Latest news with #Karam
ITV News
4 days ago
- Health
- ITV News
Pressure mounts on UK to approve evacuation and treatment of two critically ill children in Gaza
International pressure is mounting on the UK government to assist with the evacuation of two critically ill children trapped in Gaza. Project Pure Hope, a charity comprised of medical professionals and humanitarians, has called on the prime minister and foreign secretary to intervene and approve the children's evacuation. Three-year-old Hatem was severely injured in a bomb blast that killed both his parents in Gaza. He is suffering from 30% burns and requires specialist treatment. Karam, who is one year old, suffers from a complex bowel condition and requires immediate surgical intervention. His condition has deteriorated significantly, and he is experiencing severe malnutrition. British plastic surgeon Victoria Rose, who is currently in Gaza, said: "We are losing children left, right, and centre from avoidable deaths. The situation is beyond critical. These children need immediate evacuation to survive." Hatem and Karam's evacuation has already been organised by Project Pure Hope, who say they will fully fund the medevac flights and ongoing medical treatment. "These children's lives depend on the UK government's help. We have already shown what is possible by bringing two other children to safety and initiating their treatment," Rose added. Speaking about the calls to evacuate these children, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, said: "The scale of the medical catastrophe for children and the population of Gaza is horrendous, and that's why we increased our aid. "What will end this suffering is a ceasefire but if there is more that we can do to end the suffering, of course, we will seek to do that." CEO of Project Pure Hope, Dr Farzana Rahman told ITV News she wanted the UK government to, "understand the urgency of these cases," adding the "survival of these children depends on it." "In terms of caring for injured children from Gaza the UK, compared to its European counterparts, is nowhere close to providing the level of care that the other European countries have." Dr Rahman said whilst the UK had so far evacuated and treated two children earlier this year, European counterparts had so far collectively helped over 100. "The public are very supportive, they recognise that children everywhere deserve a life with dignity. They deserve a right to access healthcare." "50% of Gaza's population are children and I think the devastating toll of both the physical and psychological injuries will manifest for generations to come." Ghena, five and Rama, 12, were the first children from Gaza to arrive in the UK for medical treatment with Project Pure Hope's help. ITV News Correspondent Rachel Younger and Senior Producer Roohi Hasan covered the story. The evacuation request comes as Gaza finds itself on the brink of starvation. More than 9,000 children who have been treated for malnutrition this year, according to the UN children's agency, and food security experts say cases are expected to rise. For more than two months, Israel has banned all food, medicine and other goods from entering the territory that is home to some two million Palestinians, as it continues to carry out waves of airstrikes and ground operations. After weeks of insisting Gaza had enough food, Israel relented in the face of international pressure last week and began allowing dozens of humanitarian trucks into the territory last week - including some carrying baby food. On Thursday, the White House announced Israel had accepted a new US proposal for a temporary ceasefire which would see a pause in fighting and the return of more hostages. Speaking to reporters White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Israel "backed and supported" the proposal. Responding to the proposal, top Hamas official Bassem Naim said: 'The Zionist response, in essence, means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine." He went on to claim the proposal "does not respond to any of our people's demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine.' Despite this Hamas have said they will study the proposed ceasefire but have yet to make a statement on whether they plan to accept its terms. Hamas had previously said it had agreed with Steve Witkoff on a 'general framework' of an agreement that would lead to a lasting ceasefire. Earlier this year, a ceasefire was implemented which saw the release of some hostages but it is believed Hamas still hold 58. When Israel broke the ceasefire agreement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said any future negotiations would take place "under fire." Recently Qatar, which has been assisting ceasefire negotiations, said "fundamental differences" remained between the two sides. Netanyahu has said Israel will only end the war when all hostages are released, Hamas is destroyed or disarmed and Israel controls Gaza indefinitely facilitating what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of its population. Whilst the suggestion of displacing Gaza's population has also been suggested by US President Donald Trump most of the international community has rejected it with some legal experts saying it would likely violate international law. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners' release, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'What did they do to be burned and bombed?': Charity calls on UK to offer Gaza children life-saving treatment
