
US issues sanctions against UN investigator probing abuses in Gaza
The State Department's decision to sanction Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, comes after a recent U.S. pressure campaign to force the international body to remove her from her post failed.
Albanese, a human rights lawyer, has been vocal about what she has described as the 'genocide' that Israel is waging against Palestinians in Gaza. Both Israel and the U.S., which provides military support, have strongly denied that accusation.
In recent weeks, Albanese has issued a series of letters, urging other countries to pressure Israel, including through sanctions, to end its deadly bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The Italian national has also been a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court's indictment against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for war crimes. She most recently issued a report naming several U.S. giants among companies aiding what she described as Israel's occupation and war on Gaza.
'Albanese's campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media. 'We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense.'
Albanese has been the target of criticism from pro-Israel officials and groups in the U.S. and in the Middle East. Last week, the U.S. mission to the U.N. issued a scathing statement, calling for her removal for 'a years-long pattern of virulent anti-Semitism and unrelenting anti-Israel bias.'
The statement said that Albanese's allegations of Israel committing genocide or apartheid are 'false and offensive.'
It is all a culmination of an extraordinary and sprawling campaign of nearly six months by the Trump administration to quell criticism of Israel's handling of the deadly war in Gaza, which is closing in on two years. Earlier this year, the Trump administration began arresting and deporting faculty and students of American universities who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and other political activities.
The war between Israel and Hamas began Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel and killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 people captive. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which says women and children make up most of the dead but does not specify how many were fighters or civilians.
Nearly 21 months into the conflict that displaced the vast majority of Gaza's 2.3 million people, it is nearly impossible for the critically wounded to get the care they need, doctors and aid workers say.
'We must stop this genocide, whose short-term goal is completing the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, while also profiteering from the killing machine devised to perform it,' Albanese said in a recent post on X. 'No one is safe until everyone is safe.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Business Insider
16 minutes ago
- Business Insider
From rice to digital services, here is what's making trade negotiations difficult for the Trump administration
The 90-day tariff pause did not yield 90 announced trade deals. After giving 75 trading partners a three-month tariff pause and telling Time in an April interview that he "100%" has "made 200 deals," President Donald Trump came away with three trade deals, some tentative, as of mid-July. Months of negotiations with Japan, Korea, and Thailand have not yielded agreements. As Trump sends out a new round of tariff letters to over 20 countries, threatening some with tariffs as high as 50%, trade experts told Business Insider that many sticking points stand in the way of quick trade deals. Navin Girishankar, president of the Economic Security and Technology Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Business Insider that the Trump administration believes that unpredictability and ratcheting up tariffs give them leverage, but it remains questionable if that is effective. "I'm actually feeling that it's more and more the loss of leverage," said Girishankar. "Because the reason we're shifting timetables is because we're not able to get to the deals that we think are acceptable." Domestic politics throw a wrench in negotiations Multiple trading partners that Trump is negotiating with are dealing with elections and policies that are popular in their respective countries. Girishankar told BI that, for example, Korea has a draft of a digital platform bill that its legislators see as important to national security. But the issue is, Girishankar says, the bill would be considered a barrier to entry for US tech companies like Meta and Google if it passes. Trump has also been complaining on social media that Japan won't import rice from the US, while the US imports a large number of cars from the Asian country. Drew DeLong, lead in geopolitical dynamics practice at Kearney, a global strategy and management consulting firm, told BI that Japan has been under a lot of domestic pressure because it has an upper house election in late July. "Once that's finished," said DeLong, "It will be important to watch how PM Ishiba handles the Trump relationship with less domestic political pressure." Despite representing a relatively small part of the national GDP, the agriculture sector in Japan has cooperatives with significant lobbying power that have gained protectionist measures on staple crops like rice. "Agriculture has historically been a very challenging component of any trade agreement. Farmers are an important constituency in both countries," Girishankar added of the US and Japan. Ann Harrison, dean of the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business, told BI that the Trump administration may have simply set itself up for "a herculean task." "Different countries have different sensitivities, like how it's the auto industry for Japan, and lumber and pharmaceuticals for Canada," said Harrison. "That's why any meaningful trade deals typically take three years and won't happen in such a short period of time." China complicates trade deals Though the tariff pause on China doesn't expire till mid-August, the manufacturing hub casts a long shadow. Harrison said the Trump administration needs to balance its need to reduce the trade deficit, without going so far that it would push Asian allies like Vietnam and the Philippines toward a closer alliance with China. "It's politically interesting that the US gave Vietnam and the Philippines some of the lower tariffs," said Harrison. "This is also becoming a militarily loaded decision as much as an economic one." In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and said the two countries, which have been fighting "shoulder-to-shoulder" since World War II, will work toward "reestablishing military deterrence" in the Indo-Pacific region. DeLong also said that the transshipment issue — one country rerouting its goods through another country, potentially to evade higher tariffs — has also made a comeback in the agreement with Vietnam, mostly due to concerns that China would reroute shipments to the US through Southeast Asia. "Still unclear how this will work mechanically," said DeLong. "Higher RVC thresholds? Port of shipment tracking? Headquarters country of origin?" According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs in China, the total value of China's exports to Vietnam increased by at least 15% every month in 2025 compared to the same months in the previous year. Girishankar echoed the concerned that transshipment would be complicated to implement and define, though he understands what the administration is attempting to achieve. "Some countries are worried that literally any Chinese content can be considered a transshipment," said Girishankar. "Bilateral negotiations with countries are also being used as the main way of achieving a global rebalancing of trade deficits, which is really challenging."


