The call to prayer echoes across the neighbourhood as people congregate under the sweeping domes and tall minarets of Ghana’s National Mosque in Accra. For many, it is a place of faith, community and national pride. Yet, few pause to consider that this landmark – now firmly part of Accra’s
PM Modi’s work-from-home appeal has revived the debate over whether hybrid offices can ease Delhi-NCR pollution by reducing traffic, fuel use and daily commutes With two work-from-home appeals within 24 hours, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reignited the debate around hybrid and remote working
A federal appeals court has put a hold on a ruling that found President Donald Trump's global tariffs unlawful. This means importers will continue to pay the 10% tariffs for now. The court is considering the administration's request to keep collecting the levies while it appeals the decision
Nahid Rana's career-best 5-40 powered Bangladesh to a commanding 104-run victory over Pakistan in the first test. Chasing 268, Pakistan crumbled to 163 all out, with Rana's devastating spell after tea proving decisive. Bangladesh had earlier declared their second innings at 240-9
Sebastian Muñoz-Najar has only just finished primary school. The 13-year-old is still years away from learning how to drive. He cannot legally work. He's too young to even have a social media account. But he's already despairing about his future housing prospects
Prateek Yadav, son of Mulayam Singh Yadav and husband of BJP leader Aparna Bisht Yadav, has passed away. He was 38 years old. He was taken to Civil Hospital in Lucknow. Doctors there pronounced him brought dead. The news of his passing has been confirmed. This is a developing story.Prateek Yadav
Vacations are the time for unplugging from your daily life and focusing on the experiences at hand and not checking your phone constantly to check if that motion alert from your home's CCTV camera was your neighbour's dog or swaying curtains. Yet a lot of home owners
Sugar-free products with sugar. ‘Real’ juices with artificial ingredients. Misleading food ads are fuelling a public health crisis in India. Help Scroll expose the systemic failure. Support our investigation.Sugar-free products with sugar. ‘Real’ juices with artificial ingredients
European recognition of Palestinian state shows US still only power that counts
European recognition of Palestinian state shows US still only power that counts
Britain and France's recognition of a state of Palestine at the United Nations is a historic moment in the century-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But it is also a diplomatic gamble illustrating how major European powers believe the conflict has reached the point where it requires them to take such an unprecedented move.
Faced with the current catastrophe in Gaza, and meting out condemnation for both Israel and Hamas, French President Emmanuel Macron said "right must prevail over might".
His move, co-ordinated with the UK and under Saudi sponsorship, is meant to keep the two-state solution on life support.
They believe this long-held international formula for peace is the only path to a fair, shared future for the two societies.
The alternative, UN Secretary General António Guterres told a UN conference in New York, was a "one-state" solution, meaning Israeli domination and the "subjugation" of Palestinians.
Nothing, he said, could justify their collective punishment, starvation or any form of ethnic cleansing.
Israel is furious and is threatening to respond.
It sees the UN conference - along with recognition of a Palestinian state by the UK, France, Canada, Australia and others - as a reward for Hamas after its attack on Israel and its hostage taking of 7 October 2023.
Some Israeli ministers want the response to be an announcement of annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, forever ruling out a viable Palestinian state on the territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition, including far-right figures whose avowed policy is to expel Palestinians and build Jewish settlements in their place, is intent on pulling the plug on a two-state solution.
President Donald Trump's administration continues to back its Israeli ally, rejecting the Europeans' move, punishing Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas.
It barred him from attending the conference in New York and he spoke via video link instead.
The Palestine conference and the Trump administration's reaction marks the deepest ever split between Washington and its European allies over how to solve the Middle East conflict.
But the Europeans believe they have been left with little choice given the situation on the ground.
Israel is now deploying a third army division into Gaza City, with dozens of Palestinians being killed every day; Hamas continues to hold nearly 50 hostages, many of them dead; while the West Bank is in the grip of Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence.
All this nearly two years on from the 7 October attacks, with few signs that further military pressure will force the surrender by Hamas that Israel seeks.
Macron's strategy is an attempt to show that diplomacy offers a viable alternative.
First to get a workable end to the war in Gaza, followed by a longer term solution in the form of two states - Israeli and Palestinian.
The European countries argue Israel's strategy has failed, resulting only in further civilian suffering and endangering the remaining hostages.
Crucially, the UN conference was also led by Saudi Arabia and supported by the Arab League.
The French argue this shows its form of diplomacy can exert leverage over Hamas because key Arab countries at the conference have now called on the group to disarm, hand its weapons to the PA, adding it can have no future leadership role for Palestinians.
