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European stocks rose in early trading on Monday, supported by bank shares, as investors await a busy week of central bank meetings, including the Federal Reserve's (US central bank) meeting.The Stoxx 600 index rose 0.2 percent to 556.2 points, with the interest-sensitive banking sector leading gains, up 0.8 percent.Shares of French fuel retailer Rubis rose 6.7 percent, topping the Stoxx 600 index's gainers list. The company's value is estimated at approximately USD 3.5 billion.The French CAC 40 index rose 0.4 percent, with shares of local banks such as Societe Generale up 1.3 percent, while both BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole rose about 0.9 percent.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday she would push to sanction "extremist" Israeli ministers and curb trade ties over Gaza, as she warned famine could not be used as a "weapon of war".Addressing the European Parliament, von der Leyen lamented that divisions among member states were holding back a European response and said the European Commission she leads "will do all that it can on its own"."What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world. People killed while begging for food. Mothers holding lifeless babies. These images are simply catastrophic," von der Leyen said."For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity -- this must stop."The German politician, 66, said the commission would put its bilateral support to Israel on hold, stopping all payments, but without affecting work with civil society groups and Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.The measure is to affect future allocations amounting to about six million euros ($7 million) a year and the disbursement of about 14 million euros for ongoing institutional cooperation projects, the commission said.The European Union's executive will propose sanctions on "extremist ministers" -- whose actions and words "incite violence" -- and "violent settlers".And it will push for a partial suspension of an association agreement with Israel on trade-related matters.But such measures will need approval by the bloc's 27 member states, which have been deeply divided on how to respond to Israel's actions in Gaza."I am aware it will be difficult to find majorities," von der Leyen conceded."And I know that any action will be too much for some. Too little for others. But we must all take our own responsibilities".The United Nations declared famine last month in parts of Gaza, warning that 500,000 people face "catastrophic" conditions.

The European Union-Qatar joint workshop on adapting regulatory frameworks and practices in the digital age concluded in Doha on Tuesday. The workshop aimed to strengthen mutual understanding of regulatory challenges in the digital sphere, to support exchanges of expertise between Qatari and European institutions, and to discuss practical policy tools for safeguarding digital rights. The programme included real case studies to help build national capacities and underlines the importance of embedding human rights principles, such as freedom of expression, privacy protection, and non-discrimination, at the core of sustainable digital policies, in line with the United Nations Global Digital Compact. The event brought together participants from across Qatar, including representatives of the Public Prosecution, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, and the National Cybersecurity Agency.

HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi participated Friday in the European House - Ambrosetti, held in the Italian city of Como, in the presence of a number of senior officials, experts, and decision-makers.HE Al Khulaifi gave a speech on insights from the Gulf and Turkiye on the evolving geopolitical balance, during which he discussed the State of Qatar's role in addressing regional and international challenges, emphasising the importance of dialogue, mediation, and principled engagement as fundamental pillars for achieving security and stability.HE Al Khulaifi highlighted the humanitarian and diplomatic efforts undertaken by the State of Qatar in the Gaza Strip, including keeping humanitarian lifelines open, securing vital aid, and preventing escalation through engagement with various parties.Regarding the situation in Syria, HE Al Khulaifi said that Qatar played a part in providing diverse humanitarian assistance, saying these efforts helped provide a sense of stability and hope for the brotherly Syrian people.Regarding regional stability, he stressed the State of Qatar's commitment to opening channels of communication with all parties to reduce risks and create spaces for dialogue, emphasizing that escalation serves no one, while dialogue and humanitarian support pave the way toward stability.HE Al Khulaifi also stressed the importance of the partnership with the United States and its pivotal role in supporting regional and international security, stating in this regard that the State of Qatar is keen to cooperate with American efforts by utilizing its trusted channels with various regional and international parties.He concluded by emphasising that the State of Qatar's role extends beyond crisis management to adopting the necessary preventative measures and mechanisms to address and maintain open channels of communication when others are unable to do so.HE Al Khulaifi emphasised that respect for international law was not an option, but a necessity, and that the State of Qatar will continue to shoulder its responsibilities as a trusted partner in the international community.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani met in Doha Friday with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.The meeting reviewed co-operation between Qatar and the European Union, as well as regional and international issues of common concern, particularly the developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.During the meeting, HE Sheikh Mohammed stressed the importance of unifying regional and international efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, ensure the protection of civilians, secure the release of prisoners and detainees, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to alleviate the catastrophic conditions in the Strip.

A senior European Union official said Thursday that Israel's operations in Gaza constitute genocide, the first member of the bloc's commission to make that charge."The genocide in Gaza exposes Europe's failure to act and speak with one voice, even as protests spread across European cities and 14 UN Security Council members call for an immediate ceasefire," Teresa Ribera said at the opening ceremony of the academic year at the Sciences Po university in Paris.Israel's mission to the EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Ribera is the European Commission's Executive Vice President, second only in seniority to President Ursula von der Leyen. The Spanish socialist, whose portfolio includes climate and anti-trust issues, is not responsible for EU foreign policy.The comments were stronger than a statement she gave last month when she said the displacement and killing in Gaza looked "very much like" genocide.The European Commission has accused Israel of violating human rights in Gaza, but stopped short of accusing it of genocide.South Africa has brought a case at the International Court of Justice in the Hague accusing Israel of genocide.On Monday, the president of the world's largest academic association of genocide scholars announced that the association had passed a resolution affirming that the legal criteria have been met to determine that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.Israel's Foreign Ministry called that statement disgraceful.More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground war in Gaza since then, according to Gaza health officials, who said most of those killed have been women and children.

European stocks edged lower on Friday as investors awaited key eurozone indicators and a US inflation report for signals on the timing of potential US interest rate cuts.The pan-european stock index slipped 0.2% to 552.41 points, putting it on track for its first weekly loss in a month.Markets broadly expect the US Federal Reserve to begin cutting rates in September, with traders closely monitoring upcoming economic data for confirmation of that outlook.