Thousands of Moroccans filled the streets of Rabat singing and waving flags after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution describing autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty as the most feasible solution to the decades-long territorial dispute. The US-drafted text provides international endorsement of Morocco in its dispute with the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.
Published On 2 Nov 20252 Nov 2025
Share
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit western Turkiye Monday night, causing at least three buildings to collapse. Officials have reported no casualties so far. They said the quake was centred in Balikesir province and felt as far away as Izmir and Istanbul.
Published On 27 Oct 202527 Oct 2025
Share
Last year, Reliance Industries Ltd signed a deal with Russian major Rosneft to import nearly 500,000 barrels per day.
Published On 24 Oct 202524 Oct 2025
Share
India’s top importer of Russian oil, the conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd, says it will abide by Western sanctions, ending several days of speculation about how the company will manage new measures targeting Russia’s two largest oil companies.
Reliance “will be adapting the refinery operations to meet the compliance requirements”, a company spokesperson said in a statement on Friday, while maintaining its relationships with suppliers.
list of 4 itemsend of list
“Whenever there is any guidance from the Indian Government in this respect, as always, we will be complying fully,” the statement added.
On Wednesday, the United States Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Russian majors Rosneft and Lukoil for the first time as President Donald Trump becomes increasingly frustrated with Russia’s unremitting war on Ukraine.
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said the move was the result of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “refusal to end this senseless war” and encouraged allies to adhere to the new sanctions.
The following day, the European Union adopted its 19th package of measures against Russia, which includes a full transaction ban on Rosneft. The EU has previously said that, starting January 21, it will not receive fuel imports from refineries that received or processed Russian oil 60 days prior to shipping.
Reliance, chaired by billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani, operates the world’s biggest refining complex in western Gujarat. The company has purchased roughly half of the 1.7-1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) of discounted Russian crude shipped to India, the news agency Press Trust of India reported this week.
In 2024, Reliance signed a 10-year deal with Rosneft to buy nearly 500,000 bpd, Reuters reported at the time. It also buys Russian oil from intermediaries.
Reliance did not offer details on how, exactly, it planned to navigate the sanctions – nor the fate of the 2024 Rosneft agreement – but emphasised it would comply with European import requirements.
“Reliance is confident its time-tested, diversified crude sourcing strategy will continue to ensure stability and reliability in its refinery operations for meeting the domestic and export requirements, including to Europe,” the company spokesperson said.
The sanctions also arrive as India navigates the fallout from Trump’s tariffs on Indian exports, which rose to 50 percent starting in August as a penalty for importing Russian oil. China and India are the world’s largest importers of Russian crude.
Trump has claimed multiple times over the past month that India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil as part of a broader trade deal, an assertion the Indian government has not confirmed.
Neither India’s Ministry of External Affairs nor oil ministries have responded since the sanctions were announced on Wednesday.
CIF City and Southern Section high school football scores from across the Southland on Saturday, Oct. 18.
Source link
CIF City and Southern Section high school football scores from across the Southland on Friday, Oct. 17.
Source link
MONDAY’S RESULTS
CITY SECTION
Bell 24, South East 0
Birmingham 46, Chatsworth 0
Diego 12, TEACH Tech 7
Dorsey 45, Dymally 0
Dorsey 19, Washington 6
Eagle Rock 60, Roybal 0
El Camino Real 18, Taft 0
Fremont 30, Hawkins 8
GALA 7, Fremont 0
GALA 13, Hawkins 6
Garfield 18, Bell 8
Jefferson 40, West Adams 0
Jefferson d. Stella, forfeit
L.A. Marshall 47, Bernstein 21
Lincoln 20, Roybal 0
Panorama 39, Chavez 0
Panorama 28, Chavez 0
San Pedro 13, Narbonne 6
San Pedro 19, King/Drew 0
Santee 10, Manual Arts 0
Santee 29, Los Angeles 0
South East 18, South Gate 6
West Adams d. Stella, forfeit
Wilmington Banning 12, Carson 0
SOUTHERN SECTION
Alemany 26, Village Christian 12
Anaheim 26, Estancia 0
Anaheim Canyon 19, Crean Lutheran 12
Antelope Valley 26, Knight 0
Beckman 34, Aliso Niguel 32
Bellflower 20, Fairmont Prep 6
Bishop Amat 26, Ontario Christian 0
Brentwood 41, Immaculate Heart 0
California 25, Santa Fe 12
Canyon Springs 32, San Gorgonio 6
Channel Islands 38, Fillmore 0
Chaparral 8, Murrieta Mesa 0
Chino 12, Don Lugo 0
Chino Hills 27, St. Lucy’s 12
Compton Early College 32, Compton Centennial 0
Corona del Mar 26, El Modena 12
Corona Santiago 24, Eastvale Roosevelt 22
Covina 13, Hacienda Heights Wilson 13
Dominguez 24, La Mirada 14
Eastside 27, Littlerock 0
Edison 21, Los Alamitos 6
Etiwanda 13, Rancho Cucamonga 0
Fullerton 43, Tustin 7
Gabrielino 40, Arroyo 18
Great Oak 13, Temecula Valley 6
Hart 14, Saugus 0
Hemet 46, Riverside North 0
Highland 6, Quartz Hill 0
Huntington Beach 40, Fountain Valley 12
Indio 18, Palm Springs 7
Keppel 20, Bell Gardens 6
Lancaster 45, Palmdale 0
La Serna 24, Whittier 0
La Palma Kennedy 19, Laguna Hills 13
Loma Linda Academy 24, La Sierra 19
Los Amigos 25, Magnolia 0
Millikan 48, Long Beach Cabrillo 0
Newport Harbor 45, Marina 6
Norco 32, Corona 14
Norte Vista 14, Ramona 8
Northwood 33, Rosary Academy 12
Ontario 33, Montclair 19
Orange 54, Pomona 0
Palos Verdes 46, Peninsula 6
Portola 33, Irvine University 0
Redlands Adventist Academy 20, Patriot 7
Riverside King 25, Corona Centennial 19
Rowland 21, Northview 12
Saddleback 46, Western 8
San Dimas 38, Colony 6
San Marino 20, La Canada 19
Santa Ana Valley 13, Bolsa Grande 12
Santa Paula 41, Hueneme 0
Schurr 32, Montebello 0
Segerstrom 13, Westminster 7
South El Monte 20, El Monte 0
South Hills 7, Alta Loma 0
Tesoro 27, Capistrano Valley 0
Upland 53, Los Osos 25
Valencia 13, Golden Valley 6
Vasquez 13, Castaic 6
Warren 46, Norwalk 0
West Covina 30, Charter Oak 6
Western Christian 18, Linfield Christian 12
Woodbridge 33, Sage Hill 7
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
SOUTHERN SECTION
Ayala 18, Glendora 0
Burbank Burroughs 13, Paramount 6
Cajon 30, Beaumont 14
Camarillo 38, Royal 7
Canyon Springs 32, Lakeside 6
Citrus Valley 27, Yucaipa 0
El Modena , El Dorado
El Toro 18, Mission Viejo 12
Eitwanda 19, Upland 18
Indio 18, Palm Desert 14
Inglewood 38, Beverly Hills 0
JSerra 25, Mater Dei 0
Lakewood St. Joseph 26, St. Mary’s Academy 6
Lawndale 32, Leuzinger 13
Los Osos 34, St. Lucy’s 12
Newbury Park 39, Thousand Oaks 20
Nogales 14, Rowland 0
Norte Vista 14, Loma Linda Academy 13
Nuview 13, California Military Institute 6
Ontario 21, Chaffey 7
Orange Lutheran 28, Santa Margarita 2
Oxnard 38, Buena 0
Patriot 52, La Sierra 0
Ramona 20, Redlands Adventist Academy 6
Rancho Cucamonga 25, Chino Hills 6
Redlands East Valley 33, Redlands 0
Redondo Union 20, Mira Costa 0
Riverside North 19, Riverside Poly 6
San Clemente 38, Tesoro 25
San Marcos 40, Oxnard Pacifica 0
Santa Fe 21, Orange 6
Santa Monica 33, Culver City 0
SEED: L.A. 6, Providence 0
Segerstrom 19, La Palma Kennedy 12
South Torrance 25, North Torrance 15
Temecula Prep 18, San Jacinto Valley Academy 7
Torrance 40, West Torrance 6
Trabuco Hills 25, San Juan Hills 13
Workman 19, La Puente 6
INTERSECTIONAL
Chaminade 26, El Camino Real 7
Central banks are preparing for 2026 inflation risks, though they remain divided on solutions. Global Finance announces the 2025 Central Banker Report Cards in Western Europe.
