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Gaza: Ceasefire urgently needed as civilians left with ‘no safe place’ to go

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Gaza: Ceasefire urgently needed as civilians left with ‘no safe place’ to go

“We are witnessing a dangerous escalation in Gaza City, where Israeli forces have stepped up their operations and ordered everyone to move south,” said the Humanitarian Country Team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Nearly one million people are now left with no safe or viable options – neither the north nor the south offers safety.

The warning comes two weeks after famine was confirmed in Gaza Governorate.

Starving and exhausted

According to latest figures from the World Health Organization-led Health Cluster, 361 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition since the war began nearly two years ago, including 130 children.

Over half a million people are in living with catastrophic conditions marked by starvation, destitution, and death.

Civilians who try to leave northern Gaza face dangerous and barely passable roads, overcrowded shelters, and prohibitive transport costs – sums that most families simply cannot afford.

“Survivors in Gaza are exhausted,” aid agencies said, underscoring that both civilians and the health infrastructure they rely on “must never be targeted.”

Hospitals overwhelmed

Hospitals are overwhelmed and collapsing under the strain.

Al-Shifa and Al-Ahli facilities in Gaza City are operating at nearly three-times capacity, with mass casualty incidents averaging eight per day.

If a wider Israeli offensive proceeds, the Gaza Strip could lose half its remaining hospital beds, the health agencies warned.

Aid restrictions continue

The Humanitarian Country Team also noted ongoing Israeli impediments on aid, stating that “current levels of humanitarian support are wholly insufficient.”

Fuel, water, and supply routes must remain open and uninterrupted, agencies said, warning of “devastating consequences” if access is further obstructed.

“To families in Gaza: the humanitarian community will remain in Gaza City for as long as we can and will remain across the Strip, doing all we can to bring aid and deliver lifesaving services,” they said.

To the international community: Act. Call for an immediate ceasefire. Uphold international humanitarian law, including the release of hostages and those arbitrarily detained. This catastrophe is human-made, and responsibility rests with us all.”

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The nuclear supervisor announces a breakthrough on Iran surveillance

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“Essential” surveillance by the International Atomic Energy Agency (Aiea) finished in June, the chief of the agency Rafael Grossi said when the air strikes of Israel and the United States have targeted Iranian nuclear installations.

At the time, the Iranian authorities confirmed that the Natanz enrichment site had been “affected” without affecting the existing radiation levels, said the first diplomat of the IAEA.

Not forward

Now, “practical modalities” have been agreed to allow the resumption of inspection activities in Iran, Grosi told the Council of Agency’s governors in the Austrian capital. “This is an important step in the right direction,” he continued, before expressing his gratitude to Egypt for negotiating the agreement.

Development follows the announcement of August 28 by France, Germany and the United Kingdom of their intention to re-implicate United Nations sanctions on Iran within 30 days, under the so-called “snapback” mechanism contained in the Iranian nuclear agreement signed in July 2015 by the five permanent UN UN members Security adviceIn addition to Germany, EU and Iran.

Work in partnership

The new agreement – which was preceded by weeks of technical discussions in Tehran and Vienna on the activities of verification of “all the installations and installations in Iran” – came despite the decision of the Iranian legislators on June 25 to suspend cooperation with the AIAA, a decision approved by the president of the country a week later.

At the time, Mr. Grossi noted that this national decision had not changed International Bonds of International Non-Proliferation (TNP) of Iran.

The agreement remains in force

And earlier this week, he insisted that the agreement of the TNP remained in force as “the only legally binding treaty governing the rights and obligations of the [IAEA] and Iran with regard to the implementation of guarantees in Iran ”.

While recognizing that his Iranian interlocutors had declared their will to be part of the international non-proliferation movement, Mr. Grosi noted the “concerns” of Tehran.

Nevertheless, the agreement-sealed by Mr. Grossi and the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Aragchi in Cairo on Monday-“provides for a clear understanding of inspection procedures, notifications and their implementation,” he insisted.

The agreement “also considers” to report on all the installations targeted by Israel and the United States in June “including the nuclear material present” in Iran, continued the head of the AIEA.

“These practical steps … must be implemented now,” he insisted. “There may be difficulties and problems to be solved for sure, but we now know what we have to do and the elements at our disposal so that these basic understanding are implemented.”

Originally published at Almouwatin.com

Apple’s New Watches Hide Revolutionary Health Tech Behind Familiar Faces

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Apple’s latest smartwatch trio introduced at their “Awe dropping” event, and while iPhone news dominated headlines, the real

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State of the Union: "This must be Europe’s independence moment."

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State of the Union: "This must be Europe’s independence moment."

“This must be Europe’s independence moment,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her 2025 State of the Union speech, stressing that Europe must be able to take care of its own defence and security. She also spoke about Ukraine, Gaza and competitiveness and the single market. Source link

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State of the Union: "This must be Europe’s independence moment."

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State of the Union: "This must be Europe’s independence moment."

“This must be Europe’s independence moment,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her 2025 State of the Union speech, stressing that Europe must be able to take care of its own defence and security. She also spoke about Ukraine, Gaza and competitiveness and the single market.

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Press briefing – General Affairs Council of 16 September 2025

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Press briefing – General Affairs Council of 16 September 2025

The press briefing ahead of the General Affairs Council will take place on Thursday, 11 September 2025 at 15.30.

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The level of obesity of children exceeds under-noise cases in the world for the first time, Unicef ​​warns

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One in 10 children aged 5 to 19 – 188 million worldwide – Now live with obesity, placing them at increased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.

“When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer talking about insufficient children,” said Unicef Executive director Catherine Russell.

“Obesity is an increasing concern that can have an impact on children’s health and development. Ultra-transformed foods are increasingly replacing fruits, vegetables and proteins At a time when nutrition plays an essential role in children’s growth, cognitive development and mental health, “she added.

The report, Food profit: how food environments fail childrenBases on data from more than 190 countries and highlights a brutal change.

One in five out of five

Since 2000, the number of insufficient people among five to 19 years old has increased from almost 13% to 9.2%.

During the same period, obesity tripled, from three% to 9.4%. Today, obesity rates go beyond sub-ponderation in each region, except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The situation is particularly acute in the Pacific islands, where traditional regimes have been moved by cheap -up -based and energy -rich foods.

High income countries are not exempt: 27% of children in Chile and 21% in the United States and the United Arab Emirates are affected.

Worldwide, One in five children and adolescents, or 391 million, are overweightWith almost half now classified as obese.

Children are considered overweight when they are much heavier than what is healthy for their age, sex and size.

Obesity is a severe form of overweight and leads to a higher risk of developing insulin resistance and high blood pressure, as well as potentially fatal diseases later in life, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

A consumer in Mongolia eats a sweet desert.

Marketing to blame

The report indicates that powerful sales forces shaping these results. Ultra-trained and fast foods, rich in sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and additives, dominate children’s diets and are marketed aggressivelyinfluencing children’s diet.

In a UNICEF survey of 64,000 young people in 170 countries, 75% said they saw announcements for sugary drinks, snacks or fast food the previous week.

Sixty percent said that the announcements made them want to eat the products. Even in countries affected by conflicts, 68% of young people said they were exposed to these advertisements.

These models warn UNICEF, have astounding economic consequences. By 2035, the global cost of overweight and obesity levels should exceed 4 dollars per year. In Peru alone, health problems related to obesity could cost more than $ 210 billion in a generation.

The government must act

However, some governments act. Mexico-where sugary drinks and ultra-transformed food represent 40% of children’s daily calories-has prohibited their sale in public schools, improving food environments for more than 34 million children.

UNICEF urges governments around the world to follow up on radical reforms: compulsory food labeling, marketing restrictions and taxes on unhealthy products; Prohibit junk food in schools; stronger social protection programs; and guarantees to protect the development of industry interference policies.

“In many countries, we see the double burden of malnutrition, the existence of growth delay and obesity. This requires targeted interventions, “said Russell.

“” Nutritious and affordable foods must be available for each child to support their growth and development. We need the urgency of policies that support parents and guards to access nutritious and healthy foods for their children, “she concluded.

Originally published at Almouwatin.com

Guterres condemns the Israeli strike against Hamas leaders in Qatar as a “blatant violation”

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In a statement, António Guterres spoke out against what he called a “blatant violation” of Qatari sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He insisted that all parties must focus on making a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, “not (on) destroy it”.

No senior senior director killed, claims Hamas

Hamas reported that six people had been killed, including the son of one of his exiled leaders of the Gaza Strip – but added that its superior negotiators and senior officials had all survived.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack was the sole responsibility of Israel, although the White House spokesman said that the President of the United States had been informed in advance and ordered his civil servants to alert Doha-but that the message had been transmitted too late to stop the attack.

President Donald Trump said in an article on social networks that Qatar’s bombing, a “sovereign nation and a close ally” in the United States, does not advance the objectives that Israel or in the United States.

“Clear violation”: Qatar

The Qatari government has condemned the attack as a “blatant violation of international law” and the Qatari Prime Minister declared during a press conference that “there must be a response from the whole region to such barbaric actions”.

Qatar-alongside the United States and Egypt-had negotiated vast efforts to end the Gaza War which began on October 7, 2023 when Hamas and other activists attacked colonies in southern Israel.

Originally published at Almouwatin.com

“ No ordinary session ”: Baerbock opens the United Nations General Assembly with appeal to courage and reform

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It will be “no ordinary session”, it has engaged, with the multilateral system assaulted by the crises which overlap and the increased disunity.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Baerbock only becomes the fifth woman in history preside over the general assembly.

In a symbolic gesture connecting the past to the present, it was sworn in on the founding charter of the UN of the San Francisco conference in 1945 – and accepted the hammer decorated with the assembly of its predecessor, Philémon Yang from Cameroon.

The Charter itself, preserved by the American national archives, has returned to the UN headquarters for the first time in decades.

Now exposed until September, The 1945 document is more than a historic artifact – It is a living reminder of the collective commitment to strengthen peace, to maintain human rights and to pursue shared values ​​and objectives thanks to multilateral cooperation.

The hammer carries its own legendary weight. A gift from Iceland, it is larger and more decorated than those used in the United Nations conference rooms. Symbol of order in the “Parliament of the World”, it is used to open and close meetings, adopt resolutions and, sometimes, bring the assembly to silence.

The president of the Baerbock assembly speaks to journalists outside the general assembly room.

The world needs the United Nations

In her addressMs. Baerbock has recognized the dark realities confronted with millions around the world – hungry children from Gaza and Afghan girls prohibited from school – to the families of Ukraine hiding missile attacks, and island from the Pacific looking at their houses swallowed by the sea.

“” Our world suffersIndeed, ”she told the delegates in the room of the General Assembly.

“” But imagine how much pain there would be without the United Nations.“”

Ms. Baerbock highlighted the vital role of the UN in humanitarian assistance, citing millions that rely on agencies such as the UN children’s funds (Unicef), the global food program (Wfp) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

It urged Member States to return the UN “adapted to the 21st century” by progressing reforms, implementing the Pact for the future adopted last year and focusing on substance rather than procedure.

“” The general meeting must focus on its mandates and respect its commitments,She said, promising to serve the 193 members also, to be “a bridge manufacturer” and to make sure that each voice is heard.

Among the priorities it has set for the coming year are the UN80 reform program, guiding the process of selection of the next secretary general and peace, sustainable development and human rights.

Secretary General António Guterres approaches the first plenary meeting of the 80th session of the General Assembly.

The charter is not self-executing: guterres

Secretary General António GuterresCongratulations Ms. Baerbock for her election, praised her vision and experience, while urging governments to summon the same determination that brought together the Nations to establish the United Nations 80 years ago.

“” The United Nations provide the place. The charter provides the tools, ” he said. “” But nothing can happen without this assembly – all of you – working as one.“”

Mr. Guterres underlined the need to cure divisions, to recruit international law, to accelerate action on the Sustainable development objectivesand transition to renewable energies while supporting developing countries.

