Latest news with #Sela
NBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- NBC News
No formula, no food: Mothers and babies starve together in Gaza
Like most babies, Sela Majdi Barbakh liked to laugh. But her smile was weak and faded quickly. At 11 months old, Sela should weigh around 20 pounds, but weighs only 8. Her thin limbs wiggled listlessly, and her small hand could barely grasp the finger of the nurse tending to her. 'She is continuously losing weight,' her mother, Najah Hashem Barbakh, 36, told NBC News' team on the ground in Gaza. Barbakh said she knew of four other children who had died in the same room in the pediatric ward of Khan Younis' Nasser Hospital. She feared Sela would be next. Sela is one of thousands of children in the Gaza Strip suffering from acute malnutrition as Israeli authorities continue to restrict the entry of aid, including baby formula. Doctors, aid groups and Palestinians say the long-running hunger crisis has reached a tipping point, with deaths from malnutrition surging. In the past 24 hours, hospitals in Gaza recorded nine deaths from malnutrition, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Friday in a statement, bringing the total number of deaths from malnutrition since the start of the war to 122, including 83 children. Sela is malnourished and has lost all her muscle and fat, said Dr. Ahmad Al-Fara, head of the hospital's pediatric department, adding that she suffered from vitamin D and iron deficiencies. 'She is one of the extreme examples of malnutrition,' he said. 'She is just only the skin over the bone.' Barbakh said she brought Sela to the hospital 10 days ago, after her family ran out of food and water. 'I was breastfeeding her naturally at first, but eventually, I stopped producing milk,' she said, because 'I had no food or water to nourish myself.' She switched to formula, 'but now that is also unavailable.' On Wednesday, the United Nations Population Fund, or UNFPA, its sexual and reproductive health agency, said the humanitarian situation unfolding in Gaza was leading to 'catastrophic birth outcomes for pregnant women and newborns, threatening the survival of an entire generation.' Citing new data from Gaza's health ministry, the UNFPA found that the number of babies born in Gaza had sharply declined in the first six months of the year, dropping by 41% — from 29,000 births in the same period in 2022 to 17,000. Many of the newborns are in a state of crisis. At least 20 babies have died within 24 hours of birth, UNFPA said, while 33% were born prematurely, underweight or required admission to neonatal intensive care. Another U.N. report published Thursday said that 9% of Gaza's children are severely malnourished. 'We are now witnessing a deadly surge in malnutrition-related deaths,' WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing Wednesday, adding that since July 17, severe acute malnutrition centers are full, "without sufficient supplies for emergency feeding.' Barbakh, who was displaced from her home in Khan Younis and now lives in a cramped tent with six other family members, said food in Gaza has become extremely scarce, and what little is available in the markets is exorbitantly expensive. 'A single can of formula milk costs 170 shekels ($51), and I cannot afford it for my daughter,' she said. Another of the malnourished babies in Nasser Hospital was 5-month-old Ramaa, wearing a pink floral dress that crumpled around her slight frame. She was born weighing 6 pounds, and still does. 'Her weight remains the same; it has not increased, not even by one gram,' her mother, 33-year-old Naglaa Waleed Abou Aia, told the NBC News team in Gaza. Until about two months ago, Waleed Abou Aia said Ramaa 'was nursing naturally, but I am suffering from malnutrition due to a lack of food and water, so the child became malnourished.' Walking through the ward, Elidalis Burgos, an American critical care nurse volunteering at Nasser Hospital, visited several babies and children. One boy in an orange shirt lay in a cot, his limbs and face bandaged after he was injured from a strike that killed his family. A month later, the angles of his bones were visible under his thin skin. 'He's suffering from a lot of wounds and severe malnutrition,' Burgos said, 'as the blockade has not allowed any nutrition for anybody. Without that, it will be very difficult for a good prognosis.' Israel says food aid is entering Gaza but is not being distributed by aid groups, but those groups say it's not enough. Burgos said that she had witnessed the Israeli military throw away baby formula brought in by the international aid workers, doctors and nurses from her medical nongovernmental agency Glia. 'Even as aid workers, the little bit that we try to bring in, it gets thrown away,' she said, adding, 'We are not allowed to bring in food or formula for babies or children here.' The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment on the latest findings by the U.N. or about the severe shortage of baby formula in Gaza. It did not respond when asked about Burgos' account that soldiers had thrown away baby formula brought in by aid workers. It maintains that it has allowed aid into Gaza, blaming the U.N. and Hamas for not ensuring its delivery. U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric denied that claim on Thursday, blaming Israel for the failure to deliver aid. Najah Hashem Barbakh, Sela's mother, said she hadn't eaten anything all day. But, she said, the deadly hunger was edging in to take the most vulnerable first. 'I keep telling myself: 'I can endure, but my children can't.''
