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Environmental campaigners and Green Party leader Zack Polanski have both separately written to Andy Burnham and the foreign secretary to raise concerns about Rosebank's links to an Israeli company, Delek Group.

Last year Delek Group was included in a UN database of firms which allegedly provide services or utilities to support settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.

A spokesman for the company told the Daily Telegraph, external it no longer had any involvement in Israeli settlements and was wrongly included in the database.

Delek Group controls Ithaca Energy, which holds a 20% stake in Rosebank.

The campaign group Uplift, whose legal challenge against the Rosebank project in 2023 led to the ongoing delay over a decision on exploration, has helped organise a letter to Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.

In a letter seen by BBC News, campaigners from Stop Rosebank and Greenpeace, with assistance from Uplift, have asked the government to clarify whether Delek will fall foul of the sanctions announced last month.

Separately, Polanski has also written to Miliband, asking what steps the government would take to make sure revenue from UK oil and gas production did not finance illegal settlements.

He said: "Rosebank is a test of whether Labour's proposed sanctions regime is fit for purpose.

"Companies blacklisted by the UN for operating in the illegal settlements should not be financed by oil and gas revenues from the North Sea."

Last month, Miliband signalled a hardening of the UK's position when he announced action against companies and individuals who provide services such as infrastructure to settlement expansion.

The UK sanctions will also ban imports of goods from illegal settlements.

In its letter to Burnham, Uplift asked him to "confirm, unequivocally, whether Delek will be caught by the new planned measures".

They added: "If it is not, please explain how that is consistent with the government's stated intent to sanction those who finance or facilitate illegal settlements?"

A spokesperson for Ithaca Energy told the BBC: "Ithaca Energy is a London Stock Exchange listed company which is a member of the FTSE 100, and which is governed by the highest standards of corporate governance.

"Ithaca is one of the biggest investors in the North Sea and Scotland, is a responsible employer and is a major contributor to both the UK Treasury through tax payments and to the UK's energy security."

A spokesman for Delek Group told the Telegraph: "Delek Group has been wrongly included in the UN database.

"Together with our legal advisers, we intend to formally challenge this and request the immediate removal of our name from the UN database."

The question of whether to approve Rosebank, as well as the Jackdaw gas field east of Aberdeen, has become hugely politically significant.

Rosebank was approved by the previous Conservative government in 2023, but that decision was successfully challenged in the courts by campaigners including Uplift.

The decision now lies with the Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh, but will be seen as an important indication of Burnham's wider thinking on oil and gas.

Miliband was widely thought to have been opposed to Rosebank when he served as Sir Keir Starmer's energy secretary.

Burnham has spoken repeatedly of the need for a "flexible" approach to energy and is believed to be in favour of drilling more where licenses already exist in the North Sea.

The decision could also have implications for the relationship between the UK and the US. President Trump has placed pressure on successive UK prime ministers to drill more in the North Sea.

While Downing Street is relieved that Trump has not lashed out at the government's recent West Bank sanctions, his administration has said the US will not take the same course of action.

Tessa Khan, executive director at Uplift, said "not one penny of North Sea oil profits" should go to a company which "itself now risks being sanctioned by the UK".

The Foreign Office declined to comment.

Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them.

Settlements are illegal under international law, and there has been a rise in violence towards Palestinians in the West Bank by settlers in recent months.

Israel has criticised the UK sanctions, accusing the government of "anti-Israel policies". %!s()

Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images

The Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned Iran's automotive and rail sectors as part of the Trump administration's wartime effort to hobble Tehran by cutting off its remaining financial lifelines.

Several companies connected to Iran's metals industry, including the Chinese subsidiary of Middle East machinery company HEPCO, are also being designated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury said in a news release.

In a separate release, the department announced additional sanctions on the A7 Network, described as a "shadow banking network with ties to Russia used by the Iranian regime to evade sanctions."

The actions are the latest to come from "Operation Economic Outcast," the beefed-up sanctions effort that President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent touted as Iran's "economic D-Day" when it was unveiled in late August.

