While 23 local radio stations operated in Gaza before the conflict began, they were all destroyed and stopped broadcasting, he said. UN News. “Today we are the only radio station broadcasting on FM from Gaza after this widespread destruction,” he said. “We hope that […]
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
The EU’s top diplomat rejects Washington’s rhetoric of “civilizational erasure”, while insisting that the transatlantic bond must endure, even amid sharper ideological frictions. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, publicly opposed US rhetoric […]
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
The EU’s top diplomat rejects Washington’s rhetoric of “civilizational erasure”, while insisting that the transatlantic bond must endure, even amid sharper ideological frictions. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, publicly opposed US rhetoric […]
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
EU’s top diplomat rejects Washington’s “civilizational erasure” rhetoric, while insisting the transatlantic bond must endure—even amid sharper ideological friction.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for foreign affairs, has publicly pushed back against US rhetoric portraying Europe as declining or “erasing” its civilisation. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, she defended Europe’s democratic model and human-rights agenda, while acknowledging that Washington and Brussels will continue to disagree on issues such as migration, climate policy and trade. The exchange underscores a growing struggle inside the alliance: how to keep security cooperation intact while political narratives diverge.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has rejected what she described as “Europe-bashing” from the United States, after senior American officials revived a narrative of a “woke” Europe in cultural and strategic decline. The comments, highlighted in a report by Euractiv, came as transatlantic leaders gathered in mid-February for the Munich Security Conference, a setting increasingly used not only to coordinate defence policy, but to contest competing ideas about the West itself.
According to The Associated Press, Kallas dismissed the suggestion that Europe is sliding toward “civilizational erasure,” a phrase that has circulated in recent US political messaging. “Contrary to what some may say, woke, decadent Europe is not facing civilisational erasure,” she said in Munich, framing Europe instead as a place people still aspire to join—economically, politically and socially.
Her pushback was aimed at a broader argument that has gained traction in Washington: that European institutions have weakened free speech, encouraged uncontrolled migration and lost confidence in their own national identities. In this telling, Europe’s internal choices—not Russia’s aggression or China’s rising influence—are the central threat to Western cohesion.
Kallas’ remarks also pointed to language found in the US government’s National Security Strategy, released in December 2025, which warns that Europe’s challenges could become existential if present trends continue. Reuters reported at the time that the document criticises the EU on issues ranging from migration to political freedoms and calls for Europe to restore “civilizational self-confidence.” (Reuters)
Independent analysts have described the document as a sharp rhetorical break from earlier US strategies, interpreting it as an attempt to redefine alliance solidarity around cultural and ideological alignment, rather than primarily around common security threats.
The immediate backdrop in Munich was a speech by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who struck a more conciliatory tone than last year’s confrontational messaging, while still pressing Europe on migration, climate policy and the shape of the alliance. Reuters quoted Rubio portraying the US as “a child of Europe,” while making clear that Washington intends to reshape cooperation on its own priorities. (Reuters)
European leaders, for their part, signalled they would not trade away core democratic commitments—pluralism, human rights, and rules-based governance—for the sake of diplomatic comfort. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, cited by AP, argued that Europe’s “vibrant, free and diverse societies” are a source of strength, not weakness. (AP)
For Brussels, the political risk is twofold. First, a narrative that paints Europe as decadent or illegitimate can quickly become a justification for more transactional security guarantees. Second, cultural disputes can crowd out urgent coordination on Ukraine, defence industrial capacity, and deterrence—areas where shared interests still run deep even when rhetoric does not.
Kallas tried to draw that line clearly: solidarity on security should not require ideological conformity. She welcomed Rubio’s affirmation that the US and Europe remain intertwined, while acknowledging ongoing disagreements and insisting that cooperation must be built from “there”—not from caricatures. (AP)
In practical terms, Europe is likely to respond in the way it increasingly has since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: by accelerating defence readiness while trying to keep the alliance politically workable. The challenge is that defence spending and weapons production can be scaled up with budgets and contracts; trust is harder to manufacture.
For more background on how this debate is reshaping European strategic thinking, see The European Times’ related coverage: Marco Rubio’s Warning to Europe: Navigating a New Geopolitical Era.
Astronomers at the University of Warwick have discovered that black holes don’t just consume matter—they manage it, choosing
In a world marked by division and mistrust, he declared, the African Union (AU) constitutes a “standard bearer of multilateralism”. addressed the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. Mr. Guterres praised Africa’s global leadership in “the fight for justice and equality”, noting that the UN-AU partnership […]
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Briefing ambassadors for the first time as Deputy Special Envoy, Claudio Cordone pointed to the 30 January ceasefire and integration agreement between the Syrian Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as a potentially transformative development.
The deal provides for a phased military and administrative integration of northeast Syria and includes provisions on the return of displaced people and the protection of Kurdish civil and educational rights, building on Presidential Decree 13 on linguistic, cultural and citizenship rights.
“Hostilities have ended and work on an implementation plan has been progressing in a positive manner,” Mr. Cordone said, noting deployments of Ministry of Interior forces in Al-Hasakeh and Qamishli, and discussions on local governance and political appointments.
