Brazilian court removes BYD from list of firms linked to forced labor
RIO DE JANEIRO, April 9 (Reuters) - A Brazilian court has issued an injunction removing Chinese automaker BYD, opens new tab from a government list of firms accused of employing workers in slavery-like conditions, a document seen by Reuters on Thursday showed.
The injunction issued by labor court judge Luiz Fausto Marinho de Medeiros provisionally removes BYD's name from the list until a final ruling is reached.
The order, dated Wednesday, says that adding the firm to Brazil's so-called "dirty list" was possibly illegal as the decision was based on the premise that BYD was the real employer of the workers. The decision can be appealed.
The firm was added over a 2024 case where a BYD contractor hired 163 workers, some of whom had contracts saying they had to hand over their passports, let most of their wages be sent directly to China, and pay an almost $900 deposit that they could only get back after six months' work.
BYD did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The firm has previously said it had no knowledge of any violations until reports by Brazilian media in late November 2024.
The workers were housed in what authorities describe as "degrading conditions" in Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia. At the time, authorities said BYD was ultimately responsible for the workers' conditions as it should be supervising its contractors.
Beyond the reputational damage, being added to the list bars firms from obtaining certain types of loans from Brazilian banks.
The Brazilian government also did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Lebanon digs for survivors after Israeli attack kills over 300, as surprise word of talks emerges
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon reeled Thursday after the deadliest day of the renewed war between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, with the death toll exceeding 300 people as more remains were pulled out of the rubble and bodies identified at hospitals.
Meanwhile, Israel made the surprise announcement of authorizing direct talks with Lebanon, despite their lack of diplomatic ties. Israeli attacks continued.
The Health Ministry said that 1,150 people were also wounded in the widespread strikes that rocked Lebanon on Wednesday, including in busy parts of Beirut.
There was no immediate response from Lebanon, which had repeatedly proposed talks to end the war, or from Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that talks would focus on disarming Hezbollah and “establishing peaceful relations” between the countries.
Israel’s announcement came hours after it had warned of escalation and said that it had killed an aide and nephew of Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem, Ali Yusuf Harshi.
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, earlier said that continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon would bring “explicit costs and STRONG responses,” while insisting that a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war extended to Lebanon. Israel has disagreed.
Israeli strikes on Wednesday, without warning, killed at least 203 people and wounded more than 1,000, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. Israel’s military said that it targeted Hezbollah sites, but several strikes hit densely packed commercial and residential areas during rush hour, leading to widespread civilian casualties. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the attacks “barbaric.”
U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday said that Washington asked Israel to scale back attacks on Lebanon to ensure negotiations with Iran are successful.
‘I thought I was dead’
In Beirut, people waited anxiously on the ragged edges of search and rescue work, shielding their faces from the dust. Exhausted firefighters sat on a charred car amid collapsed buildings.
Lebanese Civil Defense spokesperson Elie Khairallah told The Associated Press that a wounded woman was found alive overnight in the seaside neighborhood of Ain Mreisseh, and a man was found alive in his collapsed apartment building in the southern suburbs.
Mohammad Chehab, a Syrian man from Deir el-Zour, said that six of his 10 family members had been found dead in a destroyed building.
“They’ve been searching all day” for the rest, he said.
At hospitals, survivors and doctors described the carnage, while relatives gathered to identify bodies.
Abdul Rahman Mohammad, a Syrian who lost five relatives in the Hay al-Sellom neighborhood, waited at Rafik Hariri Hospital to retrieve the bodies of his mother, two sisters, brother and brother-in-law.
“They were struck without any warning. This is Israeli brutality,” he said.
Dr. Mohamad El Zaatari, director of the public hospital, said that it had treated 45 wounded people, including 10 cases in intensive care.
At the Makassed hospital, Rabee Koshok lay on his bed.
“I thought I was dead. What happened?” he recalled. “A big flash of light struck my face and eyes, and I found someone flying over and landing next to me. He was dead.”
Koshok had been in the commercial district of Corniche al Mazraa when a strike hit a nearby building.
Dr. Wael Jarrosh said that the hospital received around 70 wounded patients within 10 minutes of the blasts. Two people died and five remained hospitalized, including three in intensive care.