A British charity has written to the prime minister and foreign secretary, urging them to allow seriously ill children from Gaza into the UK to receive life-saving medical treatment. Warning: This article contains images readers may find distressing The co-founder of Project Pure Hope told Sky News it was way past the time for words. "Now, we need action," Omar Dinn said. He's identified two children inside who urgently need help and is appealing to the UK government to issue visas as a matter of urgency. Israel-Gaza latest: Britain has taken only two patients from Gaza for medical treatment in 20 months of Israeli bombardment. "Most of the people affected by this catastrophe that's unfolding in Gaza are children," he continued. "And children are the most vulnerable. "They have nothing to do with the politics, and we really just need to see them for what they are. "They are children, just like my children, just like everybody's children in this country - and we have the ability to help them." Sky News has been sent video blogs from British surgeons working in Gaza right now which show the conditions and difficulties they're working under. They prepare for potential immediate evacuation whilst facing long lists, mainly of children, needing life-saving emergency treatment day after day. Dr Victoria Rose told us: "Every time I come, I say it's really bad, but this is on a completely different scale now. It's mass casualties. It's utter carnage. "We are incapable of getting through this volume. We don't have the personnel. We don't have the medical supplies. And we really don't have the facilities. "We are the last standing hospital in the south of Gaza. We really are on our knees now." One of her patients is three-year-old Hatem, who was badly burned when an Israeli airstrike hit the family apartment. His pregnant mother and father were both killed, leaving him an orphan. He has 35 percent burns on his small body. "It's a massive burn for a little guy like this," Dr Rose says. "He's so adorable. His eyelids are burnt. His hands are burnt. His feet are burnt." Hatem's grandfather barely leaves his hospital bedside. Hatem Senior told us: "What did these children do wrong to suffer such injuries? To be burned and bombed? We ask God to grant them healing." The second child identified by the charity is Karam, who, aged one, is trying to survive in a tent in deeply unhygienic surroundings with a protruding intestine. He's suffering from a birth defect called Hirschsprung disease, which could be easily operated on with the right skills and equipment - unavailable to him in Gaza right now. Read more: Karam's mother Manal told our Gaza camera crew: "No matter how much I describe how much my son is suffering, I wouldn't be able to describe it enough. I swear I am constantly crying." Children are among the bulk of casualties - some 16,000 have been killed, according to the latest figures from local health officials - and make up the majority of those being operated on, according to the British surgical team on the ground.
Campaign ME
01-05-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Al-Futtaim, Justlife partner to offer enhanced CX, value to Blue members
Al-Futtaim loyalty programme Blue has partnered with Justlife, a leading online marketplace for home services, to offer exclusive benefits and rewards to customers in the UAE. This collaboration will enhance customers' everyday lives with added convenience, value, and savings and aligns with Al-Futtaim's ongoing digital transformation strategy, which is committed to leveraging technology and partnerships to enhance customer experiences. The strategic alliance with Justlife exemplifies this approach, offering members a convenient digital gateway to essential everyday services. Blue members can now earn 1 Blue point for every 1 AED spent on Justlife services. Commenting on the announcement, Dany Karam, Chief Marketing and Partnerships Officer at Al-Futtaim Blue, said, 'We are excited to partner with Justlife to offer our Blue members enhanced value and convenience. This partnership is a testament to Al-Futtaim's ongoing efforts to enrich our customers' lives through innovative solutions and meaningful rewards.' Karam added, 'By combining the power of Blue with 'Justlife's' top-tier services, we're delivering a seamless and rewarding experience that simplifies everyday life for our members across the UAE and other markets.' Points can be accumulated by uploading digital receipts through the Blue app within three days of purchase. These points can be redeemed for a wide range of rewards within the Al-Futtaim ecosystem and beyond. Furthermore, Blue members will also enjoy AED 140 off across four Justlife services in the UAE. Details about the specific services included in this offer, validity dates, and the required promo code are now available on the Blue Rewards app. Baris Kocdur, VP of Marketing at Justlife, said, 'At Justlife, our mission is to simplify daily life for our customers. Partnering with Al-Futtaim Blue elevates this mission, unlocking seamless convenience and exceptional rewards for more people across the UAE. Together, we're making life simpler—and more rewarding—one service at a time.' Blue offers free membership and a wide range of benefits, including 2 for 1 offers, discounts, point accumulation and cashback across diverse sectors. By combining their strengths, Blue and Justlife are empowering customers in the UAE to boost value, enjoy exclusive offers, and simplify their daily lives.
