International Day of Peace: Youth voices at the center of UN global campaign

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Source: United Nations – United Nations –

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Evgeniya Kleshcheva

September 21, 2025 Peace and security

Today, September 21, the UN celebrates International Day of PeaceEach year, the United Nations invites us to pause and reflect on how each of us can contribute to building a more just and secure future.

In the lead-up to Peace Day and the opening of the High-Level Week, roundtable discussions were held at the Organization's headquarters in New York, where university students and schoolchildren shared their thoughts on what peace means – and what actions the younger generation can take.

"The most important thing for us is to find peace within ourselves so as not to create more violence, because violence only begets more violence. Death begets death, and the cycle continues. Each of us plays a role in breaking this cycle," Isaiah Sohn, a political science student at Lehigh University, told the UN News Service. He explained that the path to peace lies through empathy and the ability to see the humanity in others.

"It starts with simple things: the ability to show empathy, the willingness to see others as people, not enemies, the recognition that everyone has weaknesses and mistakes, but no one is completely bad. When we recognize our common humanity, it becomes possible to build peace—together," he explained.

Peace is an achievable goal

United Nations News Service

Ibtihal Ghassem, who studies international relations and political science, added: "For me, peace is a goal we can and should all strive for, although there is a misconception that peace is a utopia. It is believed that complete peace is impossible to achieve. But it is precisely this belief that holds us back."

According to her, personal growth is impossible without the support of society, just as society cannot develop without the contribution of each of us.

“Peace can be sought everywhere – in our personal lives, in our studies, on university campuses, in our families, or among friends,” she explained.

Students emphasize that when we learn to support and inspire each other, small steps turn into big changes, and this is how a culture of peace is born.

"Hear us"

Today, the "Hear Us. Act Now for a Peaceful World" initiative is being launched at UN Headquarters in New York. Its goal is to create more space for the voices of the younger generation. People under 30 make up half the world's population, yet their role in peacebuilding is often undervalued.

The campaign, organized by the UN in collaboration with partners and youth organizations, will continue throughout the year. As part of the initiative, representatives of different generations are currently participating in the "Circle of Peace" in the media area at UN Headquarters. The event brings together young activists and world leaders for a frank conversation about how to overcome mistrust, polarization, and disunity.

Bold actions

This year the theme of the Day is – "Act now for peace".

In his message, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres He emphasized that the global situation demands urgent and bold action. "Our warring planet cries out for peace. This year, on International Peace Day, each of us must heed this call," he said.

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Israel is holding peace talks with Syria, Netanyahu said.

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Jerusalem, September 21 (Xinhua) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday at his weekly cabinet meeting that the country is negotiating with Syria to establish peace. This was reported in a statement by the Prime Minister's Office.

“There is some progress, but for now this is a vision of the future,” B. Netanyahu pointed out.

According to him, negotiations with Syria and contacts with Lebanon “would have been impossible without our crushing victories on the northern front and on other fronts.”

“Our victories in Lebanon against Hezbollah have opened a window of opportunity that was unimaginable before our recent operations and actions, and that is the opportunity for peace with our neighbors to the north,” Netanyahu said.

Since October 2023, Israel has waged a military campaign on multiple fronts against the Palestinian Hamas movement, Iran, the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, and the Yemeni Houthis. During this time, Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have resulted in the deaths of more than 65,000 Palestinians.

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Britain recognized the State of Palestine

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

London, September 21 (Xinhua) — Britain has recognized the State of Palestine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced this on Sunday.

In a video message on social media site X, he declared that Britain would "officially recognise the State of Palestine", calling for a return to the "two states for two peoples" solution.

In July this year, Starmer promised that the UK would recognise Palestinian statehood in September unless the Israeli government took "significant steps to end the appalling situation in the Gaza Strip."

US President Donald Trump, during his state visit to the UK earlier this week, expressed opposition to Starmer's plan to recognize a Palestinian state.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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The Afghan government rejects US threats over the Bagram airbase issue and calls for compliance with the Doha agreement.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Kabul, September 21 (Xinhua) — The Afghan government resolutely rejected Washington's recent calls to return Bagram Air Base to the United States, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to national sovereignty and calling on Washington to uphold its commitment to non-military intervention under the 2020 Doha Agreement, according to a statement released Sunday.

“In accordance with Islamic principles and based on its balanced, economically oriented foreign policy, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan seeks constructive relations with all states based on mutual interests,” said Deputy Government Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat in a statement published on his social media account.

The statement emphasizes that Afghanistan's independence and territorial integrity remain paramount in all bilateral relations, particularly with the United States. "It should be recalled that, in accordance with the agreement signed in Doha, the United States committed 'not to use force or threaten with force the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan,' or 'not to interfere in its internal affairs,'" the statement reads.

The Afghan government calls on Washington to honor these commitments.

The response followed US President Donald Trump's statements in London on Thursday, expressing his intention to "reclaim" Bagram Air Base.

Afghan officials immediately condemned these statements. In response to US calls to reclaim the strategic airfield, Tajmir Jawad, deputy head of Afghanistan's General Intelligence Directorate (GID), stated that the Afghan government would maintain the existing system.

Bagram Air Base, located about 50 kilometers north of Kabul, served as the epicenter of US and NATO operations during two decades of war. –0–

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Li Qiang called on the US Congress to promote China-US exchanges and cooperation

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with a U.S. congressional delegation in Beijing on Sunday, calling on the U.S. Congress to properly view China and China-U.S. relations, actively promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and play a constructive role in strengthening the friendship between the two countries and advancing their common development. -0-

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Visa-free travel is increasing Russian interest in cruise tourism in China.

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — The cruise ship "Spectrum of the Seas" docked at Shanghai's Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal on Sunday with more than 4,600 passengers on board, with Russians accounting for the largest proportion of foreign nationals, chinanews.com reported, citing data from Shanghai's Pujiang Border Control Bureau.

According to border control data, there were more than 2,500 foreign tourists on board the aforementioned vessel. This marks the first time that the proportion of foreign passengers on a cruise ship departing and arriving from the Shanghai International Cruise Terminal has exceeded 50 percent since the terminal reopened.

Russians accounted for more than one-third of the cruise's foreign passengers, with the ship's total international guest population reaching over 40 countries and regions. The United Kingdom and Australia were also among the top three sources of foreign passengers.

As a reminder, China has introduced a trial visa-free regime for Russian citizens holding regular passports from September 15, 2025 to September 14, 2026.

Russian citizens holding valid regular passports may visit China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanging visits, and transit purposes, provided their stay in China does not exceed 30 days.

In the first week since this policy came into effect, customs clearance for Russian tourists has significantly improved, and the procedures have become more convenient, the border service reported, adding that thanks to various visa-free regimes, the "airplane plus cruise ship" travel model is becoming increasingly popular: foreign tourists first arrive by plane in hub cities like Shanghai and then transfer to a cruise ship to continue their journey by sea.

According to the border service, from January 1 to September 18, 2025, the number of foreign tourists arriving in China and embarking on cruises from Shanghai increased by approximately 77 percent compared with the same period last year. -0-

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A collection of excerpts from Xi Jinping's remarks on civil administration work has been published.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — A collection of excerpts from remarks by Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on civil administration work has been released by Zhongyang Wenxian Chubanshe.

The book, covering six topics, contains 224 excerpts from more than 160 important works by Xi Jinping, including reports, speeches, instructions and directives, from November 2012 to July 2025. Some of these excerpts have been made public for the first time.

These statements are of great significance for deepening reforms and introducing innovations in civil administration work, advancing the implementation of the national strategy to respond to population aging, and improving the level of work in the field of social governance. -0-

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A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Vladivostok, September 21 (Xinhua) — A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka on Sunday, the Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported on its website.

According to the data, the earthquake occurred 180 km east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, its source was located at a depth of 25 km.

According to the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia for the Kamchatka Territory, over the past 24 hours, forty-two aftershocks with a magnitude of up to 5.8 were recorded in Kamchatka, four of which were felt by residents of the region.

