NEW JERSEY, USA, Jan 10 (IPS) - India has surged forward as the world's fifth-largest economy and has now surpassed China to claim the title of the most populous nation. However, this rapid ascent is not without its challenges; rising unemployment and inflation loom large, threatening demographic dividend and its ambitious goal of sustaining a 7 to 8% GDP growth.

Israeli authorities continue to deny UN-led efforts to reach North Gaza with lifesaving aid, including the most recent attempt on Friday, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Syrians have high expectations for their country, and a strong desire for people from across the social spectrum to come together and forge a new constitution, which must begin with an inclusive “national dialogue”.

Lifesaving efforts by UN humanitarians and partners to distribute food and agricultural aid in Sudan last year reached millions, agencies reported on Friday – but needs are only growing.

Three experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council on Friday urged the United States Senate to oppose a bill seeking to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), and cut funding to the UN-backed tribunal, in response to its arrest warrants against Israeli leaders.

UN weather experts from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed on Friday that 2024 was the hottest year on record, at 1.55 degrees Celsius (C) above pre-industrial temperatures.

Social media posts inciting hate and division have “real world consequences” and there is a responsibility to regulate content, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, insisted on Friday, following Meta’s decision to end its fact-checking programme in the United States.

BANGKOK, Thailand, Jan 09 (IPS) - The debt disaster is back. Indeed, the aid agency Cafod reports that developing countries today face “the most acute debt crisis in history”.

PITHAMPUR, India, Jan 09 (IPS) - The local community of Pithampur, India, says the incineration of Bhopal gas tragedy waste is unsafe for their health and environment.An eerie calm prevails over Pithampur, a town 250 km (155 miles) away from Bhopal, the capital of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. This town witnessed widespread protests for three days last week following the transportation of large quantities of toxic waste from the site of one of the world's worst industrial disasters in Bhopal.

Persistent Russian bombardments have failed to dampen the resilience of the Ukrainian people, according to the United Nations. Despite the lack of a clear resolution to the ongoing war, the UN is not only at the forefront of aid efforts, but also deeply involved in reconstruction and development across the country.