“This has destroyed us psychologically,” the doctor said.
Lebanon alleges ‘blatant violation’ of international law
Netanyahu earlier had said that strikes would proceed “with force, precision and determination.” Israel’s military has accused Hezbollah members of moving out of the group’s main areas of influence in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, and blending into civilian areas.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that his country would file an urgent complaint with the U.N. Security Council, calling the attacks a “blatant violation” of international and humanitarian law.
In a Cabinet session earlier Thursday, the Lebanese government announced a plan to demilitarize Beirut and deploy larger numbers of security patrols.
Even before the renewed war, Lebanon’s government had sought Hezbollah’s disarmament. The issue has inflamed tensions among Lebanese who are deeply divided over Hezbollah and its arsenal.
Melhem Khalaf, a reformist legislator representing Beirut, was critical of Israel’s strikes, but also of Hezbollah for dragging Lebanon back into war.
“All the targeted areas are safe residential Lebanese areas,” Khalaf said, while watching a bulldozer clear rubble. “What we are witnessing is a massacre against civilians.”
More than a million people have been displaced by the war, many from the south and Dahiyeh. Israel’s military has issued warnings for the population to leave those areas, followed by heavy bombardment.
Israel has also launched a ground invasion in the border region. The death toll in Lebanon has reached 1,739, the health ministry said, with 5,873 wounded.
Meanwhile, the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria returned to service Thursday, five days after the Israeli military warned of plans to strike it, alleging that Hezbollah was using it to smuggle military equipment. Lebanese and Syrian authorities denied the claim.
More than 200,000 people have fled Lebanon into Syria since the war resumed.
Trump ties his stance on Greenland to not getting Nobel Peace Prize
NUUK, Greenland (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump linked his aggressive stance on Greenland to last year’s decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize, telling Norway’s prime minister that he no longer felt “an obligation to think purely of Peace,” in a text message released Monday.
Trump’s message to Jonas Gahr Støre appears to ratchet up a standoff between Washington and its closest allies over his threats to take over Greenland, a self-governing territory of NATO member Denmark. On Saturday, Trump announced a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight nations that have rallied around Denmark and Greenland, including Norway.
Those countries issued a forceful rebuke.
Many longtime allies of the U.S. remained resolute that Greenland was not for sale but encouraged Washington to discuss solutions. In a statement on social media, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc had “no interest to pick a fight” but would “hold our ground.”
The White House has not ruled taking control of the strategic Arctic island by force. Asked whether Trump could invade Greenland, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Monday that “you can’t leave anything out until the president himself has decided to leave anything out.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also sought to de-escalate tensions Monday. “I think this can be resolved and should be resolved through calm discussion,” he said, adding that he did not believe military action would occur.
Early Tuesday, Trump posted on social media that he had spoken with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and “I agreed to a meeting of the various parties in Davos, Switzerland,” where they will be attending the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting this week.
Trump also posted a text message from Emmanuel Macron in which the French president suggested a meeting of members of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies in Paris after the Davos gathering.
Later, however, Trump posted some provocatively doctored images. One showed him planting the U.S. flag next to a sign reading “Greenland, U.S. Territory, Est. 2026.” The other showed Trump in the Oval Office next to a map that showed Greenland and Canada covered with the U.S. Stars and Stripes.
Strong opposition in Greenland to U.S. threats
In a sign of how tensions have increased in recent days, thousands of Greenlanders marched over the weekend in protest of any effort to take over their island. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post Monday that the tariff threats would not change their stance.
“We will not be pressured,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister for business, minerals, energy, justice and equality, told The Associated Press that she was moved by the quick response of allies to the tariff threat and said it showed that countries realize “this is about more than Greenland.”
“I think a lot of countries are afraid that if they let Greenland go, what would be next?”
Trump cites Nobel as escalation in text to Norwegian leader
Trump’s Sunday message to Gahr Støre, released by the Norwegian government, read in part, “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.”
It concluded, “The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.”
The White House confirmed the authenticity of the message, with White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly saying that Trump “is confident Greenlanders would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region.”
