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Tag: United Kingdom

  • UK police accidentally shot victim while rushing to stop synagogue attacker

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    One of the two victims who died in the terrorist attack on a U.K. synagogue on Yom Kippur was accidentally shot by Manchester police as they rushed to subdue the attacker, British officials confirmed on Friday. 

    Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed on Thursday after 35-year-old British citizen born in Syria, Jihad Al Shamie, plowed his car into pedestrians and then stabbed at least one other victim. 

    The incident resulted in two killed and four others injured.

    Emergency services at the scene of a stabbing at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, in Crumpsall, Manchester, England, Thursday Oct. 2, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

    WHO IS THE BRITISH CITIZEN OF SYRIAN DESCENT ACCUSED OF SYNAGOGUE TERROR ATTACK?

    But according to Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Stephen Watson, Al Shamie, who was killed at the scene by British police, was not found to have been carrying a gun. 

    “It follows therefore, that subject to further forensic examination, this injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end,” Watson said in a press update on Friday. 

    Of the three injured victims still being medically treated, one of them also sustained a gunshot wound. 

    Watson – who has not confirmed whether it was the gunshot wound that killed one of the victims on Thursday – said the wound inflicted on the second victim hit by a firearm was “mercifully” not life-threatening. 

    “It is believed that both victims were close together behind the synagogue door, as worshipers acted bravely to prevent the attacker from gaining entry,” the chief constable said. 

    Mourners embrace after Manchester synagogue terror attack

    Two women hug tightly, one crying, near the Manchester synagogue attack scene, on Oct. 2, 2025. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

    UK SYNAGOGUE ATTACK AND HAMAS HOSTAGE CRISIS UNDERSCORE DEADLY YOM KIPPUR

    The motive behind the attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue remains unconfirmed, though it comes as crimes targeting Jews across the U.K. have drastically risen following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas, and the subsequent war in the Gaza Strip. 

    The police chief said he was aware there were pro-Palestinian protests across Manchester that police would be present at, but he urged locals to consider “whether this is really the right time.”

    “You could do the responsible and sensitive thing and refrain, on this occasion, from protesting in a manner which is likely to add to the trauma currently being experienced by our Jewish community,” Watson added. 

    British officials, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Prime Minister Kier Starmer urged protesters to respect their fellow citizens and the tragic events that occurred on the holiest day of the Jewish faith. 

    Rescuers and police escort elderly woman and others after synagogue terror attack in Manchester.

    Emergency services escort people to safety after a car and knife terror attack outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, England, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025.  ( Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

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    “Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy – and there is justified concern about the suffering in Gaza – but a minority have used these protests as a pretext for stoking antisemitic tropes,” Starmer wrote in the Jewish Chronicle.

    “I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognize and respect the grief of British Jews this week. This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain,” he added. 

    Manchester police could not be immediately reached for this report. 

    Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.

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  • Sarah Mullally named archbishop of Canterbury, will be first woman to lead Church of England

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    A woman will lead the Church of England for the first time in the history of the centuries-old institution. The Rev. Sarah Mullally was appointed as the 106th archbishop of Canterbury on Friday, the U.K. government announced, which will soon formally make her the spiritual leader of over 85 million people who practice the Anglican faith globally.

    Mullally, who is a former nurse in Britain’s National Health Service, will officially become the archbishop at a ceremony in London at St. Paul’s Cathedral in January. For the past seven years, Mullally has served as the bishop of London, where she was also the first woman to hold that position. She had previously been the most senior U.K. government adviser on nursing as the government’s chief nursing officer for England, and was the youngest person ever to be appointed to that post.

    King Charles III — who is the supreme governor of the Church of England, a largely symbolic role that dates back to the church’s foundation under King Henry VIII — congratulated Mullally on the appointment Friday.

    “His Majesty congratulates Bishop Sarah on her appointment as archbishop-designate, a role which is of such importance in the UK and across the global Anglican Communion,” a palace spokesperson told CBS News’ partners at BBC News.

    Archbishop of Canterbury-designate Sarah Mullally poses inside Canterbury Cathedral, in Canterbury, England, Oct. 3, 2025.

    Reuters/Toby Melville


    In a statement Friday, Mullally said that she “looks forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican Communion.”

    “At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply – to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing,” she said.

    The Anglican church, which Mullally will soon lead, has been mired in controversy over the past year. Her predecessor Justin Welby resigned last November after a review found that he and other senior church leaders had covered up the sexual and physical abuse of over 100 boys and young men in the United Kingdom and other countries by a British lawyer who helped lead Christian summer camps in multiple countries.

