Hamas taken off EU terror blacklist

The European Union’s second highest court has ordered the removal of the Islamist group Hamas from a terrorist blacklist, citing procedural problems with the listing. It added, however, that the group’s assets should remain frozen for three months pending an almost certain appeal. The decision came as the European parliament adopted a resolution supporting Palestinian statehood in principle in a compromise motion that did not follow some European national legislatures in backing immediate recognition of a Palestinian state. Following a deal among the main parties, the motion that was carried stated: “[The European parliament] supports in principle recognition of Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution, and believes these should go hand in hand with the development of peace talks, which should be advanced.” Social Democrat, leftwing and Green members of the European parliament had initially put forward motions for a symbolic vote on Wednesday to call on the EU’s 28 members to recognise Palestinian statehood now without conditions. On a day of intense diplomacy around the Israeli-Palestinian issue, a draft resolution on Palestinian statehood is expected to be tabled later at the UN security council in New York.   The Guardian