Broadcast Pro
5 days ago
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
CJ ENM launches subsidiary in Saudi Arabia to drive Middle East expansion
The subsidiary will facilitate collaborations across music, television, film and live entertainment, including both scripted and unscripted formats. Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM has launched its wholly-owned subsidiary, CJ ENM Middle East LLC, in Riyadh, becoming the first Korean entertainment company to establish a direct presence in Saudi Arabia. The move marks a pivotal moment in what CJ ENM has declared its 'First Official Year of Global Expansion,' coinciding with the company's 30th anniversary in 2025. Speaking about the expansion, Yoon Sang-hyun, CEO of CJ ENM, said: 'This move marks a significant step in the company's declaration of 2025—CJ ENM's 30th anniversary year—as the 'First Official Year of Global Expansion'. Establishing a presence in Saudi Arabia allows us to actively engage in emerging global markets and strengthen our global competitiveness.' The newly formed Riyadh-based subsidiary will spearhead a range of initiatives across music, film, television and live entertainment. These include original scripted and unscripted content, artist discovery programmes based on the company's Music Creative eco-System (MCS) and major K-pop concerts utilising both CJ ENM-owned and third-party intellectual property. The company has also partnered with Sela, Saudi Arabia's top live events firm, to bolster its local reach and ensure strong operational foundations. Hyun Soo Kim, General Manager of CJ ENM Middle East LLC, added: 'The MENA region, and Saudi Arabia in particular, presents unprecedented potential for cultural and commercial collaboration. To build strong local networks and ensure stable operations, we are partnering with Sela—Saudi Arabia's leading live events and experiences company —to expand the influence of K-culture.' CJ ENM's presence in the MENA region has been steadily growing in recent years. It signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Ministry of Culture in 2022 and followed it up with a 2023 agreement with Saudi content company Manga Productions to co-produce and distribute a wide array of content, including animations, films and webtoons. The company has also staged the global K-pop event KCON in Saudi Arabia in both 2022 and 2023 and recently signed a major distribution deal with Shahid, the MENA region's major Arabic streaming platform, to bring 20 Korean dramas to local audiences. With over 62% of Saudi Arabia's population under the age of 30 and the country actively investing in entertainment as part of its Vision 2030 development strategy, CJ ENM sees the region as a high-potential market for Korean content across sectors including gaming, music, and live events. CJ ENM Middle East LLC will act as a regional hub, coordinating with its Seoul headquarters to accelerate cross-border collaboration and expand the reach of K-content in the Arab world. The company aims to leverage its production know-how and growing network of partners to become a leading force in global entertainment.
Korea Herald
7 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
CJ ENM establishes first Korean entertainment subsidiary in Saudi Arabia
Entertainment conglomerate taps Middle East and North Africa as a new growth engine CJ ENM, a leading South Korean entertainment company, announced Wednesday the launch of its wholly-owned subsidiary, CJ ENM Middle East, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — becoming the first Korean entertainment firm to set up a local branch in the country. CJ ENM said it is positioning the Middle East and North Africa region as a strategic growth engine, aiming to integrate its expertise in content creation, production and distribution with the region's rapidly expanding entertainment infrastructure and cultural demand. Through this subsidiary, CJ ENM said it plans to pursue wide-ranging business collaborations across music, television, film, live entertainment and both scripted and unscripted content. This includes the development of audition programs based on CJ ENM's artist discovery initiatives in partnership with local studios. 'The MENA region, and Saudi Arabia in particular, presents unprecedented potential for cultural and commercial collaboration,' said Kim Hyun-soo, general manager of CJ ENM Middle East, via a press release. 'To build strong local networks and ensure stable operations, we are partnering with Sela — Saudi Arabia's leading live events and experiences company — to expand the influence of K-culture.' Since signing a strategic partnership in December 2024 to foster the development of the cultural business landscape, the company said it has been holding ongoing discussions with Sela to develop joint initiatives. Leveraging Sela's expertise in large-scale sports, music, and cultural events, CJ ENM's Saudi subsidiary will broaden collaboration with local stakeholders. CJ ENM's establishment of CJ ENM Middle East comes as the company aims to build ties with the MENA region. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture in 2022, followed by a 2023 MOU with Manga Productions, a Saudi Arabian content company, to co-produce and distribute content across animation, TV series, films, webtoons and media infrastructure. CJ ENM has also hosted KCON, the World's largest K-pop festival, in Saudi Arabia for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. In June, CJ ENM inked a major content deal with Shahid, the Middle East and North Africa region's largest Arabic-language streaming platform, to bring 20 high-quality Korean series to a broader MENA audience. According to CJ ENM, with over 62 percent of its population under the age of 30, Saudi Arabia represents a dynamic consumer base that shows strong demand for Korean content across entertainment, live performances, gaming and sports. "CJ ENM Middle East will serve as a regional anchor, coordinating with its Korean headquarters to accelerate pan-MENA collaboration. By combining its regional networks and production expertise, CJ ENM aims to broaden its global reach and solidify its position in premium content creation," said an official from CJ ENM via a press release.
