We recently compiled a list of the 10 High Growth Pharma Stocks That Are Profitable in 2025. Zoetis Inc. is one of them.
Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS), a New Jersey–based global leader in animal health, continues to strengthen its position in the industry with medicines and vaccines for both companion animals and livestock. The company is particularly recognized for its innovations in parasiticides, dermatology, and vaccines that enhance animal well-being.
In its second-quarter 2025 earnings report, Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) delivered stronger-than-expected results, posting $2.5 billion in revenue, an 8% increase driven by both volume and price growth. Building on this momentum, the company raised its full-year revenue outlook to between $9.45 billion and $9.60 billion, underscoring confidence in sustained demand across key markets and reinforcing its standing among high growth stocks in the animal health sector.
Growth was fueled largely by the continued success of Simparica Trio, a leading flea, tick, and heartworm treatment for pets, as well as strong performance in dermatology products, including Apoquel, Solens, and Cytopoint. The livestock segment also showed signs of recovery, though it faced competitive pressures and supply challenges.
Zoetis Inc. (ZTS) Reports $2.5B Q2 Revenue, Raises Full-Year Outlook on Strong Pet Care Demand
CEO Kristin Peck emphasized Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)’ resilience amid macroeconomic headwinds, crediting disciplined execution and a sharp focus on innovation. She also highlighted the corporation’s opportunities for expansion, citing recent product approvals and label extensions across global markets such as Japan, Australia, Brazil, and the EU.
While we acknowledge the potential of ZTS as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now.
Australia’s fast bowler Mitchell Starc has stopped playing international T20 cricket. Now, he will play only Test matches and One Day Internationals (ODIs).
But he will still play in T20 leagues like the IPL.
Starc has taken the most wickets for Australia in short games. He began T20 cricket in 2012 against Pakistan.
He played 65 matches and took 79 wickets.
Starc said he is happy with his T20 career. He enjoyed every game for Australia.
The 2021 World Cup was the best part of his career. Now, he will focus on Test matches.
2 September 2025, TAIPEI – Cadeler – a leading global partner in offshore wind transportation and installation – today celebrates the relocation of its Taipei-based team to new, expanded offices in Xinyi, Taipei, underscoring the company’s focus on strengthening client collaboration and long-term growth in the Asia-Pacific region.
With the opening of this new office, Cadeler will be even better positioned to pursue and deliver offshore wind projects across the many growing markets in the region – from Taiwan’s well-developed offshore wind sector to emerging hubs such as Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia, and beyond.
A pioneer in Taiwan’s offshore wind market
Following its merger with Seajacks/Eneti in 2023, Cadeler has built on a solid regional foundation in Taiwan. The company has been a pioneer in Taiwan’s offshore wind market, establishing a strong track record including Taiwan’s first commercial scale offshore wind farm, the Formosa 1.
Today, Cadeler has two vessels actively operating in Taiwanese waters, with Wind Maker installing 14 MW turbines at Ørsted’s Greater Changhua 2b & 4 Offshore Wind Farm and Wind Zaratan active on a long-term service agreement with Vestas.
Looking ahead, Cadeler’s vessels have secured a regional pipeline that runs through the end of the decade. In 2027, Wind Maker and her crew are contracted to install turbines at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Fengmiao 1 project. And in 2028, Cadeler will install Siemens Gamesa 14 MW turbines at the Formosa 4 Offshore Wind Farm in Taiwan developed by Synera Renewable Energy (SRE).
A region of opportunity
The Asia-Pacific region is a key growth market for offshore wind. Taiwan continues to lead, with several offshore wind farms already in operation and more in development. South Korea and Japan are raising their ambitions, and new opportunities lie ahead in deep-water markets such as Australia. Vietnam has reaffirmed its offshore wind targets, the Philippines has just launched its first auction, and Singapore is positioning itself as a key importer of renewable energy.
“Cadeler’s new Taipei office becomes the hub for expanding our regional footprint – supporting local teams, anchoring client relationships, and coordinating cross-border opportunities as we build momentum for the clean energy future across Asia-Pacific,” says Mikkel Gleerup, Cadeler CEO.
A workplace designed for collaboration
The new Taipei office is fully aligned with Cadeler’s European office design and branding and will accommodate at least twice as many people, with room for further growth. It offers excellent views of the city skyline and sits right next to the newly opened Taipei Dome – a 40,000-capacity indoor stadium that hosts baseball games and international concerts.
“The new Taipei office is more than a workspace – it reflects our confidence in the region’s potential across diverse markets. With two vessels already active in Taiwan and a strong pipeline ahead, the new Taipei office gives us the space and strength to meet growing demand,” comments Tony Lu, APAC Manager at Cadeler.
Australia travel to New Zealand for three Twenty20 matches in October before hosting India in three one-day internationals and five T20 matches.