The Norwegian leader said Trump’s message was a reply to an earlier missive sent on behalf of himself and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, in which they conveyed their opposition to the tariff announcement, pointed to a need to de-escalate, and proposed a telephone conversation among the three leaders.
“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear. Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter,” the Norwegian leader said in a statement. “As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I have clearly explained, including to President Trump what is well known, the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian Government.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee is an independent body whose five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament.
Trump has openly coveted the peace prize, which the committee awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado last year. Last week, Machado presented her Nobel medal to Trump, who said he planned to keep it, though the committee said the prize can’t be revoked, transferred or shared with others.
Speaking Monday night to reporters before boarding Air Force One on his way back from Florida to Washington, Trump said he didn’t “care about the Nobel prize.”
“A very fine woman felt that I deserved it and really wanted me to have the Nobel prize. And I appreciate that. If anybody thinks that Norway doesn’t control the Nobel prize, they’re just kidding. ... And I don’t care what Norway says. But I really don’t care about that. What I care about is saving lives,” he said.
Trump says he will use tariffs as a bargaining chip
In his latest threat of tariffs, Trump indicated the import taxes would be retaliation for last week’s deployment of symbolic numbers of troops from the European countries to Greenland — though he also suggested that he was using the tariffs as leverage to negotiate with Denmark.
European governments said that the troops traveled to the island to assess Arctic security, part of a response to Trump’s own concerns about interference from Russia and China.
The move by some European countries to deploy troops may have given the impression that an armada of ships was sailing to Greenland, when the reality was that European nations said they would send not more than a few dozen troops collectively, a senior European military official told The Associated Press speaking on condition of anonymity in order to talk publicly.
Trump threatened eight European countries with tariffs Sunday after they announced small numbers of troop deployments to the Arctic island – including Denmark, which Greenland is part of.
The European move was aimed at taking action on Trump’s concerns, the senior official told the AP.
In a statement on social media, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he had discussed how important the region was for the “collective security” of the security alliance in a Monday meeting with the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland.
Six of the eight countries targeted are part of the 27-member European Union, which operates as a single economic zone in terms of trade. European Council President António Costa said Sunday that the bloc’s leaders expressed “readiness to defend ourselves against any form of coercion.” He announced a summit for Thursday evening.
___
Associated Press writers Josh Boak in West Palm Beach, Florida; Jill Lawless in London; Molly Quell in The Hague; Lorne Cook in Brussels and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.
US discussing options to acquire Greenland, including use of military, says White House
US President Donald Trump has been discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland, including use of the military, the White House said.
The White House told the BBC that acquiring Greenland - a semi-autonomous region of fellow Nato member Denmark – was a "national security priority".
The statement came hours after European leaders issued a joint statement rallying behind Denmark, which has been pushing back against Trump's ambitions for the Arctic island.
Trump repeated over the weekend that the US "needed" Greenland for security reasons, prompting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to warn that any attack by the US would spell the end of Nato.
The White House said on Tuesday: "The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the Commander-in-Chief's disposal."
Nato is a trans-Atlantic military group where allies are expected to go to each other's aid in case of external attacks.
On Tuesday, six European allies expressed support for Denmark.
"Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations," the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark said in a joint statement.
Stressing they were as keen as the US in Arctic security, the European signatories of the joint statement said this must be achieved by Nato allies, including the US "collectively".
They also called for "upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders".
Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the statement and called for "respectful dialogue".
"The dialogue must take place with respect for the fact that Greenland's status is rooted in international law and the principle of territorial integrity," Nielsen said.
The issue of Greenland's future resurfaced in the wake of the US military intervention in Venezuela, during which elite troops went in to seize the country's President Nicolás Maduro and take him to face drugs and weapons charges in New York.
A day after that raid, Katie Miller - the wife of one of Trump's senior aides - posted a map on social media of Greenland in the colours of the American flag, alongside the word "SOON".
On Monday, her husband, Stephen Miller, said it was "the formal position of the US government that Greenland should be part of the US".
Asked repeatedly in an interview with CNN whether America would rule out using force to annex it, Miller responded: "Nobody's going to fight the US over the future of Greenland."
