Australia joins the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and New Zealand in condemning illegal settlements

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The Israeli government is undermining stability in the West Bank as settler violence reaches unprecedented levels, a coalition of western countries says, as its leaders call for an end to construction of Israeli settlements it says breach international law.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, Anthony Albanese and the leaders of the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and New Zealand said:

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© Photograph: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images

Lebanon’s health ministry condemns attacks as violations of international law; Israel says it struck Hezbollah infrastructure sites and militants

Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed 10 people, including six paramedics and a child, in the space of 24 hours, Lebanon’s health ministry said on Friday, placing further strain on a US-brokered ceasefire. The ministry condemned the attacks as violations of international law.

Further airstrikes were reported on Friday night into Saturday. An AFP correspondent in the southern city of Tyre reported hearing two blasts as one building on the outskirts was struck, then another inside the city, sending plumes of smoke into the air. Earlier, officials worked to evacuate people from the neighbourhood, using loudspeakers urging them to leave.

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© Photograph: Reuters

© Photograph: Reuters

© Photograph: Reuters

Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Friday dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government after months of mounting tensions between the two leaders, plunging the debt-stricken West African nation deeper into political uncertainty.

TEHRAN, May 23 (MNA) – Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye sacked Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government on Friday after months of tensions, deepening a crisis in the debt-laden west African nation.

There are now 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, and one senior official has described the effort to stop the rapid spread as “a race against the clock”.

There are now 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, and one senior official has described the effort to stop the rapid spread as “a race against the clock”.

First, with at least 160 lives already feared lost, health workers in the DRC are racing against time to contain a deadly disease that spreads as fast as it kills. Also, a diplomatic rift with the European Union is widening over security funding in Mozambique. The foreign ministry has criticised Brussels for halting support for Rwandan troops deployed in Cabo Delgado. And African animation is stepping out of the margins with bold global ambitions. As studios, streamers, and creators invest in original stories from the continent, the key question remains: Can Africa turn this creative momentum into a truly sustainable animation industry?

Secretary of state suggests July meeting of alliance will be fraught as US demands help in strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump is disappointed that Nato allies refused to become more actively involved in attacking Iran, the US secretary of state has said, setting up what could become a fraught summit of the alliance in July.

Marco Rubio, meeting with foreign ministers of the military alliance, emphasised that he expected the rift would be discussed at the July meeting in Ankara, making the summit “one of the more important” in Nato’s 77-year history.

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© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Reuters

© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Reuters

© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Reuters