S&D MEPs Lina Gálvez, chair of the European Parliament’s committee on women’s rights and gender equality, and Heléne Fritzon, S&D vice-president responsible for Feminist Europe, are travelling to the United States as part of an official European Parliament mission to participate in the CSW and defend gender equality worldwide.

In 2026, President Donald Trump has withdrawn the United States not only from UN Women but also from more than 60 UN organisations, including those central to gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights. The United States – once a cornerstone of multilateral cooperation – is now undermining it, defunding key bodies, and weakening the global fight against violence and discrimination targeting women and girls.

For the S&D Group, the message is unequivocal: Europe cannot stand by while women’s rights are traded for nationalist politics. As Washington turns its back on global equality, Europe must fill the leadership vacuum.
Lina Gálvez, chair of the FEMM committee and EP rapporteur on the resolution for the 70th CSW, said:

“Donald Trump’s withdrawal from international organisations defending women’s rights is not just a diplomatic decision – it is a political attack on the global system that protects women and girls. It emboldens those who want to roll back rights, silence survivors and normalise discrimination.

“Europe must not respond with caution or silence. If the United States makes it impossible to hold the CSW in New York, the European Union must immediately offer to host it. We cannot allow the world’s most important forum on women’s rights to become collateral damage of far-right ideology.

“Gender equality is not a side issue – it is the foundation of democracy. There is no freedom, no justice and no prosperity without women’s rights. If others abdicate responsibility, Europe must lead.”
Heléne Fritzon, S&D vice-president responsible for Feminist Europe, added:

“What we are witnessing is a deliberate and organised backlash. Authoritarian leaders and far-right movements are attacking sexual and reproductive rights, dismantling gender equality and starving women’s organisations of funding. This is about power – about pushing women back into silence and dependence.

“The theme of this year’s CSW – access to justice for all women and girls – goes to the core of the problem. Around the world, perpetrators too often escape accountability because they are powerful, wealthy or politically connected. Meanwhile, victims are questioned, discredited or ignored. That is not justice – it is inequality before the law.
“We are going to New York with an uncompromising message: justice systems must protect survivors, not perpetrators. Funding for women’s organisations must be strengthened, not cut. And there must be zero tolerance for all forms of violence against women. Europe will not be neutral in the face of misogyny and authoritarianism. We will stand up and fight for gender equality.”

A gender-neutral toilet and an accessible toilet, both with baby changing facilities, are now available at Morden where the former ticket office was situated. Morden is the first London Underground station to benefit from new toilets following the Mayor’s commitment, as well as the first station on the southernmost section of the Northern line’s Morden branch to offer facilities. It has been prioritised due to it being a terminus.

Accessible toilet facilities opened last year at Clapton, Seven Sisters and White Hart Lane London Overground stations as part of the programme. New accessible toilets will be installed next at New Cross Gate and then Acton Central London Overground stations. Work is currently underway at Amersham Underground station, where major refurbishment works will convert existing customer toilets into fully accessible facilities. Further new accessible toilets will be installed at Colindale, Leyton, Northolt and West Ham Underground stations, as well as at Surrey Quays London Overground station as part of wider station enhancement works.

Midlife refurbishments of existing toilet facilities - which can include new fixtures, fittings, flooring and tiles for a cleaner and more modern environment - were recently completed at High Barnet Underground station and Willesden Junction London Overground station. Refurbishment works are now underway at Penge West and Crystal Palace London Overground stations, with further locations due to start work soon, including Stanmore and Watford Underground stations as well as Bush Hill Park and Enfield Town London Overground stations. A further 37 locations on the TfL network have had an LED lighting upgrade in their toilets, for improved energy efficiency and ambiance.

Emma Strain, TfL’s Customer Director, said: “We know that for many people, not being able to access a toilet can be the difference between going out on the network or not, which can have a disruptive and devastating impact on their lives. The opening of these new toilets at Morden is a significant milestone in our work to increase and improve provision on our network, building on our programme of improved facilities at Tube stations across the capital, and ties into our commitment to make our wider network as fair, accessible and inclusive as possible.”

Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: "Toilet provision is critical for many Londoners and visitors, and can even determine whether somebody travels on public transport at all, so I’m pleased to see this new toilet at Morden station and many more facilities in the pipeline. The Mayor and I are committed to making our transport network as accessible as possible, and we're investing £3 million every year over five years to improve and increase accessible toilet facilities - the largest investment in toilets the network has ever seen - as we continue building a fairer and better London for everyone."

John McGeachy, Campaigns Manager, Age UK London: “London’s transport network should be accessible for everyone and that can’t happen without better provision of toilets. These new toilets at Morden station are very welcome. Many people using Morden station are travelling to or from central London and having toilets at Morden station will make those journeys that bit more comfortable. There may also be some people that start using this stretch of the Northern line where previously they avoided it. Good public transport can make a huge difference to people’s lives and any work to reduce barriers is vital. We hope that this momentum continues with more toilets on the network in 2026 alongside work to increase awareness about the locations of toilets.”

Cllr Eleanor Stringer, Deputy Leader of Merton Council and Cabinet Member for Civic Pride and Climate Change, said: “It’s fantastic that, after years of campaigning from the council and the local community, TfL are now opening new toilets at Morden station. This is a huge boost for making our transport network and town centre more accessible for everyone - especially older people, those with disabilities, and women and children. We look forward to continuing to work with TfL and the Mayor to improve transport accessibility in London.”

There are currently toilets available at 155 locations on the TfL transport network, with an additional 40 toilets within stations on the network that are not managed by TfL. TfL has created a handy Toilet Tube Map, which shows all the toilet facilities across the TfL network, including baby changing facilities and those that are wheelchair accessible.

All toilets across the TfL network are cleaned regularly. Customers can report anything in relation to toilets to any member of station staff and TfL is also developing a toilet best practice design guide to ensure that any new or upgraded toilets meet relevant standards and regulations, and are easy to maintain and less prone to abuse.

The Mayor of London’s commitments directly reinforce TfL’s customer inclusion strategy ‘Equity in Motion’ which launched two years ago, committing to more than 80 actions to make London’s transport network as fair, accessible and inclusive as possible. Actions that TfL has already delivered as part of this include improvements to lift and escalator designs, new Disability Equality Training for frontline London Underground staff that was developed with experts who have lived experience, and a new priority seat design that makes priority seating easier to identify on new DLR and Piccadilly line trains and refurbished Central, Waterloo & City line and Elizabeth line trains.

WHEN WILL IPHONE 15 INTRODUCTION?

Apple will hold the "Wonderlust" event, where it will introduce its new devices, on Tuesday, September 12 at 20:00. The launch can be watched live on Apple's official website.

IPHONE 15 RELEASE DATE

In the news reported by 9to5Mac, it was noted that pre-orders are expected to start on Friday, September 15, and the devices are expected to go on sale a week later, on September 22.

IPHONE 15 FEATURES

No changes are expected, with 6.1-inch screens for the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro and 6.7-inch screen sizes for the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max (or "Ultra").iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are expected to debut with a titanium case.The iPhone 15 Pro series may also feature an Action Button like the Apple Watch Ultra. The customizable toggle button will replace the mute switch on the top left of pro-level iPhones.It will use a prism to bend or bend the light captured by the sensor, providing 5x to 6x optical zoom without further amplifying the phone.On the other hand, Apple is expected to convert all its devices to USB-C with new devices due to EU laws.

IOS 17 UPDATE

More details are expected to be shared at the event about iOS 17, watchOS 10 and iPadOS 17, Apple's first major software updates in 2023.Apple announced its operating systems at WWDC 2023, and the final versions are expected to be released to the public sometime between the event and the iPhone 15 launch.Following the patterns of recent years, macOS Sonoma will likely be released in October – if not alongside iOS 17, it will be joined by iPadOS 17. A potential October event could consist of new iMac, MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models running the M3 chip.iOS 17 includes a new StandBy mode, voicemail transcripts, FaceTime video voicemails, contact posters, NameDrop, and new inline predictive text suggestions (among other additions).