    Welby was not accused of committing any abuse himself, but an independent report found that leadership at the highest levels, including Welby, had known about the abuse.

    Emmet Lyons

    Emmet Lyons is a news desk editor at the CBS News London bureau, coordinating and producing stories for all CBS News platforms. Prior to joining CBS News, Emmet worked as a producer at CNN for four years.

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  • Manchester synagogue attack victim possibly killed by officer’s gunshot, police say

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    London – One of the two people killed in Thursday’s terrorist attack outside a synagogue in the northern English city of Manchester may have died of a gunshot fired by a police officer, the Greater Manchester Police said Friday. Two Jewish men, identified by police as Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, were killed and three others were seriously wounded during the attack, which happened on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar.

    Both of the victims were local residents.

    A government pathologist advised the police “that he has provisionally determined that one of the deceased victims would appear to have suffered a wound consistent with a gunshot injury,” Stephen Watson, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police force, said in a statement Friday.

    “It is currently believed that the suspect, Jihad Al Shamie, was not in possession of a firearm,” Watson said. “It follows therefore, that subject to further forensic examination, this injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end.”

    The police investigation continues at the scene near Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, where two people died in a terror attack, Oct. 3, 2025.

    Peter Byrne/PA Images/Getty


    “We have also been advised by medical professionals that one of the three victims currently receiving treatment in hospital, has also suffered a gunshot wound, which is mercifully not life threatening,” Watson added.

    Police officers shot and killed the suspect, who investigators believed to be 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent, following a vehicle and stabbing attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Thursday morning. 

    Officers were called to the synagogue at about 9.30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. ET) by a member of the public who said he’d seen a car being driven toward members of the public.

    The police said Thursday that the attacker drove directly at people outside the synagogue and then attacked people with a knife. The attack happened while a large group of worshippers was inside the synagogue, but the suspect did not manage to enter the building.

    In his statement on Friday, Watson said the only shots fired during the incident were fired by police “as they worked to prevent the offender from entering the synagogue and causing further harm to our Jewish community.”

    The attacker wore a vest that looked like it could contain explosives, but police later confirmed that there were no viable explosives found.

    Manchester synagogue incident

    U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Victoria Starmer speak with a police officer during a visit to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, where two people died in a terrorist attack the previous day, Oct. 3, 2025.

    Peter Byrne/PA Images/Getty


    The police said Thursday night that three other individuals had been arrested “on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism” in connection with the attack, whom the force identified only as “two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s.”

    U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the scene of the attack Friday with his wife, speaking with police and other officials outside the synagogue. 

    In a social media post on Thursday night, Starmer called the attack “a vile terrorist attack that attacked Jews, because they are Jews.”

    “Antisemitism is a hatred that is rising, once again. Britain must defeat it, once again. To every Jewish person in this country: I promise that I will do everything in my power to guarantee you the security you deserve,” he said.

    Emmet Lyons

    Emmet Lyons is a news desk editor at the CBS News London bureau, coordinating and producing stories for all CBS News platforms. Prior to joining CBS News, Emmet worked as a producer at CNN for four years.

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  • Who Is Sarah Mullally, the Anglican Church’s First Female Leader?

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    LONDON—Sarah Mullally was named as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Anglican Church, on Friday, making her its first female leader in its nearly 500-year history. She replaces Justin Welby, who stepped down last year after a report concluded he didn’t do enough to bring a child abuser to justice.

    Who is Mullally?

    The 63-year-old is a former cancer nurse who joined the Anglican Church as a priest in 2001. In 2018, she became bishop of London, which is the third-highest role in the Church of England, becoming the first woman to hold such a senior role. Women were first ordained Anglican priests in England in 1994, and the first female bishop appointments followed in 2014. Mullally had previously served as the U.K. government’s chief nursing officer, advising the government on nursing matters. She says she became a Christian aged 16. She is married with two children.

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  • U.K. Officers Killed Victim in Synagogue Attack by Accident, Police Believe

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    LONDON—One of those killed and one injured in Thursday’s terrorist attack in Manchester were hit by gunfire from police who were trying to stop the attacker from entering a crowded synagogue, police said Friday.

    “One of the deceased victims would appear to have suffered a wound consistent with a gunshot injury,” the Greater Manchester Police said. “It is currently believed that the suspect, Jihad Al Shamie, was not in possession of a firearm and the only shots fired were from GMP’s Authorised Firearms Officers.”