Newsweek
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Hearts Melt at Reason Couple Recreate Childhood Photo in 'Epic' Love Story
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A young couple have melted hearts by recreating a photo they took when they first met as children. Liam Karam, 24, and his fiancee, Alyxandra Hodges, also 24, first met on the Turks and Caicos Islands when they were 12 years old, and they are now engaged to be married. Karam, originally from Canada, has lived on the islands since he was a baby. In the summer of 2013, he was playing with friends near the tourist hotel The Somerset on Grace Bay, when two girls—one who would end up as Karam's fiancee years later—asked to join their game. Karam and Hodges had an instant connection, and both confessed having a crush on each other, spending as much time together as they could before Hodges had to return to the U.S. at the end of her vacation. He recalled to Newsweek that they would meet up in an area of the hotel known as the "breezeway," and "only spent time there." "Her parents didn't know about me, she would come out of the room and meet me there," he admitted. When Hodges' family vacation came to an end, she and Karam kept in touch for a long time, but as the years passed, they grew apart—until Karam ended up moving temporarily to the U.S. and took the chance to reach out, when they began dating again. And when Hodges visited Karam in 2020, she ended up stuck in Turks and Caicos during the lockdown—and against it all, their relationship blossomed. Then, 10 years after they first met, Karam proposed to Hodges in the "breezeway of the Somerset hotel—the very place we hung out for three days as kids." Alyxandra Hodges and Liam Karam pose as adults, left, and as children, right. Alyxandra Hodges and Liam Karam pose as adults, left, and as children, right. TikTok @aquarliam "We took all our photos as kids in that breezeway, and it's also where I asked her to marry me 10 years later," Karam said. "The place has barely changed over the years—they only replaced the upholstery on the seats, but all the furnishing is identical—so it was the perfect opportunity to retake the same photo years later." In a video shared to Karam's TikTok account @aquarliam on April 19, Hodges sits on a comfortable outdoor sofa of the hotel, with palm trees decorating the background, as Karam sets up the camera and then prepares to join her on the sofa. But before he puts his arm around her, he removes a shoe, and the reason is immediately apparent, as the video then changes to the couple as kids, their arms around each other on the sofa, and the teenage Karam wearing only one shoe. "My fiancee and I wanted to redo a photo that someone took of us when we first met 12 years ago," Karam wrote on the video. He added in the caption: "I have no idea why I was only wearing one shoe at the time, but I'm sure it was a wild night." Turks and Caicos is a British overseas territory made up of more than 40 cays and islands, according to tourism website Visit Turks and Caicos Islands. Located between the Bahamas and Dominican Republic and with a population of around 50,000, it is a diverse archipelago that uses the U.S. dollar as currency, and has English as the official language. TikTok users loved the video, awarding the clip more than 24,000 likes as commenters shared their own stories. "Me and my husband met in a skating rink. He went to a different middle school. Didn't see him again for four months until he transferred to my school. Been together 23 years and two kiddos," one user wrote. Others were in awe at the couple's story, one calling it "so epic," and another describing it as "one of the sweetest and purest love stories." A third posted: "You have to redo this every 5 years or so, this is too sweet!" Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures you want to share? Send them to life@ with some extra details, and they could appear on our website.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Is Collagen Banking the Answer to Younger-Looking Skin?