The five-Test Ashes series starts on Friday, 21 November in Perth, Western Australia.
“There’s plenty of time left – somewhere in the 80-day range,” said Australia chairman of selectors George Bailey.
“Even if match time is limited, we’re confident in his experience and preparation.”
Australia drew 2-2 in England to retain the Ashes in 2023 and Cummins took 18 wickets during the series.
Overall, he has taken 91 wickets against England in 19 Tests at an average of 24.10.
Meanwhile, fellow fast bowler Mitchell Starc has retired from T20 internationals six months before the start of the men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
The 35-year-old has taken 79 wickets in 65 matches for his country in the shorter format and helped his country win the T20 World Cup in 2021.
“I have loved every minute of every T20 game I have played for Australia, particularly the 2021 World Cup, not just because we won but the incredible group and the fun along the way,” said Starc.
“Looking ahead to an away Indian Test tour, the Ashes and an ODI World Cup in 2027, I feel this is my best way forward to remain fresh, fit and at my best for those campaigns.
“It also gives the bowling group time to prepare for the T20 World Cup in the matches leading into that tournament.”
Acute bacterial meningitis and invasive meningococcal disease are global public health threats that require sustained control efforts. Under the framework of Defeating meningitis by 2030: a global road map, the World Health Organization has developed and updated standard case definitions to strengthen disease surveillance, support timely outbreak detection and response, and ensure consistent data collection and reporting across health care settings and systems.
This document provides ministries of health, public health agencies, and national and international organizations with a practical framework for applying standard case definitions of acute bacterial meningitis and invasive meningococcal disease in different epidemiological contexts. Grounded in an evidence-based approach, it offers guidance on identifying and classifying suspected, probable, and confirmed cases for routine surveillance, outbreak investigation and response, and humanitarian emergencies. The definitions are adapted for both syndromic and pathogen-specific surveillance systems, ensuring operational relevance in countries with varying technical and infrastructural resources.
The Web annex sets out the full body of evidence that informed the development and updating of the case definitions.
Veteran Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has announced his retirement from T20 internationals, calling time on a decorated career in the shortest format to focus on Test cricket and the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The 35-year-old, who made his T20I debut in 2012, bows out with 65 appearances, 79 wickets, and the distinction of being part of Australia’s historic 2021 T20 World Cup-winning squad.
Starc last featured in T20Is during the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, but with Australia’s bowling stocks growing deeper and his own focus shifting, he chose to step aside and allow the next generation to take the reins.
A decade of T20I contributions
Starc made his T20I debut in 2012 and went on to represent Australia in 65 matches, claiming 79 wickets at an economy rate just under 8. His tally places him second on Australia’s all-time wicket-takers list in T20Is, a reflection of his impact in a format where bowlers often struggle to dominate.
One of his finest performances came in 2022 against the West Indies, where he returned figures of 4 for 20, dismantling a power-packed Caribbean batting unit with his trademark yorkers and sharp pace. Known for his deadly ability at the death, Starc’s left-arm angle and reverse swing made him one of the most feared bowlers in the world.
The 2021 World Cup Triumph
Starc’s crowning achievement in T20Is was being part of the squad that clinched Australia’s first-ever T20 World Cup title in 2021 in the UAE. Although not at his peak during the tournament, his experience and presence in the attack proved invaluable for Aaron Finch’s side, particularly in knockout matches where Australia’s bowlers kept their nerve under pressure.
The final against New Zealand in Dubai highlighted Starc’s resilience — despite being taken for runs by an in-form Kane Williamson, he kept charging in and played his role in maintaining pressure at the other end. For Starc, the memories of that campaign remain special.
“I have loved every minute of every T20 game I have played for Australia, particularly the 2021 World Cup, not just because we won but the incredible group and the fun along the way,” Starc reflected while announcing his retirement.
Why Starc walked away
The timing of Starc’s retirement underscores his intent to manage his workload amid Australia’s packed Test and ODI calendar. Over the next three years, the Aussies face a relentless red-ball schedule that includes:
A home series against Bangladesh,
Four Tests against New Zealand,
A tour of South Africa,
A blockbuster five-Test series against India,
A historic one-off 150th anniversary Test against England at the MCG,
And an away Ashes series in 2027.
Following that, Starc has his eyes set on the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia — a tournament he clearly wants to be a part of, given his history of starring in 50-over World Cups.
“Test cricket is and has always been my highest priority,” Starc explained. “I feel this is my best way forward to remain fresh, fit, and at my best for those campaigns. It also gives the bowling group time to prepare for the T20 World Cup in the matches leading into that tournament.”
A legacy in the shortest format
While Starc’s T20I numbers may not match his dominance in Tests and ODIs, his impact was undeniable. His ability to swing the new ball at high pace and deliver pinpoint yorkers at the death made him one of the most complete fast bowlers across formats. For younger Australian bowlers, he has set the template of adaptability and professionalism required to thrive in modern cricket.