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  • Opinion | Europe’s New War on the Jews

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    Yom Kippur sees a terror attack in Britain, while Germany foils one.

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    The Editorial Board

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  • Head of Eisenhower library resigns after sword spat with Trump administration

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    The head of a presidential library resigned this week after a tug-of-war with the Trump administration over gift selection and a sword for King Charles III, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. 

    Todd Arrington, a career historian who previously held posts with the National Park Service and National Archives and Records Administration, said he stepped down on Monday under pressure as director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home.

    In an interview with CBS News, Arrington said he was told on Monday, “Resign — or be fired.” 

    “Apparently, they believed I could no longer be trusted with confidential information,” he said. When asked what specific confidential information he’d shared, Arrington said it was “about the sword” and an unrelated matter.

    Arrington’s departure came after he resisted taking an original Eisenhower sword out of the library’s collection to give to King Charles last month during President Trump’s unprecedented second state visit to the United Kingdom. 

    Four U.S. officials involved in the lavish royal visit were unaware that the library director had left his job, and said the White House played no role in his exit. 

    King Charles III and President Trump inspect the Guard of Honor during the State visit by the President of the United States of America at Windsor Castle, Sept. 17, 2025, in Windsor, England.

    Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images


    In a statement last month, Buckingham Palace didn’t specify which sword was given to the monarch, but noted that Charles was given a replica, saying the gift “symbolizes profound respect and is a reminder of the historical partnership that was critical to winning World War II.”

    A former Army general, Eisenhower possessed several swords, including a Sword of Honor given to him in 1947 by the city of London for his role as allied supreme commander during World War II, an honor saber gifted to him by the Netherlands in 1947, and his West Point officer saber. 

    It is not clear who specifically requested the sword. First lady Melania Trump personally decided which gifts to give Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and their children, a senior administration official said.

    Officials at the State Department who compiled an array of gift options for the first couple, sought an Eisenhower sword to reiterate the significance of the U.S.-U.K. relationship since World War II, sources said. But Arrington argued against giving away an artifact that had been accepted as a donation and had become the property of the American people.

    Arrington told officials he could help find an alternative gift, but sources say State Department officials persisted. The library’s team offered to help find a replica. 

    Ultimately, West Point provided a Cadet Saber from the military academy.

    Arrington said he never spoke with anyone at the White House, but only with officials in the Foreign Gift Office at the State Department and other colleagues at the National Archives.

    Some in the Trump administration were unhappy with Arrington, sources said. 

    NARA didn’t reply to requests for comment, nor did the Eisenhower library, but both entities began operating Wednesday with limited staffing due to the shutdown of the federal government. 

    Two sources close to the matter said no one said anything to Arrington about being upset about not being able to have a museum piece — the conversations before the U.K. trip about finding a substitute for the real sword were polite and tension-free. 

    One administration official said Arrington was believed to have spoken critically about the president and the administration — something Arrington strongly disputes.

    “That is 100% incorrect,” he said. “I never said a bad word about anybody. I talked to colleagues about trying to find a sword or artifact, something we could give to them for the president to give to the King, and at no time did I disparage anyone.”

    “If someone in the administration said that I disparaged the administration, that was never communicated to me,” he added. 

    The White House plays no formal role in hiring or firing directors of presidential libraries that are part of the National Archives system. The duty of hiring library directors falls instead to the archivist of the United States, who oversees NARA. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is serving as acting archivist, and James Byron, a senior adviser to the archivist, is running day-to-day operations for NARA.

    Arrington started in August 2024 as director of the Eisenhower library, in Abilene, Kansas, one of 16 presidential libraries or museums operated by NARA, including those that will be built for Mr. Trump and former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The president’s son, Eric Trump, announced this week their family plans to one day construct the Trump library and museum in Miami. 

    Arrington said the other reason cited for his ouster is tied to the construction of a new building for the nonprofit Eisenhower Foundation on the grounds of the Eisenhower Library. 

    The 52-year-old said he is less than five years away from retirement eligibility and is hoping to find a new job at a different federal agency. 

    But, he said, “If there’s any way for it to happen, I’d return to this job in a heartbeat. I love the job, I love the people, I love the history. I never in a million years wanted this to happen.” 

    Ed O’Keefe

    Ed O’Keefe is CBS News’ senior White House and political correspondent reporting for all CBS News platforms. He’s part of the team covering President Trump and covered all four years of Joe Biden’s presidency. From the White House to the campaign trail, O’Keefe’s reports stretch from the politics of the moment to how policy enacted in Washington affects the nation and the world.

