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The Standard
Audio By VocalizeA Palestinian woman casts her ballot at a polling station during municipal elections in the village of al-Badhan, north of Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on April 25, 2026. [AFP] Palestinians in the West Bank and a central area of Gaza began voting Sat …
Palestinians vote in first elections since Gaza warThe United States sanctioned ICC President Tomoko Akane and trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, calling the ICC "corrupt and fatally politicised"; the ICC responded by calling the sanctions a "flagrant attack" on court independence, with EU officials voicing support for the court's autonomy.
20 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The United States sanctioned ICC President Tomoko Akane and trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, calling the ICC "corrupt and fatally politicised"; the ICC responded by calling the sanctions a "flagrant attack" on court independence, with EU officials voicing support for the court's autonomy.
20 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The UN warns that cheap, increasingly accessible armed drones are emerging as a deadly new threat to aid workers. The technology is making aid operations more dangerous, with 907 aid workers killed, injured, or kidnapped in 2023, and 218 killed, injured, or kidnapped so far in 2026.
19 August 2026 · Capital News →
The UN has warned that more than 1,000 humanitarian workers have been killed over the past three years as aid work becomes increasingly dangerous. Secretary-General António Guterres cited growing attacks in conflict zones, shrinking funding, access restrictions, and new weapons like armed drones as compounding security threats to aid personnel.
19 August 2026 · Capital News →
US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Jared Kushner has arrived in Israel to meet Prime Minister Netanyahu, following rare talks with Hamas to discuss a US-backed Gaza peace plan. Israel rejected Trump's 15-point plan last week, which calls for Hamas disarmament, Israeli troop withdrawal, and Gaza's reconstruction under a new Palestinian civilian administration.
17 August 2026 · Capital News →
US envoy Jared Kushner met Hamas's new leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday to discuss reviving a US-backed Gaza peace plan that Israel has so far rejected. The meeting precedes Kushner's planned discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday, two weeks after Hamas endorsed the latest stage of Trump's Gaza plan.
17 August 2026 · The Standard →
US envoy Jared Kushner met Hamas's leader in Egypt on Sunday to push a Gaza peace plan that Israel has rejected, pressing for verifiable disarmament steps two weeks after Hamas endorsed the latest stage of Trump's plan. Hamas reiterated its commitment to the disarmament roadmap in the talks.
16 August 2026 · The Standard →
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz visited southern Lebanon on Wednesday, vowing to destroy infrastructure and keep troops in a so-called "security zone" in Lebanon as well as in Syria and Gaza. The comments came nearly two months after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-sponsored framework deal involving Hezbollah's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon's south.
13 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Israeli forces moved against settlers who have besieged Palestinian homes near Nablus since Sunday, blocking residents from food and supplies. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee denounced the siege as "thuggish behaviour" and said Israel had intervened at US request, though witnesses said settlers remained in the area.
13 August 2026 · The Standard →
US rights groups including Human Rights Watch sued President Trump over sanctions targeting International Criminal Court judges and prosecutors, arguing the measures violate First Amendment protections and block war crimes victims from pursuing justice.
12 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
U.S. President Trump responded to Iran's peace deal conditions by demanding compensation for deaths in wars, attacks, and protests over a 50-year period, a new proposal that threatens efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices rose 5% as the reparations demand dimmed prospects for a deal.
11 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Four rights groups including Human Rights Watch filed a lawsuit in New York court challenging Trump administration sanctions on International Criminal Court judges and prosecutors, arguing the measures block victims of war crimes from pursuing justice and violate US law including First Amendment protections.
11 August 2026 · The Standard →
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a US-led Gaza plan endorsed by Hamas, putting distance between himself and President Donald Trump as he shores up his political base ahead of close elections. Netanyahu said Israel will not carry out any withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas is genuinely disarmed, despite receiving assurances that Israel would not need to withdraw immediately.
9 August 2026 · The Standard →
US President Donald Trump said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come as soon as Wednesday but warned Iran it would face being "hit very hard" if negotiations fell through. Iran has tightened its grip on the waterway since February 28 and wants to control the strait and charge tolls, which has been a sticking point in talks.
5 August 2026 · The Standard →
US Democrats vote Tuesday in Michigan's Democratic primary for US Senate, choosing between left-wing insurgent Abdul El-Sayed and establishment-backed congresswoman Haley Stevens in a contest serving as a proxy war over Israel, electability, and the party's future direction. The winner will face former Republican congressman Mike Rogers in November for the seat vacated by retiring Senator Gary Peters, in a race central to Democrats' effort to control the Senate.
4 August 2026 · The Standard →
Hamas said Friday it agreed to a US President Donald Trump–announced deal to end its war with Israel, under which it would hand over weapons to a Palestinian governing committee and Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from Gaza. Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir denounced the agreement as unacceptable, while a political source said there would be no Israeli withdrawal unless Hamas undergoes genuine disarmament.
1 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace announced an agreement for Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza to completely disarm, with a senior Hamas official confirming the group's agreement to the plan and Israel yet to comment. The disarmament is part of the second phase of a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan that also includes Israeli troop withdrawal and Gaza reconstruction.
31 July 2026 · Capital News →
The United States and Saudi Arabia struck positions belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces), a network of Shia-majority armed factions established in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group, which includes powerful pro-Iran groups that have long threatened Washington.
30 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President Donald Trump promised to "hit back hard" at Iran after it attacked US bases in Jordan on Wednesday, reigniting Middle East conflict and prompting oil prices to jump five percent amid fears of supply disruptions. Saudi Arabia and the US announced strikes on militant bases in Iraq, while Israel accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of violating a ceasefire.
29 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House Tuesday for his first in-person talks with President Donald Trump since the Iran war began in late February. The closed-door meeting, described by the White House as "positive and productive," lasted about an hour and a half and was dominated by discussion of the conflict, which is currently paused as Washington seeks to give negotiations a chance.
29 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday for the first time since the Iran war began in late February, with the war expected to dominate discussions despite public disagreements between the two leaders.
28 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Palestinian health workers said a 28-year-old woman delivered a stillborn baby in an ambulance after the vehicle was delayed by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on Monday. The woman was six months pregnant and experiencing heavy bleeding when medics collected her; the ambulance faced blocked routes and a closed gate at the Awarta checkpoint.
27 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, subject of an ICC arrest warrant, has criticized former prosecutor Karim Khan as a "con job" following Khan's dismissal over allegations of sexual misconduct. Khan had pushed in 2024 for Netanyahu and other Israeli officials to be charged with alleged war crimes related to the Gaza war.
27 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant, attacked former prosecutor Karim Khan as a "con job" after Khan's removal for sexual misconduct allegations. Khan had pushed in 2024 for Netanyahu and other Israeli officials to be charged with war crimes over the Gaza war; 82 of 125 ICC member nations voted to remove him on Friday.
26 July 2026 · The Standard →
International Criminal Court member states voted to remove prosecutor Karim Khan following allegations of sexual misconduct against a female staff member. Khan, who denies the allegations, was dismissed by 82 of 125 members for "serious misconduct and a serious breach of duty."
25 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The International Criminal Court's 125 member states voted 82–in favour to dismiss Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan over alleged sexual misconduct, including an improper sexual relationship with a junior staff member and attempts to stop her complaint. Khan, elected in 2021, has denied all allegations and said he will challenge the decision through legal mechanisms.
25 July 2026 · Capital News →
The International Olympic Committee has rejected a complaint filed by human rights NGO FairSquare against FIFA president Gianni Infantino for alleged breaches of rules on political neutrality. The IOC Ethics Commission said the complaint falls outside its jurisdiction, noting that international federations maintain independence in their governance.
25 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday and attend the funeral service for Senator Lindsey Graham, according to Netanyahu's office. The visit comes amid occasional public disagreements between the two leaders over handling of the war with Iran.
25 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The International Criminal Court's 125 member states convened Friday to decide the fate of prosecutor Karim Khan, who was suspended over allegations of sexual assault against a staff member, which he denies. Khan stepped back from his duties in May 2025 to fight the allegations made by a female colleague after an inquiry launched the previous year.
25 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Iran's Revolutionary Guards targeted US radar and air defence installations in the Gulf on Tuesday and warned of "more decisive and powerful" attacks to come, as Houthi rebels in Yemen blockaded Saudi ports and the conflict threatened to widen. The strikes followed US attacks on Iranian military positions and deaths of at least three US soldiers in recent days.
21 July 2026 · The Standard →
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis announced a maritime embargo of Saudi Arabia, stepping up tensions as the rebels threatened the top oil exporter's ability to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade, if enforced, could strain Saudi Arabia's economy by cutting off Red Sea port access and hurt global markets reliant on Saudi crude exports.
20 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →