5/09/2025

FRIDAY | SEPT 5, 2025

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US ‘very troubled’ by wealth fund divestment o Not a political decision, says Norway “We are engaging directly with the Norwegian government.”

SIX ACTIVISTS CHARGED IN BRITAIN LONDON: British authorities have charged six people for taking part in meetings to plan a demonstration in support of the banned group Palestine Action. The six, aged from 26 to 62, were charged “with various offences of encouraging support for a proscribed terrorist organisation”, the Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement. They risk up to 14 years in prison. Palestine Action was designated a terrorist organisation and banned in July after vandalism at a Royal Air Force base. The charges result from 13 online meetings they attended to prepare for several protests. Representatives of the group, Defend Our Juries, to which the arrested individuals belonged, confirmed that demonstrations would go ahead tomorrow. – AFP TURKIYE BANS FRENCH SINGER’S CONCERT ANKARA: Turkish authorities have banned a concert of Enrico Macias, a French singer of Algerian-Jewish origin, after calls for protests over his pro-Israeli stance. The Istanbul governor’s office said Macias’ performance scheduled for this evening in the city has been banned “after intense calls for protests against the concert”. Such protests would place protesters “in an unjust position legally, and cause grievances”, the office said. Any protests around the concert venue in Istanbul’s Sisli district today were also banned by the governor. Turkiye has fiercely criticised Israel over its actions in Gaza and says it is committing genocide. It has halted all trade with Israel and called for international measures against it. Israel denies its actions in Gaza amount to genocide. – Reuters Hamas ready for comprehensive Gaza deal CAIRO: Hamas reiterated on Wednesday that it is ready for a comprehensive Gaza deal through which all Israeli hostages are released in exchange for the release of an agreed upon number of Palestinian prisoners. The group’s remarks came shortly after President Donald Trump called on Hamas to release all 20 hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office criticised Hamas’ comments in a statement. “Unfortunately, this is yet another spin by Hamas with nothing new in it,” it said. Netanyahu’s office reiterated that the war would only end if all hostages were released, Hamas was disarmed, the strip was demilitarised, Israel established security control over the enclave and an alternative civilian administration was established. Hamas in August agreed to a 60-day ceasefire proposal with Israel that includes the return of half the hostages held in Gaza and Israel’s release of some Palestinian prisoners. An Egyptian official source said the proposal accepted by Hamas included a suspension of Israeli military operations for 60 days and outlined a framework for a comprehensive deal to end the nearly two-year-old conflict. Netanyahu said days later that Israel would immediately resume negotiations on its terms. – Reuters

BR I E F S

accordance with the established framework. It is not a political decision.” Stoltenberg also said he had been in touch with President Trump’s economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, on Tuesday. “We discussed trade and tariffs, economic sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine,” he said. “The pension fund was not a topic of discussion.” The fund’s operator, Norges Bank Investment Management, a unit of the central bank, declined to comment and referred inquiries to the Finance Ministry. Firms have faced protests over ties with Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from Israel’s military assault has mounted, and images of starving Palestinians have sparked global outrage. – Reuters

Israeli-occupied West Bank. The fund’s ethics watchdog said that in its assessment, Caterpillar’s products such as bulldozers it manufactured were being used by Israeli authorities “to commit extensive and systematic violations of international humanitarian law” such as the “widespread unlawful destruction of Palestinian property”. The fund said Caterpillar has “not implemented any measures to prevent such use”. Caterpillar has not responded to requests for comment on the wealth fund’s move. “We are very troubled by the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund’s decision, which appears to be based on illegitimate claims against Caterpillar and the Israeli government,” a State Department spokesperson said.

Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham has suggested Washington should impose tariffs and visa revocations in retaliation. In Norway, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg said there was a division of roles between the Finance Ministry, the central bank and the fund’s ethics watchdog, which makes recommendations to divest from companies if they breach its ethical guidelines, agreed by parliament. “The government is not involved in assessing individual companies,” Stoltenberg said in an emailed statement to Reuters. “The decision to exclude companies is an independent decision made by the Executive Board of Norges Bank, in

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s administration said on Wednesday it was “very troubled” by the divestment by Norway’s US$2 trillion (RM8.5 trillion) wealth fund from US construction equipment group Caterpillar, adding Washington was directly engaging with the Norwegian government on the issue. Norway’s US$2 trillion wealth fund, the world’s largest and operated by Norway’s central bank, said last week it had divested from Caterpillar on ethics grounds over the use of the company’s products by Israeli authorities in Gaza and the

Protesters are held back during the eleventh stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling tour, a 167km race. – AFPPIC

Pro-Palestinian protest cuts short key cycling race

BILBAO: The 11th stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race was shortened on Wednesday after pro-Palestinian protesters tried to burst onto the course at the finish line in Bilbao, sparking calls for the Israeli team’s withdrawal. “Due to some incidents at the finish line, we have decided to take the time at 3km before the line,” said the organisers of the Vuelta, cycling’s third most-important Grand Tour. Protests have targeted the Israel Premier Tech team at each stage of this year’s Vuelta. On Wednesday, an AFP journalist saw demonstrators holding Palestinian flags appearing to be attempting to push barriers onto the road to disrupt the event. A security adviser to the Basque

Vuelta ... or prefer continuing to protect a team that is putting at risk all the others”. Israel-Premier Tech said it“remains committed to racing on at the Vuelta a Espana. Any other course of action sets a dangerous precedent in the sport of cycling”. Expressing gratitude to the police and organisers, it said “the behaviour of protesters was not only dangerous, but counterproductive to their cause”. The Professional Cyclists Association had called for better protection for riders before the race. “They face extreme physical challenges on a daily basis and it is unacceptable that external threats should add to these difficulties,” it wrote. – AFP

Riders met for a safety meeting before Wednesday’s stage following an incident on Tuesday when pro Palestinian protesters attempted to run into the road ahead of the peloton and caused Italian rider Simone Petilli to fall. During the fifth stage of the race last week, protesters succeeded in slowing down the Israel-Premier Tech riders. The race’s technical director, Kiko Garcia, told reporters after Wednesday’s chaos that the only solution “would be that the team from Israel realised that being here does not facilitate everyone else’s security”. Conceding he could not make that decision, Garcia said organisers had to consider “if we can put at risk a

regional Bingen Zupiria, said some behaviour at the race “compromised safety”. Zupiria said five people were identified by police with three others arrested, while four officers were injured. The UCI governing body “firmly condemned” the incident, saying cycling “has a role to play in bringing people together and overcoming barriers between them, and should under no circumstances be used as a tool for punishment”. “The UCI reiterates the fundamental importance of the political neutrality of sports organisations,” it said in a statement, expressing “solidarity” with the teams who should “pursue their passion in safety and serenity”. government,