The Danmarks Nationalbank continued to navigate the economic volatility of the past year with notable stability. Governor Christian Kettel Thomsen maintained a sharp focus on the central bank’s mandate of ensuring a stable euro-to-Danish krone exchange rate without disrupting prices.
Although the Nordic central bank does not set a fixed inflation target, the country’s CPI has averaged a modest 1.7% over the past year, allowing the bank to run negative real interest rates to further support broad economic growth.
Following a 15 bps cut in June, to 1.6%, among the lowest in Western Europe, he has held the rate steady through September. With a recent inflation reading at 2.3% year-on-year (YoY), this represents a negative real rate of 0.7%, offering strong support for businesses in the region.
The rationale behind these levels is to offset some of the pressures weighing on the country’s GDP growth, which showed mixed results in the first half of the year. These include slower-than-expected growth at pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, which currently accounts for about 60% of the country’s yearly GDP, and newly imposed US tariffs, now set at 15% as part of the broader agreement between the US and the EU.
The massive more than 10% year-to-date strengthening of the euro against the dollar gave Governor Christine Lagarde additional room to widen the interest rate gap in the eurozone relative to the US Federal Reserve, thus bringing higher investor interest without spiking inflation.
Against this backdrop, the European Central Bank (ECB) brought deposit rates down to 2%, more than 225 bps lower than in the US. At the same time, inflation remained anchored to the bloc’s 2% target, showing greater stability than across the Atlantic.
This environment proved supportive of the economy, with several sectors receiving a significant boost during the first half of the year, particularly manufacturing and defense.
Yet, despite the positive outlook so far, the broader backdrop remains volatile for the bloc, in terms of the geopolitical situation—particularly as the war in Ukraine rages on—and on the macro side, with the US imposing a 15% base tariff on the continent’s exports.
Looking ahead, Governor Lagarde notes that the main risks stem from the economic growth side, with inflation risks remaining tilted to the downside. “Trade tensions could lead to increased volatility and risk aversion in financial markets, which would weigh on domestic demand and, consequently, also reduce inflation,” she added following the ECB’s most recent rate decision.
The Central Bank of Iceland continues to grapple with higher-than-average inflation, particularly when compared to its Western European neighbors and fellow Nordic economies.
This backdrop has prompted Governor Ásgeir Jónsson to hold rates significantly above the regional average, with a steep base rate of 7.50%, also one of the highest in the region.
The tight monetary policy has resulted in a mixed environment for the country’s economic growth so far this year. After a solid 2.7% expansion during the first quarter of the year, second-quarter numbers registered a sharp 1.9% contraction.
However, despite the short-term woes, the longer-term outlook for the Nordic country appears increasingly positive. Earlier this year, Moody’s and S&P Global upgraded Iceland’s sovereign rating, viewing an improvement in the country’s debt trajectory.
The credit rating agencies now expect the country to post a budget deficit of -3.0% in 2025, paving the way for a projected surplus by 2028.
The outlook follows a decade of structural reforms, both in the economic matrix and labor conditions. The trend is further buoyed by growing tourism revenues and resilient exports.
Faced with still above-target consumer inflation figures, Norges Bank continues to lag behind its rate cut cycle compared to the rest of the region.
As a result of the tight monetary policy environment, the country experienced subdued economic activity in the first two quarters of the year, growing 0.1% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter and 0.8% in the second quarter. Adding to the challenging picture are mostly softer oil prices throughout the period and Trump’s 15% tariffs on the country’s imports into the US, which have kept a lid on export activity.
However, looking to the second half of 2025, signs are emerging that the Arctic country’s economy may be turning a corner.
On the one hand, resilient income growth and a rebounding housing market could keep domestic activity mostly trending upward in the second half of the year. On the other hand, a weaker Norwegian krone and ongoing global trade disruptions promise to keep new oil exploration activities and ocean transport demand high in the country.
This combination of factors has prompted local banking giant Nordea to revise its GDP growth projection for the mainland up to 1.7% for the full year, with a 2% unemployment rate.
But despite the improving second-half picture, the bank does not expect to see further rate cuts this year, citing that inflation should remain well above the 2% target, most likely “remain around or only slightly below 3% until the end of 2026,” said the bank in a recent research note.
The Sveriges Riksbank’s uphill battle for 2025 is primarily centered on economic growth, as the country continues to post mostly subdued GDP growth and worrisome unemployment levels.
Yet, despite recording a 1.1% YoY inflation rate in August, Governor Erik Thedéen has maintained interest rates at 1.75%, in line with the European Central Bank. This has pushed Swedish real rates to a positive 0.9%.
As a consequence, the Swedish krona has continued to appreciate, posting one of the strongest gains of the year—a whopping 18% against the US dollar and around 5% against the euro year-to-date.
While this backdrop has helped maintain inflation under control, it has also limited the country’s economic growth. Sweden is traditionally an export-dependent country, with around 55% of its GDP coming from exports in 2024, according to Riksbank data.
On the other hand, since most of those exports are to the EU, the country is likely to remain largely unaffected by Trump’s 15% base levy, given that exports to the US account for only 0.1% of the country’s GDP.
