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Members of the UN Security Council have warned that Israel's efforts to expand control in the West Bank posed a threat to prospects of a two-state solution. The situation is "deteriorating rapidly" in the occupied West Bank, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said in a briefing late on Wednesday. "Widespread raids have been accompanied by home takeovers, mass detentions, movement restrictions and repeated displacement of Palestinian families, particularly in the north," DiCarlo said. "We are witnessing the gradual de facto annexation of the West Bank," she said. In the last few weeks, Israel has launched a contentious land regulation process that will deepen its control in the occupied West Bank.Work for West Bank Palestinians increasingl...

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his ‌government wouldn't ⁠repatriate Australian citizens held for years in a Syrian camp. Roj detention camp in northeastern Syria holds families of militants suspected of having links to the so-called "‌Islamic State" group (IS). "We have a very ‌firm view that ‌we won't be providing assistance or repatriation," Albanese told national broadcaster ABC on Tuesday. "We have no sympathy, frankly, for people who travelled overseas in order to participate in what was an attempt to establish a caliphate to undermine and destroy our way of life," he said. "It is unfortunate that children are impacted by this as well, but we are not providing any support." Australians released from Roj camp forced to turn back Albanese's remarks come a day aft...

Ireland's data protection watchdog launched an investigation into Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, on Tuesday, in the latest step the European Union has taken in response to sexualized deepfake images. The "large-scale inquiry" is on behalf of the European Union and will probe whether the AI tool breached the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) said in a statement. The EU is also running its own investigation into Grok and the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, under the powers of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets out rights and protections for EU citizens. Why is Ireland investigating Elon Musk's X? Ireland is taking the lead on the investigation since X's European operations are headq...

Ireland's data protection watchdog launched an investigation into Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, on Tuesday, in the latest step the European Union has taken in response to sexualized deepfake images. The "large-scale inquiry" is on behalf of the European Union and will probe whether the AI tool breached the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) said in a statement. The EU is also running its own investigation into Grok and the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, under the powers of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets out rights and protections for EU citizens. Why is Ireland investigating Elon Musk's X? Ireland is taking the lead on the investigation since X's European operations are headq...

A federal judge has ruled that an exhibit about people enslaved by George Washington, the first president of the United States, must be temporarily restored at Washington's former home in Philadelphia. In her decision on Monday, US District Judge Cynthia Rufe said that all materials must be restored in their original condition while a lawsuit challenging the legality of the removal is underway. The city of Philadelphia had sued after the National Park Service removed explanatory panels and a video installation from Independence National Historical Park in January. The exhibit, which opened in 2010, paid tribute to the nine people enslaved by the Washingtons at the home. In her ruling made Presidents Day, the federal holiday honoring Washington's legacy, the judge also prohibited the Tru...

NATO announced on Wednesday the launch of a mission, called "Arctic Sentry," to bolster its presence in the Arctic, a move intended to appease US President Donald Trump following his retraction of claims on Greenland. The new mission "will leverage NATO's strength to protect our territory and ensure the Arctic and High North remains secure," according to a statement from US General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. "Arctic Sentry underscores the alliance's commitment to safeguard its members and maintain stability in one of the world's most strategically significant and environmentally challenging areas," the statement said. According to NATO, the mission would initially oversee ongoing operations by alliance members in the region, such as upcoming exercises by ...

NATO announced on Wednesday the launch of a mission, called "Arctic Sentry," to bolster its presence in the Arctic, a move intended to appease US President Donald Trump following his retraction of claims on Greenland. The new mission "will leverage NATO's strength to protect our territory and ensure the Arctic and High North remains secure," according to a statement from US General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. "Arctic Sentry underscores the alliance's commitment to safeguard its members and maintain stability in one of the world's most strategically significant and environmentally challenging areas," the statement said. According to NATO, the mission would initially oversee ongoing operations by alliance members in the region, such as upcoming exercises by ...