News headlines in 2024

NEW YORK, Sep 20 (IPS) - Sarah Strack is Forus DirectorIn a context of shrinking civic space that threatens civil society participation in an increasing number of countries and all the way to some UN processes, world leaders will gather to discuss the "multilateralism we want" at the Summit of the Future at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 20 (IPS) - This year has been the worst for the Amazon rainforest in almost two decades. Although there has been a measured decline in deforestation when compared to 2023, forest fires have ravaged acres of critical ecosystems. For the first eight months of this year, the Amazon has seen routine forest fires, totalling to over 53,000 recorded instances.

MOSCOW, Sep 20 (IPS) - After two symbolic African leaders' summits, Russia's trading is steadily increasing but significantly in exports of military weapons and equipment. According to Kremlin reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the trade turnover between Russia and African countries had increased by almost 35% in the first half of 2023 despite international sanctions.

SYDNEY, Sep 20 (IPS) - Parliamentary representation by women in Pacific Island countries remains stubbornly low at 8.4 percent. Yet women leaders across the region have been meeting every year for the past four decades to discuss goals and drive action to address gender inequality and the most pressing development challenges in the Pacific.

The risk to security and stability, not only in Lebanon but also in the wider Middle East region, “could not be clearer or graver”, the top UN political affairs official warned on Friday.

Young people took centre stage at UN Headquarters on Friday in the lead-up to the Summit of the Future – an unprecedented opportunity for world leaders to address current and emerging global challenges, and reform outdated international institutions.

The fear and anxiety caused by the ongoing war in Gaza is causing a range of speech problems including stuttering amongst young children, according to a therapist interviewed by the United Nations.

The escalating regional tensions are drawing Syria deeper into conflict, the UN Special Envoy for the country warned on Tuesday, citing recent Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah rocket fire and the widespread explosions of wireless devices in Lebanon, which included some in Syria.

The international community must come to the aid of Lebanon in the face of back-to-back crises and spillover from the war in Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in the country said on Friday, as reports emerged of more Israeli airstrikes in the south.

The Security Council is due to hold an emergency meeting in New York on Friday from 3pm, following Israeli strikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut and in the south, which have left at least a dozen dead. It comes amid an uptick in cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces and two days of deadly wireless device explosions targeting members of the militant group. We'll have full live coverage as the fear of a widening Middle East war grows. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned the region now stands "on the brink of a catastrophe." UN News app users can follow here.