An unnamed US senior official told Reuters news agency that the American options included the outright purchase of Greenland or forming a Compact of Free Association with the territory.
In response, a state department spokesperson told the BBC on Tuesday that the US "is eager to build lasting commercial relationships that benefit Americans and the people of Greenland".
"Our common adversaries have been increasingly active in the Arctic. That is a concern that the United States, the Kingdom of Denmark, and NATO Allies share," the spokesperson said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also told lawmakers at a classified briefing on Capitol Hill on Monday that the Trump administration did not plan to invade Greenland, but mentioned buying it from Denmark, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Greenland and Denmark previously said they had asked to meet Rubio quickly to discuss the American claims on the island.
Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said speaking with America's top diplomat should resolve "certain misunderstandings".
Senator Eric Schmitt, a Republican from Missouri, emphasised the national security aspect when he spoke to the BBC on Tuesday.
"I think they're just in talks right now," he said. "My hope is that Europe would understand that a strong America is good - it's good for Western civilisation."
Trump floated his idea of acquiring Greenland as a strategic US hub in the Arctic during his first presidential term, saying in 2019: "Essentially it's a large real estate deal."
There is growing interest from Russia and China in the island, which has untapped rare earth deposits, as melting ice raises the possibility of new trade routes.
In March, Trump said America would "go as far as we have to go" to get control of the territory.
During a congressional hearing last summer, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked if the Pentagon had plans to take Greenland by force if necessary, and he said they "have plans for any contingency".
Greenland, which has a population of 57,000 people, has had extensive self-government since 1979, though defence and foreign policy remain in Danish hands.
While most Greenlanders favour eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the US, which already has a military base on the island.
Morgan Angaju, 27, an Inuit living in Ilulissat in the west region of the country, told the BBC it had been "terrifying to listen to the leader of the free world laughing at Denmark and Greenland and just talking about us like we're something to claim".
"We are already claimed by the Greenlandic people. Kalaallit Nunaat means the land of the Greenlandic people," Morgan said.
He added that he was worried about what happens next - wondering whether Greenland's prime minister may suffer the same fate as Maduro - or even about the US "invading our country".
— BBC
Tesla loses title as world’s biggest electric vehicle maker as sales fall for second year in a row
NEW YORK (AP) — Tesla lost its crown as the world’s bestselling electric vehicle maker on Friday as a customer revolt over Elon Musk’s right-wing politics, expiring U.S. tax breaks for buyers and stiff overseas competition pushed sales down for a second year in a row.
Tesla said that it delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, down 9% from a year earlier.
Chinese rival BYD, which sold 2.26 million vehicles last year, is now the biggest EV maker.
It’s a stunning reversal for a car company whose rise once seemed unstoppable as it overtook traditional automakers with far more resources and helped make Musk the world’s richest man. The sales drop came despite President Donald Trump’s marketing effort early last year when he called a press conference to praise Musk as a “patriot” in front of Teslas lined up on the White House driveway, then announced he would be buying one, bucking presidential precedent to not endorse private company products.
For the fourth quarter, Tesla sales totaled 418,227, falling short of even the much reduced 440,000 target that analysts recently polled by FactSet had expected. Sales were hit hard by the expiration of a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases that was phased out by the Trump administration at the end of September.
Tesla stock fell 2.6% to $438.07 on Friday.
Even with multiple issues buffeting the company, investors are betting that Tesla CEO Musk can deliver on his ambitions to make Tesla a leader in robotaxi services and get consumers to embrace humanoid robots that can perform basic tasks in homes and offices. Reflecting that optimism, the stock finished 2025 with a gain of approximately 11%.
The latest quarter was the first with sales of stripped-down versions of the Model Y and Model 3 that Musk unveiled in early October as part of an effort to revive sales. The new Model Y costs just under $40,000 while customers can buy the cheaper Model 3 for under $37,000. Those versions are expected to help Tesla compete with Chinese models in Europe and Asia.
For fourth-quarter earnings coming out in late January, analysts are expecting the company to post a 3% drop in sales and a nearly 40% drop in earnings per share, according to FactSet. Analysts expect the downward trend in sales and profits to eventually reverse itself as 2026 rolls along.
