“Even though cases have declined, the conditions that led to the resurgence of this deadly disease in recent years remain and must be addressed,” said Regina De Dominicis, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) regional director for Europe and Central Asia. Fifty-three countries in Europe and Central Asia have reported 33,998 cases […]
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Two children were reportedly killed and 13 others injured in a drone strike on a mosque in Al-Rahad, North Kordofan, where all the victims were students at the adjoining school. The attack came just hours after a primary school in Dilling, South Kordofan, was hit, with further injuries reported.
The warehouse of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in the South Kordofan capital, Kadugli, also was struck by suspected rockets, significantly damaging buildings and mobile storage units.
Recent days have also seen drone strikes reported in other parts of South Kordofan, North Kordofan and West Kordofan states, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.
Strikes have occurred close to key supply routes linking the city of El Obeid in North Kordofan to Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan, and this is endangering civilians, including humanitarian workers.
“The fact that we have to reiterate almost every day that civilians and civilian infrastructure, places of worship, schools and hospitals cannot and should not be targeted is a tragedy into itself,” he said.
“Yet, we have to remind the parties of this almost every day and that they need to respect international humanitarian law.”
Meanwhile, the UN and partners continue their efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese people.
The war between the national army and former allies-turned-rivals the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – which erupted in April 2023 – has sparked the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with some 30 million people in need of assistance.
Mr. Dujarric said a multi-agency UN convoy made up of 41 trucks carrying nearly 800 metric tonnes of food and other essential supplies departed El Obeid for Kadugli on Tuesday, marking a significant breakthrough along a previously closed route.
In South Kordofan, humanitarians have distributed nearly 600 metric tonnes of food to nearly 70,000 people, but the continued arrival of families fleeing their homes is depleting what limited stocks are available.
More than 115,000 people have been displaced across the Kordofan region since late October, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The UN and four other organizations working to promote political dialogue in Sudan voiced grave concern at the continued escalation of the conflict in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The Quintet – which comprises the African Union (AU), East African bloc IGAD, the League of Arab States (LAS), the European Union (EU) and the UN – expressed particular alarm over the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Kordofan region and Blue Nile state.
The statement highlighted the urgent need for action, citing:
• Deadly drone strikes and tightening sieges around population centres
• Attacks on hospitals, schools and humanitarian assets
• Widespread displacement and severe constraints on humanitarian access
• Direct attacks on humanitarian aid convoys
The Quintet recalled the horrors that occurred in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, “and the repeated warnings issued ahead of those atrocities that went unheeded with devastating consequences for civilians”.
The city was under siege by the RSF for more than a year during which crimes such as rapes, executions, mass killings, attacks on displacement were committed.
“The Quintet insists that civilians must no longer bear the cost of ongoing hostilities,” the statement said.
“Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected, international humanitarian law must be respected, and safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to all areas in need must be ensured.”
The partners also emphasised the need for coordinated international efforts to de-escalate the conflict and halt the flow of weapons and fighters sustaining the violence.
Ahead of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, they urged all concerned “to seize the opportunity presented by ongoing efforts to broker a humanitarian truce and to immediately deescalate hostilities, to prevent further loss of life and enable life-saving assistance.”
Europe remains one of the easiest parts of the world to explore across borders, especially by train, but ‘simple’ travel still depends on smart planning: entry rules, new EU border systems, seat reservations, passenger rights and increasing pressure on cities in peak season. A continent built […]
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Europe remains one of the easiest parts of the world to explore across borders, especially by train, but ‘simple’ travel still depends on smart planning: entry rules, new EU border systems, seat reservations, passenger rights and increasing pressure on cities in peak season. A continent built […]
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Europe remains one of the world’s easiest regions to explore across borders—especially by rail—but the “simple” trip still depends on smart planning: entry rules, new EU border systems, seat reservations, passenger rights, and rising pressure on peak-season cities.
From the Atlantic to the Baltics, Europe’s appeal is its density: big cities, small towns, coastlines and mountains often sit a few hours apart. That proximity is also what makes Europe vulnerable to its own popularity. In summer, the same railway corridors, airports and historic centres can become bottlenecks—meaning your experience hinges less on “where” you go than on how and when you move.
The good news is that travellers have more tools than ever: integrated rail planning, night-train revivals, budget airlines, and increasingly clear consumer protections. The less comfortable news is that border and identity checks are becoming more digital and biometric for many non-EU travellers—changes that can affect queue times and documentation habits even for short trips.
