UN releases $160 million for 12 underfunded humanitarian crises

• Violence surged across the Middle East following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent war in Gaza. • Iran expanded the conflict by mobilizing its Axis of Resistance, a network including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and militias in Iraq and Syria.

• Gustavo de Arístegui analyzed geopolitical tensions on September 28, focusing on a foundational crisis within the UN Assembly and US-Iran relations. • The analysis notes that Iranian initiatives aim to remove secondary sanctions—penalties on non-US companies trading with Iran—without offering verifiable nuclear concessions.

• Governments, UN entities, and private sector representatives met recently to call for stronger cooperation to address a rapidly changing global information landscape. • The event was co-hosted by Brazil, the UN Secretariat, the UN development Programme, and UNESCO to discuss implementing the Global Digital Compact.

The Premier League’s actions would ‘have an influence on the bilateral state relationship’, Emirati officials saidThe United Arab Emirates have reportedly warned the government it could cancel big investments in the UK after Manchester City were found guilty by an independent commission.Emirati officials said “the Premier League’s actions” would “have an influence on the bilateral state relationship”, according to Bloomberg. Continue reading...

Shoppers are switching from traditional product despite little evidence alternative is saferBacon has long been a favourite of carnivores, but there is growing consumer concern about the health risks posed by nitrites, chemicals used to cure meats.While many experts argue there is no evidence processed meat made without nitrites is safer, retailers have responded to consumer concerns by offering “nitrite-free” products to meet demand. Continue reading...

The UK prime minister has earned his party a rehearing but the battle of public opinion is not yet won“He’s offering what no other politician has offered for a long, long time. He actually feels like he’s one of us,” was how Neil, a geography teacher, described Andy Burnham in our focus group on Thursday night.Neil wasn’t alone in his praise: this group of Labour 2024 voters – some of whom had drifted to Reform, the Tories and Greens during the Starmer era – provided the most positive reception for a politician since Boris Johnson at the height of his Covid-vaccine bounce. Continue reading...

Fuel costs are biting for crop growers, trucking firms and a host of other industries as Iran war stokes record pricesJoe Hamilton farms corn and soybeans on 2,500 acres in Indiana’s Delaware county. Next week, when his soybean harvest kicks off, four tractors, two combine harvesters and five semi-trucks will roar to life.And with that, a record bill for about 9,000 gallons of diesel awaits him. Continue reading...

Greek PM hopes handover of Tsar Samuel will help persuade Britain to return Parthenon marblesThe remains of medieval ruler Tsar Samuel will arrive in Bulgaria on Saturday amid great pomp and ceremony, after decades of negotiations with neighbouring Greece.The remains – discovered in a Greek border area 60 years ago – are to be flown to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, onboard a military aircraft to be received with full state honours, including a fighter jet escort, a 21-gun salute and a procession to the Church of St Sophia, where the public will be able to pay respects. Continue reading...

Congress members say pricing practices at 7-Eleven and Circle K stores underscore everyday Americans’ affordability strugglesFive US House members have called out pricing practices at the US’s two largest convenience store chains in response to an investigation by the Guardian.The Guardian found that 7-Eleven and Circle K stores frequently charge customers more at the register or pump for snacks, gas and other items than the prices they promise on the shelf or on outdoor fuel signs. Continue reading...

Frank Strada facing mounting questions after Pike survives injection with lethal drugs in TennesseeTennessee’s prison chief is under fire for the failed execution of Christa Pike, which lawyers say was the fifth “botched” execution under his leadership across two states since 2022.Frank Strada, the commissioner of the Tennessee department of correction, has faced mounting questions about the state’s highly secretive death penalty protocols since Wednesday evening when Pike became the first death row prisoner in the US to to be injected with lethal drugs and survive. Continue reading...

Authorities crack down on trade they says risks spiralling out of control – but operators say they are being targeted unfairlyOn the edge of Piazza Navona, one of the grandest squares in central Rome, Barry and Linda, visitors from Texas in the US, stepped out of a golf cart. They planned to cross the square on foot, perhaps stopping to admire Lorenzo Bernini’s 17th-century Fountain of the Four Rivers, before being picked up by their driver at the opposite end.The couple had already done a walking tour on day one of their trip, and had been so exasperated by a stifling three-hour shuffle along a corridor towards the Sistine Chapel on day two that by the third day they wanted to give their tired feet a rest. Continue reading...