Newsweek
16 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Russia Sends North Korea's Nukes Signal to US Allies
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Russia has backed North Korea's nuclear program and warned Washington not to team up with regional Asian allies against Moscow and Pyongyang, following military drills between the U.S., Japan and South Korea. During a visit to North Korea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow "respects" Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. He also said that Russia and North Korea have taken note of President Donald Trump's statements about Washington resuming contact with Pyongyang. Newsweek has contacted the Russian foreign ministry for comment. This image from January 20, 2022 shows a woman in Seoul, South Korea, walking past a news broadcast showing file footage of a North Korean missile test. This image from January 20, 2022 shows a woman in Seoul, South Korea, walking past a news broadcast showing file footage of a North Korean missile test. JUNG YEON-JE/Getty Images Why It Matters Lavrov's visit comes after after South Korea, Japan and the U.S. conducted a joint air drill with a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber and fighter jets over international waters. Lavrov's view are the latest signal of deepening ties between Russia and North Korea but also suggest that Pyongyang's atomic program is acting as a deterrent. His teasing of a resumption in contacts between Pyongyang and Washington is also significant. What To Know Lavrov started a three-day visit to North Korea by meeting his counterpart Choe Son Hui in the resort city of Wonsan on Saturday. The Russian foreign minister said Moscow respects and understands why Pyongyang is developing its nuclear program, which is the "work of its own scientists," according to state news agency Tass, suggesting Moscow was not collaborating with Pyongyang in this regard. Lavrov's comments about Pyongyang's program also referred to how North Korea had drawn "the necessary conclusions long before the Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran." Trump ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June to destroy Tehran's ability to make a nuclear weapon. Lavrov also warned the U.S. and its regional allies South Korea and Japan against teaming up to target Russia and North Korea. "No one is considering using force against North Korea despite the military buildup around the country by the United States, South Korea, and Japan," Lavrov said, following the military drills on Friday that were condemned by Pyongyang. Lavrov added that Trump had "expressed support for resuming contacts with North Korea," according to Tass without offering any further details. What People Are Saying Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: "We respect North Korea's aspirations and understand the reasons why it is pursuing a nuclear development." He added: "President Trump has expressed support for resuming contacts with North Korea, including at the highest level. We have heard this, and our Korean friends have also heard it." The head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov told Bloomberg of Pyongyang's supplies of munitions to Moscow: "North Korea has huge stockpiles and production goes on around the clock." What Happens Next Lavrov's visit comes weeks after Pyongyang agreed to send an additional 6,000 personnel to Russia's Kursk region where thousands were deployed last year. His remarks signal that military co-operation between Moscow and Pyongyang is likely to deepen. Head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov told Bloomberg that North Korea is now supplying 40 percent of Russia's ammunition for the war against Ukraine.


Hamilton Spectator
19 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Russia warns US, South Korea and Japan against forming security alliance targeting North Korea
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russia's foreign minister on Saturday warned the U.S., South Korea and Japan against forming a security partnership targeting North Korea as he visited his country's ally for talks on further solidifying their booming military and other cooperation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov flew to North Korea's eastern Wonsan city on Friday for a meeting with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui. Relations between Russia and North Korea have been flourishing in recent years, with North Korea supplying troops and ammunitions to support Russia's war against Ukraine in return for military and economic assistance. That has raised concerns among South Korea, the U.S. and others that Russia might also transfer to North Korea sensitive technologies that can increase the danger of its nuclear and missile programs. After a meeting with Choe on Saturday, Lavrov accused the U.S., South Korea and Japan of what he called their military buildups around North Korea. 'We warn against exploiting these ties to build alliances directed against anyone, including North Korea and, of course, Russia,' he told reporters, according to Russia's state Tass news agency. The U.S., South Korea and Japan have been expanding or restoring their trilateral military exercises in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear program. On Friday, the three countries held a joint air drill involving U.S. nuclear-capable bombers near the Korean Peninsula, as their top military officers met in Seoul and urged North Korea to cease all unlawful activities that threaten regional security. North Korea views major U.S.-led military drills as invasion rehearsals. It has long argued that it's forced to develop nuclear weapons to defend itself from U.S. military threats. Lavrov said Russia understands North Korea's decision to seek nuclear weapons. 'The technologies used by North Korea are the result of the work of its own scientists. We respect North Korea's aspirations and understand the reasons why it is pursuing a nuclear development,' Lavrov said. During their meeting, Choe reiterated that North Korea 'unconditionally' supports Russia's fight against Ukraine. She described ties between North Korea and Russia as 'the invincible alliance.' Lavrov said he repeated Russia's gratitude for the contribution that North Korean troops made in efforts to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region . Wonsan city, the meeting venue, is where North Korea recently opened a mammoth beach resort that it says can accommodate nearly 20,000 people. In his comments at the start of his meeting with Choe, Lavrov said that 'I am sure that Russian tourists will be increasingly eager to come here. We will do everything we can to facilitate this, creating conditions for this, including air travel,' according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone is at the center of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's push to boost tourism as a way to improve his country's troubled economy. But prospects for the biggest tourist complex in North Korea aren't clear, as the country appears unlikely to fully reopen its borders and embrace Western tourists anytime soon. ___ Associated Press writer Elise Morton in Athens, Greece contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .