Foreign News
UN Warns Against Israeli Evacuation Orders in Gaza

UN humanitarians on Wednesday warned against Israeli evacuation orders in Gaza City, noting that it will only fuel mass further suffering for Palestinians.
The directive, issued by the Israeli military, follows evacuation orders affecting several parts of the city in recent days.
“These civilians must be protected – and their essential needs must be met, whether they flee or stay,” UN reliet coordinator office (OCHA) said in a statement.
“This is what we mean when we say that all parties must respect international humanitarian law, at all times.”
The situation is unfolding as a new round of negotiations towards a ceasefire in Gaza resumed in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday.
OCHA noted, however that the evacuation orders “are also forcing the humanitarian community to reset their aid operations over and over again.”
“Aid workers are responding, but what they can deliver falls far short of needs,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, said on Wednesday in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
He stressed that “more funding is urgently needed – as is a safe, enabling environment inside Gaza.”
Mr. Hadi visited Deir Al-Balah on Tuesday, where he witnessed firsthand the consequences of the breakdown in public order and safety as he entered and exited the Kerem Shalom crossing, OCHA reported.
“He saw groups of men with sticks waiting for trucks to leave the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza. All trucks he passed were badly damaged, with broken windshields, mirrors and hoods,” the agency added.
The Humanitarian Coordinator also observed bags of fortified flour from the World Food Programme (WFP) and UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) scattered alongside the road coming out of Kerem Shalom.
The top official “also saw that the city of Khan Younis has largely been reduced to sand and rubble, without a single structure left untouched.”
While in Gaza, Hadi met with women’s groups who told him about the harrowing conditions at sites for displaced people.
Many women have cut off their hair due to lice, difficulties in accessing shampoo and other personal hygiene products, and the lack of privacy, for example.
Others voiced despair over the inability to provide for their families, especially for relatives living with disabilities and those who are sick.
Women also reported on how extreme overcrowding in displacement sites can lead to tensions within communities.
They also said that overcrowding, despair and the breakdown in public order and safety are fueling an increase in sexual and gender-based violence.
Hadi also visited the IMC Field Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, together with the Regional Director of the World Health Organiwation (WHO), Hanan Balkhy.
Hadi said he was humbled to see how doctors and nurses provided trauma care for hundreds of patients with severe wounds, despite nearly impossible operational conditions, including the inability to get basic medical supplies such as gauze,” the agency said.
OCHA also reported on Wednesday that it had documented more than 1,000 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank since October, leading to casualties and damage to property, trees, and saplings.
Nearly 1,400 people, including 660 children, in more than two dozen Bedouin and herding communities have been displaced during the same period due to settler violence and access restrictions.
OCHA added that Israeli forces in the West Bank killed 14 Palestinians between July 2 and 8, the vast majority during two operations in the Jenin and Tulkarm cities and their adjacent refugee camps. (NAN)
Foreign News
CAF Sanctions Kenya Again over Crowd Trouble

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has sanctioned African Nations Championship (CHAN) co-host, Kenya, for the second time in as many weeks over security breaches.
In a statement made available on Monday evening, the continental governing body said that it has limited entry to the 48,000-seat Moi International Sports Centre.
It also said that, known as Kasarani Stadium, can accommodate 27,000 fans for Sunday’s Group A match between Kenya and Zambia.
CAF said only electronic ticket holders would be allowed into the stadium, with thermal tickets prohibited.
The governing body warned that Kenya’s matches could be relocated from Kasarani Stadium if organisers fail to prevent further breaches.
“We trust these measures will be applied swiftly to protect competition’s integrity, ensure fan safety, and uphold confidence in Kenya’s commitment to the tournament,” CAF said.
The sanctions follow incidents on Aug. 10 when Kenya defeated two-time winner Morocco 1-0 in spite of playing the entire second half with 10 men.
The win put Kenya top of Group A with seven points.
The debutants would reach the quarterfinals with at least a draw against winless Zambia.
Last week, Kenya’s football federation was fined nearly 20,000 U.S. dollars for security lapses during the team’s 1-0 win over DR Congo in the tournament opener on Aug. 3.
In the latest case, CAF cited major lapses, including stadium gates and restricted service areas being overrun by ticketless spectators and holders of government-distributed physical tickets.
It also accused security personnel of losing control at exit points and allowing breaches of the perimeter fence that enabled thousands of ticketless fans to enter.
CAF had expressed alarm over the use of tear gas and flash grenades, reports of live ammunition fired near spectators and staff, and violent incidents such as stone-throwing at security personnel.
It also cited unsafe vehicle movement in spectator areas, inadequate police response, and the lack of medical incident reports in spite of injuries being reported.
Organisers were further criticised for insufficient communication tools and the absence of CCTV coverage at critical entry points.
Foreign News
Madonna Urges Pope Leo to Visit Gaza

Pop icon Madonna has made an appeal to Pope Leo XIV, urging him to visit the blockaded Gaza Strip amid a starvation crisis that has sparked international outrage.
“You are the only one of us that cannot be denied entry,” the U.S. singer wrote on social media platform X late on Monday.
“We need the humanitarian gates to be fully opened to save these innocent children.
“There is no more time,” she added.
Marking the 25th birthday of her son Rocco Ritchie on Monday, Madonna also announced plans to donate to humanitarian organisations working in Gaza.
“I feel the best gift I can give to him as a Mother is to ask everyone to do what they can to help save the innocent children caught in the crossfire in Gaza,” she wrote.
A United Nations (UN) agency said late last week that “acute malnutrition among children in Gaza has reached the highest levels.”
In July alone, nearly 12,000 children lower than five in age were identified as acutely malnourished, with another 2,500 found to suffer from severe acute malnutrition.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), this is the most life-threatening form.
Israel controls access roads to Gaza and has sealed off the coastal area.
Very little aid got into Gaza from March through May, when Israel began allowing in deliveries using a controversial private system that bypasses traditional UN agencies.
Under pressure from allies, Israel recently began permitting larger convoys into the territory, as aid airdrops take place overhead.
On Sunday, Irish rock band U2 issued a stinging critique of the Israeli government’s actions.
“We know Hamas are using starvation as a weapon in the war, but now so too is Israel and I feel revulsion for the moral failure,” frontman Bono wrote.
Foreign News
Putin Bans Foreign-made Clothing for Russian Army From 2026

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday banning the procurement of foreign-made clothing and related gear for the country’s armed forces starting in 2026.
According to the decree, from Jan. 1, 2026, all uniforms and other clothing items for the Russian Armed Forces must be produced by Russian companies whose manufacturing facilities are located within the country.
By 2027, the requirement would extend to fabrics and knitted materials used in production, which must be domestically manufactured.
The measure aims to entirely exclude the purchase of foreign-made clothing and materials for the needs of the military, the decree said.
Military clothing and gear include uniforms, insignia, underwear, bedding, special clothing, footwear, equipment, and sanitary items.
Such supplies are procured through the Russian state defence order system.