He underlined the pact of last year for the future as “shot in the arm” for multilateralism and called on Member States to “re-accumulate confidence and faith in others”.

Philitarmon Yang (right), president of the general assembly during his 79th session presents the emblematic hammer of the Assembly in Annalena Baerbock (center), president of the assembly at his 80th session. On the left is the secretary general António Guterres.

The “collective promise” remains

Earlier in the day, the outgoing president of the Assembly Philémon Yang closed the 79th session, highlighting initiatives on humanitarian law, control of mild weapons, sustainable development and children’s work – as well as dialogues on multilingualism and the role of women in mediation.

Mr. Yang, who underlined gender equality and Security advice The reform during his mandate also supervised the commemoration of the 80th anniversary.

“” Member States have clearly indicated that despite growing world conflicts, the Charter and the United Nations itself represent a collective promise for a better future world” he said.

A year of high participations

The presidency of Ms. Baerbock arrives at a pivotal moment for the United Nations.

In addition to the navigation of Ukraine’s conflicts in Sudan, the Assembly will supervise the implementation of the Pact for the future and are preparing for the critical selection of the next Secretary General.

She challenged delegates to adopt courage and unity: “If girls in Afghanistan or parents in Gaza can wake up – in the darkest hours of life – and move forward, then we too. We owe them. But we also owe it, because there is simply no alternative. »»

Originally published at Almouwatin.com

Attacks against schools increase by “stretching” 44% in the past year

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More than 41,000 incidents of violence against school -aged children were reported by the UN in 2024.

The countries with the highest violations were Israel and the Palestinian territory occupied, notably the Gaza Strip, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti.

In a message to mark the International day to protect educationCommemorated each year on September 9, the secretary general of the United Nations, António Guterres said That “each violation has deep consequences, not only for teachers and young learners, but for the future of communities and whole countries”, adding that “no child should risk death from learning”.

The UN chiefAnnual report on Children and armed conflictFor 2024, not only underlines an resurgence of attacks against schools, but also an increase of 34% of rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated against children.

In addition, the number of children victims of what the UN calls serious violations has increased by 17% due to kidnapping, recruitment and other types of violence, characterized by the UN as “an alarming escalation of brutality”.

Children of Gaza deprived of the right to education

In Gaza, where more than 2.3 million people were moved by the two -year war, 660,000 children remain outside the school and the classrooms have been converted into shelters.

“There is no more education now. We live inside the school, where we are moved, eating and sleeping, “said Diana, a child living in Gaza.

Despite the current conflict, more than 68,000 children in Gaza have been affected by temporary learning spaces offering psychosocial education and support.

The UN children’s funds, UnicefAlso recycle the pallets in school furniture and the conversion of boxes provided in tables and chairs.

© Unicef ​​/ Oleksi Filippov

The boys play in the middle of the ruins of a school in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Obstacles to education in Ukraine

In Ukraine, 5.3 million children face obstacles to education, and around 115,000 are completely outside the school due to the current war.

“1,850 installations have been damaged since the start of the conflict,” said Nelson Rodrigues, specialist in UNICEF education.

With many schools on the front line closed or operating remotely, more than 420,000 children frequent the school entirely online, while a million use a hybrid model.

UNICEF supported the rehabilitation of 57,000 school facilities affected by the war, which has enabled a considerable number of children to return to class.

The United Nations agency has also provided catch -up and repair learning, allowing children to recover from disturbances and continue their studies.

Meanwhile, between January and July this year, the UN and its humanitarian partners supported 370,000 children and teachers, mainly on the front line and in reception communities.

Respect schools

The parties faced all over the world are forced under international law, to respect schools as security places and to hold responsible for attacks on attacks.

“The pen, the book and the classroom are all more powerful than the sword,” said UN Guterres secretary general.

“Let us continue and protect the fundamental right of each child to learn in security and peace.”

Originally published at Almouwatin.com