Nordea, the region’s leading bank, believes rates will remain at 2% into 2026, “as global trade conditions settle,” said the Nordic bank’s Chief Economist Annika Winsth. “The gradual recovery underway—including in Sweden—will thus continue and is expected to pick up pace in the coming years,” she adds.
The Swiss economy continued to sail unfazed by global inflationary pressures in 2025, averaging a near-zero rate through the past year—the lowest on the continent.
This has allowed Governor Martin Schlegel, who replaced Thomas Jordan in October 2024, not only to initiate the rate cut cycle earlier than other peer central banks but also to continue it while others waited.
Consequently, Switzerland is now the only developed economy in the world to operate at zero interest rates—after Japan ended its 17-year period of negative interest rates.
This has not yet spelled trouble for the Swiss franc. In fact, due to increasing currency risks for the dollar and the euro, investors fleeing for security have prompted a massive rally for the currency, which now stands near its highest level in roughly 15 years.
But while the headline numbers paint a perfect picture for the Swiss economy, perspectives for the near future do not seem as bright. The combination of a strong Franc with a very steep 39% US tariff on imports from the country, the highest in the region, is significantly threatening GDP growth.
Against this backdrop, analysts now expect Governor Schlegel to bring rates down to the negative territory before the end of the year, reigniting a policy that effectively ended in 2022.
Following significant improvements in most economic indicators in 2024, the UK economy faced renewed headwinds in 2025.
Amid increasing macroeconomic pressures, such as global trade disruptions, slower-than-expected growth in exports, and strained public accounts, Governor Andrew Bailey has been unable to bring inflation close to the Bank of England’s 2% target.
After posting a year-high of 3.8% in August (YoY), the long-term CPI trajectory is now seen at 3.7% in 2025, before easing to 2.5% in 2026 and, finally, 2.1% in 2027. In addition to the macroeconomic issues, rising wages and national insurance hikes are also considered key drivers of price pressures.
Contributing to the picture is a significant bond crisis in the country, with British 30-year gilt yields dropping to the lowest levels since 1998. The dismal demand for British debt has brought long-term public borrowing costs to a high of 5.75%, threatening the country’s mid-term growth expectations.
Against this backdrop, Bailey made the decision to cut again in August, bringing rates down to 4% from 4.25%, and maintaining the rate in September.
Oct. 12 (UPI) — Search-and-rescue operations were underway Sunday night in Alaska as several people remain unaccounted for while typhoon remnants continue to batter the Last Frontier state.
Alaska State Troopers said in a statement that at least three people were unaccounted for in Kwigillingok, along the west coast of the state. There were also reports of people unaccounted for in nearby Kipnuk, where homes were pushed from their foundations by heaving winds and flooding.
The operation rescued 18 people in Kwigillingok and at least 16 from Kipnuk, the state police force said, adding that both communities were hit with strong winds and heavy flooding Saturday night.
“This is an active and ongoing search-and-rescue mission,” it said adding that the Alaska Air National Guard, Alaska Army National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard were aiding in the effort.
Western Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and Nunivak Island were hit hard by remnants of Typhoon Halong over the weekend, with the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management stating they experienced hurricane-force winds, some areas in gusts in excess of 100 mph. “Significant” storm surges leading to widespread flooding were also recorded, it said.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration on Thursday as the state was already being negatively impacted by the storm. On Sunday, he expanded that order, making available state public and other assistance programs to those affected in the named in the region.
He said Kipnuk and Kwigillingok had been “hard hit” and that rescue aircraft were on their way.
“Every effort will be made to help those hit by this storm,” he said in a Sunday evening release.
In Kipnuk, where water levels reached 6.6 feet above high tide overnight, 172 people had sought shelter, according to the state.
In Kwigillingok, water levels reached a height of 6.3 feet above high tide and more than 100 people required shelter. At least four homes were “inundated,” it said.
The National Weather Service said Sunday afternoon that the storm was continuing to move across Alaska’s west coast, with high wind warnings to remain in effect through Monday Morning for Norton Sound and Kotzebue Sound and through Tuesday morning for the northwest Alaska coast.
For some areas, coastal flooding warnings will remain in effect through Tuesday morning.
Pressing for stiffened sanctions, president says more than 100,000 components from US, UK and other suppliers found in Russian missiles and drones fired on Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has alleged that drones and missiles fired by Russia against his country are filled with parts sourced from Western companies.
In a social media post on Monday, Zelenskyy said the hundreds of weapons used in Russian attacks over the previous two nights contained tens of thousands of components produced by firms in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Taiwan and China.
list of 3 itemsend of list
“Nearly 100,688 of foreign-made parts were in the launched attack drones, about 1,500 were in Iskanders, 192 in Kinzhal missiles, and 405 in Kalibrs,” he wrote.
He made the accusation as Ukraine and some European partners are pressing for harsher sanctions and stronger oversight to close loopholes on current trade limits imposed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of its neighbouring country in February 2022.
Zelenskyy’s inclusion of US and UK companies was noteworthy due to the leading role the two countries have had in mobilising military and financial support for Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invading forces.
US companies manufacture converters for Kh-101 missiles and Shahed-type drones, sensors for unmanned aerial vehicles and Kinzhal missiles, and microelectronics for missiles, the Ukrainian president said. He added that British companies produce microcomputers for drone flight control.
“Ukraine is preparing new sanctions against those who help Russia and its war,” Zelenskyy said, adding that detailed data on each company and product have been shared with Ukraine’s partners.
Zelenskyy, who has long called on countries around the world to prevent the funding and equipping of Russia’s war machine, demanded more robust measures before a meeting of G7 sanctions coordinators, a body that oversees sanctions regimes among the club of the world’s wealthiest countries.
Oleh Alexandrov, a Ukrainian intelligence official, said over the weekend that Kyiv has evidence that China has been helping Moscow identify targets in Ukraine. He said there was “evidence of a high level of cooperation between Russia and China in conducting satellite reconnaissance of the territory of Ukraine in order to identify and further explore strategic objects for targeting”.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied reliance on China’s satellites and said Russia has its “own capabilities, including space capabilities, to accomplish all the tasks the special military operation poses”.
Zelenskyy issued his statement as a number of European countries have been dealing with a wave of suspicious drone activity.
Unmanned aerial vehicles have been spotted over military sites and disrupted air traffic. Some governments have pointed a finger at Russia and warned that Moscow is testing NATO’s air defences.
Russia has denied responsibility, and President Vladimir Putin has mocked countries accusing Moscow of being behind the drone incursions.
On Monday, the Kremlin dismissed as “baseless” comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said his country assumes Russia was behind the activity.
Oslo Airport, meanwhile, temporarily suspended several landings on Monday after reports of a drone, its operator, Avinor, said.
