The New Arab

The European Commission announced it had been in contact with member states over the potential activation of the statute following Washington's announcement of sanctions against the International Criminal Court, to protect them if the sanctions take effect.

"The blocking statute still remains on the table…We have no definitive date or time for the activation, or we won't prejudge whether we will activate it. We're obviously still hoping that we can find a more optimal outcome to allow the court to continue its vital work," Siobhan McGarry, spokesperson for the Internal Market, Industrial policy, and Financial Services said on 19 October.

3 hours ago |[YT] | 380

The New Arab

Germany called for an investigation of Israeli settler attacks targeting European diplomats and a US news photographer in the occupied West Bank on 19 October.

I think, as a matter of principle, we must of course say that attacks on diplomats – and this also applies to a journalist – should, of course, be criticized. These are troubling reports from the weekend,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said.

5 hours ago |[YT] | 1,322

The New Arab

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday announced plans to step down from power at the end of his third term in 2030.

Observers have long speculated about whether the president could attempt a re-run of the 2019 constitutional amendments and change the rules to allow a fourth term as the head of state.

But in a speech at the Egyptian Military Academy, Sisi vowed not to run for a fourth time and announced plans about how his potential successors would be chosen.

Here's what we know - and what we don't: www.newarab.com/analysis/egypt-will-sisi-really-st…

6 hours ago |[YT] | 66

The New Arab

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz bragged about "wiping out" dozens of villages in southern Lebanon in a television interview on 17 Oct.

In an appearance on Channel 14, the far-right minister said the Israeli military had destroyed more than 60 villages across the so-called security zone that reaches deep inside Lebanon.

"Every single village, we’re talking about 23,000 homes, is in ruins. And that’s not even mentioning the underground infrastructure and the tunnels," he said to a round of applause in the studio.

Read more: www.newarab.com/news/israel-katz-boasts-about-wipi…

8 hours ago |[YT] | 789

The New Arab

UK Foreign Minister Ed Miliband issued a statement warning companies and individuals against bidding for construction projects linked to E1 project, and illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

“Today is the deadline for bids for the E1 settlement tender.

We urge businesses and individuals not to proceed with bids for E1 construction tenders. They should be aware of legal and reputational consequences, including the risk of involving themselves in serious breaches of international law.

This UK Government will not accept the continued displacement of Palestinians and the unlawful occupation that persists.”

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The New Arab

Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered Lina Attalah, Mada Masr’s editor-in-chief, to attend a questioning session on 21 October. The summons did not say why she is being questioned.

“The new investigation, Case 9072/2026, is the sixth case brought against Mada Masr, its journalists and its editor-in-chief in the past six years," News by Mada Masr said. The most recent was in August 2025, when the security prosecution released Attalah on LE30,000 bail. She was questioned at the time on charges of “broadcasting false news” and “using a website without a license,” based on a National Security Agency investigation report, in relation to a Mada Masr story on prisoners’ complaints of abuse in detention facilities”.

11 hours ago |[YT] | 112

The New Arab

Israel's far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, notorious for his anti-Palestinian extremism and calls for the forced expulsion of Palestinians, is urging French Jews to move to Israel.

His appeal comes as Israel's far-right government seeks to exploit unrest in France to boost Jewish immigration ahead of elections.

Read more: www.newarab.com/news/ben-gvir-calls-french-jews-mo…

12 hours ago |[YT] | 388

The New Arab

Ireland's Advertising Standards Authority has provisionally found that Ryanair misled travellers by promoting flights to Dakhla, in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara, as a Moroccan holiday destination.

The airline's promotional material described Dakhla as part of a Moroccan adventure, prompting a complaint from Irish MEP Lynn Boylan.

Boylan argued that presenting the city as Moroccan erases the identity of the indigenous Sahrawi population.

Western Sahara remains classified by the UN as a non-self-governing territory.

Ryanair said its advertising was intended to describe the destination rather than express a political position.

The regulator's preliminary finding must still be approved by its independent council before becoming final.

Read more: www.newarab.com/news/ryanairs-morocco-advert-weste…

12 hours ago |[YT] | 47

The New Arab

Palestinian journalist Bushra al-Taweel has been held in prolonged solitary confinement in an Israeli prison, where she reports repeated beatings, tear gas exposure and deprivation of basic necessities, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club.

The 33-year-old journalist, who campaigns for Palestinian prisoners' rights, was rearrested in February after being released in a prisoner exchange the previous year.

During a recent prison visit, al-Taweel reportedly described repeated raids on her cell, insufficient food, poor-quality drinking water and deteriorating health.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club has called for urgent intervention by international human-rights organisations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to investigate her detention conditions.

Read more: www.newarab.com/news/israel-holds-palestinian-repo…

12 hours ago |[YT] | 352

The New Arab

Rabbi Nikki Golomb was dismissed from her position at Emory University's Hillel organisation in Georgia just over a month after starting the job, allegedly because of her fiancé's pro-Palestinian activism.

Her partner, journalist and activist Sam Stein, told The New Arab that Golomb had expected a routine meeting with her employer when she was informed of her dismissal.

According to Stein, she was shown an engagement photograph identifying him as the person whose activism had raised concerns.

Stein, who has documented Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank, accused the organisation of punishing Golomb for her personal relationship.

Hillels of Georgia disputed his account of the dismissal's motivation, saying the decision was made for legitimate, work-related reasons and complied with its policies.

Read more: www.newarab.com/news/us-rabbi-fired-over-fiances-p…

12 hours ago |[YT] | 203