If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, most travel is straightforward: freedom of movement, minimal formalities, and no routine internal border checks in most cases. For many non-EU travellers, Europe is still relatively open—especially for short stays—but rules are tightening in how they are recorded and enforced.
Practical takeaway: even if you have travelled to Europe many times, plan for new border routines—carry documentation, arrive earlier for flights and international trains, and expect more scanning and biometric steps at certain crossings.
Rail travel is often Europe’s most reliable long-distance option, especially between major cities. But rail is not one system: it’s a patchwork of national operators, pricing rules, and reservation requirements.
If you want a no-drama approach, use a “hub-and-spoke” plan: base yourself in one city for 3–5 nights, do short day trips by regional train, then move on. For more on transport habits and basics, see our guide: Top Tips for Navigating Europe’s Public Transportation Systems.
“Europe is expensive” is often shorthand for “Europe’s most famous squares are expensive in July.” Prices vary sharply by neighbourhood, by season, and by how much your trip depends on last-minute decisions.
Europe’s travel network is dense—but disruptions are normal: strikes, storms, aircraft rotations, overbooked flights, and missed connections. When this happens, consumer protections can be the difference between a ruined trip and a managed delay.
The EU’s “Your Europe” portal lays out when air passenger rights apply, including delays, cancellations, denied boarding and baggage issues: EU air passenger rights. Keep receipts, save emails and screenshots, and complain first to the airline or operator in writing. Documentation often determines whether you get compensation or assistance.
In many European cities, tourism is now a political issue as much as an economic one. Residents increasingly debate housing pressure, noise, and overuse of public space. Travellers can reduce friction with small choices: stay in registered accommodation, follow local rules on waste and noise, avoid “hotspot” streets at peak hours, and spread your spending beyond the most photographed districts.
For travellers who want the social side of Europe—without turning the trip into a queue—build your itinerary around community life: markets, public parks, neighbourhood cafés, local festivals, and smaller venues. (If festivals are your anchor, our overview of major seasonal events can help you time a trip: Summer Festivals in Europe.)
Europe’s institutions also promote travel as civic experience. The EU’s DiscoverEU programme (part of Erasmus+) offers selected 18-year-olds the chance to explore Europe mainly by rail—an explicit attempt to turn mobility into shared European literacy, not just leisure.
Travelling in Europe is still defined by freedom: short distances, high-quality public spaces, and a sense that history is never far away. But the trip is increasingly shaped by systems—digital borders, reservation requirements, passenger-rights procedures, and city-level crowd management. The best itineraries in 2026 are not necessarily the most ambitious; they are the most realistic, designed around time buffers, alternative routes, and respect for the places people actually live.
Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council on Tuesday, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said instability has increased sharply in recent weeks, due to political impasse among the deal’s signatories. Revitalized 2018 peace agreement and a dangerous escalation into armed clashes. The fights […]
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
By Father Dmitri Yurievitch Darius [Old Persian – preserving good; Hebrew: ; Greek: Ϫαρεῖος]name of three Persian kings of the Achaemenid dynasty, as well as a Mede mentioned in the book of Daniel. Darius I the Great (550-486 BC; Ezra 4:5, 24; 5:5-7; 6:1, 12-15; Hag 1:1, 15; 2:10 […]
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
“The situation remains highly volatile and we fear it will further deteriorate, worsening the region’s already precarious human rights and humanitarian situation,” Mr. Türk said, following clashes in recent days between the Ethiopian army and regional forces.
The development comes against a backdrop of deadly conflict in Tigray from 2020 to 2022 between Government troops and separatist Tigray forces, following rising tensions between national and regional authorities.
That conflict – in which Eritrean soldiers reportedly participated – is believed to have killed tens of thousands and uprooted more than two million civilians, of whom one million remain internally displaced today.
According to the UN human rights office (OHCHR), the latest escalation saw clashes between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and the regional Tigray Security Forces (TSF) intensify on 26 January, close to the Amhara border. The TSF withdrew from the Tselemti area on 1 February, OHCHR said.
“Drones, artillery and other powerful weapons were used by both sides,” Mr. Türk said in a statement. “Civilians are once again caught between escalating tensions, with both TSF and ENDF reportedly carrying out arrests for perceived affiliation with the opposing side. This must stop,” he insisted.
Meanwhile, in Tigray’s south and southeast near the Afar border, clashes between the TSF and the “Tigray Peace Forces”, a rival faction, continue unabated, the High Commissioner noted.