CITY SECTION
Banning 28, King/Drew 7
Birmingham 6, Sherman Oaks CES 0
Chavez 2, Sun Valley Poly 2
Diego Rivera 25, Simon Tech 0
East Valley 54, Valor Academy 0
El Camino Real 19, Cleveland 13
Fairfax 36, LACES 6
Maywood Academy 20, Elizabeth 0
Maywood CES 18, Torres 0
North Hollywood 20, Arleta 0
North Hollywood 12, Arleta 7
Sotomayor 19, Marquez 7
Sotomayor 18, Marquez 0
Sun Valley Magnet 40, AMIT 0
Sun Valley Poly 13, Chavez 0
Taft 19, Chatsworth 12
Torres 9, Maywood CES 6
USC Hybrid 19, TEACH Tech 0
Van Nuys 34, Grant 0
Van Nuys 7, Immaculate Heart 0
Verdugo Hills 32, Monroe 13
Verdugo Hills 43, Monroe 6
Westchester 14, LACES 0
SOUTHERN SECTION
Alhambra 27, Bell Gardens 13
Anaheim 26, Garden Grove Santiago 6
Anaheim Canyon 7, Sonora 6
Antelope Valley 26, Eastside 6
Azusa 19, Duarte 14
Bakersfield Christian 25, Highland 12
Beckman 19, Tesoro 6
Bellflower 26, Paramount 0
Beverly Hills 12, Hawthorne 0
Bishop Amat 50, St. Bernard 0
Buena Park 24, Godinez 0
California 22, Sunny Hills 7
Channel Islands 45, Hueneme 21
Chino 14, Ontario 8
Covina 19, Northview 0
Cypress 28, Esperanza 19
Dominguez 13, Norwalk 12
Don Lugo 7, Chaffey 6
El Modena 13, Villa Park 12
El Toro 25, San Juan Hills 6
Estancia 20, Savanna 0
Fountain Valley 19, Los Alamitos 14
Fullerton 24, Laguna Hills 19
Garden Grove 28, Costa Mesa 19
Huntington Beach 21, Corona del Mar 7
Inglewood 26, Culver City 0
Irvine University 32, Irvine 6
La Habra 27, Brea Olinda 12
Lakewood 6, Long Beach Cabrillo 0
Lakewood St. Joseph 36, Gardena Serra 6
La Serna 24, El Rancho 24
Leuzinger 50, Compton Centennial 0
Linfield Christian 60, Ontario Christian 12
Los Amigos 32, Magnolia 7
Mater Dei 43, Dana Hills 19
Millikan 34, Long Beach Jordan 0
Montebello 13, Keppel 0
Mountain View 14, El Monte 13
Newport Harbor 27, Edison 7
Northwood 13, Woodbridge 6
Palm Desert 19, Xavier Prep 13
Pioneer 20, Glenn 18
Placentia Valencia 32, Tustin 6
Pomona 13, La Puente 0
Portola 44, Sage Hill 0
Ramona Convent 19, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 0
Rancho Alamitos 6, Orange 0
Redondo Union 13, Palos Verdes 7
Riverside King 33, Moreno Valley 19
Riverside Poly 47, Redlands 6
Rosemead 6, Arroyo 0
Rotary 14, Laguna Beach 13
Saddleback 38, Western 6
San Marino 42, Temple City 0
Santa Ana Foothill 18, Garden Grove Pacifica 0
Santa Fe 13, Whittier 12
Santa Paula 35, Fillmore 0
Saugus 39, St. Bonaventure 7
Schurr 22, San Gabriel 0
Segerstrom 33, Loara 18
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 33, Alemany 0
Sierra Vista 46, Baldwin Park 26
Simi Valley 13, Burbank Burroughs 7
South El Monte 19, Gabrielino 0
St. Paul 34, Bishop Diego 0
Trabuco Hills 26, Aliso Niguel 6
Van Nuys 7, Immaculate Heart 0
Vista del Lago 21, Lakeside 0
Warren 13, Downey 6
West Covina 34, Hacienda Heights Wilson 6
Western Christian 41, Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 6
Westminster 19, La Palma Kennedy 13
Yorba Linda 32, Troy 0
THURSDAY’S RESULTS
SOUTHERN SECTION
Costa Mesa 19, Katella 6
Dos Pueblos 31, Ventura 19
Highland 52, Littlerock 12
JSerra 35, Mater Dei 7
La Mirada 7, Mayfair 0
Knight 13, Palmdale 0
Orange Lutheran 26, Santa Margarita 13
Oxnard 41, Santa Barbara 6
Oxnard Pacifica 14, Buena 8
Quartz Hill 20, Lancaster 0
St. Bonaventure 19, Bishop Diego 12
MONDAY’S RESULTS
CITY SECTION
Birmingham 12, Cleveland 6
Crenshaw 37, Hawkins 14
Crenshaw 19, Washington 0
Dorsey 20, View Park 0
Dorsey 15, Fremont 0
Eagle Rock 41, Bernstein 0
El Camino Real 38, Chatsworth 6
Franklin 20, Mendez 6
Fremont 18, View Park 2
GALA 55, Dymally 0
Hollywood 24, Annenberg 0
Huntington Park 22, L.A. Roosevelt 19
Huntington Park 27, South Gate 0
Jefferson 26, Angelou 0
Jefferson 48, Los Angeles 0
King/Drew 6, Carson 6
L.A. Hamilton 26, LACES 6
L.A. Roosevelt 25, South Gate 0
L.A. Wilson 40, Roybal 0
Narbonne 6, Wilmington Banning 0
Narbonne 34, Port of LA 0
San Pedro 27, Carson 0
Santee 33, Foshay 0
Santee 44, Stella 0
Stern 33, Animo De La Hoya 0
Venice 50, Fairfax 0
West Adams 12, Manual Arts 6
Wilmington Banning 52, Port of L.A.