As he exits T20Is, Starc leaves behind a legacy of fearsome speed, match-winning spells, and a World Cup medal — achievements that cement his place in the format’s history. With his sights now firmly on Test cricket and another ODI World Cup campaign, Australian fans can expect plenty more thunderbolts from the left-arm quick in the years to come.
The second Monday of the US Open saw every match on the two main courts, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong, end in straight sets.
But the only fourth-round match scheduled out on Grandstand delivered tension, quality and history as No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova defeated No. 27 seed Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-7(0), 6-3 in 2 hours and 53 minutes. It meant that, for the first time in the Open Era, three Czech women have made the quarterfinals at the US Open.
US Open: Draws | Scores | Order of play
All three booked their places there via fourth-round barnburners. Muchova’s win followed Barbora Krejcikova saving eight match points to end Taylor Townsend’s run 1-6, 7-6(13), 6-3 and Marketa Vondrousova’s 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 masterclass over Elena Rybakina on Sunday. Three Czechs have reached the last eight of a single major once previously — at Wimbledon 2014, where champion Petra Kvitova defeated her compatriots Lucie Safarova in the semifinals and Barbora Strycova in the quarterfinals.
Muchova’s run is her third in a row to the US Open quarterfinals — she was a semifinalist in both 2023 and 2024. Krejcikova and Vondrousova are back at this stage for a second time each, having been quarterfinalists in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
“Three of us in the quarters, it’s nice for our country,” Muchova said afterwards. “We are more one by one, honestly, [but] when we see each other here in the locker room, I think we are all happy for each other and we talk. Obviously with Marketa, we are from the same club, so I know her a little better than Bara. But with both of them, nice relationship, we support each other.”
The Czech talent pipeline has, throughout the Open Era, consistently punched above its weight in women’s tennis. This is less to do with an overarching system than availability of opportunities, according to Muchova.
“I wouldn’t really say it’s a system,” she told press. “For me personally, I was practicing most of the time in my hometown, always found myself a coach and built my team. I think for most of us, it was this way. It’s either family or parents helping out. Then when I was older, I moved to Prague and went to the bigger club where there was more players to have more opportunities.
“I wouldn’t say it was the system for me, but it was nice that we had a lot of tournaments that we could compete against each other in the Czech Republic. So that would be probably the one thing that I will tell you is great in Czech Republic.”
Impressively, Muchova has won four three-setters in four matches to reach the quarterfinals. She’s the 12th player in the Open Era to achieve that feat, following: Lesley Hunt (US Open 1978), Sylvia Hanika (US Open 1979), Joanne Russell (Wimbledon 1982), Melissa Brown (Roland Garros 1984), Jennifer Capriati (Wimbledon 1993), Lindsay Davenport (Roland Garros 2005), Jelena Dokic (Australian Open 2009), Maria Sharapova (Roland Garros 2009), Alison Riske-Amritraj (Wimbledon 2019), Jelena Ostapenko (US Open 2023) and Emma Navarro (Australian Open 2025).
The Czech trio’s success this fortnight is all the sweeter given their extensive injury histories. The careers of all three have been marked by remarkable highs, when they’re healthy enough for their talent to flow, punctuated by long periods on the sidelines and rankings that have yo-yoed from inside the Top 10 to outside the Top 100. At the age of 26, Vondrousova has only played a full season twice (2021, when she was the silver medallist at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and 2023, when she won Wimbledon). Muchova, 29, the 2022 Roland Garros finalist, has not played a full season since 2019, and this year was forced to temporarily play with a one-handed backhand due to a left wrist issue.
That’s the cause of another statistical first. Two-time major champion Krejcikova and Vondrousova have both been on the comeback trail yet again this year — Krejcikova was sidelined for the first half of 2025 by a back injury, while Vondrousova underwent shoulder surgery last August. They are ranked No. 62 and No. 60 respectively this week, meaning that for the first time in the Open Era, two Grand Slam champions have reached the quarterfinals of a major while ranked outside the Top 50.
But quality tends to shine through regardless of ranking number — and while the low-key trio may slip out of the spotlight during their absences from the game, they’ve shown this fortnight that they should never be overlooked.
And there’s still more history that could be made at Flushing Meadows. On Tuesday, Vondrousova takes on No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka and Krejcikova faces No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula; on Wednesday, Muchova will play No. 23 seed Naomi Osaka for the third time in the past five majors. In the Open Era, two Czechs have reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam on three previous occasions: Roland Garros 1986 (Hana Mandlikova and Helena Sukova, representing the former Czechoslovakia), Wimbledon 2014 (Kvitova and Safarova) and the Australian Open 2019 (Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova).