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  • British Jews Say U.K. Terrorist Attack Was Just a Matter of Time

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    LONDON—For many British Jews, Thursday’s terrorist attack that killed two people at a synagogue and seriously wounded a number of others was a question of when, not if.

    Since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel and the start of the war in Gaza, growing numbers of British Jews say they feel increasingly isolated and unsafe in a country that had been a relative haven for Jews in Europe in recent decades. 

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  • U.K. Synagogue Hit by Deadly Stabbing, Ramming Attack

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    Two people were killed and others injured in Manchester on Yom Kippur, prompting increased police security for Jewish congregations nationwide.

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  • Stabbing outside synagogue in Manchester, England, as Jews mark holiday of Yom Kippur

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    London — The Greater Manchester Police told CBS News they were “dealing with a stabbing that’s happened outside a synagogue on the street,” in the northern U.K. city on Thursday. The incident comes on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.

    The Manchester Evening News, a local newspaper, and CBS News’ partner network BBC News reported that police had said the suspect did not gain access to the building and was shot at the scene by armed officers. It was not immediately clear how many people may have been injured.

    “It’s a serious incident I have to say,” Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told the BBC. “I would say to people to avoid the area, because it’s a serious incident, but at the same time I can give some reassurance that the immediate danger appears to be over.”

    Emergency services at the scene of an incident at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, England, where police have shot a suspect after several people were reportedly stabbed, Oct. 2, 2025.

    Peter Byrne/PA Images/Getty


    The local ambulance service said in a statement that a major incident had been declared in the area.

    “Following reports of an incident on Middleton Road in Crumpsall, the trust has dispatched resources to the scene,” the ambulance service said. “We are currently assessing the situation and working with other members of the emergency services. Our priority is to ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible.”

    This breaking news story will be updated.

    Haley Ott

    Haley Ott is the CBS News Digital international reporter, based in the CBS News London bureau.

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  • How Steve Schwarzman Landed in Hot Water With His British Neighbors

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    TANGLEY, England—Steve Schwarzman once said his business philosophy was to seek war. The Wall Street billionaire may have met his match in the chalk hills of southern England.

    One morning in early September, refrigeration consultant Lawrence Leask woke before 3 a.m., got into his car in pajamas and slippers and waited. It wasn’t long before he spotted his quarry, a water tanker passing through this rural parish. Leask tailed it to the town of Andover to learn where it would eventually unload thousands of gallons of water.

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  • Britain Plans Tougher Settlement Rules for Refugees

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    LONDON (Reuters) -Britain will no longer automatically extend settlement and family reunion rights to migrants who have been granted asylum, the government announced on Wednesday in a further effort to curb immigration.

    The Labour government has been tightening its immigration policies in a bid to curb support for the populist Reform UK party, and is particularly focused on reducing the number of people arriving illegally from France in small boats.

    Migrants with refugee status can currently qualify for permanent residence after five years. The new proposal will mean permanent residence is not guaranteed, and will be subject to a longer process that includes showing a contribution to Britain.

    “The changes will bring an end to the unfair system that sees those crossing the channel in a small boat having greater rights to settlement and family reunion than those who arrive through proper legal routes and even British citizens,” the government said in a statement.

    The plans build on tougher settlement rules for all migrants set out by interior minister Shabana Mahmood on Monday.

    Those included requiring applicants to make social security contributions, have a clean criminal record, not claim benefits, speak English and volunteer in their communities. The government has also said it will double qualifying periods for permanent residence to 10 years.

    Wednesday’s announcement also said refugees would also lose the automatic right to bring their families to Britain. The government had suspended such family reunion applications in September.

    The government said refugees would not be returned to their home countries and would be entitled to what it called “core protections”. It did not spell out how long refugees meeting the conditions would need to wait to qualify for residence.

    Further details on the changes would be set out later this year, the government said.

    (Reporting by Yoruk Bahceli; editing by William James)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • UK’s Princess Anne Visits Ukraine to Support Children Affected by War

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    LONDON (Reuters) -Britain’s Princess Anne, the late Queen Elizabeth’s only daughter, has visited Ukraine to express her solidarity with children and families enduring the impact of the war, Buckingham Palace said on Wednesday.

    Anne, who celebrated her 75th birthday in August, met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during her visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, where they discussed Britain’s ongoing support for Ukraine, among other issues.

    The royal also paid her respects at a memorial honouring the children who have died since the start of the conflict in February 2022. She was accompanied by Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska and laid a toy as a tribute.