Macron believes the process therefore creates an incentive for Israel, while it also keeps the door open to a normalisation of relations with Saudi Arabia - a long desired goal for Netanyahu and Trump.
But the decision to recognise a Palestinian state against the wishes of Washington amounts to a significant diplomatic gamble.
Watching Macron at the podium in front of the United Nations, you saw a president trying to take on a global leadership role to find a way out of the "nightmare" of Gaza, as the UN secretary general put it, and find a shared Israeli-Palestinian future.
But, speaking in terms of raw power, this was the wrong president.
Without the US leading the effort, there isn't the same kind of meaningful pressure that only Washington can bring to bear on all sides.
And the Trump administration continues to reject the Europeans' approach.
Trump travels to the UN on Tuesday where he will speak and later reportedly meet Arab leaders, entirely separately from their work with the Europeans on Monday.
This lack of co-ordination between key countries adds to the sense of dysfunction, while Qatar as the previous mediator between Israel and Hamas still refuses to become involved again after Israel attacked Hamas leaders on its soil earlier this month.
Both Macron and Starmer brought up their countries' colonial legacies in the Middle East.
They recalled how, after Britain pulled out of historical Palestine in 1948, the international community recognised the state of Israel.
Now, they said, they were recognising the equal right of Palestinians to their own state.
Palestinians welcome their recognition from the Europeans nations, but they also know these are the superpowers of the past.
Their decisions don't count like they once did.
Palestinian statehood only becomes feasible if it's backed by the superpower of today, the United States.
And President Trump so far has other ideas.
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Palestine state recognition ‘when not if’ Palestine state recognition ‘when not if’ Recognition for Palestine state harms the rights of stateless Palestinians What would wider recognition of Palestine mean for Palestinians and Israel France Too Recognises Palestine At UNGA France To Recognise Palestine Israel Condemns Canada’s Plan To Recognize State Of Palestine There Will Be No Palestine State Starmer set to announce UK recognition of Palestinian state on Sunday European recognition of Palestinian state shows US still only power that counts
NEET 2026 cancelled over 'paper leak', new date to be notifiedNEET 2026 cancelled: NEET (UG) is the nationwide entrance examination conducted by the NTA for admission in undergraduate medical programmes. Updated on: May 12, 2026 2:42 PM IST By HT Education Desk Share via Copy link The National
3 hours ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to citizens to pause gold buying for a year. Jewellery associations will meet officials of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) tomorrow, Tuesday, May 12, sources have told CNBC-TV18. It comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to citizens to
3 hours ago
Google lines up premium laptops push, and Android Auto gets a Gemini layerA more premium set of laptops and a refreshed Android Auto iteration, find themselves underlined by Gemini Intelligence Published on: May 12, 2026 10:42 PM IST By Vishal Mathur Share via Copy link It is immediately clear
3 hours ago
Chandigarh: 24-year-old ‘gangraped’, two bookedAccording to the victim, the accused took her to their flat in Amazon City in Kharar where she was confined and raped; raids are being conducted to arrest them, say police Published on: May 13, 2026 7:46 AM IST By HT Correspondent
3 hours ago
Prateek Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger son, dies at 38Civil Hospital's director said prima facie the case appeared to involve suspected poisoning, though exact cause would only be clear after autopsy. Updated on: May 13, 2026 7:59 AM IST By HT Correspondent Share via Copy link Prateek Yadav
3 hours ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Why more buyers are ditching ACs and switching to smart ‘Air Coolers’ this summerSmart air coolers now offer app controls, lower power use and easier cooling management
3 hours ago
'Aur kuch chahiye?': Swiggy Instamart makes ‘emergency delivery’ at wedding venue, company responds with witty replyA viral video showed a Swiggy Instamart delivery arriving inside a wedding venue for a last minute ceremony need. Updated on: May 12
3 hours ago
Did Air India cancel international flights till July? Airline issues clarificationAir India issued a clarification after a post went viral claiming the airline had cancelled all its flights till July due to a fuel shortage. Published on: May 13
3 hours ago
Canara Bank has revised its Marginal Cost of Funds Based Lending Rate (MCLR) across all loan tenors. The bank has increased MCLR rates by 5 basis points (bps) for all maturities, as per a BSE filing from the bank. The new Canara Bank MCRLs are effective from May 12, 2026
3 hours ago