If Vondrousova, Krejcikova and Muchova all win their quarterfinals this week, it would be the first time in history that three Czechs have made the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament.
A systematic review analyzed associations of high-concentration delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabis products with mental health outcomes. The review found that high-concentration THC products are associated with unfavorable mental health outcomes, particularly for psychosis or schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder (CUD). However, there are limitations to currently available evidence and the researchers call for studies with improved designs to provide more accurate guidance for clinicians and the public. The review is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and colleagues analyzed 99 studies comprising 221,097 participants completed between 1977 and 2023. Study selection was intentionally broad and included studies examining associations between high-concentration cannabis products and mental health outcomes regardless of whether the study had the purpose of evaluating therapeutic effects.
High-concentration cannabis products were defined as having THC concentration exceeding 5 mg THC or 10% THC per serving or products described as “high-potency concentrate,” “shatter,” or “dab.” The mental health outcomes of interest included anxiety, depression, psychosis, schizophrenia, CUD and other substance use disorders. The researchers defined acute effects (within 12 hours), post-acute effects (after consistent use for 1 to 2 months), and long-term effects (after consistent use for > 1 year).
In studies not testing for therapeutic effects, high concentration THC products were associated with psychosis, schizophrenia, and cannabis use disorder. No therapeutic studies found favorable effects on psychosis or schizophrenia. Of non-therapeutic studies, 53% identified unfavorable associations with anxiety and 41% found unfavorable associations with depression. Among therapeutic studies, some suggested beneficial effects for anxiety (47%) and depression (48%), while others suggested unfavorable effects (24% for anxiety and 30% for depression).
The findings reinforce previous conclusions that higher THC concentrations increase the risk for adverse mental health outcomes; however, they fall short of providing the definitive evidence needed to provide clear advice to patients.
Belgium to recognise Palestinian state at UN general assembly
We are restarting our live coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza. Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, has said his country will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly later this month, adding to international pressure on Israel after similar moves by Australia, Britain, Canada and France.
The decision comes “in light of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and in response to the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law,” Prévot said in a post to social media.
Israel has become increasingly isolated on the international stage as it faces credible accusations of genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and the collective punishment of the civilian population of Gaza.
Israel’s assault has flattened large parts of Gaza, killing more than 63,000 people, mostly civilians, forcing nearly all of Gaza’s more than 2 million people from their homes and causing what the UN-backed hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), described last month as a “man-made famine” in and around Gaza City. Israel is still obstructing aid into the territory, despite widespread starvation.
In a lengthy post on X describing the Belgium government’s new position, Prévotwrote:
In light of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and in response to the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law, given its international obligations, including the duty to prevent any risk of genocide, Belgium had to take strong decisions to increase pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas terrorists.
This is not about sanctioning the Israeli people but about ensuring that their government respects international and humanitarian law and taking action to try to change the situation on the ground.
Maxime Prévot said Belgium took the decision to step up pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas. Photograph: Shutterstock
The recognition of Palestine would only be formalised if Hamas releases all remaining Israeli hostages kidnapped in the Hamas-led 7 October attack on southern Israel in 2023 and the militant group “no longer has any role in managing Palestine,” Prévot added.
Prévot saidBelgium, a member of the European Union, would levy 12 “firm” sanctions on Israel, such as a ban on importing products from its settlements and a review of public procurement policies with Israeli companies. It will also declare Hamas leaders persona non grata in Belgium.
The minister also said two “extremist” Israeli ministers and several “violent settlers” would be designated “persona non grata” in Belgium. While he didn’t name the ministers, they are likely to be Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far right security minister in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, and Bezalel Smotrich, the far right finance minister.
Over the summer, the UK, alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and NorwaysanctionedBen-Gvir and Smotrich over “repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities” in the occupied West Bank.
Key events
Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly denied there is starvation in Gaza, and his government called the recent famine declaration by international food security experts “an outright lie”.
Gaza’s health ministry said in a post on Telegram that over the past day it recorded 13 new deaths, including three children, caused by “famine and malnutrition”.
This brings the total number of Palestinian people who have died from famine and malnutrition to 361, including 130 children.
Israel has been widely accused of using food as a political weapon and was accused of flagrantly breaking international law by collectively punishing the civilian population of Gaza by its total 11 week blockade of aid (which began in March), which was only slightly eased in response to international pressure, particularly from US senators.
Aid organisations were bringing somewhere between 500 and 600 aid trucks a day into Gaza during the ceasefire earlier this year, but now ongoing Israeli restrictions mean much less aid is being allowed into the territory and distributed.
Palestinian people wait in line for scarce amounts of food in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF)says it killed a Hamas commander and a deputy commander in its operations in the northern and central parts of the Gaza Strip in collaboration with the 99th Division and Israel’s internal intelligence agency, Shin Bet, over the last month,
In a post on X, the IDF claimed it had killed Ahmed Abu Daif, who the military said had served as deputy company commander of the Zeitoun battalion since last year.
