News headlines in September 2024

MULLIVAIKAL, Sri Lanka, Sep 16 (IPS) - Thousands of Tamils are heading to Mullivaikal on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka, many of whom were here 15 years ago and still live in the region. They are there, May 18, to commemorate the massacre of civilians in a ‘no fire zone' during the final stages of the civil war.

BANGKOK, Thailand, Sep 16 (IPS) - When the Beijing Declaration was adopted in 1995, it called for the removal of systematic and structure barriers that prevent women and girls from enjoying their human rights across social, economic, political and environmental domains. Over the last decade, the proportion of population with access to the internet has increased from 36 per cent in in 2013 to 67 percent today.

NEW YORK, Sep 16 (IPS) - As heads of state and government fly into New York for the United Nations General Assembly and the Summit of the Future (September 22-30), 2.3 billion mothers, fathers, and children are unsure where their next meal will come from. Millions face the terror of brutal, protracted armed conflicts that make no distinction between civilians and soldiers.

KATHMANDU, Sep 16 (IPS) - When Kancha Sherpa, the only surviving member of the first successful Mt. Everest expedition, says it is time for Sagarmatha, as the world's tallest mountain is known in Nepal, to rest, isn't it time that the world listened?"That's Mt. Everest!" I overheard this from a trekking guide to his trekkers team. I stopped and asked him—which one! He was not our guide, but I approached. He pointed a finger and showed me Mt. Everest and I cried—I don't know why. I was overwhelmed and humbled to finally witness the world's tallest mountain—it was not from the base camp but from Thyangboche while returning.

New evidence in the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) annual Ozone and UV Bulletin published on Monday reveals strong evidence that the ozone layer is well on track for a long-term recovery.

It’s the season to take on global challenges, from forging a healthier planet to putting the brakes on nuclear weapons, as world leaders and leading experts land at UN Headquarters in New York in mid-September for the General Assembly’s annual High-Level Week to chart a path towards a better, safer, greener future for all.

Overcrowded shelters in Gaza, a lack of running water and the constant threat of disease are making conditions worse by the day for people in the enclave, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, warned on Monday.

Ensuring that world leaders consider the impact their actions will have on the billions yet to be born this century, whilst addressing the inclusion of young people in important national and global decision-making, are central to the UN’s landmark Summit of the Future.

A surge in the development of powerful artificial intelligence (AI) tools is already improving lives but is also bringing fresh urgency to calls for regulation, as more and more governments wake up to the risks. Effective global regulation to ensure that AI is developed safely for the benefit of all is urgently needed.

The UN and other bodies set up in the wake of World War Two, are struggling to cope effectively with today’s global threats and challenges. At a landmark event in New York this September, world leaders will consider far-reaching plans to shake up international institutions and bring about major reforms for a safer, fairer future for all.