    Anne also spoke with Ukrainian children who have been displaced or deported by Russia and she visited a rehabilitation centre, where she met veterans returning from the frontline.

    Anne’s visit to Ukraine follows that of her nephew Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles, who travelled to Kyiv earlier this month with a team from his Invictus Games Foundation to highlight the charity’s plans to support the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers.

    (Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Gareth Jones)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Tony Blair’s Return to Middle East Diplomacy Reopens Old Wounds and New Doubts

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    By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Andrew MacAskill and Kate Holton

    CAIRO/LONDON (Reuters) -When Tony Blair was first tasked with forging a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians in 2007, the White House cautioned that the former British prime minister was not “superman” and “he doesn’t have a cape”.

    After failing to achieve much of note in that role, Blair is preparing once again to tackle one of the world’s most intractable conflicts after agreeing to serve on a committee led by U.S. President Donald Trump to run Gaza.

    Blair’s inclusion sparked disbelief among Palestinian politicians and analysts, and among many attendees at the annual conference of his own Labour Party in Britain – his reputation forever sullied by his decision to back George W. Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq.

    But the potential appointment – if the plan goes ahead – was welcomed by some former diplomats and colleagues who argued that Blair was trusted by the U.S., the Israelis, and many of the Gulf states – and that it was difficult to find anyone who could unite all sides.

    Some who back him for the role pointed out that as British prime minister he also played a key role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland, after 30 years of sectarian violence there.

    HAMAS DOES NOT WANT ANY ROLE FOR BLAIR

    Hamas official Taher Al-Nono rejected any role for Blair, saying the group would not accept the imposition of “foreign guardianship over our people”.

    “Our people are more capable of managing their own affairs themselves,” he said.

    Blair was included in Trump’s 20-point peace proposal for Gaza, which would end the war between Israel and Hamas militants and see a “Board of Peace” of international overseers take a role, led by Trump and including Blair in an undefined role.

    Trump said Blair had asked to join the board and described him as a “very good man”.

    Blair’s office declined to comment further on any role but released a statement saying the proposal was a “bold and intelligent plan” which offers the best chance to end the war.

    The 72-year-old spent 10 years as prime minister in Britain, and hours after he quit in 2007, he was named as the Middle East envoy representing the U.S., Russia, the United Nations and the European Union, tasked with building Palestinian institutions and promoting economic development.

    But his stated goal of securing a negotiated two-state solution made no progress and faltering peace talks collapsed in 2014. Many Palestinians still regard him with suspicion for a mediation role they saw as favouring Israel.

    Since stepping down in 2015 he has launched the Tony Blair Institute, which advises governments and has Oracle founder Larry Ellison as a financial backer. Blair has also been an adviser with JPMorgan since 2008, sitting on the biggest U.S. bank’s international council which advises on geopolitics.

    BLAIR CRITICISED FOR IRAQ, BEING TOO CLOSE TO ISRAEL

    Blair’s past record could anger Palestinians, who view him as biased towards the United States and Israel, and, like many Arabs, see the invasion of Iraq as a war crime, said Hani Al-Masri, a commentator on Palestinian politics in Ramallah.

    “Tony Blair is one of the things that is ridiculous,” he said. “His reputation among Palestinians is black.”

    A diplomat from one Middle East country attending the Labour conference laughed out loud when asked about Blair’s involvement, saying: “too toxic”.

    But one former British ambassador who worked under Blair in the region said it was wrong to view Blair as biased towards Israel, only that he understood that solutions would need to be acceptable to Israel’s elected leaders.

    “He understands that for all its faults, Israel is a democracy. You have to work with Israel for better or worse – and in recent years, for worse – but he’s willing to do it.”

    SUPPORTER CITES BLAIR’S ‘ABILITY TO BRIDGE’

    Tom Kelly, Blair’s spokesman when prime minister, said anyone looking for a universally popular figure in the Middle East would be “looking for a very, very long time”, but that Blair had the ability to understand all perspectives and paint a picture of a better future.

    Miran Hassan, the director of the Labour Middle East Council, who came to Britain as a refugee from Iraq in 1999, told Reuters that although he would not be popular for saying so, Blair could still be a good choice.

    “He has an ability to bridge diplomatic relations at incredibly senior levels where decisions can be made,” he said. “I think that will be beneficial”.

    But many lawmakers and supporters within the centre-left party that Blair once led could not see beyond Blair’s role in Iraq.

    Kim Johnson, a Labour member of parliament, told Reuters she thought his involvement was “outrageous and disgusting. He is completely the wrong person for a job that is about trying to find peace.”

    (Writing by Kate Holton; additional reporting by Amanda Ferguson in Belfast, Ali Sawafta in RamallahEditing by Peter Graff)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Global Reaction to Trump’s Proposal for a Gaza Peace Plan

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    BRUSSELS/ANKARA/BERLIN (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end nearly two years of war in Gaza has received the backing of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while the plan has been shared with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

    Here are some reactions to the peace plan.

    ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU”I support your plan to end the war in Gaza, which achieves our war aims.

    It will bring back to Israel all our hostages, dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities, end its political rule, and ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.”

    PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY STATEMENT CARRIED ON STATE NEWS AGENCY WAFA

    “The State of Palestine welcomes the sincere and determined efforts of President Donald J. Trump to end the war on Gaza and affirms its confidence in his ability to find a path toward peace.”

    ISRAELI FINANCE MINISTER BEZALEL SMOTRICH

    “It is a historic missed opportunity … and in my estimation it will end in tears. Our children will be forced to fight in Gaza again.

    We will consult, consider and decide, God willing. But the celebrations since yesterday are simply absurd.”

    EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF KAJA KALLAS

    “President Trump’s Gaza plan is an opportunity for lasting peace. It offers the best immediate chance to end the war. The EU is ready to help it succeed. Israel has signed on to the plan. Hamas must now accept it without delay, starting with the immediate release of hostages.”

    JOINT STATEMENT BY FOREIGN MINISTERS OF UAE, SAUDI ARABIA, QATAR, EGYPT, JORDAN, INDONESIA, PAKISTAN, TURKEY

    “The ministers affirm their readiness to engage positively and constructively with the United States and the parties toward finalising the agreement and ensuring its implementation, in a manner that ensures peace, security, and stability for the peoples of the region.

    They reaffirm their joint commitment to work with the United States to end the war in Gaza through a comprehensive deal that ensures unrestricted delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza, no displacement of the Palestinians, the release of hostages, a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all sides, full Israeli withdrawal, rebuilds Gaza and creates a path for just peace on the basis of the two state solution, under which Gaza is fully integrated with the West Bank in a Palestinian state.”

    UN SPOKESPERSON IN GENEVA, ALESSANDRA VELLUCCI

    “We are also continuing to be in touch with the parties, with the various parties, about the peace efforts. For indeed, we welcome all the mediation efforts. And of course, we stand ready to support any peace plan with everything we can do, including the provision of humanitarian assistance.”

    TURKISH PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN

    “I commend US President Donald Trump’s efforts and leadership aimed at halting the bloodshed in Gaza and achieving a ceasefire. Türkiye will continue to contribute to the process with a view to establishing a just and lasting peace acceptable to all parties.”

    GERMAN CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ:

    “We welcome the peace plan for Gaza presented yesterday by President Trump. This plan is the best plan to end the war.

    The fact that Israel supports this plan is a significant step forward. Now Hamas must agree and clear the way for peace.”

    FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON

    “I welcome President @realDonaldTrump’s commitment to ending the war in Gaza and securing the release of all hostages.

    I expect Israel to engage resolutely on this basis. Hamas has no choice but to immediately release all hostages and follow this plan. These elements must pave the way for in-depth discussions with all relevant partners to build a lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution and on the principles endorsed by 142 UN member states, at the initiative of France and Saudi Arabia.”

    UK PRIME MINISTER SIR KEIR STARMER

    “The new U.S. initiative to deliver an end to the war in Gaza is profoundly welcome and I am grateful for President Trump’s leadership.

    We strongly support his efforts to end the fighting, release the hostages and ensure the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza. This is our top priority and should happen immediately.” ITALIAN GOVERNMENT

    “The proposal presented today by U.S. President Donald Trump could mark a turning point, enabling a permanent cessation of hostilities, the immediate release of all hostages, and full and secure humanitarian access for the civilian population.

    Hamas, in particular – having initiated this war with the barbaric terrorist attack of October 7, 2023 – now has the opportunity to end it by releasing the hostages, agreeing to have no role in Gaza’s future, and fully disarming.”

    SPANISH PRIME MINISTER PEDRO SANCHEZ:

    “Spain welcomes the US-backed peace proposal for Gaza.

    We must put an end to so much suffering.

    It is time for the violence to cease, for all hostages to be released immediately and for humanitarian aid to be allowed access to the civilian population.