WISH Academy 13, West Adams 12
SOUTHERN SECTION
Alhambra 18, Keppel 13
Anaheim 26, Savanna 0
Anaheim Canyon 34, Cypress 33
Bellflower 6, Mayfair 0
Bishop Amat 38, Ramona Convent 0
Brentwood 19, Windward 18
California 12, Whittier 6
Canyon Springs 12, Vista del Lago 6
Castaic 12, Valencia 7
Cerritos 32, Whitney 0
Compton 26, Millikan 18
Corona del Mar 14, Los Alamitos 0
Corona Santiago 20, Corona Centennial 7
Covina 26, Northview 12
Desert Hot Springs 38, Banning 20
Downey 46, Gahr 6
Eastvale Roosevelt 24, Riverside King 14
El Rancho 25, Santa Fe 19
Esperanza 24, Crean Lutheran 13
Etiwanda 19, Upland 13
Glendora 32, Claremont 7
Great Oak 16, Chaparral 8
Hart 36, Golden Valley 6
Huntington Beach 18, Newport Harbor 12
Knight 32, PACS 6
La Canada 40, Temple City 6
Lakewood St. Joseph 46, Bishop Montgomery 20
La Mirada 6, Norwalk 0
La Palma Kennedy 33, Tustin 6
La Serna 12, Villa Park 7
Linfield Christian 40, Aquinas 0
Loma Linda Academy 12, Norte Vista 6
Long Beach Wilson 13, Long Beach Cabrillo 6
Los Osos 47, St. Lucy’s 31
Montclair 6, Chino 0
Montebello 12, San Gabriel 2
Moreno Valley 25, Riverside North 19
Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 2, Fairmont Prep 0
Norco 30, Corona 6
Orange 25, Westminster La Quinta 0
Palm Springs 7, La Quinta 6
Patriot 39, La Sierra 12
Placentia Valencia 27, Segerstrom 0
Portola 50, Rosary 12
Ramona 31, Redlands Adventist Academy 25
Saddleback 18, Los Amigos 14
San Dimas 21, Alta Loma 12
San Marino 53, Rio Hondo Prep 0
Santa Ana Foothill 19, La Habra 13
Saugus 19, West Ranch 6
Schurr 20, Bell Gardens 0
Shadow Hills 31, Indio 0
South El Monte 39, Arroyo 6
St. Bernard 24, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 0
St. Mary’s Academy 20, St. Anthony 12
Sunny Hills 13, Brea Olinda 0
Temecula Prep 33, San Jacinto Valley Academy 0
Vasquez 15, Canyon Country Canyon 0
West Covina 33, Hacienda Heights Wilson 12
Western 18, Magnolia 0
Western Christian 25, Ontario Christian 0
Westminster 20, Laguna Hills 12
Westridge 27, Monrovia 18
Woodbridge 26, Laguna Beach 6
Yorba Linda 21, El Dorado 6
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
SOUTHERN SECTION
Aquinas 33, Indian Springs 7
Arroyo Valley 28, Colton 0
Beaumont 39, Redlands East Valley 6
Beckman 41, Capistrano Valley 0
Bishop Amat 32, Don Lugo 0
Bonita 20, Ayala 13
Brentwood 26, Providence 6
Cajon 26, Citrus Valley 7
Canyon Springs 27, Valley View 20
Cerritos 34, Glenn 0
Citrus Valley 26, Cajon 6
Eastside 13, Palmdale 0
Elsinore 22, Tahquitz 6
Fountain Valley 30, Lakewood 6
JSerra 18, Orange Lutheran 7
Kaiser 32, Jurupa Hills 8
Knight 39, Littlerock 12
La Canada 26, Westridge 20
Murrieta Valley 13, Temecula Prep 7
Newbury Park 57, Calabasas 0
Norte Vista 12, La Sierra 0
Oxnard 40, Oxnard Pacifica 6
Patriot 12, Ramona 0
Quartz Hill 7, Antelope Valley 6
Rancho Cucamonga 48, St. Lucy’s 6
Rialto 46, Rim of the World 6
Rio Mesa 39, Santa Barbara 12
San Dimas 13, South Hills 12
San Gorgonio 12, Summit 6
SEED LA 21, Shalhevet 6
Simi Valley 41, Oak Park 34
St. Mary’s Academy 28, Peninsula 0
Temecula Prep 19, Murrieta Mesa 0
Temescal Canyon 12, West Valley 6
Upland 27, Chino Hills 6
Ventura 33, Buena 0
Western Christian 39, Serrano 0
INTERSECTIONAL
Redondo Union 13, Narbonne 6
US President Donald Trump accused the UN of aiding uncontrolled migration and told the General Assembly a ‘UN-funded assault’ was taking place against Western countries and their borders.
Published On 23 Sep 202523 Sep 2025
Share
Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia have recognised Palestinian statehood, a symbolic response to Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and territorial expansion in the occupied West Bank.
More states, including France and Portugal, are expected to recognise Palestine in the coming days after the announcements on Sunday.
list of 3 itemsend of list
Israel has responded in recent days by doubling down.
Shortly before the announcement, Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the PM had called the act “absurd and simply a reward for terrorism”.
At an event in occupied East Jerusalem on September 15, Netanyahu promised his supporters that there “will be no Palestinian state”.
While this act by the three states – Canada, the UK and Australia – grabbed the world’s attention and many headlines, analysts tell Al Jazeera that it is a small, symbolic step in the ongoing indignity, murder and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, albeit it one with some weight.
“Recognition matters in this case because close US allies have so far reserved it until the day after a negotiated agreement,” Rida Abu Rass, a Palestinian political scientist, told Al Jazeera.
“It matters because these countries broke ranks. In terms of its impact, Israel finds itself further isolated, and I think that’s meaningful.”
On the same day as recognition was announced, at least 55 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza on Sunday. At least 37 of them were killed in Gaza City, where the Israeli army has unleashed another brutal campaign of violence.
Analysts have expressed scepticism that recognition might improve the material conditions of Palestinians currently suffering under Israeli aggression.
Israel has killed at least 65,283 people and wounded 166,575 in its war on Gaza since October 2023; figures that are thought by many experts to be much higher. During the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel, 1,139 people died, and another 200 or so were taken captive.
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military and violent settler attacks have killed more than 1,000 people, as the Israeli government threatens to completely annex the entire territory.
Israel’s war, which both Israeli and international experts and human rights groups call a genocide, is not expected to subside after Sunday’s actions, analysts said.
“As long as it doesn’t come with concrete actions, such as sanctions, arms embargo, and the implementation of a no-fly zone in occupied Palestine with a coalition of forces from the international community to alleviate the suffering of the people, I remain pessimistic,” Chris Osieck, a freelance researcher who has contributed to investigations from Forensic Architecture and Bellingcat on Palestine and Israel, told Al Jazeera.
Mohamad Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that the move is mainly performative.
“I think they’re under increasing pressure from the international community and also from their local populations to do something,” he said.
“This is, I think, their way of doing something or saying that they did something without actually taking substantive action.”
Still, recognition does mean that the three countries can now enter into treaties with the Palestinian government and can name full ambassadors.
For its part, the UK will recognise Husam Zomlot as the Palestinian ambassador to the UK.
Zomlot said in a statement that the “long-overdue recognition marks an end to Britain’s denial of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination, freedom and independence in our homeland”.
“It marks an irreversible step towards justice, peace and the correction of historic wrongs, including Britain’s colonial legacy, the Balfour Declaration and its role in the dispossession of the Palestinian people,” he said.
Much of the world already recognises the State of Palestine.
The recent additions mean that only the United States, a handful of European and Baltic states, South Korea, Japan, and a few other states do not recognise Palestine.
However, even with most of the world on board with Palestinian statehood, the country is still not a full member state of the United Nations.
“[Recognition] brings no new UN privileges, nor does it enable Palestine to become a member of new intergovernmental institutions – not without US support,” Abu Rass said.