“Both sides must step back from the brink and work to resolve their differences through political means,” he said. “Alleged serious violations or abuses must be promptly and independently investigated, irrespective of the perpetrators.”
Briefing journalists in Geneva, the High Commissioner’s spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani warned that new clashes could erupt “at any point” with dire consequences for civilians. She highlighted his call to all parties to recommit to the Pretoria Agreement calling for an end to hostilities, signed in 2022.
The hostile parties should also ensure the return of internally displaced people to their homes, among other confidence-building measures, Ms. Shamdasani continued.
“This is something that was part of the agreement, but it hasn’t proceeded as smoothly as it should,” she noted.
The High Commissioner also warned that recent tensions between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea risked worsening the already serious human rights and humanitarian challenges in both countries and across the wider Horn of Africa.
“There have been reports regarding the presence of Eritrean troops and heightened tensions between those two countries,” Ms. Shamdasani said, pointing to “disagreements…particularly regarding the situation in Tigray”.
She added: “We’re calling for these disagreements to be resolved through political dialogue and not resort to violence. We all saw what happened in 2020, 2021, when there was a full-blown conflict in the Tigray region, which led to we still don’t know how many deaths…We cannot afford a return to that.”
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI is experiencing a notable talent drain. Influential researcher Jimmy Ba announced his
As heavy fighting continues between former allies the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and their allies, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said that in parts of North Darfur more than half of all children are acutely malnourished.
The warning follows the release of new data from the IPC, a UN-backed global food security monitoring system, from three localities there – Um Baru and Kernoi and At Tine – indicating “catastrophic” malnutrition rates.
“Extreme hunger and malnutrition come for children first, the youngest, the smallest, the most vulnerable,” said UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires. “In Sudan, it’s spreading… These are children between six months and five years old, and they are running out of time.”
The UN agency stressed that famine thresholds have been surpassed in locations not previously considered at risk, such as Um Baru and Kernoi.
Conflict, mass displacement, the collapse of services and blocked access which have sparked starvation alerts for these localities exist “across vast swathes of Sudan”, Mr. Pires insisted.
“If famine is looming there, it can take hold anywhere,” he warned.
Mr. Pires also warned of the prevalence of disease as a further threat to children’s survival:
“These children are not just hungry; nearly half of all children in At Tine had been sick in the previous two weeks. Fever, diarrhoea, respiratory infections, low vaccination coverage, unsafe water and a collapsing health system are turning treatable illnesses into death sentences for already malnourished children.”
He called on the world to “stop looking away” from Sudan’s children, warning that more than half of the youngsters in North Darfur’s Um Baru are “wasting away while we watch”.
“That is not a statistic. Those are children with names and a future that are being stolen,” the UNICEF spokesperson said.
Nearly three years since war erupted between the once-allied Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), 13.6 million people have fled their homes, including 9.1 million displaced within the country.
Dr Shible Sahbani, the UN World Health Organization (WHO)’s representative in Sudan, told reporters that while the displaced require “urgent” care, the health system has been “ravaged by attacks, loss and damage of equipment and supplies, a shortage of health workforce and operational funds”.
Since the start of the war in April 2023, WHO has verified 205 attacks on health care that have led to 1,924 deaths and 529 injuries, Dr Sahbani said.
“Such attacks deprive communities of care for years to come, instilling terror in patients and health workers and creating unsurmountable barriers to life-saving treatment,” he added. Meanwhile, the country faces multiple disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, dengue and measles.
While WHO and partners are supporting the response to these outbreaks, Dr. Sahbani insisted on the need for greater access and protection of health workers and facilities, in line with international humanitarian law.
“Patients and healthcare workers should not risk death while seeking and providing care,” he said. “Above all, we call for peace…Peace is long due for Sudan.”
His call echoed that of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who on Monday once again sounded the alarm over the deadly conflict in Sudan, briefing the Human Rights Council in Geneva on the “preventable human rights catastrophe” that took place in North Darfur’s capital El Fasher in October last year.
Thousands of people were killed there in a matter of days after an 18-month-long siege of the city, multiple testimonies gathered by Mr. Türk’s office have indicated.
The new danger is a possible repeat of these abuses in the Kordofan region, he said.
Responding to journalists’ questions in Geneva about the involvement of other countries in the conflict, the High Commissioner’s spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani underscored his concerns – “whether they’re directly involved, whether there are mercenaries on the ground from different countries, whether they’re providing arms, intelligence, funding or other support, whether they’re involved in the political economy of the conflict in Sudan”.