Musk said earlier last year that a “major rebound” in sales was underway, but investors were unruffled when that didn’t pan out, choosing instead to focus on Musk’s pivot to different parts of business. He has has been saying the future of the company lies with its driverless robotaxis service, its energy storage business and building robots for the home and factory — and much less with car sales.
Tesla started rolling out its robotaxi service in Austin in June, first with safety monitors in the cars to take over in case of trouble, then testing without them. The company hopes to roll out the service in several cities this year.
To do that successfully, it needs to take on rival Waymo, which has been operating autonomous taxis for years and has far more customers. It also will also have to contend with regulatory challenges. The company is under several federal safety investigations and other probes. In California, Tesla is at risk of temporarily losing its license to sell cars in the state after a judge there ruled it had misled customers about their safety.
“Regulatory is going to be a big issue,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, a well-known bull on the stock. “We’re dealing with people’s lives.”
Still, Ives said he expects Tesla’s autonomous offerings will soon overcome any setbacks.
Musk has said he hopes software updates to his cars will enable hundreds of thousands of Tesla vehicles to operate autonomously with zero human intervention by the end of this year. The company is also planning to begin production of its AI-powered Cybercab with no steering wheel or pedals in 2026.
To keep Musk focused on the company, Tesla’s directors awarded Musk a potentially enormous new pay package that shareholders backed at the annual meeting in November.
Musk scored another huge windfall two weeks ago when the Delaware Supreme Court reversed a decision that deprived him of a $55 billion pay package that Tesla doled out in 2018.
Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire later this year when he sells shares of his rocket company SpaceX to the public for the first time in what analysts expect would be a blockbuster initial public offering.
Porsche, Aston Martin hike US prices as hopes for tariff sweeteners fade
BERLIN, July 30 (Reuters) - European luxury carmakers including Porsche (PSHG_p.DE) and Aston Martin (AML.L) have surged ahead with U.S. price hikes, which could point the way for bigger brands to follow in their wake as companies pass on the cost of tariffs.
The United States and Europe reached a trade deal that will see EU-made cars hit with a 15% tariff from August, lower than once threatened but far higher than the 2.5% rate before U.S. President Donald Trump launched his trade offensive this year.
On Wednesday, Volkswagen's (VOWG.DE) luxury brand Porsche said it had raised U.S. prices by between 2.3% and 3.6% in July, with no plans for now to establish a U.S. production presence - a move that would let it avoid the levies.
"This is not a storm that will pass," Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said after the company cut its full-year profit target and flagged a $462 million hit from tariffs in the first half. "We continue to face significant challenges around the world."
U.S. tariffs have pummelled global automakers, forcing companies such as GM (GM.N), Volkswagen, Hyundai (005380.KS) and Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) to book billions of dollars of losses, issue profit warnings, slash forecasts and raise prices.
Ford Motor (F.N), which boasts domestic production for around 80% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S., said on Wednesday that second-quarter results took an $800 million hit from tariffs and higher U.S. levies would likely cost more than expected for the year.
Japanese carmaker Nissan (7201.T) reported a $535 million quarterly loss on Wednesday, impacted by U.S. tariffs, restructuring and lower sales volumes.
British sports-car maker Aston Martin said it had made incremental price increases in the United States since last month, issuing a profit warning based on the U.S. tariffs impact and prolonged suppressed Asian demand.
ADDITIONAL COSTS
While bigger carmakers have so far held off, other sectors have seen price hikes as companies have looked to pass on the additional cost of tariffs. Analysts said larger carmakers could take similar steps in the second half of the year.
"Into H2, we are looking to gain additional visibility with regards to the ability of Mercedes-Benz and the rest of the premium OEMs to increase prices in the U.S. in order to offset the impact of tariffs," J.P. Morgan said in a note.
European carmakers are also getting less optimistic that they could seal extra sector-specific tariff reductions, resigned to dealing with the 15% rate.
Mercedes CEO Ola Kaellenius told analysts on Wednesday that the group was assuming tariffs would remain at 15%, throwing cold water on hopes companies may be able to negotiate individual deals.