Telegraph
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Newcastle apologise after kit launch video includes Second World War reference
Newcastle United have apologised after a video used to launch the club's new kit included a reference to the Second World War. Singer and Newcastle fan Sam Fender appeared in the video, which was praised for its originality but also faced criticism for the inclusion of a flag that resembled the Rising Sun flag once used by Japanese armed forces. The flag was adopted by the Japanese Army in the late 19th century but in some neighbouring countries has come to be associated with atrocities committed during the Second World War. A new video appeared on Newcastle's social media accounts after the original was deleted. Newcastle said: 'The reaction to our new third kit with Adidas has been special, but the launch video contained a scene that could inadvertently cause offence. 'We apologise for that. We've removed the scene from the film to make sure that as many fans as possible can enjoy it.' Newcastle United launched this video in collaboration with adidas Originals to introduce the club's new 25/26 Third jersey. #NewcastleUnited #nufc #adidasoriginals #adidas — Football Shirt Culture (@footballshirt) July 1, 2025 The club's front-of-shirt sponsor is Sela, a Saudi Arabian events company. Sela is paying around £25 million a year to the club, which is majority owned by the Kingdom's Public Investment Fund. In the 2023-24 season, the club introduced haptic shirts that allowed deaf fans and those with hearing loss to experience the atmosphere at St James' Park for the first time at a live match. The haptic technology transformed the noise of the stadium into real-time touch sensation and was debuted at the club's match against Tottenham, which Newcastle won 4-0. Fans and matchday mascots, who were deaf or had hearing loss, wore the shirts in the stands. Meanwhile, the club are currently undergoing a makeover off the pitch amid plans to redesign the club's crest in a move that will provoke conflicting emotions among supporters. Having concluded the current design – which was released in 1988 – is too complex and intricate for modern branding needs, it emerged in May that the club have decided to start the process of creating a new badge. 'As our club grows on the global stage, the symbol that represents us needs to be able to keep pace,' Newcastle said at the time. 'It needs to show up clearly and confidently across everything – from kits to screens to merchandise. 'So, we've been asking ourselves: how well does our current crest represent the club today? And how well will it serve us tomorrow? 'It's time to update our crest. This isn't a decision we take lightly. We love our crest. It's iconic and has stood us through unforgettable triumphs and testing times. 'But it was created in a different era. Its intricate design doesn't always translate well in today's digital world. And it's difficult to reproduce it clearly and consistently. As football and the world changes, so too must the symbol that unites us.'
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Dana White rubbishes claims he is no longer involved in Alvarez-Crawford
UFC head Dana White is once again promoting the upcoming boxing match between Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Terence Crawford. White was originally set to promote the fight when it was slated to be in Las Vegas on 12 September. However, a statement on The Ring 's website two weeks after the initial announcement said that the fight would be promoted instead by Saudi firm Sela and not White's TKO Boxing. Now, White says that he is once again promoting the bout. White said in a press conference following UFC 316 that there was a lot of 'f***ed up things about boxing'. He added: 'I'm promoting the fight.' However, White also confirmed that he had not spoken with Alalshikh in some time but added that things were 'good' between them. He added: 'Listen, we're at work at UFC headquarters. I'm in my own little world, man. I don't pay attention not any of that shit. I know what's going on. I know what we're doing. And I don't really pay attention to that stuff. It doesn't matter to me.' White went on: 'I don't even remember the last time I talked to [ Alalshikh ], but we're good. It's very good. We're very good.' The match between Alvarez and Crawford, thought to be the top two pound-for-pound fighters in boxing, has been dogged with changes since it was first announced. Long moving towards each other, the fight between Alvarez and Crawford moved into full visibility following the former's victory over the Cuban William Scull in May. Originally planned for Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on 12 September, the fight between Alvarez and Crawford has been moved to a day later, causing a conflict with a planned football game at the same venue. In light of this, Turki Alalshikh then said that the promotion was looking at five venues in three different US cities for the bout. Yesterday afternoon, the fight was finally confirmed for 13 September in Las Vegas, although the precise venue has yet to be named.
