News headlines in June 2024, page 9

SAN JUAN / PARIS, Jun 19 (IPS) - On meeting Amanda Hernández, one is immediately struck by her infectious energy and her generous sharing of information about Puerto Rican writers and books. At a recent literary festival in the Caribbean - the BVI Lit Fest in the British Virgin Islands - she urged participants for instance to check out the works of several emerging authors from her home territory.

WASHINGTON DC, Jun 19 (IPS) - New generative-AI technologies hold immense potential for boosting productivity and improving the delivery of public services, but the sheer speed and scale of the transformation also raise concerns about job losses and greater inequality. Given uncertainty over the future of AI, governments should take an agile approach that prepares them for highly disruptive scenarios.

KADUNA, Nigeria, Jun 19 (IPS) - Lami Kwasu, a farmer in the village of Kafanchan in Kaduna State, north-central Nigeria, was at home one evening in October 2020 when the sound of sporadic gunshots filled the air.

Libyans overwhelmingly desire a political consensus so that credible national elections can be held that will restore legitimacy to national institutions, the deputy head of the UN Support Mission in the country (UNSMIL) said on Wednesday.

UN aid coordination office (OCHA) said on Wednesday that Gazans continue to be displaced due to active fighting and bombardment.

“Conflict, climate chaos and upheaval” have forced more than 120 million people from their homes including 43.5 million who have fled across national borders said the UN Secretary-General in his message for World Refugee Day, marked on Thursday.

High-level independent human rights investigators reiterated serious concerns on Wednesday about the legality of the Israeli army's conduct in Gaza and pushed back at claims that their inquiry has done too little to highlight the ongoing ordeal of hostages captured by Palestinian militants.

The United Nations on Wednesday commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, highlighting the vital role hospital’s play in helping survivors heal.

A UN probe into the Israeli military’s bombing of Gaza has pointed to the laws of war being “consistently violated” with regard to the use of hugely powerful bombs and an alleged lack of distinction between combatants and civilians, the Organization’s human rights chief said on Wednesday.

PRETORIA, South Africa, Jun 18 (IPS) - All news is local, they say. The same is true of innovations—those many new technologies, policies, and practices that steadily stream from research to enhance our lives.