The British government will suspend 30 arms export licences to Israel due to a “clear risk” they could be used to “commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law”.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced 30 out of 350 arms export licences to Israel will be suspended. He stressed this is “not an arms embargo” nor a blanket ban.

Lammy, however, insisted the partial arms suspension is “not a determination of innocence or guilt” and that “we have not and could not arbitrate on whether or not Israel has breached international humanitarian law”.

The government has also introduced new sanctions on four Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) force targets who play a role in supporting Iranian proxy actions in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

Lammy told the Commons: “Facing a conflict such as this, it is this government’s legal duty to review export licences.

“The assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain UK arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

The government will “continue to support Israel’s right to defence in accordance with international humanitarian laws”, he said, adding Israel could be doing more to ensure life-saving food and medical supplies reach civilians in Gaza. Netanyahu’s government has not “satisfactorily” addressed concerns raised by the UK and allies about this nor claims of mistreatment of detainees.

“Israel’s actions in Gaza continue to lead to immense loss of civilian life, widespread destruction to civilian infrastructure, and immense suffering,” he told the Commons.

Israeli court calls for end to general strike

An Israeli labour court has said a general strike called to demand the government reach a hostage release deal must end.

The strike (which hasn’t impacted the entire country) has affected airports, shopping centres and schools in a day of action calling on the government to agree a Gaza ceasefire deal to release hostages held by Hamas.

The move was organised by Israel’s largest trade union, the Histadrut, and marks the first of its kind since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, where some 250 people were taken hostage by the militant group.

Flights from Israel’s Ben-Gurion airport were halted for two hours, with some slight delays.

The union said banks, some large shopping centres and government offices were closed due to the strike, as well as some transport services, but no major disruptions were reported.

In Tel Aviv, school hours were shortened and public nurseries were closed.

Histadrut said hospitals and healthcare services could also be impacted, with both working on a weekend schedule and on an emergency basis.

Others parts of Israel were not participating in the strike, including in Jerusalem.

There was a night of protests on Sunday, with organisers estimating 500,000 people took to the streets after the bodies of six more hostages were recovered in Gaza.

Demonstrators demanded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas where remaining hostages would be released, chanting: “Now! Now!”.

Thousands of people, some of them weeping, gathered outside Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem. In Tel Aviv, hostages’ relatives marched with coffins.

Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said the hostages would still be alive if Israel had accepted a US-backed ceasefire proposal that Hamas said it had agreed to in July.

Three of the six hostages found dead were reportedly scheduled to be released in the first phase of the deal. Hamas has offered to release the hostages in return for an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants.

The Israeli government blamed Hamas for stalled negotiations, and said the six hostages were killed shortly before Israeli forces discovered their bodies in a tunnel beneath Gaza. “Whoever murders hostages doesn’t want a deal,” he said.

According to the Israeli Health Ministry, the hostages were shot at close range and were recovered just half a mile from where a hostage was rescued alive last week.

Hamas warns: Hostages in coffins if Israel continues attacks

Hamas’ armed wing said the hostages would return to Israel “in coffins” if military pressure continues, warning that “new instructions” had been given to militants guarding the prisoners in case Israeli troops approached.

“Netanyahu insists on freeing the prisoners through military pressure instead of making a deal, which will mean they will return to their families in coffins,” Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.

“New instructions have been given to the mujahideen guarding the prisoners regarding how to deal with them if the occupation army approaches their place of detention,” he said.

Netanyahu had previously said that the six hostages whose bodies were recovered over the weekend had been “executed”.

‘Biden toward take-it-or-leave-it deal with Israel and Hamas’

US President Joe Biden could present a “take-it-or-leave-it” deal to Israel and Hamas this week in the hope of reaching an agreement on a ceasefire.

The NBC report quotes sources, according to which the possibility was floated by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan during a virtual meeting with the hostages’ families.

President Biden on Monday said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure a hostage deal, adding pressure on the Israeli leader to reach a cease-fire agreement.

“Migrants are in my heart’ – Pope

“Migrants are in my heart,” Pope Francis said during the flight to Indonesia, receiving as a gift from a journalist accompanying him a torch used by migrants to signal themselves at sea in the event of a shipwreck.

The journalist was coming from a two-week reportage on the SOS Mediterranee ship Ocean Viking, and the torch, which he gave to Francis with the ship’s T-shirt, had been given to him by a migrant to bring to the Pope.

Moved, the Pontiff thanked him and commented: “Thank you for what you do to tell the stories of migrants. They are in my heart.”

Jakarta is the first stop on his 45th apostolic journey outside Italy. Having left Leonardo da Vinci at 5:33 p.m., the papal flight is scheduled to arrive at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport today at 11:30 a.m., local time.

Francis will then return to Rome in the evening of September 13.

US seizes President Maduro’s airplane

The United States has seized Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s airplane after determining that its acquisition was in violation of US sanctions, among other criminal issues. The US flew the aircraft to Florida on Monday, according to two US officials.

It’s the latest development in what has long been a frosty relationship between the US and Venezuela, and its seizure in the Dominican Republic marks an escalation as the US continues to investigate what it regards as corrupt practices by Venezuela’s government.

The plane has been described by officials as Venezuela’s equivalent to Air Force One and it  has been pictured in previous state visits by Maduro around the world.

Venezuela issues arrest warrant for opposition leader

Venezuelan prosecutors have asked for an arrest warrant to be issued against Edmundo González, the opposition politician widely believed to have beaten President Nicolás Maduro in the recent election, for alleged crimes that could see him spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted.

González, a 75-year-old retired diplomat, was catapulted into the eye of Venezuela’s political storm earlier this year when he agreed to challenge Maduro in the 28 July presidential election in the place of the banned opposition leader María Corina Machado.

Maduro subsequently claimed victory, without providing proof and in spite of a growing body of evidence suggesting the unpopular authoritarian actually suffered a heavy defeat because of public anger over an economic collapse that has seen millions flee abroad.

Countries including Brazil, Colombia and Mexico have refused to accept Maduro’s claim without the publication of detailed evidence while the EU last week declared the Venezuelan strongman had “no democratic legitimacy as president”.

Belgium, Romania propose women for EU Commission posts

Belgium will nominate its federal minister for foreign affairs and trade, Hadja Lahbib, to serve in the next European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen.

The news comes as Romania switched its candidate to be current MEP and former minister for European funds Roxana Mînzatu, as von der Leyen seeks to ensure greater gender balance among her top officials.

The nominations mean women would represent nine out of the 27 most senior officials in the Brussels EU executive, excluding Bulgaria, which has proposed both male and female candidates for von der Leyen to pick from.

Belgium was the last EU country to submit its candidate for the European Commission, missing the 30 August deadline set by von der Leyen.

Chancellor Scholz laments ‘bitter’ night for his SPD

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the far-right surge in Thuringia and Saxony was a “bitter” election night for his centre-left SPD, saying he was speaking in his capacity as an SPD parliamentarian not as chancellor. He urged lawmakers in both states to seek coalitions without the far-right AfD.

“All democratic parties are now called upon to form stable governments without right-wing extremists,” Scholz said, in reference to the AfD. He said the party’s success on Sunday was concerning.

“Our country cannot and must not become accustomed to this,” Scholz said. “The AfD damages our country. It weakens the economy, divides society, and ruins our country’s reputation.”

“The election results of Sunday are bitter – also for us. And yet, the SPD stuck together,” he said, adding that thought the party had conducted a good and clear campaign.

The far-right AfD emerged as strongest party in Thuringia, and a close second in Saxony in Sunday’s votes The newly-formed populist left-wing party BSW also scored well in both states. All three members of Germany’s ruling national coalition struggled in both states.

Putin arrives in ICC member state Mongolia without being arrested

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin arrived on his first visit to a member state of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Mongolia late on Monday.

But despite calls by the EU, the ICC and Ukraine for him to be arrested, Putin was instead warmly welcomed at the international airport in the capital Ulaan Bator by the foreign minister Batmunkh Battsetseg.

It was not clear however why Mongolia’s president Ukhnaa Khurelsukh was not there to welcome him in person.

The official visit comes amid an international warrant for his arrest nearly 18 months ago on charges of war crimes in Ukraine. Members of the international court are bound to detain suspects if an arrest warrant has been issued, but the court doesn’t have any enforcement mechanism.

Putin and Ukhnaa Khurelsukh are to attend a ceremony today marking the 1939 victory of Soviet and Mongolian troops over the Japanese army that had taken control of Manchuria in northeastern China.

Thousands of soldiers died in months of fighting in a dispute over where the border was between Manchuria and Mongolia.

EU outlines €1.3m initiative to make nursing more attractive

The EU executive has unveiled a new initiative aimed at making the nursing profession more attractive to counter an ongoing nurse shortage across Europe.

The initiative is a joint effort between the European Commission and the World Health Organisation’s Regional Office for Europe, focusing on both retaining nurses and increasing their numbers across EU member states.

Funded through the EU4Health programme, a health funding line established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the €1.3 million initiative will roll out various measures over the next three years in at least half of EU member states, prioritising those facing the most severe nurse shortages. These measures include mentoring and training programmes designed to attract young students and mid-career professionals to the nursing field.

UK government to investigate Ticketmaster

The UK government is set to look into Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing model after millions of Oasis fans scrambled for tickets to the band’s reunion tour over the weekend.

Once fans got through hours-long queues to make their purchase, some found that the price of a standing ticket was suddenly 2.5 times more expensive – in one case, going up from £135 to £337.50. Ticketmaster often gives customers just seconds to decide whether to complete a purchase once tickets are in their cart, so they don’t have much time to determine whether such a hefty price increase is worth it.

Many fans didn’t manage to buy Oasis tickets before they sold out on Ticketmaster. So, if they really want to see Liam and Noel Gallagher on stage together for the first time in 16 years, they may have to resort to resale sites where some touts are trying to sell tickets for nearly $8,000 each.