“As part of his role, he planned, directed, and carried out dozens of ambushes and attacks against IDF forces, and in addition, he acted to recruit additional terrorists to the Hamas terror organization,” the IDF wrote.
“In one of the operations, the terrorist Talab Sadki Talab Abu Itaywi, commander of a Nukhba team who infiltrated the territory of the State of Israel on October 7, was eliminated,” it added.
Israel committing genocide in Gaza, world’s top scholars on the crime say
Lorenzo Tondo
Lorenzo Tondo is an international correspondent for the Guardian
The world’s leading genocide scholars’ association has backed a resolution stating that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of the crime.
Out of the International Association of Genocide Scholars’s (IAGS) 500 members, 28% took part in the vote. Of those who voted, 86% supported the resolution.
The resolution states that “Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide in article II of the United Nations convention for the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide (1948).”
The three-page resolution passed by the body calls on Israel to “immediately cease all acts that constitute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza, including deliberate attacks against and killing of civilians including children; starvation; deprivation of humanitarian aid, water, fuel, and other items essential to the survival of the population; sexual and reproductive violence; and forced displacement of the population.”
You can read the full story here:
Israel continues deadly attacks on Gaza City as military seeks to forcibly displace Palestinian residents
Gaza’s civil defence agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told the Agence France-Presse news agency (AFP) that Israeli forces had struck the top floor of a residential building in southwestern Gaza City overnight, killing 10 people.
Bassal said Israeli helicopters also struck an apartment in the west of the city, killing three and injuring several others.
Israel has stepped up its destruction of Gaza City as it prepares for an assault on the shattered remains of the territory’s largest city.
Palestinian children in Gaza City on 01 September 2025. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
Around 1 million Palestinian people, many of whom are too frail or old to keep moving, are expected to be displaced by Israel’s expanded assault in the area.
Gaza City residents are being told to move to the southern part of the territory to areas that are under frequent Israeli bombardment and are already overcrowded.
Israel declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” on Friday, ending the daily humanitarian pauses that were meant to alleviate hunger and starvation there.
As my colleague William Christou notes in this story, Gaza City is in the throes of famine, a result of an Israeli blockade that despite the pauses has choked off food and medical supplies into the territory.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said the assault is the best way to weaken Hamas and return hostages, a claim that is heavily disputed.
Mourners sit next to the bodies of Palestinian people killed in overnight Israeli airstrikes. This picture was taken during the funeral at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Photograph: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
Jennifer Rankin
My colleague Jennifer Rankin has given some political context to Belgium’s decision:
Belgium’s deputy prime minister Maxime Prévot indicated that Belgium would recognise Palestine at this month’s UN general assembly, after France announced such an intention in July in the hope of creating momentum for peace. But the Belgian royal decree on recognition would not be issued until the last hostage is released.
The compromise averts a political crisis within the relatively new Belgian government.
Prévot, a centrist who is also foreign minister, had threatened to block government business if there was no agreement on recognition, or taking a stricter tone towards Israel.
Only last week prime minister Bart de Wever, a Flemish nationalist, described recognition as “counterproductive” and “pointless” without the full disarmament of Hamas.
The Palestinian foreign ministry has said it welcomes Belgium’s announcement that it will recognise Palestinian statehood.
In a statement on X, the ministry said it considered the move “to be in line with international law and United Nations resolutions, and protective of the two-state solution and supportive of achieving peace”.
The statement added:
The ministry calls on the countries that have not yet recognized the state of Palestine to quickly take the initiative for this recognition, and to intensify practical efforts to stop the crimes of genocide, displacement, starvation, and annexation, and to open a real political path to resolve the conflict and end the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine.
What will recognising Palestine mean in practice?
The Guardian’s political correspondent Eleni Courea has done an explainer with a section looking at what recognising Palestine would look in practice. Here is an extract:
Recognition is a symbolic step but one that would infuriate the Israeli government, which argues that it would encourage Hamas and reward terrorism.
It is in effect a formal, political acknowledgment of Palestinian self-determination – without the need to engage in thorny practicalities such as the location of its borders or capital city.
It also allows the establishment of full diplomatic relations that would result in a Palestinian ambassador (rather than a head of mission) being stationed in London and a British ambassador in Palestine. Advocates say it is a way of kickstarting a political process towards an eventual two-state solution.
Out of the 193 UN member states, about 140 already recognise Palestine as a state. These include China, India and Russia, as well as a majority of European countries such as Cyprus, Ireland, Norway, Spain and Sweden.
A map showing the countries that have recognised Palestinian statehood or are about to
Belgium to recognise Palestinian state at UN general assembly
We are restarting our live coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza. Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, has said his country will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly later this month, adding to international pressure on Israel after similar moves by Australia, Britain, Canada and France.