“Palestine is currently a ‘non-member observer state’,” he explained. “To become a full member would require the recommendation of the UN Security Council [followed by UN General Assembly vote] – unlikely, to say the least, given US veto powers.”
Still, it could be a first step.
International pressure has intensified on Israel to end its war on Gaza, particularly from Europe. Boycott campaigns are gaining momentum that could see Israel expelled from Eurovision and participation in international sporting competitions.
And the European Union has recently discussed increasing tariffs on some Israeli goods and applying sanctions to some Israeli leaders.
“Recognition has no direct impact on Israel’s actions in Gaza, but it may signal these countries’ willingness to take real measures, which would have a direct impact on Israel’s actions in Gaza, such as two-way arms embargos – meaning, neither selling weapons to Israel, nor buying weapons from Israeli manufacturers,” Abu Rass said.
Analysts told Al Jazeera they believe some Western states, despite discussing Palestinian recognition for months, are taking the step as a punishment for Israel’s aggression on Gaza and the occupied West Bank. This is bolstered by conditional support for statehood expressed by some states.
They say that these leaders are responding to myriad domestic pressures in their own countries, including pressure from pro-Israel groups with ties to establishment parties, at the same time that a growing chorus of constituents is calling for state action and penalties to stop genocide.
“This is happening now because of growing domestic pressures on these centre-left governments,” Abu Rass said.
“Nothing changed, per se [but] what we’re seeing is a slow, cumulative reaction to a low simmer – a growing liberal disaffection – and these steps should be seen as a low-cost way to satisfy constituents’ demands.”
“They’re saving face,” Abu Rass added.
In July, the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would recognise Palestine unless Israel took “substantive steps” to end its war on Gaza.
On Sunday, Starmer reiterated that recognition comes as a response to the political realities in Israel and Palestine today.
“This is intended to further that cause,” Starmer said on Sunday. “It’s done now because I’m particularly concerned that the idea of a two-state solution is reducing and feels further away today than it has for many years.”
Australia also made its recognition conditional, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying: “Further steps, including the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of embassies, will be considered as the Palestinian Authority makes further progress on commitments to reform.”
One hundred and eight years ago, the British government signed the Balfour Declaration, declaring its support for a “national home for the Jewish people” in the land of Palestine.
The United Kingdom has been a historical ally for the state of Israel against the Palestinians, so recognition of the state is also, to some, a recognition of the UK’s complicity in the displacement and dispossession of Palestinians.
“Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution,” UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said during a speech at the UN in July.
Despite the historic symbolism, analysts were not convinced that the future would break from the last 100 years.
“Even if Palestine is recognised by every country in the world, little would change for Palestinians unless the Israeli occupation is dismantled,” Abu Rass said.
“International pressure has a role to play here, but it needs to move further than mere recognition, including sanctions, cutting diplomatic ties, the prosecution of war criminals, and cultural boycotts.”
West Jerusalem, Israel – Two blocks from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in West Jerusalem, where Balfour and Gaza Streets meet behind layers of steel barricades and weekly pro-hostage rallies, a tiny cornerside cafe, oddly unnamed and half-hidden, buzzed with mid-morning chatter.
As phones lit up with news that United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer had announced formal recognition of a Palestinian state, a few patrons looked up, while others shrugged.
list of 3 itemsend of list
“Of course I’m angry,” said Shira Hazan, 55, a shop owner and longtime supporter of Netanyahu’s Likud party. “But what changes? Britain doesn’t bury our soldiers. It’s just politics while Iran is shooting at us.”
A man sitting next to her, like most of those at the cafe, waved the headline off with a flick of the hand, treating it as little more than background noise.
“It’s colonial arrogance, nothing less,” he said, wearing a knitted kippah and barely looking up as be scrolled through his phone.
But the UK’s recognition of Palestine, while not a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote like Israel’s in 1948, could still set off a wave. The decision marks the first time a major Western power that once held the Mandate for Palestine – given to Britain by the UN predecessor, The League of Nations, after the end of World War I to administer what is today the area that includes Gaza, the West Bank and Israel – has formally recognised Palestinian statehood.
Australia and Canada have also issued recognitions in what appeared to be a coordinated move, piling pressure on Israel and placing the three countries at odds with the United States.
The announcement comes shortly before a special summit on the war in Gaza, to be held by the UNGA on Monday. The gathering is part of a diplomatic initiative led by France and Saudi Arabia to revive the two-state solution as the only viable path to ending the decades-long conflict in the region.
Several countries, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Malta, have said they will join the more than 145 UN members that already recognise a Palestinian state.
Though anticipated for some time now, the statehood declaration set off an immediate and forceful backlash, with leaders across Israel’s divided political establishment and segments of the public urging swift and sweeping retaliation.
Within hours, far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he would push for an immediate annexation of the occupied West Bank, describing the recognition as “a prize for the murderous Nukhba terrorists”, a reference to the Hamas unit that led the October 7, 2023, assault in southern Israel.
He pledged “the complete dismantling of the ‘Palestinian’ Authority” and added that he intended to “submit a proposal for the application of sovereignty at the upcoming cabinet meeting”.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum – a group that campaigns for the safe return of captives taken to Gaza during the 2023 attack on Israel, which has camped out for more than 740 days outside Netanyahu’s home in Tel Aviv – condemned what it called “the unconditional recognition of a Palestinian state while turning a blind eye to the fact that 48 hostages remain in Hamas captivity”.
The outcry extended to the opposition. Benny Gantz, the centrist former defence minister and a leading Netanyahu rival, warned that the move would only harden Hamas’s grip and complicate efforts to free the captives held in Gaza.
“Recognising a Palestinian state after October 7 ultimately only emboldens Hamas, extends the war, distances the prospects of a hostage deal, and sends a clear message of support to Iran and its proxies,” Gantz said. In an English-language post on X directed at Western capitals, he added: “If advancing peace & stability in the Middle East is what you seek, dear Western Leaders – and not buckling to domestic political pressure, then maximum pressure must be applied to Hamas to relinquish power and return the hostages before anything else.”
One of the lone voices calling Starmer’s recognition “a step in the right direction” is left-wing Israeli parliamentarian Ofer Cassif. He told Al Jazeera that the Israeli government treats recognition as “a win-lose game”, when in reality, it could be a win for all sides.
In January 2024, Cassif signed a petition supporting South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, prompting efforts to expel him from the Knesset on the grounds of supporting armed struggle. He was eventually suspended for six months.
“Recognition is a crucial first step toward a just peace, and all other countries that have not yet done so should follow suit,” Cassif told Al Jazeera. “But it must not become an end goal by itself. A complete arms embargo on Israel must follow, until the government of death and destruction ends the genocide in Gaza and dismantles the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.”
Asked about further UN actions, he said that he would “absolutely” support a peacekeeping force and reactivating anti-apartheid mechanisms used in South Africa, which included weapons and oil embargoes, among other moves.
Noam Achimeir, 29, a PhD candidate at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University who described himself as left-leaning, took issue with the timing of the Palestinian statehood announcements.
“Look, I believe in two states, I’ve marched for peace; I’ve argued with my parents about the occupation for years. But this?” Achimeir said. “This is the absolute worst moment. We’re under missile fire, families are hiding in shelters, and people are still held hostage. When countries make a grand gesture right now, it feels like rewarding the people doing that to us.”
However, he also argued that Israel cannot “control millions of Palestinians forever”.
“Maybe it’s symbolic. But symbols matter,” he told Al Jazeera. “If Britain recognises Palestine, maybe it forces us to admit this conflict won’t just vanish.”
Eliyahu Korenman, 42, a religious Zionist from the illegal settlement of Shilo north of Jerusalem who said he backed Ben-Gvir at the last election, said that London’s decision “tells Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran to keep firing rockets, holding hostages, killing Jews – and the world will reward you”.
“Every Israeli knows Palestine is just another word for surrender,” Korenman said. “If anything, the timing proves we were right all along. The only way forward is to hold on tighter, to build more, to show the world we don’t need their approval. The world doesn’t understand that.”
Yael Ben Eshel, 27, a veterinary apprentice from West Jerusalem who voted for Netanyahu’s Likud, was also dismissive.
“Honestly? Who cares? Britain hasn’t mattered here in decades. They can recognise Palestine, they can recognise the moon, it changes nothing on the ground,” she told Al Jazeera. “We don’t wake up tomorrow and give up land because of what they say.
“It’s for their politics, for the immigrants and the refugees, so forgive me if I don’t get worked up about a British speech,” Ben Eshel added, echoing Netanyahu’s comments last week on Israel’s increased international isolation, which the prime minister blamed in part on Muslim minorities in the West, rather than Israel’s killing of more than 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
‘Britain cannot wash its hands of history’
The announcement lands amid a tense military escalation, where the Israeli army recently deployed a third division into Gaza City as part of an operation dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots B”, expanding a months-long offensive in the enclave that has killed hundreds in an area where famine has also been declared.
It also followed a drumbeat of moves by Israel’s hard-right government aimed at forestalling Palestinian statehood. Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich last week unveiled a proposal to annex 82 percent of the occupied West Bank, an idea he framed as a permanent bulwark against a two-state solution.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu signed a controversial settlement expansion agreement this month, reiterating his long-held rejection of a Palestinian state and declaring that “there will be no Palestinian state; this place belongs to us”.
“Britain set the stage. First, it promised Arabs freedom if they fought the Ottomans, then, secretly carved up the region in Sykes-Picot [treaty]. It told Jews one thing in the Balfour Declaration and told Arabs another,” Achimeir said, in criticism of the UK’s policy in the aftermath of World War I.
Daniel Darby, 51, an anti-Zionist from Pardes Hanna, north of Tel Aviv, agreed, stating that London’s recognition of a Palestinian state today is “an empty, symbolic gesture that will not change a thing for the people in the occupied West Bank and for the people who are now suffering horrific genocide in Gaza”.
“The UK, which together with other European imperialistic forces is responsible for the creation of the Zionist state, is now even more fully responsible for the horrific acts taking place in occupied Palestine by supplying reconnaissance, intelligence, and all kinds of military support for Israel,” Darby said.
He added that recognition alone is meaningless without real consequences.
“The UK will not clear its past and its responsibility unless it takes action now, with a full weapons embargo and full sanctions on the state of Israel.”
This article is published in collaboration with Egab.
In April last year, I wrote that, given the genocide it is committing in Gaza, its violent occupation of the West Bank, numerous attacks on its neighbours, and apparent disregard for international and human rights law, it was time for the international community to declare Israel a rogue state. As if we hadn’t received enough confirmation of its rogue status since then, on September 9, Israel went ahead and carried out a strike on Qatar, a key mediator in negotiations between Hamas and Israel. This, while Gaza’s devastation deepens by the day.
The last remaining high rises in Gaza City are now being flattened, and hundreds of thousands of people who had already been displaced multiple times are being pushed towards the south of the enclave. Israel claims the south is a “humanitarian zone”, but we know well that there is nowhere in Gaza where Palestinians are safe.
So, in the midst of all this, it feels futile to celebrate the United Nations General Assembly vote where 142 member states backed “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” towards a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. The same resolution, rejected by just 12 states including Israel and the United States, also called on Hamas to free all hostages, end its rule in Gaza, and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, in line with the objective of establishing a sovereign and independent Palestinian state.
Gaza is still smouldering, and Palestinian communities are being systematically erased in the occupied West Bank. So how does it make sense to talk about a Palestinian state? Who, or what, would such a state serve?
Before this vote, the vast majority of countries in the world had already recognised the State of Palestine. Those missing from this map of recognition were primarily states in the Global North.
Through the UN General Assembly vote, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Malta, Belgium, Canada, and Australia have now signalled their support for Palestinian statehood, aligning themselves with the global majority. But let us be clear: these countries have no claim to the moral high ground.
We should remember that they waited through two years of Israeli genocide, which has killed at least 65,000 Palestinians, before voting in favour of a Palestinian state. They were similarly oblivious to the Palestinian right to self-determination during the years of Israeli and Egyptian-imposed military siege in Gaza before October 7, 2023. They did nothing to quell the ever-expanding illegal settlement movement in the occupied West Bank or the sharp increase in settler violence. In fact, they have done nothing to support the Palestinian right to self-determination since 1948.
So, why should this time be any different?
In fact, it is not different at all. As a scholar of international law, Noura Erakat recently told Al Jazeera, “It is way too little, far too late.” And these declarations are only meant to distract from the fact that many of these countries have financially and militarily enabled Israel to carry out its genocide.
The proof is in the pudding: the Palestinian state that is on offer. And what is clear is that Palestinian rights are not a priority.
A few weeks before, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the United Kingdom would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September 2025 unless Israel took “substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.” There was no mention of Palestinians’ inalienable right to self-determination or of the legitimacy of the Palestinian national struggle. Rather, it was framed as a punishment for Israel. Does this mean that if Israel had stopped the genocide and paid lip service to the (already dead) two-state solution, Britain would have voted differently?
Canada’s promise of recognition came with a long list of caveats. Notably, on the Government of Canada’s website, in the items that make up its “policy on key issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”, the first commitment is “support for Israel and its security”.
It adds that Israel has the “right under international law to take the necessary measures, in accordance with human rights and international humanitarian law, to protect the security of its citizens from attacks by terrorist groups.” But what if Israel is already in violation of international law – as it is right now? Will Canada still stand by Israel and its security?
