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Divisions deepen within Germany’s coalition, while European allies pledge a new aid strategy for Ukraine. In the Middle East, Israeli forces intensify operations across the West Bank, doctors report systemic torture of Palestinian prisoners, and in Doha, Kinshasa and M23 rebels sign a ceasefire monitoring accord.

Our lead story examines how world leaders addressed Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and UN reform at last month’s General Assembly—and what their rhetoric reveals about the UN’s uncertain future.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇦🇫 🇵🇰 Taliban and Pakistan agree to ceasefire after deadly cross-border clashes: Afghanistan’s Taliban government announced a ceasefire with Pakistan following days of escalating cross-border violence. The truce, requested by Islamabad, comes after Pakistan carried out unprecedented airstrikes on the Afghan capital, accusing the Taliban of sheltering Pakistani militants. 

2️⃣ 🇷🇺 🇸🇾 Sharaa meets Putin in Moscow as post-Assad Syria redefines ties with Russia: The Syrian President met Vladimir Putin in Moscow, their first encounter since the downfall of Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad, signalling a pragmatic reset between former enemies. Sharaa, who once fought Russian-backed forces, affirmed that Moscow would retain its military bases in Syria, even as Russia’s presence diminishes.

3️⃣ 🇪🇺 🇷🇺 European allies boost Ukraine aid as Hegseth warns of “costs on Russia”: Sweden, Estonia, and Finland pledged new funding to purchase U.S. weapons for Ukraine, amid criticism of slower responses from larger EU states. Meanwhile, Belgium and the Netherlands agreed to jointly acquire NASAMS missile systems, underscoring NATO’s accelerating regional rearmament drive.

4️⃣ 🇪🇬 🇹🇷 🇮🇱 Erdogan blocked Netanyahu from Egypt summit, officials confirm: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intervened to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from attending a high-level Gaza ceasefire summit in Egypt, according to senior Turkish officials. The move highlights Ankara’s deepening rift with Israel as Erdogan.

5️⃣🇲🇬 🇪🇹 Madagascar suspended from African Union: Madagascar’s military leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, will be inaugurated as president on Friday following the army’s seizure of power and the ousting of Andry Rajoelina, prompting the African Union to suspend the country. While calm has returned to Antananarivo, uncertainty persists.

Major Story

🇺🇳 GLOBAL DIVISIONS ON GAZA, UKRAINE, SUDAN, AND UN REFORM SURFACE AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY

At last month's UN General Assembly, more than 190 world leaders delivered speeches revealing a deeply divided international order and an overstretched institution struggling to stay relevant. While topics ranged from climate change to artificial intelligence, four issues dominated the high-level debate: Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and UN reform. 

Gaza: Growing Global Condemnation

The war in Gaza drew the widest attention, with 151 speakers addressing the crisis and 44 countries explicitly labelling Israel’s actions as genocide—an 80% increase from 2024. The sharpest rhetoric came from states in West Asia, Africa, and Latin America, underscoring a widening moral and geopolitical divide. Notably, only three European countries—Bosnia, Ireland, and Slovenia—joined Türkiye in adopting the genocide framing, signalling growing tensions between the Global South and Western powers.

Ukraine: Waning Global Attention

Mentions of Ukraine fell to 106 countries, down from 138 in 2022, reflecting fatigue and shifting priorities. More than half of the states that raised the issue avoided naming Russia, suggesting a desire to stay neutral. Many non-Western governments increasingly cast the conflict as a regional, not global, concern—diminishing the UN’s role as a platform for rallying support to Kyiv.

Sudan: Limited Engagement Despite Crisis

Only 62 countries mentioned Sudan’s war—the world’s largest humanitarian crisis—with no clear regional pattern in engagement. African states were split, and global attention was limited, despite two side events on peace efforts and humanitarian aid.

UN Reform: Broad Consensus, Limited Momentum

Institutional reform featured in 128 national statements, reflecting mounting frustration with the UN’s inefficiency. Seventy-three countries endorsed Secretary-General António Guterres’s UN80 initiative, while 100 renewed calls for Security Council reform, though momentum has faded since the Biden administration’s push last year.

Looking Ahead

Despite institutional fatigue, the UN remains a stage for diplomacy and deal-making—from the French-Saudi peace effort on Palestine to the U.S.-led talks on Gaza and climate commitments from over 120 nations. As António Guterres’s term nears its end, speculation over his successor highlights the urgent need for leadership capable of redefining the UN’s role in a fractured, multipolar world.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇩🇪 Coalition splits over German military conscription as recruitment plan falters: Germany’s coalition government is mired in a fierce dispute over how to address critical troop shortages amid rising Russian threats and NATO obligations. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’s voluntary recruitment scheme has stalled, prompting conservatives under Chancellor Friedrich Merz to demand a fallback conscription mechanism. 

2️⃣ 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 IDF escalates violence in West Bank, doctors raise alarm over systemic torture in Israeli prisons: Doctors have reported that many of the 90 Palestinian bodies returned by Israel under the ceasefire agreement show unmistakable signs of torture and execution. The revelations coincide with mounting concern for imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, beaten unconscious by Israeli guards, as the ICC continues to investigate war crimes.

3️⃣ 🇨🇩 🇷🇼 🇺🇳 Kinshasa, M23 sign ceasefire monitoring agreement: The DRC and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group signed an agreement in Doha to form a joint oversight body tasked with enforcing a potential permanent ceasefire. The new mechanism will include representatives from Congo, M23, and regional states, with U.N. peacekeepers assisting in investigations of truce violations. 

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