lead of audience engagement.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan and Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem are our video editors. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. We’ll be back tomorrow.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube