Month: August 2016

By Jeffrey Heller and Arshad Mohammed JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Israel approved on Wednesday 284 new housing units in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, drawing a U.S. accusation that its policies could expand settlements in a “potentially unlimited way.” U.S. officials said the criticism from the U.S. State Department marked the first time it has suggested in public that Israel may be moving toward unlimited settlement expansion on land the Palestinians seek to establish their own state. The U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the latest language was unusually strong but reflected a change in tone rather than any major shift in U.S. policy.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The head of the United Nations nuclear test ban treaty organization says it should take at most five years for Israel to ratify the treaty — and he thinks Iran will also ratify but the timing is uncertain.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As summer temperatures soared outside, the world’s largest indoor theme park, featuring popular Marvel and Cartoon Network-branded rides, opened its doors to the public on Wednesday in the Middle East’s tourist hub of Dubai — the latest in a myriad of new attractions here.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The Latest on Europe’s response to the wave of immigration from the Middle East and Africa (all times local):

PALERMO, Sicily (AP) — Two Eritrean baby boys were recovering well at a hospital in Palermo on Wednesday, a week after they were born prematurely in Libya and then — at only 5 days old — put on a cramped boat headed to Europe’s shores.

President Andrej Kiska named Arpad Ersek as Slovakia’s new transport minister on Wednesday to shore up the governing coalition after a split in one of the four ruling parties. Prime Minister Robert Fico’s leftist Smer party won a second consecutive term in an election in March but lost its parliamentary majority and had to form a coalition with three other parties. The previous transport minister, Roman Brecely, resigned on Tuesday after his centrist party Siet (Net), part of the five-month-old governing coalition, saw five out of its seven members of parliament bolt over internal disagreements.

Islamic State group spokesman and top strategist Abu Mohamed al-Adnani has been killed in Syria, the group said, with both Washington and Moscow claiming credit. In Washington, the Pentagon said US-led coalition forces had targeted Adnani in an air strike in Syria’s Aleppo province on Tuesday but did not immediately confirm his death. Regardless of who was responsible, analysts say his death will be a major bow to IS, which has suffered a series of setbacks this year including territorial losses in Syria and Iraq and the killings of other top figures.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland has denied entry to a group of Chechens because the country is sealing its border to protect the nation and Europe against the threat of terrorism, its interior minister said Wednesday.

Israeli authorities on Wednesday approved the construction of 463 homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, the watchdog Peace Now said, despite growing international criticism over such projects. The approvals mostly involved new housing units, but a retroactive green light was also granted to 179 existing homes in the Ofarim settlement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government “continues to plan and build all over the West Bank, while also giving settlers the message that any construction done without planning will be retroactively legalised,” Peace Now said.