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." There's a secret ingredient in our skin that makes it soft like cashmere, bouncy like a trampoline, and pinchable like pizza dough. That miracle component? Collagen, the protein that gives your skin structure and helps it snap back like a rubber band. We gradually lose this precious resource every year, but in a perfect world, we would be able to dip into our supply like an endless savings account, or at the very least, we would be able to store it up, like a squirrel stuffing its cheeks with acorns to prepare for winter. It might sound outlandish, but it's not far off. Some doctors think we might actually be able to save our collagen for later, thanks to a concept called 'collagen banking.' According to Amir Karam, MD, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon and founder of KaramMD, collagen banking aims to stimulate your body to make excess collagen so that you have it on reserve as you age. 'Collagen improves skin elasticity, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and combats thinning skin, resulting in firmer, smoother, and more resilient skin over time,' Karam says. Though there are nearly 30 different types of collagen in our skin, we're really only considering two kinds here: type I and III. Sara Hogan, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and founder of Cosmedica Dermatology, explains that these types spearhead tissue regeneration and are responsible for your skin looking tighter. If we lose about one percent of our collagen per year, according to experts and related studies, then ideally, we would want treatments that help us store that amount or more, to soften the blow. Unfortunately, doctors say there's no real way to measure how much collagen treatments are able to save as the efficacy changes from person to person. Still, if you're serious about cashing in on your supply, some treatments work better than others. These collagen-savers range from small, every day measures to more drastic interventions. In the former category is skin care. Karam says that using active ingredients that penetrate skin like retinoids, vitamin C, niacinamide, and peptides can encourage collagen production. Neutrogena even has a Collagen Bank moisturizer, which is packed with bakuchiol, a plant-based retinol alternative. Retinoids in particular have been shown to increase collagen production after four to six months of consistent use, according to Hogan. One thing that likely won't move the needle either way is consuming collagen powders. Hogan notes that there is some emerging evidence that these supplements may indirectly help your skin, as the collagen you consume gets broken down into proline, a building block for making collagen, in your system. But it's an unreliable investment to make before there's more research available. The biggest enemy to your own collagen bank account is the sun. 'The easiest low-hanging fruit when it comes to collagen banking is sunscreen,' says Hogan, who advocates for using a broad spectrum one with SPF 30 or higher every day.$110.00 at at at at at at Dermstore Anyone can have a solid skin care routine, but if you really want to bank your collagen, consider in-office treatments your traditional savings accounts. One such treatment is microneedling, which uses tiny needles to penetrate the skin and encourage collagen production, though this will differ from person to person. 'Think of it as aerating a lawn,' says Hogan, who explains that microneedling creates selective injuries on the skin. 'It stimulates collagen at a deeper layer of the skin, so you improve skin laxity and firmness,' says David Kim, MD, a dermatologist at Idriss Dermatology in New York City. To go even deeper, Kim recommends Ulthera, a device that uses ultrasound waves to penetrate the skin. 'Ulthera can go anywhere between four to 4.5 milliliters, where you're beyond the skin, beyond the fat, and you're on a layer called the SMAS, the superficial musculoaponeurotic system,' he says. 'That's the layer that a lot of plastic surgeons pull for a face lift. So by stimulating collagen at a deeper layer, right above the muscle, you get a gentle lift.' If you're looking for something more like a collagen index fund, or a steady way to save with no unexpected dips, certain injectables like Radiesse and Sculptra can actually, reliably facilitate new collagen production. These are called biostimulatory fillers, and they behave differently than hyaluronic acid fillers that plump lips or fill out cheeks. 'When they're injected in the plane where collagen is, like the deep dermis or sub-dermis, those [fillers] stimulate local collagen production, making you have more,' Hogan says. Lasers like Fraxel, CO2, and Clear + Brilliant can also help skin produce collagen. Hogan says that they work best with a series of treatments. Even so, Kim says that he'd try other remedies before turning to lasers for collagen banking. 'I would focus more on microneedling, Ulthera, and Sculptra than lasers.' Kim helped me figure out my own skin investment plan. I'm a busy person in my late 20s who doesn't have time to look like Samantha Jones when she got a chemical peel. Kim says Ulthera doesn't have much downtime, so I'd want to start there. 'You may have a little bit of swelling,' he says. 'Your jaw will feel tender, but it's once a year, and then you're not going to be red and swollen, and your skin's not going to scab.' From there, I'd want to try Sculptra injections. 'You can really tailor it to your needs. It's an injectable, so you can kind of shape the face that you want and try to restore your volume and keep it lifted.' If I found myself with more time on my hands to heal, then I could try microneedling with radio frequency. At the end of the day, we can't stop the clock. Unlike our actual savings accounts (hopefully), our collagen will continue to deplete as we age. But with smart, targeted treatments, we might be able to stretch our reserves out for a little bit longer, and keep our own cheeks chubbier. You Might Also Like The 15 Best Organic And Clean Shampoos For Any And All Hair Types 100 Gifts That Are $50 Or Under (And Look Way More Expensive Than They Actually Are)