    The two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security, is the only possible solution.”

    (Reporting by Steven Scheer, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Gavin Jones, Madeline Chambers, Sabine Wollrab, Alexander Cornwell, Emma Farge and Tuvan GumrukcuWriting by Charlie Devereux; Editing by Aidan Lewis)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Starmer to Call for Unity to Win ‘Fight for the Soul’ of Britain

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    LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will call on his Labour Party to unite on Tuesday, saying it was engaged in a “fight for the soul of our country” that would be long, difficult and not always comfortable.

    At his party’s second annual conference in the northern English city of Liverpool since winning power at a landslide election last year, Starmer needs to re-establish his authority over a party that is increasingly restive after falling far behind the populist Reform UK in opinion polls.

    The British leader will try to flesh out his strategy to deal with the growing popularity of Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage’s Reform, after some in Labour said he was tacking too far to the right on immigration to match the populist party.

    DIFFICULT DECISIONS AHEAD ON TAX

    In a nod to the difficulties he has faced in the first year of his premiership, Starmer will again commit to raising living standards and putting money in the pockets of voters, which lawmakers say are essential to win back the party’s traditional electoral base – the working classes.

    “No matter how many people tell me it can’t be done, I believe Britain can come together,” Starmer will say in his conference speech, according to advance excerpts.

    “We can all see our country faces a choice, a defining choice. Britain stands at a fork in the road. We can choose decency, or we can choose division. Renewal or decline.”

    He faces some difficult decisions. After saying that last year’s tax rises – the biggest in more than 30 years – were a one-off in terms of scale, the government might be forced to again raise tens of billions of pounds in taxes to cover a forecast fiscal shortfall.

    Finance minister Rachel Reeves used her speech at conference to warn those in the party who want her to ease her fiscal rules to spend more on the nation’s ailing economy that they were “wrong, dangerously so”, keeping the door open to tax rises.

    Starmer will also make clear that some decisions might be difficult for Labour, which has long argued its return to power after 14 years of opposition had been made almost impossible by a Conservative administration that failed to balance the books.

    “It is a test. A fight for the soul of our country, every bit as big as rebuilding Britain after the war, and we must all rise to this challenge,” Starmer is expected to say.

    “And yet we need to be clear that our path, the path of renewal, it’s long, it’s difficult, it requires decisions that are not cost-free or easy. Decisions – that will not always be comfortable for our party.”

    (Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Alex Richardson)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Opinion | How Israel Can Punish France and Britain

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    Shutter the consulates in Jerusalem, which act as embassies to the Palestinian Authority.

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  • Cat Stevens Postpones North American Tour and Cites Visa Issues

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    Cat Stevens, who also goes by Yusuf, has postponed the North American leg of his book tour due to unspecified visa issues, the singer announced on social media Monday.

    The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member was set to tour in support of his book, “Cat on the Road to Findout,” which will release in the U.S. on Oct. 7 and was made available in the U.K. earlier this month. The book release won’t be impacted, Stevens wrote, noting that “books don’t need visas!”

    Stevens wrote that his team waited months for visa approvals, but “at this point, the production logistics necessary for my show cannot be arranged in time.”

    “I am really upset!” Stevens wrote on social media. “Not least for my fans who have bought tickets and made travel plans to see me perform.”

    Representatives of Stevens did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment.

    The singer’s tour was set to start Oct. 2 in Philadelphia and had various stops scheduled across the country for the rest of the month. His Oct. 8 tour stop in Toronto, Canada was also postponed.

    The British singer-songwriter rose to fame in the 1960s and put his career on hold for two decades after converting to Islam in the late 1970s. He returned to secular music in the 2000s and had a six-city concert tour in North America in 2014.

    Stevens indicated the tour could be rescheduled if visas are approved, but those dates “would be some time away because of other travel fans,” he wrote.

    The tour, announced in May, was described as a “portal” into the singer’s universe, offering an in-depth conversation on the memoir and acoustic performances of select songs, according to the website. Stevens began the tour visiting several cities in the U.K. throughout September.

    Stevens wrote “hopefully, fans will be able to hop on the Peace Train route at some time in the future.”

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • EU Confirms It Has Reinstated Sanctions Against Iran

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    BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union confirmed on Monday that it had reinstated sanctions against Iran, following a similar move against Iran by the United Nations.

    “Today, the EU reinstated sanctions against Iran in response to its continued non-compliance with the nuclear agreement. The door for diplomatic negotiations remains open,” said the EU presidency in a statement.