"For all intents and purposes, that global deal for now is it," said Kaellenius, also president of Europe's car lobby ACEA. Any side deals were "very uncertain".
Volkswagen had said last week it was hoping investment commitments could help it negotiate lower U.S. tariffs.
But Porsche CEO Blume, also head of VW, suggested there would not be a separate U.S. deal for the automotive sector.
"I agree with Ola Kaellenius' assessment that there will not be a separate automotive deal," Blume said.
Canada plans to recognize Palestinian state, raising allies' pressure on Israel
OTTAWA/JERUSALEM, July 30 (Reuters) - Canada plans to recognize the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday, ratcheting up pressure on Israel as starvation spreads in Gaza.
The announcement came after France said last week it would recognize a Palestinian state and a day after Britain said it would recognize the state at September's U.N. General Assembly meeting if the fighting in Gaza, part of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel, had not stopped by then.
Carney told reporters that the reality on the ground, including starvation of people in Gaza, meant "the prospect of a Palestinian state is literally receding before our eyes."
"Canada condemns the fact that the Israeli government has allowed a catastrophe to unfold in Gaza," he said.
Carney said the planned recognition was based in part on repeated assurances from the Palestinian Authority, which represents the State of Palestine at the U.N., that it was reforming its governance and is willing to hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas "can play no part."
The announcements by some of Israel's closest allies reflect growing international outrage over Israel's restrictions on food and other aid to Gaza in its war against Hamas militants, and the dire humanitarian crisis there. A global hunger monitor has warned that a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in the enclave.
The Gaza health ministry reported seven more hunger-related deaths on Wednesday, including a two-year-old girl with an existing health condition. The Hamas-run government media office in Gaza said the Israeli military killed at least 50 people within three hours on Wednesday as they tried to get food from U.N. aid trucks coming into the northern Gaza Strip.
Israel and its closest ally, the U.S., both rejected Carney's statements.
"The change in the position of the Canadian government at this time is a reward for Hamas and harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages," the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made similar comments after the French and British announcements.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said President Donald Trump also sees recognition of the State of Palestine as wrongly "rewarding Hamas."
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is due to travel to Israel on Thursday to discuss Gaza. Trump said this week he expected centers to be set up to feed more people in the enclave.
The State of Palestine has been a non-member observer state of the U.N. General Assembly since 2012, recognized by more than three-quarters of the assembly's 193 member states.
Jonathan Panikoff, former deputy U.S. national intelligence officer on the Middle East, said recognition of Palestine is intended "to increase pressure on Israel to compel it to return to a two-state paradigm." But he said Canada's announcement is "unlikely to be anything more than symbolic and risks undermining their relationship with a longtime ally in Israel."
French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke with Carney before Canada's announcement, said the recognition of Palestine will "revive a prospect of peace in the region."
POSSIBLE ULTIMATUM TO HAMAS
Israeli security cabinet member Zeev Elkin said on Wednesday that Israel could threaten to annex parts of Gaza to increase pressure on Hamas, eroding Palestinian hopes of statehood on land Israel now occupies.
Mediation efforts to secure a 60-day ceasefire and the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas ground to a halt last week.
In Gaza, resident Saed al-Akhras said the recognition of Palestine by major powers marked a "real shift in how Western countries view the Palestinian cause."
"Enough!" he said. "Palestinians have lived for more than 70 years under killing, destruction and occupation, while the world watches in silence."
Families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza appealed for no recognition of a Palestinian state to come before their loved ones were returned.
"Such recognition is not a step toward peace but rather a clear violation of international law and a dangerous moral and political failure that legitimizes horrific war crimes," the Hostages Family Forum said.
Netanyahu said this month he wanted peace with Palestinians but described any future independent state as a potential platform to destroy Israel, so control of security must remain with Israel.
His cabinet includes far-right members who openly demand the annexation of all Palestinian land. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday that reestablishing Jewish settlements in Gaza was "closer than ever," calling Gaza "an inseparable part of the Land of Israel."
AID GOING IN, BUT NOT ENOUGH
A 2-year-old girl being treated for a build-up of brain fluid died overnight of hunger, her father told Reuters on Wednesday.