As with previous sanctions announcements, it was not immediately clear how much of an impact the new penalties would have on Iran, which has faced heavy sanctions for years. Several entities connected to the A7 Network were previously designated in August 2025.

"The Iranian regime's ability to fund its war machine and inflict terror on the world has been severely diminished thanks to Operation Economic Outcast," Bessent said in Thursday's news release.

"Today's action directly targets Iran's enablers and lays the groundwork for the United States and our partners to drain the regime's revenue once and for all," Bessent said.

Treasury alleges Iran's automotive sector is deeply enmeshed with the country's Revolutionary Guard and serves as a "lucrative cash cow" for the regime, despite sustaining annual losses over $1 billion.

In addition to targeting Iran's two main auto companies, OFAC is sanctioning foreign suppliers that continue to export auto parts to Iran. They include UAE-based Integrated Auto Parts LLC, Hong Kong's Hessenberg Co. and Tanex Global Trading Hong Kong Limited, Indonesia's PT Golden Motorcycle International and Turkey-based Troy Trading Arac Parcalari Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi.

Treasury is also designating several Iranian rail companies, alleging Tehran has come to rely on the sector amid an ongoing U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman. And the department is designating two China-based steel companies, Shanghai Ruimi Import and Export Trade Co., Ltd. and M and R Steel Co., Ltd., among others.

Operation Economic Outcast has drawn questions about whether the U.S. would extend its reach to China, Iran's top trading partner and oil buyer. %!s()

Better yet, this is not part of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, which means anyone can take advantage of the deals, whether or not you're a Prime member. What movies are on sale? Let’s take a look.

There’s something for everyone in this sale, whether you’re into timeless classics like All the President’s Men and The Wizard of Oz or action-packed thrillers like Twisters, Jurassic Park Rebirth, and Mission Impossible 6: Fallout. Waterworld is in here, too, if you want to see what an exceptionally expensive movie looked like in the ‘90s.

With Halloween coming up, it’s a good time to fill out the horror movie offerings in your collections. You can get movies like Smile, The Ring, It, and Friday the 13th on sale for $11 apiece in this sale. Shutter Island is a dark psychological thriller from Martin Scorsese that has plenty of spookiness as well.

To lighten the mood after watching a fright-fest, you can turn on a comedy like The 40-Year-Old Virgin or American Pie. Or classics like Eddy Murphy’s Coming to America or the SNL skit-inspired Wayne’s World. Beyond those are Watchmen and Warcraft, Hot Fuzz and Tár. Superman’s in there.

Again, whichever movies you want, grab them soon (here's the full sale again). You never know when Amazon will run out of stock and you’ll be stuck paying full price. If you want to see what upcoming physical releases for movies and TV shows are coming up, check out our freshly updated list of 4K Blu-ray release dates.

Chris Reed is a senior commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's LEGO coverage and maintains the upcoming release dates articles for video games, LEGO sets, and 4K Blu-rays. You can follow him on Bluesky. %!s()

These seasonal staples show up in our food as well as our drinks, but some bartenders are also experimenting with unexpected ingredients and fresh takes on classic fall flavors.

To find out which beverages are worth ordering this season and ones you may want to skip, Business Insider spoke with three bartenders about the trends they're seeing the most from behind the bar.

Savory and produce-forward cocktails are having a moment.

Jenneca Younger, a lead bartender at The Mothership in Milwaukee, said savory cocktails are still very much trending — especially if they're made with fresh produce.

"I love a savory cocktail. I feel like there's a big uptick in my social media on all of those tomato martinis," Younger told BI. Ordering a cocktail "dirty" (with olive brine) is in, too.

Additionally, she said, she's also seeing bartenders incorporate purées made from fresh produce, like shisito peppers or squash, into classics like margaritas and gimlets.

Darker days call for darker spirits.

As the weather gets colder in the fall, drinkers tend to gravitate toward more whiskey-based cocktails and darker spirits, Younger said.

In contrast to the lighter, crisper spirits that are popular in summer, Younger said whiskey-based cocktails tend to become more popular as temperatures cool.