    The EU said the sanctions included freezing the assets of the Iranian Central Bank and other Iranian banks, as well as travel bans on certain Iranian officials.

    The EU was also banning Iran’s purchase and transportation of crude oil and the sale or supply of gold and certain naval equipment.

    On Sunday, the United Nations reinstated an arms embargo and other sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme following a process triggered by European powers that Tehran has warned will be met with a harsh response.

    Britain, France and Germany initiated the return of sanctions on Iran at the U.N. Security Council over accusations it had violated a 2015 deal that aimed to stop it developing a nuclear bomb. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

    (Reporting by Andrew Gray;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Ros Russell)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • Trump to Push Proposal for Elusive Gaza Peace in Netanyahu Talks

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    By Matt Spetalnick and Steve Holland

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, with the U.S. president pushing a Gaza peace proposal after a slew of Western leaders embraced Palestinian statehood in defiance of American and Israeli opposition.

    In Netanyahu’s fourth visit since Trump returned to office in January, the right-wing Israeli leader will be looking to shore up his country’s most important relationship as it faces growing international isolation nearly two years into its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

    He can expect a warm welcome compared to the chilly reception he received when he spoke on Friday before the U.N. General Assembly where many delegates walked out in protest.

    Netanyahu went on to deliver a blistering attack on what he called a “disgraceful decision” over the past week by Britain, France, Canada, Australia and several other countries to recognize Palestinian statehood, a major diplomatic shift by top U.S. allies.

    They said such action was needed to preserve the prospect for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict and help bring the war to a close.

    Trump, who had criticized the recognition moves as a prize to Hamas, told Reuters on Sunday he hopes to get Netanyahu’s agreement on a framework to end the war in the Palestinian enclave and free the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

    “We’re getting a very good response because Bibi wants to make the deal too,” Trump said in a telephone interview, using Netanyahu’s nickname. “Everybody wants to make the deal.”

    He credited leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Jordan and Egypt for their assistance and said the deal aims to go beyond Gaza to a broader Middle East peace.

    “It’s called peace in the Middle East, more than Gaza. Gaza is a part of it. But it’s peace in the Middle East,” he said.

    Asked whether there is now an agreed deal for peace in Gaza, a senior Israeli official said “it’s too early to tell.” The official added that Netanyahu would give Israel’s response to the proposal when he meets Trump on Monday.

    Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from the hostages’ families and, according to public opinion polls, a war-weary Israeli public.

    A 21-point peace plan had been circulated to a string of Arab and Muslim countries on the U.N. sidelines last week.

    It calls for the release of all hostages, living and dead, no further Israeli attacks on Qatar and a new dialogue between Israel and Palestinians for “peaceful coexistence,” a White House official said on condition of anonymity. Israel angered the Qataris and drew criticism from Trump for an airstrike against Hamas leaders in Doha on September 9.

    Previous U.S.-backed ceasefire efforts have fallen apart due to a failure to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas and Netanyahu has vowed to continue fighting until Hamas is completely dismantled.

    GAZA WAR TAKES CENTER-STAGE

    The White House meeting follows an annual gathering of world leaders in New York in which the Gaza war took center-stage and Israel was often the target. Netanyahu responded that the world leaders recognizing Palestinian independence were sending the message that “murdering Jews pays off.”

    The most far-right government in Israeli history has ruled out acceptance of a Palestinian state as it presses on with its fight against Hamas following the militants’ October 7, 2023, rampage in Israel. Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

    Israel’s military response has killed more than 65,000 people in Gaza, according to local health officials, leaving much of the territory in ruins, a humanitarian crisis deepening and hunger spreading.

    The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in the Gaza war. Israel rejects the court’s jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes.

    While Trump and Netanyahu have mostly been in sync and the U.S. continues to be Israel’s main arms supplier, Monday’s discussions have the potential for tensions to surface.

    Some of Netanyahu’s hardline ministers have said the government should respond to growing recognition of Palestinian statehood by formally extending Israeli sovereignty over all or parts of the occupied West Bank to snuff out hopes for Palestinian independence.

    On Thursday, however, Trump said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, which the Palestinians want for their state, along with Gaza and East Jerusalem.

    Analysts say Israeli annexation of the West Bank could unravel the landmark Abraham Accords, a signature foreign policy achievement brokered by Trump’s first administration in which several Arab countries forged diplomatic ties with Israel.

    (Reporting By Matt Spetalnick and Steve Holland, writing by Matt Spetalnick, Editing by Humeyra Pamuk and Diane Craft)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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