Israel strikes school, Destroys Hamas command and control center in Gaza

TEL AVIV: At least 13 Palestinians were killed and 15 wounded in Israeli strikes on a school sheltering refugees and a residential building in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority's official news agency WAFA reported early on Saturday. At least eight of the dead were in refugee tents at Halima al-Sa'diyya School in Jabalia in northern Gaza, WAFA said....more

AI Has Potential to Rescue SDGs: UN Chief

By Deepak Arora

SHANGHAI: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to help rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and usher in a more durable and equitable future. Recent research estimates that AI can help accelerate nearly 80 per cent of the SDGs. Yet, he said “we face a stark reality: AI opportunities are not evenly shared. AI capacities today are concentrated in a handful of powerful companies – and even fewer countries. However, too many countries face significant challenges in accessing AI tools.”...more

189,000 children vaccinated for polio in Gaza: UNICEF Regional Director Khodr

UNITED NATIONS: In the first phase of the three-day polio campaign, over 189,000 children under 10 years old have been vaccinated in the central area of the Gaza Strip, according to Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. Approximately 513 teams were deployed across the area. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General commends everyone involved in this polio vaccination campaign, especially the extraordinary humanitarians leading this effort....more

‘Save the Pacific, Save the world’: UN Chief António Guterres

By Deepak Arora

NUKU’ALOFA (TONGA): UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a “global SOS” from Tonga in the Pacific, urging governments to step up climate action to “Save Our Seas” as two new reports revealed how rising sea levels are threatening the vulnerable region and beyond. Addressing the Pacific Islands Forum Opening Ceremony, the Secretary General gave a call and said by “saving the Pacific, we save the world”....more

Military ‘very focused’ on fighting Hezbollah, prepping offensive: IDF chief

TEL AVIV: The Israel Defense Forces are “very focused” on fighting Hezbollah and preparing offensive actions in Lebanon against the Iran-backed terror group, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Friday during a tour of the Golan Heights. “The IDF is very focused on fighting Hezbollah. I think that the number of attacks in the last month, operatives killed, rockets destroyed, infrastructure destroyed, is very large,” Halevi said....more

India, China, Brazil could mediate Russia-Ukraine peace talks: Putin

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that China, India and Brazil could act as mediators in potential peace talks over Ukraine. Putin said a preliminary agreement reached between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the first weeks of the war at talks in Istanbul, which was never implemented, could serve as the basis for talks....more

UNICEF issues emergency tender to secure mpox vaccines for crisis-hit countries

By Deepak Arora

NEW YORK: UNICEF hasy announced that it has issued an emergency tender for the procurement of mpox vaccines. Vaccines can play a critical role in containing the mpox outbreak which was declared a public health emergency by both the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The UNICEF tender is issued to help secure mpox vaccines for the hardest hit countries in collaboration with Africa CDC, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO, the Pan American Health Organization and other partners....more

6 Killed In Fresh Manipur Violence

IMPHAL: Six people were killed in fresh violence this morning in Manipur's Jiribam district, the police said. Suspected Kuki insurgents attacked Nungchappi village in the district 229 km from the state capital Imphal, killing a 63-year-old man identified as Yurembam Kulendra Singha. The attack came a day after an elderly man from the valley-dominant Meitei community, who was offering prayers, was killed in a rocket-propelled bomb attack by Kuki insurgents in Manipur's Moirang town, according to the police....more

Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Tien attends Pacific Island Countries dialogue

NUKU'ALOFA (Tonga): Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang participated in the 29th Taiwan/Republic of China-Forum Countries Dialogue held by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat recently in Tonga, underscoring the government’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Pacific allies and like-minded partners, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs....more

New York judge delays Trump sentencing until Nov 5 election

NEW YORK: The New York judge who presided over Donald Trump’s hush money trial on Friday delayed sentencing until after November’s US presidential election. The Republican White House candidate had been scheduled to be sentenced on September 18 for falsifying business records during a scheme to silence a porn star. Instead, Judge Juan Merchan postponed it to November 26 — well past the November 5 election in which Trump faces Vice President Kamala Harris....more

UNFPA urges private sector to invest in women employees' sexual and reproductive health

BANGKOK/NEW DELH: Across Asia and the Pacific, millions of women are employed in the garment and manufacturing sectors – the majority are young, often migrants, and from low-income families with limited access to healthcare and education. These issues are compounded by a lack of access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, which directly affects their health, job retention, and productivity. As the world marks Sexual Health Day, UNFPA Asia-Pacific calls on businesses across the region to prioritize investments in sexual and reproductive health and rights, particularly in labour-intensive sectors such as garment and textile factories....more

GOPIO-Metro Washington Hosts Bilingual Poetry Session

WASHINGTON D.C.: GOPIO-Metro Washington hosted the 16th Annual Independence Day bilingual poetry session (Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan) last Sunday at the Central Library in Arlington, Virginia, inaugurated by Dr. A. Abdulla. In his opening remarks, Dr. Abdullah emphasized the significance of celebrating the independence of the entire Subcontinent, while reflecting on the challenges that have persisted over time....more

Putin Has 2 Sons With Ex Olympic Gymnast And 'Girlfriend' Alina Kabaeva: Report

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his rumoured partner, former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, have two sons-ages five and nine-according to the Dossier Centre, a report in Forbes claimed. The outlet has attributed the info to a Russian investigative organisation that cited unnamed sources who claimed to regularly see the children. The portal claims that the couple's children are growing up in a highly secured residence in complete privacy. The boys live a solitary existence away from the spotlight and seldom see their parents....more

Iran village hits dangerous 82.2°C heat index

NEW YORK: A village off the southern coast of Iran may have hit dangerously high temperatures this week, with the weather station at the Dayrestan Airport recording a heat index of 82.2°C on August 28. If confirmed, the heat index and a corresponding dew point of 36.1°C could be among the highest such readings ever recorded on the planet....more