"Doctors said the baby has to be fed a certain type of milk," Salah al-Gharably said by phone from Deir Al-Balah. "But there is no milk. She starved. We stood helpless."
The deaths from starvation and malnutrition overnight raised the toll from such causes to 154, according to the Gaza health ministry, including at least 89 children, since the war's start, most of them in recent weeks.
Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and designate secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the United Nations and its partners had been able to bring more food into Gaza in the first two days of pauses, but the volume was "still far from enough."
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led attacks on communities and military bases in southern Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed, including more than 700 civilians, and another 251 taken as hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 60,000 people and laid waste to much of the territory, the Gaza health ministry says.
Joint Press Statement from the Acting Governor, Her Excellency Anya Williams and the Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Honourable Charles Washington Misick
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 28th July 2025 - On behalf of the Government and the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the 3 young men who tragically lost their lives to the abhorrent gun violence that occurred on the morning of Sunday, July 27, 2025.
We know that no words can truly ease the pain and sorrow you are experiencing. Please know that you are not alone and that our entire nation stands with you in mourning and that our hearts grieve with yours.
We are profoundly heartbroken and outraged by this senseless act of violence. This tragic event has taken the lives of innocent members of our community and left many others in severe pain. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families during this incredibly difficult time. We stand united in sorrow and in strength, as we begin the path toward healing.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, we, along with the Deputy Premier and the Commissioner of Police, visited the surviving victims who are currently receiving care at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre. Their resilience and courage in the face of such trauma deeply moved us. We want to assure them and all those affected, that our unwavering support will remain with them every step of the way.
We also extend our sincere thanks to the CEO, doctors, and nurses of the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre for their exceptional care and dedication. As of this moment, two individuals have been discharged from hospital care, one has been transferred overseas for further treatment and seven remain hospitalized in stable condition.
We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the cowardly and violent actions that have shaken our community. Such brutality has no place in our society. We will not allow fear or violence to define who we are as a people.
A National Security Council Meeting was urgently convened on Sunday, July 27, 2025. This incident has been classified as a critical national security matter and is being addressed with the utmost urgency. An agreed course of action has been agreed and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is actively deploying an enhanced response plan. This was advised during the press briefing held by the Commissioner of Police yesterday, which provided updates on the ongoing investigation and public safety measures.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is working tirelessly to bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice. The Government remains fully committed to providing every resource necessary to ensure that those responsible face the full weight of the law. Violence, in any form, will not be tolerated.
As leaders, we call on every resident to stand united during this time. Now more than ever, we must lift one another up, support the grieving and reaffirm our shared commitment to peace, compassion, and justice.
May we find strength and solace in our unity, and may the memories of those we lost forever be a blessing to all.
PRESS RELEASE: Turks and Caicos Islands National Security Council Special Meeting to Address Public Safety in the TCI Post Meeting Statement
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands - Wednesday, 30 July 2025: Acting Governor H.E. Anya Williams and the Hon. Premier Charles Washington Misick co-chaired a special meeting of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at the Office of the Governor, Raleigh House, Graceway Plaza, Providenciales.
Also in attendance were:
- Hon. Jamell Robinson, Deputy Premier
- Hon. Arlington Musgrove, Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development
- Hon. Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles KC, Attorney General
- Mr. Tito Lightbourne, Permanent Secretary, National Security Secretariat
- Mr. Fitz Bailey, Commissioner of Police
- Mr. Rodney Adams, Deputy Commissioner of Police
- Mr. Dwight Gardiner, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police
- Colonel Ennis Grant, Commanding Officer, TCI Regiment
- Ms. Latoya Mitchell, Acting Director General, TCI Border Force
- Mr. John Purdy, National Security Advisor
- Ms. Swarzuette John, Threat Lead, National Security Secretariat
Serious Crime Briefing:
- The Commissioner of Police updated the Council on two (2) major national security incidents:
- Fatal Shooting – July 21, 2025
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) has issued a Wanted Notice in connection with this incident, which resulted in the deaths of two (2) males. The Force is actively pursuing the arrest of a named individual. - Fatal Shooting – July 27, 2025
Initial investigations have classified this incident, which claimed three (3) lives and left ten (10) others injured, as gang-related. Two (2) suspects have been arrested and the RTCIPF is pursuing multiple leads. Significant intelligence-led resources have been deployed to address the situation.
