Artist refuses to open Israeli pavilion at Venice Biennale until cease-fire, hostage release

VENICE, Italy — The artist and curators representing Israel at this year’s Venice Biennale announced Tuesday they won’t open the Israeli pavilion exhibition until there is a cease-fire in Gaza and an agreement to release hostages. Their decision was posted on a sign in the window of the Israeli national pavilion on the first day … Read more

Another top donor says it will resume funding the UN agency for Palestinians as Gaza hunger grows

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Another top donor to the U.N. agency aiding Palestinians said Saturday that it would resume funding, weeks after more than a dozen countries halted hundreds of millions of dollars of support in response to Israeli allegations against the organization. Sweden’s reversal came as a ship bearing tons of humanitarian aid was preparing … Read more

Live updates | Hamas is expected to respond soon to a proposal that includes hostage releases

A senior Hamas official said Friday the group will respond “very soon” to a proposal that includes extended pauses in Gaza fighting and phased exchanges of Hamas-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. Hamas and other militants in Gaza are holding dozens of hostages, after having abducted about 250 during their deadly Oct. 7 attack … Read more

Another Turkish soccer club parts ways with an Israeli player over his posting on Gaza hostages

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s leading soccer club Basaksehir announced Thursday it has parted ways with its Israeli player Eden Karzev following a disciplinary probe of his social media post calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza by the Hamas militant group. The club’s decision came days after another Israeli player, Sagiv Jehezkel, was … Read more

Movie Review: Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard anchor ‘Memory,’ a thorny drama with a tender heart

Pain and trauma permeate Michel Franco’s new drama “ Memory, ” about two lost souls who find surprising comfort in one another. Both Jessica Chastain’s Sylvia and Peter Sarsgaard’s Saul are hostage to their own minds, though in vastly different ways. Hers haunts her. His is failing rapidly. And neither are entirely trustworthy. “Memory,” expanding … Read more