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By Alexander Cornwell Tel Aviv — Israel has told Britain it must close its East Jerusalem consulate within a month, Israeli officials said on Wednesday, as a retaliatory step against sanctions that Britain, France and Canada have announced against settlements. The sanctions are among the strongest collective actions taken by major Western allies of Israel over Israeli settlements, and have prompted intense pushback in Israel weeks before it holds a general election.

By Andreas Rinke and Kirsti Knolle German chancellor Friedrich Merz accused the Alternative for Germany on Wednesday of supporting Russia against Germany’s interests and advocating anti-migration policies that were tantamount to “ethnic cleansing”. Merz was addressing the German parliament following his party’s bruising defeat against the AfD, which surged to victory in an election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on a platform to curb migration and restore ties with Moscow.

In a modest wooden home in Sardinal, about a 20-minute drive from Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, Jose Flores spends his days napping, eating meals prepared by his granddaughter, and arm-wrestling with her. His family and official records indicate that he is 119 years old, which would make him the world’s oldest man, though international verification of his birth date is still pending as specialists review historical documents.

By Aamer Madhani Washington — President Donald Trump gave sizable holiday gifts to four White House aides, according to new financial disclosures released by the administration.

Story audio is generated using AI Higher alcohol taxes could help reduce the number of children affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), but must be accompanied by better health-care and support services, a paediatrician says. The comments came as the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance in SA (SAAPA SA), through its True Cost of Alcohol campaign, called on the National Treasury to use its ongoing alcohol taxation review to increase excise taxes on alcohol.

US President Donald Trump attributed the victory of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in a state election to immigration rules and regulations that he cast as “horrible”. The AfD, bolstered by public anger over the scale of mass immigration, surged into first place on Sunday in the election in Saxony-Anhalt, the first time a far-right party has come within reach of power at the state level since World War Two.

Story audio is generated using AI The Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) has called for the national minimum wage (NMW) to increase from R30.23 to at least R33 per hour from March 1 2027. Fedusa made this call in its submission to the National Minimum Wage Commission as part of the 2027 NMW review process. The commission had called for public input on the 2027 NMW in August and the closing date for submissions was September 4.

Kimi Antonelli is Formula One’s man of the moment but Mercedes’ 20-year-old championship leader faces a Monumental challenge in Spain this weekend, along with all his rivals. Fresh from becoming the first Italian since 1966 to win his home race at Monza, Antonelli will be entering new territory when the Spanish capital’s Madring makes its grand prix debut with a signature “La Monumental” banked curve.

By Samya Kullab and Srdjan Nedeljkovic Kyiv — President Volodymyr Zelensky chided the international community on Wednesday for not taking a tougher stance against Russia over its escalating bombardment of civilian areas of Ukraine. At the end of August, Russia launched a week of night and daylight attacks on Kyiv in its heaviest sustained bombardment of the Ukrainian capital since its full-scale invasion began more than four years ago.

Story audio is generated using AI US president Donald Trump and his Republican Party are taking the unusual step of staging a national Republican convention ahead of November’s midterm elections, gambling that a high-profile show of party unity can energise supporters and help Republicans defy historical midterm losses, despite Trump’s low approval ratings.