Rishi Sunak pushed to back Israel-Hamas ceasefire – as UK sends first flight of aid for Gaza

Published

2 years ago

October 25, 2023

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MPs from all sides of the Commons have continued to add pressure onto Rishi Sunak to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict

Members from a range of parties said there was a “human responsibility” to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip who have had their water and power supplies cut off by Israel following the attacks by Hamas on 7 October.

The prime minister insisted the “first and most important principle is that Israel has the right to defend itself under law”.

However, Mr Sunak agreed humanitarian aid was needed to get to civilians in Gaza, and confirmed an RAF plane was on its way to the region with 21 tonnes of supplies, including medical equipment and water filters.

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Speaking at this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions, the deputy leader of the SNP, Mhairi Black, pointed to warnings from the United Nations that some hospitals in Gaza City had less than 20 hours of fuel left and their electricity “runs out tonight”.

“We have a human responsibility to all the people in Gaza, but we have a particular responsibility for UK citizens, some of whom are in those hospitals with no food, no water, no medicine, and no way out,” she added.

“So I want to ask the prime minister how much worse does the situation have to get before he will join us in calls for a humanitarian ceasefire?”

Ms Black also raised the growing tensions in the West Bank, with UNICEF reporting over 2,000 fatalities and over 5,000 injured children since the conflict began, saying: “If we ignore this, we risk putting petrol on a fire in a place that only requires a spark to ignite.”

The leader of Northern Ireland’s SDLP (Social Democratic and Labour Party), Colum Eastwood, referenced the Troubles in his question to Mr Sunak, telling the Commons: “A few short months ago the world came to Belfast to celebrate the Good Friday Agreement. At the heart of that agreement was the realisation that we could not use violence as a tool for revenge to achieve our political aims.

“As 1,400 Israelis and almost 6,000 Palestinians lay dying and dead, when will the prime minister say enough is enough? When will he call for a ceasefire?”

Labour’s Yasmin Qureshi also echoed the calls – although the party’s leadership remains aligned with the government in not yet calling for a ceasefire.

She read an email from one of her constituents with relatives in Gaza, that said: “My heart can’t handle this. We are being massacred, relentlessly bombed, homes are being destroyed [and there is] no water, no food, no electricity.”

The MP pointed to a report from Save the Children that said one child is being killed every 15 minutes in the conflict, before adding: “This is collective punishment of the Palestinian people in Gaza for crimes they did not commit.

“How many more innocents must die before this prime minister calls for a humanitarian ceasefire?”

In response to the calls, Mr Sunak urged people to remember that Israel had suffered “a shockingly brutal terrorist attack”, saying: “Hamas is responsible for this conflict and Israel has the right to protect itself line with international law as the UN Charter makes clear.”

But, he added: “It is also clear that we must support the Palestinian people. They are victims of Hamas too. Hamas uses innocent people as human shields.

“We mourn the loss of every innocent life, people of every faith, of every nationality, and we are working as hard as we can to get as much humanitarian aid to Gaza as quickly as practically possible.”

Politics

SEC punts decisions on XRP, DOGE ETFs

Published

3 hours ago

April 29, 2025

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SEC punts decisions on XRP, DOGE ETFs

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed deciding on whether to greenlight two proposed cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) holding Dogecoin and XRP, filings show.

The US regulator has delayed its deadline for ruling on the proposed ETF listings until June, according to two filings reviewed by Cointelegraph.

The filings were responses to March requests from US exchanges NYSE Arca and Cboe BZX Exchange to list Bitwise’s Dogecoin (DOGE) ETF and Franklin Templeton’s XRP (XRP) ETF, respectively.

They came on the same day that Nasdaq, another US exchange, asked for permission to list a 21Shares Dogecoin ETF.

Dogecoin is the world’s most heavily traded memecoin, with a market capitalization of around $26 billion as of April 29, according to data from CoinGecko. XRP is the native token of the XRP Ledger blockchain network. It has a market capitalization of approximately $133 billion, CoinGecko data shows.

Deluge of filings

In 2025, the SEC has fielded requests to authorize dozens of altcoin ETFs for US listing. As of April 21, approximately 70 crypto ETFs were awaiting the SEC’s review.

Asset managers are proposing funds holding “[e]verything from XRP, Litecoin and Solana to Penguins, Doge and 2x Melania and everything in between,” Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas said in an April 21 post on the X platform.

The deluge of proposals comes as US President Donald Trump pushes the SEC to take a more accommodating stance toward cryptocurrencies.

However, analysts caution investor demand for altcoin ETFs may be tepid in comparison to funds holding core cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH).

