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United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher warned that the number of people facing catastrophic hunger in Gaza could exceed more than half a million this month, fearing the number could exceed to 640,000 by the end of the month. In a press conference, Fletcher stressed that the current famine is preventable and predictable. He noted the UN and its partners are capable of saving lives on a large scale in the Strip if they are allowed to do so, as they did during the ceasefire earlier this year. He explained that the plan to end the famine in Gaza is simple: "a ceasefire, hundreds of trucks a day, full access, safe routes, end the bureaucratic delays, restore power and water, and allow commercial traffic." None of that — none of that — is complicated." Fletcher said the crisis in Gaza is occurring amid "the rules of war being corroded day by day," adding, "We've heard Israeli ministers talking openly about flattening Gaza and forcing people out permanently, bombing food aid, and so on."

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng stressed that China's resolve to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests is unwavering, adding that Beijing will resolutely safeguard its national interests and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese-funded enterprises abroad.During his meeting in Madrid with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Lifeng explained that China and the US will benefit from cooperation and lose from confrontation.During the talks, the two sides held in-depth and constructive discussions on economic and trade issues of common concern, according to the Chinese vice premier. The two sides reached a basic framework consensus on resolving TikTok-related issues through cooperation, reducing investment barriers, and enhancing relevant economic and trade cooperation.He stressed that the two will consult on relevant outcome documents and complete their respective domestic approval procedures.The US side called on China to work alongside one another and lift relevant restrictions as soon as possible. It also called for concrete actions to preserve the hard-won achievements of the talks and continue to create a favorable environment for the stability of China-US economic and trade relations.The US added that during the talks, both sides acknowledged that stable economic and trade relations between China and the US are of great importance to both countries and have a significant impact on global economic stability and development.The two sides will continue to implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state in their phone conversations, as well as the outcomes of previous economic and trade talks, make full use of the role of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism, continue to enhance mutual understanding, resolve differences, strengthen cooperation, and strive for more win-win results, thus promoting healthy, stable, and sustainable development of bilateral economic and trade relations and injecting greater stability into the global economy.

Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar discussed recent regional and international developments with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to Radio Pakistan, the discussion took place during a phone call received last night by the Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister from the US Secretary of State last night. During the call, both sides expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan-US ties and discussed recent regional and international developments. They also reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations across multifaceted areas.

Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha arrived in Doha Sunday morning to participate in the emergency Arab-Islamic summit scheduled to be held in Doha on Monday.OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha and the accompanying delegation were welcomed upon arrival at Hamad International Airport by HE Director of the Protocol Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim bin Yousif Fakhro.

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman, in a phone call today with Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, discussed developments in the Middle East, most notably the latest updates related to the Palestinian cause and the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. The two sides also exchanged views during the call on ways to intensify efforts to ensure universal adherence to international law and UN resolutions, with the goal of achieving security, peace, and the advancement of justice.

Sanjiv Arora, Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs and India’s long serving Ambassador to the State of Qatar ( 2012–2016 ) has condemned Israeli attack in Doha. He said “Israel’s shocking and reckless attack on members of Hamas Political Bureau in Doha, Qatar must be unequivocally condemned by the international community.The Israeli aggression is a brazen violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, UN Charter & international law, and once again demonstrates that Israel treats a rule based international order with contempt and continues to jeopardise the ongoing efforts towards a ceasefire with Hamas, and peace and stability in the region.At a time when Hamas leaders were deliberating in Doha upon President Trump’s latest ceasefire proposals, with the State of Qatar continuing its earnest and active mediation, Israel’s attack has further imperilled peace and security in the region.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned on Tuesday the Israeli attack on Qatar, stressing that it is a flagrant violation of Qatar's sovereignty and territorial integrity.In a statement, Guterres said that Qatar has been playing a very positive role to achieve a ceasefire and release of all hostages held by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), calling on all parties to work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it.

HE Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi met on Monday with HH Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the State of Qatar, Prince Mansour bin Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Farhan Al-Saud, on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the country.HE the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked HE the Ambassador for his efforts in enhancing and promoting bilateral relations, wishing him success in his new duties.

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said Thursday that firing a top government scientist was "absolutely necessary" as he faced blistering criticism from Democrats urging him to resign over his steps to curb vaccines.The Senate hearing, marked by sharp exchanges that often erupted into shouting matches, came days after the ouster of Sue Monarez, the former director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Her dismissal, accompanied by several high-level resignations and hundreds of earlier layoffs, has plunged the nation's premier public health agency into turmoil.In his opening remarks, Kennedy tore into the CDC's actions during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, accusing the agency of failing "miserably" with "disastrous and nonsensical" policies including masking guidance, social distancing and school closures.Kennedy said that the CDC, during the pandemic, had lied to Americans, pointing to recommendations on mask wearing, vaccine boosters and social distancing and statements that the vaccine would prevent transmission."I need to fire some of those people and make sure this doesn't happen again," he said."We need bold, competent and creative new leadership at CDC, people able and willing to chart a new course," he said, touting the health department's new focus on chronic disease and promoting prevention.Monarez, the CDC director whom Kennedy previously endorsed, accused the secretary of a "deliberate effort to weaken America's public-health system and vaccine protections" in a *Wall Street Journal op-ed Thursday.Kennedy's explanation for her firing – as he told Senator Elizabeth Warren – was simply: "I asked her, 'Are you a trustworthy person?' And she said, 'No.'"Once a respected environmental lawyer, Kennedy emerged in the mid-2000s as a leading anti-vaccine activist, spending two decades spreading voluminous misinformation before being tapped by President Donald Trump as health secretary in his second administration.Since taking office, he has restricted Covid-19 shots to narrower groups, cut off federal research grants for the mRNA technology credited with saving millions of lives, and redirected funding toward research on debunked claims linking vaccines to autism.Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee leading the hearing, set the tone by demanding Kennedy be sworn in under oath – accusing him of lying in prior written testimony when he pledged not to limit vaccine access."It is in the country's best interest that Robert Kennedy step down, and if he doesn't, Donald Trump should fire him before more people are hurt," Wyden thundered.However, Republican committee chairman Mike Crapo shot down the request, praising Kennedy's focus on chronic diseases such as obesity.The exchanges only grew more ill-tempered.Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell branded Kennedy a "charlatan" over his attacks on mRNA research, while Kennedy accused Senator Maggie Hassan of "crazy talk" and "making things up to scare people" when she said that parents were already struggling to get Covid-19 vaccines for their children.Vaccines have become the flashpoint in an ever-deepening partisan battle.Conservative-leaning Florida on Wednesday announced that it would end all immunisation requirements, including at schools, while a West Coast alliance of California, Washington and Oregon announced they would make their own vaccine recommendation body to counter Kennedy's influence at the national level.Republicans mostly closed ranks around Kennedy, though there was some notable dissent.Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician whose support was key to Kennedy's confirmation, criticised his cancellation of mRNA grants.He was joined by fellow Republican doctor Senator John Barrasso and Senator Thom Tillis.Cassidy pressed Kennedy on whether Trump deserved a Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed, the public-private partnership that sped Covid-19 vaccines to market.Kennedy agreed that Trump should have received the prize but in nearly the same breath, praised hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, drugs championed by conspiracy theorists that have been proven ineffective against Covid-19.