The decision comes “in light of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and in response to the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law,” Prévot said in a post to social media.
Israel has become increasingly isolated on the international stage as it faces credible accusations of genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and the collective punishment of the civilian population of Gaza.
Israel’s assault has flattened large parts of Gaza, killing more than 63,000 people, mostly civilians, forcing nearly all of Gaza’s more than 2 million people from their homes and causing what the UN-backed hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), described last month as a “man-made famine” in and around Gaza City. Israel is still obstructing aid into the territory, despite widespread starvation.
In a lengthy post on X describing the Belgium government’s new position, Prévotwrote:
In light of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and in response to the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law, given its international obligations, including the duty to prevent any risk of genocide, Belgium had to take strong decisions to increase pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas terrorists.
This is not about sanctioning the Israeli people but about ensuring that their government respects international and humanitarian law and taking action to try to change the situation on the ground.
Maxime Prévot said Belgium took the decision to step up pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas. Photograph: Shutterstock
The recognition of Palestine would only be formalised if Hamas releases all remaining Israeli hostages kidnapped in the Hamas-led 7 October attack on southern Israel in 2023 and the militant group “no longer has any role in managing Palestine,” Prévot added.
Prévot saidBelgium, a member of the European Union, would levy 12 “firm” sanctions on Israel, such as a ban on importing products from its settlements and a review of public procurement policies with Israeli companies. It will also declare Hamas leaders persona non grata in Belgium.
The minister also said two “extremist” Israeli ministers and several “violent settlers” would be designated “persona non grata” in Belgium. While he didn’t name the ministers, they are likely to be Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far right security minister in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, and Bezalel Smotrich, the far right finance minister.
Over the summer, the UK, alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and NorwaysanctionedBen-Gvir and Smotrich over “repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities” in the occupied West Bank.
Belgium to recognise Palestinian state at UN general assembly
We are restarting our live coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza. Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, has said his country will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly later this month, adding to international pressure on Israel after similar moves by Australia, Britain, Canada and France.
The decision comes “in light of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and in response to the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law,” Prévot said in a post to social media.
Israel has become increasingly isolated on the international stage as it faces credible accusations of genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and the collective punishment of the civilian population of Gaza.
Israel’s assault has flattened large parts of Gaza, killing more than 63,000 people, mostly civilians, forcing nearly all of Gaza’s more than 2 million people from their homes and causing what the UN-backed hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), described last month as a “man-made famine” in and around Gaza City. Israel is still obstructing aid into the territory, despite widespread starvation.
In a lengthy post on X describing the Belgium government’s new position, Prévotwrote:
In light of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and in response to the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law, given its international obligations, including the duty to prevent any risk of genocide, Belgium had to take strong decisions to increase pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas terrorists.
This is not about sanctioning the Israeli people but about ensuring that their government respects international and humanitarian law and taking action to try to change the situation on the ground.
Maxime Prévot said Belgium took the decision to step up pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas. Photograph: Shutterstock
The recognition of Palestine would only be formalised if Hamas releases all remaining Israeli hostages kidnapped in the Hamas-led 7 October attack on southern Israel in 2023 and the militant group “no longer has any role in managing Palestine,” Prévot added.
Prévot saidBelgium, a member of the European Union, would levy 12 “firm” sanctions on Israel, such as a ban on importing products from its settlements and a review of public procurement policies with Israeli companies. It will also declare Hamas leaders persona non grata in Belgium.
The minister also said two “extremist” Israeli ministers and several “violent settlers” would be designated “persona non grata” in Belgium. While he didn’t name the ministers, they are likely to be Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far right security minister in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, and Bezalel Smotrich, the far right finance minister.
Over the summer, the UK, alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and NorwaysanctionedBen-Gvir and Smotrich over “repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities” in the occupied West Bank.
Key events
Closing summary
Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, has said his country will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly later this month, adding to international pressure on Israel after similar moves by Australia, Britain, Canada and France. The decision comes “in light of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and in response to the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law,” Prévot said in a post to social media.
Gaza’s civil defence agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told the Agence France-Presse news agency (AFP) that Israeli forces had struck the top floor of a residential building in southwestern Gaza City overnight, killing 10 people. Bassal said Israeli helicopters also struck an apartment in the west of the city, killing three and injuring several others.
At least nine people, including five children, have been killed in an Israeli strike while fetching water in al-Mawasi, an area of southern Gaza which Israel has designated as a safe zone, health officials said. A doctor from al-Nasser hospital shared a picture of the children’s bodies in the hospital, as well as a picture of water jugs left in a pool of blood at the site of the attack on Tuesday.
At least 73 Palestinian people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn, including 42 people in Gaza City, Al Jazeera is reporting, citing hospital sources.