Some examples include Manhattans (made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters) and Boulevardiers (often made with bourbon or whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Campari).

Tea-infusions can add unexpected flavors to fall cocktails.

Chris Hewes, beverage director and bartender at Coast Range in Solvang, California, said he's been especially loving tea cocktails lately.

He especially enjoys pairing Thai tea with whiskey, cognac, mezcal, or rum to really extract the tea's vanilla-like flavors.

Espresso martinis with a twist are hitting the spot.

Steve Bell, lead bartender at The Hitchcock in Nashville, said there's been growing interest in riffing on the classic espresso martini.

Customers are liking them with tequila or rum instead of the usual vodka, he said.

"You can get people wanting bourbon espresso martinis, which honestly doesn't sound very good to me, but some people like it," Bell added.

Hewes said he's also been experimenting with creams and toppers for coffee cocktails after being inspired by a drink topped with Chartreuse (an herbal liqueur) whipped cream.

Low-ABV and nonalcoholic cocktails are only getting more interesting.

Both Younger and Hewes said they're seeing bartenders find more and more ways to work low-ABV and nonalcoholic drinks into their menus.

For example, Hewes said, wine is being incorporated into certain cocktails to lower their overall alcohol content.

He said those looking to experiment with lower-ABV cocktails can also try ordering a mocktail or nonalcoholic drink as a flavorful base, then add a small amount of alcohol to it.

On the other hand, overly complicated cocktails may be on their way out.

Fat-washing, infusions, molecular gastronomy, and other fancy tricks have made their way into cocktails over the years, but Bell said people are moving away from overly complicated techniques and back toward something simpler.

"People want riffs on classics, not something that feels like Gordon Ramsay sitting in front of you telling you about all the crazy types of techniques," Bell said.

Let's give the Hugo Spritz a break.

Younger said she's over the Hugo Spritz — a popular summertime drink typically made with prosecco, elderflower liqueur, club soda, and mint.

"It just feels watered down to me," she said. It's time to replace the light, refreshing drink with something that packs more flavor.

For example, a "more flavorful" and timeless French 75 that uses prosecco and mixes it with lemon juice, gin, and simple syrup in a punchy way.

As an alternative, she also suggests Death in the Afternoon, a bubbly drink "with a little more punch" as it's typically made with chilled sparkling wine and absinthe.

Pumpkin spice is getting too predictable.

"I really just think the chai pumpkin stuff is not what people want," Hewes told BI.

Instead of relying on the usual pumpkin-spice flavors, Hewes is looking to seasonal ingredients and desserts for inspiration, including cranberry, rhubarb, sweet potato, and fruit cobblers.

Younger also said using stone fruit, cinnamon, clove, and pimento dram are other more creative ways to bring fall flavors into cocktails.

"Tiny tinis" can be cute, but they may not catch on everywhere.

Mini martinis, sometimes called "tiny tinis," are smaller versions of the classic cocktail, offering a cute presentation as well as a way to have alcohol in a more controlled portion.

Hewes said some bars are trying to make the smaller pours a trend, but he doesn't see the mini version of cocktails taking off in most places.

"I think people get more mad at seeing a small martini, to be honest," Hewes told BI. Those looking to cut back their alcohol consumption may just be better off ordering a lower-ABV drink.

Cucumber cocktails could use an upgrade.

Hewes said he's ready to move away from cucumber in cocktails and recommends swapping it for a more unexpected ingredient this fall.

He suggests arugula as one alternative, which can even take on a honeysuckle-like flavor when combined with honey. Arugula also pairs well with cranberries and strawberries, he said.

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Cheyenne Elwell

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Cheyenne Elwell is a Seattle-based contributing writer at Business Insider covering lifestyle, food, travel, and culture. Her reporting explores how the places people live and travel shape identity and community. She has written for The Spruce Eats and Wisconsin Public Radio, among other national outlets. Read more at bakedbrewedbeautiful.com and follow her on Instagram at @bakedbrewedbeautiful.