The Secretary-General on 30 January welcomed the agreement, appealing for all sides “to work swiftly to ensure its implementation, especially in terms of the peaceful integration of northeast Syria, the rights of Syrian Kurds, the safe, dignified and voluntary return of the displaced.”
In a presidential statement issued on Thursday, Council members likewise welcomed the “comprehensive agreement” and stressed the need to adhere to it to “minimize civilian suffering” and prevent any “security vacuum” around ISIL (Da’esh) detention facilities.
The UN is supporting Syria’s political transition while continuing large-scale humanitarian operations across the country.
The Office of the Special Envoy is engaging with the Government and a broad range of stakeholders to help advance the political process, including implementation of the recent agreement on northeast Syria, support for inclusive governance, and the protection and promotion of human rights.
At the same time, humanitarian agencies are delivering life-saving assistance to millions of Syrians.
UN teams and partners are providing food, water, medical supplies, shelter and protection services, while supporting mine action, restoring basic services and helping create conditions for safe, dignified and voluntary returns.
Visit the UN News Focus on Syria section to read more about UN’s work in and engagement with Syria.
The evolving situation around those facilities remains sensitive.
Mr. Cordone said the UN is closely following transfers of Syrian and non-Syrian Da’esh suspects to Iraq, adding that Iraqi proceedings must “fully respect fair trial standards” and urging Member States to repatriate their nationals “as swiftly as possible.”
While the northeast has seen relative stabilization, tensions persist elsewhere.
In Sweida, renewed clashes between Government forces and local armed groups have caused damage and electricity outages. Protests calling for self-determination have resurfaced, and the UN reiterated calls for confidence-building measures within “the full respect of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
In southern Syria, Israeli incursions and search operations have continued, alongside reports of aerial herbicide spraying damaging crops. The UN envoy called for “full respect for international law” and urged Israel to withdraw from areas it occupies “in violation of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement,” while supporting “mutually acceptable security arrangements between Israel and Syria.”
Humanitarian conditions remain severe despite modest improvements.
Lisa Doughten, Director of Financing at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said recent clashes displaced tens of thousands; although many have returned, about 130,000 people remain uprooted across Al-Hasakeh, Ar-Raqqa and Aleppo governorates. More than 90 per cent are women and girls, with many sheltering in overcrowded camps or with host families already under strain.
Heavy flooding this week in Idleb and northern Latakia killed two children and damaged or destroyed some 2,000 tents, affecting over 5,000 displaced people.
Still, access and basic services are gradually improving in parts of the northeast. UN teams have reached 200,000 people and organized more than 170 truck movements. In Ain al-Arab (Kobane), electricity supply has reportedly resumed after repairs.
Participants at a UN workshop on recovery priorities, challenges and response planning.
Politically, the next milestone in the transition is the formation of the People’s Assembly. Voting for most elected seats took place in October 2025 – with additional seats, including in Raqqa, due to be filled. Confirmation is awaited on the appointment of 70 members by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, as well as of the date of the opening session.
Mr. Cordone reiterated the importance of meaningful representation of Syria’s regions and diverse groups, stressing that “the protection and promotion of human rights – including addressing the issue of the missing and transitional justice – are fundamental elements for a credible and successful political transition.”
He highlighted the “extraordinary role” of Syrian women and civil society over the decade-long conflict, saying women’s political participation at all levels is “a pillar for a state committed to plurality, inclusion and opportunity for all.”
“I salute the Syrian people for their determination in overcoming decades of oppression and brutal conflict. I look forward to strengthening the UN’s partnership with Syria in pursuit of a stable, peaceful and prosperous future,” he said in Arabic as he concluded his briefing.
This was the central message of the Manama Declaration, released late last year. The World Entrepreneurs and Investment Forum (WEIF) held this week in Bahrain. The declaration places women at the heart of economic transformation, emphasizing that empowering them within business ecosystems […]
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Speaking to reporters in Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo, WFP country director Tania Goossens said some 400,000 people are facing acute humanitarian needs after the island was hit by back-to-back cyclones in the space of three weeks. Ms. Goossens recently returned from a mission to the port city of […]
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
The United Nations said that its teams attempted to coordinate eight humanitarian missions on Friday and five were fully facilitated.
The remaining three – which included a mission to reach a water treatment plant in Khan Younis – were denied by Israel.
The successful missions collected food and medical supplies from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing. Teams also monitored humanitarian cargo at the Kissufim and Kerem Shalom loading platforms.
Speaking in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted that four months have passed since the ceasefire agreement came into effect in Gaza, and the humanitarian scale-up has saved countless lives and pushed back famine.
Yet many people are still “living in extremely harsh conditions, and the humanitarian response continues to face significant obstacles, especially to the entry of goods and the ability of humanitarian partners to operate,” he added.
Almost 1.5 million people – or two in three Palestinians in Gaza – are staying in 1,000 displacement sites across the Strip and in tents.
Hundreds of families also have sheltered in damaged buildings, which are at risk of collapse.
Humanitarians continue to provide the population with tents, tarpaulins, mattresses, clothes and other items – reaching more than 85,000 families alone in January.
“But these items offer limited protection and their lifespan is short,” Mr. Dujarric said.
“To provide more durable solutions, restrictions on the entry of essential construction materials and equipment must be lifted.”