At least 63,633 Palestinian people have been killed and 160,914 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Gaza’s civil defence agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told the Agence France-Presse news agency (AFP) that Israeli forces had struck the top floor of a residential building in southwestern Gaza City overnight, killing 10 people. Bassal said Israeli helicopters also struck an apartment in the west of the city, killing three and injuring several others.
Israel has started mobilising tens of thousands of reservists and repeated evacuation warnings as part of its plan to widen its offensive in Gaza City, which has sparked opposition domestically and condemnation abroad. The beginning of September call-up, announced last month, comes as ground and air forces press forward and pursue more targets in northern and central Gaza, striking parts of Zeitoun and Shijaiyah — two western Gaza City neighborhoods that Israeli forces have repeatedly invaded, AP reported.
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said the US should urgently revise its decision to revoke the visas of Palestinian officials and bar them from attending a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations this month in New York. Washington said last week it would not allow the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, and others to travel to New York, where several US allies are set to recognise Palestine as a state, Reuters reports.
Israeli president Isaac Herzog will travel to the Vatican on Thursday to meet Pope Leo XIV, who recently demanded that Israel stop its “collective punishment” of the population in Gaza. The one-day visit is being made at the invitation of the pope, Herzog’s office said in a statement earlier today.
A plan circulating in the White House to develop the “Gaza Riviera” as a string of high-tech megacities has been dismissed as an “insane” attempt to provide cover for the large-scale ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian territory’s population. On Sunday, the Washington Post published a leaked prospectus for the plan, which would involve the forced displacement of Gaza’s entire population of 2 million people and put the territory into a US trusteeship for at least a decade.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF)says it killed a Hamas commander and a deputy commander in its operations in the northern and central parts of the Gaza Strip in collaboration with the 99th Division and Israel’s internal intelligence agency, Shin Bet, over the last month. In a post on X, the IDF claimed it had killed Ahmed Abu Daif, who the military said had served as deputy company commander of the Zeitoun battalion since last year.
The world’s leading genocide scholars’ association has backed a resolution stating that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of the crime. Out of the International Association of Genocide Scholars’s (IAGS) 500 members, 28% took part in the vote. Of those who voted, 86% supported the resolution.
French judicial authorities have issued arrest warrants for ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and six other top former officials over the bombardment of a rebel-held city in 2012 that killed two journalists, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency has just cited lawyers as having said. Marie Colvin, 56, an American working for The Sunday Times, and French photographer Remi Ochlik, 28, were killed on 22 February 2012 by the explosion in the eastern city of Homs, which is being investigated by the French judiciary as a potential crime against humanity.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday that they had attacked a ship in the northern Red Sea with two drones and a missile over its connection to Israel. The group did not say when the attack happened.
Five children in Gaza among those killed by Israeli strike while fetching water
William Christou
At least nine people, including five children, have been killed in an Israeli strike while fetching water in al-Mawasi, an area of southern Gaza which Israel has designated as a safe zone, health officials said.
A doctor from al-Nasser hospital shared a picture of the children’s bodies in the hospital, as well as a picture of water jugs left in a pool of blood at the site of the attack on Tuesday.
The attack came shortly after the Israel Defense Forces encouraged people to leave Gaza City for al-Mawasi, before Israel’s looming invasion of Gaza City. The Israeli military has sought to displace people from the city before its offensive and has promised that southern Gaza would be able to accommodate them, despite experts disagreeing with the suggestion.
“We wish to remind you that in al-Mawasi, enhanced services will be provided with an emphasis on access to medical care, water and food,” the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X on Tuesday afternoon.
Israel continued to push ahead with its operation and began the mobilisation of tens of thousands of reservists on Tuesday.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday that they had attacked a ship in the northern Red Sea with two drones and a missile over its connection to Israel.
The group did not say when the attack happened.
Iran and the US could reopen “rational negotiations”, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, Ali Larijani, has said in a post on X.
“We indeed pursue rational negotiations. By raising unrealisable issues such as missile restrictions, they set a path that negates any talks,” Larijani added.
Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian mission to the United Kingdom, has said that recognition of the Palestinian state is the first step in “an international momentum to implement the two-state solution”.
Speaking at Chatham House today, he said:
We, and with us the region, and the rest of the international community are in desperate and real search for an alternative path.
Recognition is a first step. It’s not a final step. It’s just a first, meaningful, significant, step in an international momentum to implement the two-state solution rather than negotiate it.
Zomlot previously served as a strategic affairs adviser to the Palestinian president.
“The issuing of the seven arrest warrants is a decisive step that paves the way for a trial in France for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Bashar al-Assad’s regime,” said Clemence Bectarte, lawyer for the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Remi Ochlik’s parents.
The FIDH said the journalists had clandestinely entered Homs to “document the crimes committed by Bashar al-Assad’s regime” and were victims of a “targeted bombing”.