After reaffirming its support for Israel, Canada then declares support for the Palestinians’ “right to self-determination” and “a sovereign, independent, viable, democratic, and territorially contiguous Palestinian state”. But this comes with strings attached, including demands for governance reforms in the Palestinian Authority, the demilitarisation of the Palestinian state, and elections in 2026, “in which Hamas can play no part”.
Australia’s promise of recognition was similarly predicated on the Palestinian Authority pursuing certain reforms, including the termination of prisoner payments, schooling reform, and demilitarisation. It also demanded that Hamas “end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons”.
The joint statement by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese added: “There is much more work to do in building the Palestinian state. We will work with partners on a credible peace plan that establishes governance and security arrangements for Palestine and ensures the security of Israel.” But what of the security of Palestinians? Will Australia take any measures to protect them from Israel’s mass extermination? Or are Palestinians simply meant to work on building a state that Western powers can tolerate, while hoping that the Israeli government will eventually grow tired of its genocidal campaign?
The unbearable tragedy of it all is that we have already seen what happens when a peace process prioritises Israel’s right to security over Palestinians’ right to self-determination. It was called the Oslo Accords, where a genuine guarantee of a Palestinian state was never on the table.
In his essay The Morning After, Edward Said wrote of the vulgarity of the ceremonial way the Accords were signed at the White House and the diminutive manner in which Yasser Arafat offered thanks. Said rued that the Oslo Accords were not a path to statehood. Rather, they symbolised the “astonishing proportions of the Palestinian capitulation”.
It resulted in a Palestinian Authority — yes, the same Palestinian Authority that Western leaders have hedged their bets on — that had all the bells and whistles of a state. But the real state never arrived. With complete impunity, Israel continued its efforts to erase Palestinians. And the Palestinian Authority became an extension of the settler-colonial project, collaborating with Israeli forces to actively undermine the Palestinian national movement, all in the name of Israel’s security.
So, if Western leaders are sincere about “solving” the crisis, the only good solution is the one that places Palestinian rights on centre stage and involves some mechanism of political leverage and censure that is able to curb Israel’s rogue-like conduct. Without it, any recognition of Palestinian statehood is an empty performance, and the Israeli campaign of genocide and erasure is bound to continue with complete impunity.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
Video shows US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posing for photographs while placing a note in the Western Wall alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rubio is reportedly ‘seeking answers’ from officials after Israel’s strike on Qatar upended efforts to end the Gaza war.
Published On 14 Sep 202514 Sep 2025
Share
Banks across Western Europe are reimagining financial services by blending traditional strengths with fintech-inspired innovations, creating more integrated, digital-first, and customer-centric experiences.
Traditional banks and agile neobanks in Western Europe are creating an integrated and personalized banking experience that emphasizes cocreation, extensive digital upgrades, and native digital efficiencies.
Portugal’s Millennium bcp has focused on cocreation with SMEs to develop a platform that simplifies complex processes and enhances accessibility, aligning with the broader trend toward a seamless, integrated, and personalized banking experience. Its success in digital transformation, recognized by high satisfaction scores, showcases how established banks are adopting a fintech-like approach to meet client needs. Turkey’s Isbank has also simplified and significantly upgraded its digital services, offering fully digital onboarding and a revamped super-app.
The banks prioritize an intuitive and efficient digital experience. Isbank leads in open banking and introducing comprehensive digital treasury and cash management tools. While Millennium bcp emphasizes integrating external services for billing and taxes, Isbank focuses on AI-powered cash flow forecasting and real-time account surveillance.
Spain’s BBVA prioritizes embedded finance, with dedicated teams driving growth in its partner network and customer acquisition. Specialized teams handle partnership origination, development, and support by identifying platforms, codeveloping integrated solutions, and driving usage. After launch, partner-relationship managers oversee quality, performance, and compliance while also identifying new use cases. This comprehensive approach has enabled rapid scaling of the bank’s embedded finance footprint, delivering contextual financial services within trusted platforms.
BBVA’s embedded finance capabilities stand out through API-based solutions that address clients’ operational needs and can be delivered where needed, making banking simple, immediate, and relevant. Financial services support businesses’ operational needs by adding value within partners’ platforms.
A reverse factoring API with a syndicated model automates and centralizes supplier payments, enabling the real-time processing of large volumes of invoices for same-day payment and risk sharing, without requiring direct engagement with BBVA channels. Treasury APIs for SMEs integrate seamlessly into SME systems, making cash flow, collections, and payment processing easier. Embedded vehicle financing helps dealers increase sales and improve customer satisfaction.
Revolut, a UK neobank, exemplifies the core principles of speed, accessibility, simplicity, and protection that traditional banks like Millennium bcp and Isbank are working to integrate into their offerings. Although they seek to enhance existing corporate banking through digital transformation, Revolut was built from the ground up with these digital efficiencies in mind, providing a comprehensive solution within a single app. All three seek to address common pain points in traditional banking and position themselves as strategic financial partners—whether through cocreation with clients (Millennium bcp), extensive digital upgrades (Isbank), or a digital-native approach (Revolut).
NEWS BRIEF The Kremlin has firmly rejected Western-led security guarantees for Ukraine, stating that foreign military contingents cannot ensure the country’s security and insisting any meaningful dialogue must be based on the 2022 Istanbul agreements—which would require Ukraine to abandon NATO ambitions, adopt neutral status, and receive security assurances from major powers including the U.S., […]
The post Kremlin Rejects Western Troop Deployment for Ukraine Security appeared first on Modern Diplomacy.
There’s already two games in the books for some high school football players, so let’s take a look at the impressive two-game statistical performances.
Quarterback Deshawn Laporte of Burbank has nine touchdown passes with one interception. Ditto for quarterback Cooper Berry of Maranatha. Quarterback Caden Jones of Crean Lutheran has passed for 601 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.
Quentin Pacelli of Garden Grove is averaging 11.2 yards per carry with 584 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.
Blake Wong of Norco has six touchdown receptions among his 18 catches. Mahseiah Banks of La Palma Kennedy has caught eight touchdowns.
Kane Casani of Loyola has been credited with 31 tackles in two games. Samu Moala of Leuzinger has 5 1/2 sacks with Khary Wilder of Gardena Serra has five sacks. King Butler of Norte Vista has four interceptions. Ernest Nunley of Western and Tareq Abdul of L.A. University have three interceptions.
Aaron Rivera of El Monte is five of six on field-goals attempts. Parker Wilson of San Marino has six punts with a 49.7-yard average.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
US and Western support have been vital in Israel’s war.
Weapons and support from the West, led by the United States, have been central to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
The United Kingdom’s and European Union’s relations with Israel remain essentially unchanged despite the war.
Is this complicity? And could there be legal consequences for Western nations and their leaders?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Michael Lynk – former United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in occupied Palestinian territory
Yara Hawari – co-director of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network
Ralph Wilde – professor of international law at University College London
Published On 31 Aug 202531 Aug 2025