SUPPLY PROBLEMS MAY CAUSE A DELAY

While some analysts predict that at least one of the iPhone 15 models may be delayed this year, others believe that sales of all new models will start in September despite the supply shortage.

Targeting children with free samples vape 

Targeting children with free samples of vape products. It is illegal and highly unethical to target or market tobacco or vaping products to children.In many countries there are strict regulations and laws in place to prevent the promotion and sale of tobacco and vaping products to minors. These regulations aim to protect young individuals from the harms associated with nicotine addiction and the potential health risks of vaping.It is important to prioritize the well being and health of children and provide them with a safe and supportive environment. If you have any concerns about marketing practices or suspect any illegal activities related to the promotion of vaping products to children, it is best to report them to the appropriate authorities or organizations responsible for enforcing such regulations.

No more free vapes for kids

United Kingdom government takes steps to crack down on rogue firms targeting children with free samples.Department of Health and Social Care, The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, and Neil O'Brien MP telss.Increased education and dedicated school police liaison officers to keep illegal vapes out of schools.Rules around sale of nicotine-free vapes and fines for shops selling illicit vapes to be reviewed.A loophole that allows the vaping industry to give free samples of vapes to children in England is set to be closed under new plans announced by the Prime Minister today to clamp down on youth vaping.This comes as recent NHS figures for 2021 showed that 9% of 11 to 15 year old children used e-cigarettes, up from 6% in 2018.Selling vapes to under 18s is illegal, however it is clear from this recent rise in teenage usage of vapes and the recent surge in the use and promotion of cheap, colourful products that businesses are targeting children, which has prompted today’s action to crack down on this.The government has also announced today that there will be a review into banning the vaping industry selling nicotine free vapes to under 18s. This will ensure our rules keep up with the way that vaping products are being used.Here is the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said... 

UK PM Sunak said:I am deeply concerned about the sharp rise in kids vaping and shocked by reports of illicit vapes containing lead getting into the hands of school children.Our new illicit vape enforcement squad backed by £3 million is on the case but clearly there is more to do. That is why I am taking further action today to clamp down on rogue firms who unlawfully target our children with these products.The marketing and the illegal sales of vapes to children is completely unacceptable and I will do everything in my power to end this practice for good...

Government

The UK has a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. This means it has a monarch (currently King Charles III) as the head of state and a Prime Minister as the head of government. The UK Parliament located in London is responsible for making laws.

Brexit

 In 2016, the UK held a referendum in which the majority of voters chose to leave the European Union (EU). This process known as Brexit (British Exit) was officially completed on January 31, 2020 after a series of negotiations with the EU.

Scotland

Scotland is one of the four countries that make up the UK. It has its own devolved government and parliament in Edinburgh. There have been discussions about Scottish independence in recent years with the Scottish National Party (SNP) advocating for another independence referendum.

Wales

Wales is another country within the UK. It also has a devolved government and assembly in Cardiff. The Welsh language is spoken in many parts of Wales, alongside English.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is part of the UK but shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland. It has its own devolved government in Belfast. The status of Northern Ireland has been a significant issue due to historical conflicts between nationalists (seeking closer ties with Ireland) and unionists (supporting continued union with the UK)

Economy

The UK has one of the world's largest economies. It has diverse sectors, including finance, manufacturing, services and creative industries. London is a major global financial hub.

Culture

The UK has a rich cultural heritage with contributions to literature, music, art and cinema. It is known for iconic landmarks like Big Ben, the Tower of London, Stonehenge and Buckingham Palace. The UK also hosts major sporting events, including Premier League football and Wimbledon.

Education

The UK is home to renowned universities such as the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. It has a strong tradition of higher education and attracts international students from around the world.

Healthcare

The UK has a national healthcare system known as the National Health Service (NHS). It provides free or low cost healthcare to all residents funded through general taxation.

Transport

The UK has an extensive transportation network including airports, seaports, railways and roadways. London's underground subway system, known as the Tube, is one of the oldest and most extensive in the world.