On July 30, Kamchatka experienced the strongest earthquake since 1952, measuring 8.8 in magnitude. A state of emergency was declared in the Kamchatka Krai on August 14. Scientists are recording aftershocks—repeated tremors—every day. Most of these are not felt in populated areas.

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For the first time, a humanoid robot has been admitted to a doctoral program in China.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

SHANGHAI, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — The 1.75-meter-tall, 32-kilogram humanoid robot "Xueba 01" (Excellent Student 01), wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt, was recently accepted as the first robot student in the doctoral program at Shanghai Theatre Institute (STI).

Over the next four years, he will be studying Digital Performance Design at the Faculty of Performing Arts.

The Xueba 01 project, launched by STI and Shanghai Polytechnic University (SPU), aims to develop experimental learning methods for a new generation of embodied agents in areas such as multimodal interaction, artistic expression, and cognitive growth.

During the four-year training, “Xueba 01” will systematically study the basic movements, exercise routines, and performance techniques of traditional Chinese operas.

The SHPU team will be responsible for technical training and basic knowledge for the robot, while the STI team will be honing its artistic skills.

“Xueba 01 is an optimized version of Xinzhe No. 2, which took third place in this year’s Beijing Half Marathon with humanoid robots,” said Li Qingdu, executive director of the Institute of Machine Intelligence at the Shanghai School of Management and co-director of the Xueba 01 project.

According to him, the robot features a world-leading ultra-light biomimetic tendon structure and realistic facial technology. It is capable of performing subtle movements, over 100 human-like facial expressions, and real-time interaction.

Li Qingdu explained that the robot can flexibly adjust its height and appearance, operating continuously for over six hours—even in high-intensity conditions. It can also adapt its performance in real time based on audience reaction, offering a nearly limitless range of performance styles.

"At this stage, Xueba 01 can 'perform' parts from Henan, Shanghai, and Beijing operas, but its movements still lack fluidity and aesthetic appeal. We need to teach it to learn from professional performers," he said, adding that they are using motion capture technology to record the movements, expressions, and gestures of human performers and then creating training datasets.

Li Qingdu further noted that in the future, the robot will be able to learn directly from video recordings, which will provide richer data and help create more natural performances.

SITU Rector Huang Changyong noted that the robot's main mission is to explore the intersection of art and technology, particularly in exploring how traditional Chinese art forms can be integrated with artificial intelligence.

“Our teaching model combines technical sophistication and humanistic inspiration,” said STI Professor Yang Qingqing, one of the scientific directors of the Xueba 01 project.

"Technically, we're collaborating with the SHPU team to improve the robot's performance. Regarding the human aspects, we're focusing more on discussion and inspiration," the professor said.

“For example, I could explain to Xueba 01 the character’s background, motivations, and emotional layers, and it would use its language processing technology to interpret my instructions and generate appropriate performance suggestions.”

Yan Qingqing believes that this initiative provides valuable insights for arts education in China, breaking down, for example, interdisciplinary barriers and emphasizing the need for contemporary cultural workers to combine technological literacy and interdisciplinary thinking with traditional skills and humanities knowledge.

According to the professor, the Xueba 01 project will help promote digital preservation and innovative development of theatrical arts, setting an example of using advanced technologies to preserve and popularize cultural heritage such as Chinese opera.

“Technology can serve as both a new medium and a tool in artistic creation,” Yang Qingqing emphasized. -0-

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Dozens of people have been hospitalized in China's Guizhou province due to possible food poisoning.

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

GUIYANG, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — A suspected food poisoning incident occurred in Xishui County, Zunyi City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, leaving dozens of people, including children, hospitalized as of 2 p.m. Sunday.

Those hospitalized showed symptoms of liver and kidney dysfunction after consuming sandwiches produced by a local food factory. The factory reportedly has eight retail outlets in Xishui County, and 208 sandwiches from the suspect batch were sold. Of these, 29 were recalled, while 179 were actually sold.

Family members of those hospitalized said that since the incident on September 18, most patients have been treated at one of the local hospitals, while some have been transferred to hospitals outside the county.

County authorities said operations at the affected retail outlets have been suspended while patient treatment, epidemiological investigations and food sample testing are underway. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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