“Having your coin get ETF-ized is like being in a band and getting your songs added to all the music streaming services,” Balchunas said.

“Doesn’t guarantee listens but it puts your music where the vast majority of the listeners are.”

Although US exchanges are embracing crypto ETFs, they are also urging the SEC to take a tough regulatory posture toward digital assets. In an April 25 comment letter, Nasdaq encouraged the SEC to hold digital assets to the same compliance standards as securities if they constitute “stocks by any other name.”

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Nasdaq files to list 21Shares Dogecoin ETF

Published

6 hours ago

April 29, 2025

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Nasdaq files to list 21Shares Dogecoin ETF

The United States exchange Nasdaq has asked regulators for permission to list a 21Shares exchange-traded fund (ETF) holding the popular memcoin Dogecoin, regulatory filings show.

The move follows 21Shares’ April 10 filing of its initial proposal to launch its Dogecoin ETF, shortly after similar applications from rivals Bitwise and Grayscale. The asset manager has also sought regulators’ permission to list ETFs holding other cryptocurrencies, including Solana (SOL), XRP (XRP), and Polkadot (DOT).

Nasdaq must gain approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before it can list and trade the fund. The request amounts to a regulatory review process that could determine whether Dogecoin becomes accessible to a broader range of investors through an ETF structure.

Onslaught of altcoin ETFs

Fund issuers requested to list dozens of altcoin ETFs after US President Donald Trump instructed the SEC to take a friendlier stance toward cryptocurrencies after his second term began in January.

As of April 21, more than 70 crypto ETFs were awaiting the SEC’s review. The list includes alternative layer-1 (L1) native tokens, such as SOL and Sui (SUI), as well as memecoins such as Bonk (BONK) and Official Trump (TRUMP).

While exchanges such as Nasdaq seek to list more crypto ETFs, they are also pushing for firmer US regulatory oversight of digital assets. In an April 25 comment letter, Nasdaq urged the SEC to hold digital assets to the same regulatory standards as securities if they constitute “stocks by any other name.”

Dogecoin utility

Dogecoin (DOGE) is a popular memecoin with a market capitalization of nearly $26 billion as of April 29, according to CoinGecko.

It is distinct from most other memecoins because DOGE is the native token of the Dogecoin network.

The proof-of-work blockchain network is designed as a faster, cheaper alternative to Bitcoin (BTC) for peer-to-peer payments.

It processed more than 40,000 transactions in the past 24 hours, according to data from Bitinfocharts.com.

In September 2024, blockchain developers QED Protocol and Nexus tipped plans to launch a layer-2 (L2) scaling solution designed to bring smart contracts to Dogecoin.

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Politics

UK gov’t proposes crypto rules in response to scams

Published

9 hours ago

April 29, 2025

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<div>UK gov't proposes crypto rules in response to scams</div>

The United Kingdom’s Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, have proposed new crypto rules aimed at “support[ing] innovation while cracking down on fraudsters.”

In an April 29 notice, the UK government announced draft rules for cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), that would bring “crypto exchanges, dealers and agents” in line with regulations, as many residents were “exposed to risky firms and scams.” It cited discussions with US government officials, including a proposed US-UK cross-border sandbox from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Hester Peirce.

“Today’s announcement sends a clear signal: Britain is open for business — but closed to fraud, abuse, and instability,” said the notice. “The government will bring forward final cryptoasset legislation at the earliest opportunity, following engagement on the draft provisions with industry.”

Treasury and Reeves said the UK was committed to making the country a “global hub for digital asset technologies,” referencing the goals of the previous government under the Conservative Party. A 2023 consultation paper from Treasury proposed “bringing a wide range of cryptoasset activities” — including trading and issuing stablecoins — in line with UK regulations.

Praise from industry

In a statement shared with Cointelegraph, Ian Silvera, the associate director for the self-regulatory trade association CryptoUK, called the government announcement a “very much welcomed and a big victory” for crypto firms. However, he added that the industry could also benefit from regulatory clarity on liquid staking and DeFi.

“Though there has been good regulatory progress from the [Financial Conduct Authority], which published its crypto roadmap late last year, the UK government first committed to becoming a global crypto hub in 2022,” said Silvera. “Progress has been slow since then, but as the Chancellor has recognised herself the mainstreaming of the industry has continued, with now 12% of all UK adults owning some sort of crypto, up from 4% in 2021.”

The FCA plans to publish final rules on crypto sometime in 2026, setting the groundwork for the UK regulatory regime to go live. The roadmap to greater regulatory clarity in the UK could follow the European Union, which started to implement its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework in December.

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