• Drinks

“I’m not going to get into my job requirements or anything like that. But so here’s what I will say. Obviously, there was news this week,” he said, referring to Paramount streaming boss Cindy Holland announcing her departure. “And obviously there’s news across the board. I will say that the merger is not closed. I believe that David [Ellison] and the team want to announce their leadership structure, it’s not mine to announce. So I don’t have any news to confirm.”

At the same time, Bloys said that he’s had many conversations with Ellison, “and he is very excited, very respectful of what the HBO team has done, not just in my tenure, but the entire history of HBO. All of the owners that we have had, we have had people come in genuinely excited and wanting to maintain what we’ve done. And I really believe that he will do that.”

Bloys wouldn’t comment on how soon HBO Max and Paramount+ might merge, or if a bundle was in the immediate future. But he did note that “the HBO Max Disney bundle has been very successful” and a similar setup would make a lot of sense.

As for the question of whether HBO and Paramount+ programming will mesh, Bloys said: “I’ve had people say to me, ‘OK, so the Taylor Sheridan stuff and HBO,’ it’s a version of what people said to us about HBO and the Warner Bros. library. I go back to people who watch HBO tend to like television tend to be consumers of television, and that doesn’t just mean HBO. We had ‘South Park’ on our platform, one of the one of the big properties at Paramount+. It did so well, we sued them when they when they took it off.”

Bloys noted that he learned a lot when Warner Bros. and Discovery merged, and how it ultimately didn’t make sense to combine Discovery fare with HBO content.

“One of the things we found with Discovery was we’d say, “here’s HBO and the Warner Bros. Library and Pay One Movies, and here’s the Discovery content. And what we found out in the world, and what we found through research with current subscribers, potential subscribers, is they didn’t they didn’t want it. We have a strategy officer who has a good line, ‘you have to give subscribers what they want, not what you own.’ And so what we found very quickly in doing research on Max, subscribers said ‘we want movies, we want HBO, we want drama series, comedy series, documentaries,’ and they just weren’t feeling some of the other stuff. So you have to listen to that, and you have to evolve.”

Asked how he reacted to the idea that Netflix might purchase Warner Bros. Discovery — and oversee HBO — Bloys said he wasn’t shocked at the time. “At this point you have to understand I’ve been through two mergers. In this business, which is clearly being disrupted, and having gone through two mergers I don’t think there’s any announcement that would have shocked me. There was a rumor at some point, somebody said to me, ‘I heard Walmart’s going to buy you guys, and I was like, oh.’ You kind of have to be open to whatever. So I was not shocked.”

Bloys said he still sees Netflix as formidable competitors: “They are obviously the leader in streaming,” he said. “They are so far ahead of everybody else from a technological point of view, and that really helps drive their business. When you talk about engagement or you talk about churn, the things you can do to mitigate it. A lot of them are product or technology related, and they have been in it so long, and they’re just far ahead of us. We’re all catching up. We’re all trying our best to catch up, but they have a real expertise.”

On the programming front, Netflix had its worst Emmys showing in several years; does Bloys think this is a blip or a drought for his rival? “They’ll be fine,” he said. “They’re a media company. They’re doing shows, and it’s very natural to have highs and lows. I don’t think there’s anything unusual about it. As has always been the case, one show, one hit changes the narrative.”

As for Apple TV dominating the Emmys this year, Bloys takes issue with pundits who call Apple “the new HBO.” “I take a long-term view,” he said. “When I first started in 2004, it was HBO versus Showtime, and Showtime was going to eat our lunch. And then for a minute it was Starz. AMC is the new HBO, FX is the new HBO, Netflix, ‘House of Cards’ is the new HBO, Amazon is the new HBO. Now Apple is the new HBO. So the only thing I bring up is the historical context of how many new HBOs there have been. I would like to reframe it a little bit to not, ‘is so and so the new HBO,’ but, ‘how does HBO continue to remain HBO?’ I think is the more relevant question.”

Bloys’ decision to still appear at Bloomberg Screentime and answer questions about the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger — including his still-not-announced role there — surprised some. “Most people in my position, given what’s going on, probably would have canceled on you,” Bloys told moderator Lucas Shaw at the start of the interview. %!s()