A man who broke into a car and stole hard drives containing unreleased music by Beyoncé has been sentenced to two years in prison. Kelvin Evans, 41, pleaded guilty to charges including entering an automobile and criminal trespass last year in Atlanta, Georgia
3 hours ago
Spotify is back online after suffering a major outage that seemingly affected its services for hours. According to the outage-tracking platform Downdetector, outage reports spiked at around 12:26 pm Eastern Time (ET) on 12 May, with over 15,000 complaints registered at the peak of the disruption
3 hours ago
Donald Gibb cause of death: How did Revenge of the Nerds, Bloodsport actor die? All about ongoing health issuesDonald Gibb, known for his roles in Revenge of the Nerds and Bloodsport, died on Tuesday at the age of 71, as per son, Travis. May 13, 2026
3 hours ago
Elon Musk tried to take control of OpenAI, even suggesting it could pass to his children when he dies, Sam Altman said on Tuesday. Altman is co-founder and chief executive of the artificial intelligence (AI) company behind ChatGPT. He is being sued by Musk
3 hours ago
Alia Bhatt questions why Indian cinema still caters largely to men at the box office: ‘What happens to the women?’According to actor Alia Bhatt, storytelling should take centre stage rather than gender, as she believes films ought to be “gender-agnostic.” May 13, 2026
3 hours ago
Amid split, both factions claim to be real AIADMK in Tamil NaduThe crisis within the AIADMK is the latest political drama to roil Tamil Nadu, where Vijay smashed five decades of Dravidian duopoly. Updated on: May 13, 2026 7:47 AM IST By S Vijay Karthik Share via Copy link The All India Anna Dravida
3 hours ago
Centre rolls out $1.5 billion maritime insurance poolThe pool covers all maritime risks such as hull and machinery, cargo and war risks for Indian flagged or controlled vessels or vessels destined to or starting from India. Published on: May 13
3 hours ago
Who is Aliyah Boston’s boyfriend, Tre-Vaughn Minott? What Fever star has said about relationshipAliyah Boston's relationship with boyfriend Tre-Vaughn Minott has been a major topic of discussion among Indiana Fever fans. Published on: May 13
3 hours ago
President Trump stated that Americans' financial struggles are not a factor in his decision-making regarding Iran, emphasizing that preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is his sole priority. This stance comes as rising energy costs linked to the conflict contribute to inflation and
3 hours ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The American obsession with the iPhone is complicated, as most love-hate relationships are. It sometimes seems like a talisman so magical that we can't fathom living without all the pleasures and conveniences that it bestows almost anytime or anywhere. The iPhone
3 hours ago
Veteran BJP leader Tapas Roy took oath as the pro-tem Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly. Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath. Roy will oversee the oath ceremony for newly elected legislators. This marks a significant moment for the BJP in the state
3 hours ago
Fifty years old this month, Kraftwerk's single Radioactivity was a groundbreaking track that morphed into the German electronic pioneers' most political protest song. From the tremulous opening seconds of Kraftwerk's Radioactivity – a pulsing Geiger counter; escalating synths; shrill morse code
3 hours ago
A consultation about excessive grappling in the penalty area and how to deal with it will take place at the end of the season, referees' chief Howard Webb says. Webb confirmed the move after explaining why disallowing West Ham's last-ditch equaliser against Arsenal on Sunday was the correct
3 hours ago
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay orders closure of 717 TASMAC liquor shops near temples, schools and bus stands within two weeks, citing public welfare and safety concerns Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 TASMAC liquor shops operating near temples
3 hours ago
Steel scrap has become an increasingly strategic resource for countries and their steelmakers as a key input for emissions reductions. India, the world’s second largest steel producer, has set ambitious targets to double the share of scrap use in its total steel output in the coming decades
3 hours ago
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Tuesday appointed his astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vetrivel as his Officer on Special Duty (Political), ANI reported. An order to this effect was issued by the Public Department Secretariat. Vettrivel had been previously associated with former Chief Minister
3 hours ago
Jordan Spieth makes his 10th attempt to complete a career Grand Slam at this week's PGA Championship, trying to snap a nine-year major win drought. In nine prior tries to complete a career Slam at the PGA, his best finish was third in 2019. Newtown Square: Jordan Spieth makes his 10th attempt to
3 hours ago
Google lines up massive Android overhaulCore to a modernised Android is a new Gemini Intelligence layer, which evolves Gemini from a conversational chatbot into an active, contextual assistant. Published on: May 12, 2026 10:41 PM IST By Vishal Mathur Share via Copy link A looming Android
3 hours ago