Agreed National Security Measures:
In response to recent events and in the interest of enhancing public safety, the NSC agreed to implement the following measures:
- Emergency Powers: Amend the Disaster Management Ordinance to include National Security and Public Order provisions. This would allow the Commissioner of Police, based on national security assessments, to declare specific areas as Disaster Zones, enabling curfews, revised business hours and other safety measures.
- Liquor Licence Legislation: Initiate a comprehensive review of Business and Liquor Licensing legislation to include mandatory police vetting and security assessments for all liquor-licensed establishments.
- Underage Alcohol Enforcement: Develop legislation to impose strict penalties and fines on establishments that violate age restrictions related to the sale and entry of minors into licensed premises.
Informal Settlement Briefing:
The Council welcomed the attendance of:
- Justice Carlos Simons KC, Strategic Lead, Informal Settlement Unit
- Mrs. Bridgette Newman, Permanent Secretary, Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development
- Mrs. Tatum Clerveaux, Deputy Secretary, National Land Secretariat
- Mr. Dainer Lightbourne, Director of Planning
- Ms. Michelle Richardson, Operations Lead, Informal Settlements Unit
A detailed briefing was provided on recent efforts to address and dismantle informal settlements in the TCI, which in many instances were being used to harbour criminals.
Following this briefing, the following actions were agreed upon:
- Disaster Area Declaration: Official declaration of Block/Parcel 60503/17, Mary Jane Lane, Blue Hills as a Disaster Area for 90 days, effective July 29, 2025. This declaration is due to unsafe and uninhabitable conditions following the recent fire on July 24, 2025. This declaration will restrict access to unauthorised personnel and will prevent reconstruction at this time in the area.
- Accelerated Action Plan: Fast-tracking of initiatives to address informal settlements throughout the Islands.
- Enforcement Review: A review of the Planning and other relevant ordinances to revise the enforcement and evacuation timelines and framework in cases where informal settlements pose national security concerns.
Further updates and details on these matters will be provided in due course.
PRESS RELEASE: Successful Town Hall Meetings Held in North and Middle Caicos to Engage Residents on National Development Priorities
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 29 July 2025 – The Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development (PPID), under the leadership of Hon. Arlington Musgrove, hosted two well attended Town Hall Meetings on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in the twin Islands of North and Middle Caicos. These sessions formed part of the Ministry’s ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and inclusive development across the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The meetings provided a platform to update residents on major infrastructure and development projects while engaging directly with the public on their concerns and feedback.
The Middle Caicos session, held at the Conch Bar Community Center, opened with a word of prayer and formal welcome. Members of the panel included Premier Hon. Charles Washington Misick, Hon. Arlington Musgrove, Permanent Secretary Mrs. Bridgette Newman, Deputy Permanent Secretary Ms. Chawa Williams, Director Mike Clerveaux and other representatives from the Ministry.
Topics presented included:
- Enhancements to Bambarra Beach
- Progress on the Lorimers Community Centre
- Updates on the Causeway infrastructure
- School summer maintenance
- A special presentation on the launch of the Contractors Forum, aimed at empowering local contractors
The event concluded with a Q&A session where residents raised thoughtful questions and shared constructive feedback, followed by closing remarks thanking the community for their engagement.
Later that evening, the second Town Hall was held in North Caicos, where a strong turnout of residents demonstrated the public’s interest in shaping the islands’ development trajectory. Presentations included updates on:
- Airport runway and terminal improvements
- Ongoing dredging activities
- Community Centre’s upgrades and CEP initiatives
- Roadworks, housing repairs, and school readiness
- Key development projects such as the Dellis Cay Development, Royal Reef Project, and Anai Hotel
The Contractors Forum launch was again highlighted, with a call for local contractors to register and participate in this empowerment initiative.
Both sessions emphasized the importance of aligning government priorities with the real needs of local communities. The Ministry expressed its appreciation to residents for their active participation and reaffirmed its dedication to fostering sustainable national development through inclusive dialogue and transparent planning processes.