A nine-year-old boy was forcibly restrained by a police officer at a special education primary school in southern Belgium, local media reported Thursday.

The incident took place Tuesday in the city of Nalinnes when police were called to the school to "calm down a 9-year-old child who was being difficult," The Brussels Times reported.

Video footage filmed by the boy’s mother shows a police officer restraining him on the ground, said the report.

"The management restrained him initially before calling in our services. We don't just walk into schools. The child was difficult and the mother was not responding to calls from the school," said Commanding Officer of the Germinalt police zone Alain Bal.

The mother said she received an urgent call to pick up her son from school and when she arrived, she found the police intervening, saying “I had the image of George Floyd in my mind.”

Floyd, a Black man, was killed on May 25, 2020 by Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on his neck for nearly 10 minutes until he died.

The mother added that her son had suffered a nervous breakdown because he was exposed to racist insults from a student who called him "a dirty Black."

She said this happened for the second time in a week.

An investigation has been launched into the incident following the mother's complaint.

The UN children's agency UNICEF warned Thursday that children are migrating through Latin America and the Caribbean in record numbers, accounting for a larger share of the migrant population than other regions in the world.

''Gang violence, instability, poverty and climate-related events are, alarmingly, gripping the region and pushing more children from their homes,'' said UNICEF Latin America and the Caribbean Director Garry Conille.

''More and more children are on the move, of an increasingly young age, often alone and from diverse countries of origin, including from as far away as Africa and Asia.”

According to UNICEF, more than 60,000 children crossed the Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama in the first seven months of 2023, half of them below the age of 5, making it the year with the most child crossings on record.

The number of refugee and migrant children apprehended at the southern border of the US has also been on the rise, it said.

More than 83,000 children entered the US in the first seven months of 2023, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

Globally, children make up 13% of the migrant population, but in this region, about one in four people on the move -- 25% -- is a child, up from 19% in 2019, according to UNICEF.

It warned of the physical risks along irregular migration routes, especially for children, including violence, exploitation and abuse.

UNICEF called for more funding to meet the humanitarian needs of refugees and migrant children in the region.

Clashes erupted late Thursday between the Palestinian Fatah movement and other armed groups at the Ain al-Helweh refugee camp in Lebanon.

Machine guns and shelling were used in the clashes that took place at the Palestinian refugee camp located near the southwestern Sidon city, according to Lebanon’s official National News Agency.

The Ain al-Helweh camp, the largest of 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, witnessed clashes on July 29.

The clashes between Islamic groups and Palestinian security forces affiliated with the Fatah movement left 11 people dead and more than 40 others injured, according to UN figures.

Established in 1948, Ain al-Helweh is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon with 50,000 registered people, according to figures released by the UN, while unofficial statistics put the camp’s population at 70,000 people.

The total number of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is estimated to be about 200,000, distributed among 12 camps, most of which are under the control of the Palestinian factions.

There has been an outbreak of cholera in Burundi, a country in Africa. The Health Ministry of Burundi announced this on Wednesday. So far, there have been 15 reported cases of cholera in the western part of the country. This area is known for having water shortages, which makes it more prone to cholera outbreaks.

Cholera causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, which can lead to dehydration. Cholera is usually spread through contaminated water or food. When people drink or eat something that has the cholera bacteria in it, they can get sick.

What is Being Done?

The Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control is taking action to help the people affected by cholera. The patients with cholera have been taken to a hospital in the municipality of Bujumbura, and there are other treatment centers available too. The Ministry is asking everyone, including health authorities, residents, and other stakeholders, to work together to fight against cholera. They are also urging people, especially those living in the affected areas, to follow hygiene rules to prevent the spread of the disease.

Why Does Cholera Happen in Burundi?

In the western part of Burundi, there are often water shortages, especially during the dry months from May to September. This makes it easier for cholera to spread. Earlier this year, two people died from cholera in the Bujumbura health district, particularly at the Kajaga beach on Lake Tanganyika.

Cholera in Africa

Cholera is not only a problem in Burundi but also in other countries in Africa. According to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been cholera outbreaks in 15 countries in the African Region. In the latest outbreak, six countries, including Burundi, have been affected, with over 200 new cases reported. However, the WHO says that the situation is getting better and they are keeping a close eye on it.

What Can We Do?

It is important for countries to be prepared and take preventive measures to stop the spread of cholera. This includes keeping a close watch on communities and border crossings to prevent the disease from spreading across borders. As individuals, we can also do our part by practicing good hygiene, such as washing our hands with soap and clean water and making sure our food and water are safe to consume.

Two Israeli defense firms have reportedly sold advanced technology weapons to Myanmar following the military coup in the country.

According to a report in Israel's Haaretz newspaper on Tuesday, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems allegedly sold defense systems to the Myanmar government after the military coup until 2022.

The report claimed that IAI sold air defense systems to Myanmar, while Elbit Systems also sold air defense weapons and machine guns during the same period.

The weapons were shipped from Israel's Ashdod Port to Myanmar's Yangon Port, the report said.

Myanmar has been plagued by a spiral of violence and economic crisis since the military toppled an elected government and launched a brutal crackdown on dissent in 2021.

The military takeover triggered mass protests, with the junta's forces killing more than 1,500 people in a crackdown on dissent, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a local monitoring group.

Head of Iraqi Turkmen Front Urges Endorsement of Certificate of Honor
An important appeal made by Hasan Turan, the head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF), to preserve peace in Kirkuk. Let's dive in!

Hasan Turan spoke to the press and highlighted the fact that Kirkuk has been a peaceful city for many years. He wants to make sure that no tensions or conflicts arise that could disrupt this peace. Turan believes that it's important for everyone to come together and discuss the present and future of the city.

Signing the Certificate of Honor
Turan is calling upon all political and community groups to sign a certificate of honor. This certificate is meant to protect coexistence, tranquility, and social harmony in Kirkuk. It's like a promise that everyone agrees to keep the peace and work together.

Turan also thinks that it's not fair for one group to make all the decisions for the city. He believes that all parties should have a say in how Kirkuk is governed. This way, everyone's voice is heard and considered.

Protests in Kirkuk
Recently, there have been protests in Kirkuk. This all started because the government decided to give control of a building called the Kirkuk Operations Command headquarters to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). The KDP said that they used to have control of the building and wanted it back.

But this decision didn't sit well with everyone. Some people were upset and started protesting. Unfortunately, things got out of hand, and four people lost their lives, while 15 others got injured.

It's important to remember that in 2014, when the ISIS group emerged, the Peshmerga forces (who are affiliated with the Kurdish Regional Government) took over bases in Kirkuk that were abandoned by the Iraqi army. However, in 2017, the Iraqi government took back control of Kirkuk and the Peshmerga forces had to leave.

So, that's the situation in Kirkuk right now. Hasan Turan wants everyone to come together, sign the certificate of honor, and work towards peace and harmony in the city. Let's hope that everyone listens and takes his appeal seriously!