“The investigation clearly established that the attack on the informal press centre was part of the Syrian regime’s explicit intention to target foreign journalists in order to limit media coverage of its crimes and force them to leave the city and the country,” said Mazen Darwish, lawyer and director of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM).
France issues arrest warrant for Syria’s Assad over 2012 journalist killings, lawyers say
French judicial authorities have issued arrest warrants for ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad an six other top former officials over the bombardment of a rebel-held city in 2012 that killed two journalists, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency has just cited lawyers as having said.
Marie Colvin, 56, an American working for The Sunday Times, and French photographer Remi Ochlik, 28, were killed on 22 February 2012 by the explosion in the eastern city of Homs, which is being investigated by the French judiciary as a potential crime against humanity.
Since December 2024, Assad has been living in exile in Russia after rebels led by Turkish-backed forces took control of Syria.
At least 73 Palestinian people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn, including 42 people in Gaza City, Al Jazeera is reporting, citing hospital sources.
We have not yet been able to independently verify this figure.
Israel has started mobilising tens of thousands of reservists and repeated evacuation warnings as part of its plan to widen its offensive in Gaza City, which has sparked opposition domestically and condemnation abroad.
The beginning of September call-up, announced last month, comes as ground and air forces press forward and pursue more targets in northern and central Gaza, striking parts of Zeitoun and Shijaiyah — two western Gaza City neighborhoods that Israeli forces have repeatedly invaded, AP reported.
Zeitoun, once Gaza City’s largest neighbourhood, with markets, schools and clinics, has been transformed over the past month, with streets being emptied and buildings reduced to rubble as it becomes what Israel’s military last week called a “dangerous combat zone”.
Gaza City is Hamas’ political and military stronghold and, according to Israel, still home to a vast tunnel network, despite incursions throughout the war.
It is also one of the last refuges in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of civilians are sheltering, facing the twin threats of combat and famine.
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said the US should urgently revise its decision to revoke the visas of Palestinian officials and bar them from attending a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations this month in New York.
Washington said last week it would not allow the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, and others to travel to New York, where several US allies are set to recognise Palestine as a state, Reuters reports.
The move “does not fit the United Nations’ raison d’etre,” Erdogan told reporters on a flight home from China, according to a readout from his office on Tuesday. “The decision needs to be urgently revised. The United Nations general assembly exists for the issues of the world to be discussed and for solutions to be found.”
“The Palestinian delegation not being at the general assembly would only please Israel,” he added. “What is expected from the United States is to say ‘stop’ to Israel’s massacres, cruelty.”
Palestinians carry pans and bowls forms a crowd to receive food aid provided by charity organisation in Gaza City, Gaza, on September 2, 2025.
Palestinians carry pans and bowls forms a crowd to receive food aid provided by charity organization in Gaza City, Gaza on 2 September, 2025. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
Israeli president to meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will travel to the Vatican on Thursday to meet Pope Leo XIV, who recently demanded that Israel stop its “collective punishment” of the population in Gaza.
The one-day visit is being made at the invitation of the pope, Herzog’s office said in a statement earlier today.
The president will also meet secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s chief diplomat, and tour the Vatican Archives and Library, it added.
“Central to their meetings will be the efforts to secure the release of the hostages, the fight against global antisemitism, and the safeguarding of Christian communities in the Middle East, alongside discussions on other political matters,” the presidency said.
The pope has previously condemned the “barbarity” of the war in Gaza and the “indiscriminate use of force”.
Leaked ‘Gaza Riviera’ plan dismissed as ‘insane’ attempt to cover ethnic cleansing
A plan circulating in the White House to develop the “Gaza Riviera” as a string of high-tech megacities has been dismissed as an “insane” attempt to provide cover for the large-scale ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian territory’s population.
On Sunday the Washington Post published a leaked prospectus for the plan, which would involve the forced displacement of Gaza’s entire population of 2 million people and put the territory into a US trusteeship for at least a decade.
Named the Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust – or Great – the proposal was reportedly developed by some of the same Israelis who created and set in motion the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation with financial planning contributed by Boston Consulting Group.
Most controversially, the 38-page plan suggests what it calls “temporary relocation of all of Gaza’s more than 2 million population” – a proposal that would amount to ethnic cleansing, potentially a genocidal act.
Image from the Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust – or Great – proposal. Photograph: Supplied
Palestinians would be encouraged into “voluntary” departure to another country or into restricted, secure zones during reconstruction. Those who own land would be offered “a digital token” by the trust in exchange for rights to redevelop their property, to be used to finance a new life elsewhere.
Those who stay would be housed in properties with a tiny footprint of 323 sq ft – minuscule even by the standards of many non-refugee camp homes in Gaza.
You can read the full story by my colleagues Peter BeaumontandAlice Speri here:
