Posts

World Press Freedom Day 2025

  World  Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNSECO's General Conference according to a release issued by the UN.   World  Press Freedom Day 2025, focuses on how Artificial Intelligence(AI) affects Press Freedom, the free flow of information, media independence, and the global goal of ensuring access to information and protecting fundamental freedoms. Explaining how  the rapid growth and use of AI is changing journalism and its advantages, UN  warns of  new risks like spreading misleading information, promotion of online hate speech and support new types of censorship. World body reveals that some agencies use  AI for mass surveillance of journalists and  citizens , creating very adverse impact on Freedom of expression. It says big platforms use AI to filter and control what content is seen, making  them powerful gatekeepers of information. The UN Global Digit...

Is AI Destroying Our Jobs?

  The Wall Street Journal, recently reported that "The  way companies go about employment and hiring is  set for a shake up." The paper quoted a memo issued by the E-commerce software giant Shopify stating that "it will not bring aboard any new workers unless managers can prove artificial intelligence isn't able to do the same job." The Journal quoted the Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke as saying :"Before asking for more Headcount and resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want,done using AI." The paper argued that many companies are experimenting with AI and how it can assist with productivity, but the new announcement shows just how far things can be taken in terms of replacing human workers. A Reuters report said Facebook parent Meta laid off about 5 per cent of its "lowest performers" in January, while pushing ahead with the expedited hiring of  machine learnging  engineers. Amazon has laid off employees several units, inc...

URGENT NEED TO ABOLISH MODERN SLAVERY

  Modern slavery refers to the exploitation of individuals through forced labour, debt bandage, human trafficking and other forms of coercion. Despite being prohibited by International law, modern slavery, persists in many parts of the world. Anti-Slavery International define modern slavery as,"when an individual is exploited by others, for personal or commercial gain...whether tricked, coerced, or forced, they lose their freedom...and also involve human trafficking, forced labour and dent bandage." According to the International Labour Organisation,  50 million men, women and children in all countries are affected by forced labour. Therefore, ILO has mandated to promote Fundamental Principles and Right at Work, globally, leaving no one behind. The United Nations agency published its report early this year: Profits and Poverty: The economics of  forced labour. The report revealed that illegal proft from forced labour rose by 37 per cent, over the past decade, to $236bn pe...

THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

  From Gaza to Ukraine, millions of people are displaced  and a significant number include women and girls. Human rights organisations and media reports have documented how women and girls are impacted  disproportionately, pushing them to the brink of survival. United Nations and  women activists have observed 25 November as a day against gender-based violence since 1981.  The day marks the start of the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which runs until December 10. The day is a catalyst for change, and aims to: prevent violence, protect victims, prosecute perpetrators, change attitudes, and promote equality between women and men. The day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly from 1993, with Declartion on the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The UN has embraced international  day as a powerful advocacy tool. According to United Nations, violence against women and girls remain one of the most prevalent and pervasive hum...

Why Tuberculosis Remains the World's Leading Infectious Disease Killer?

  The World Health Organisation's(WHO) 2024 Global Tuberculosis Report reveals  and explains why tuberculosis (TB) remains the world's leading infectious  killer disease, surpassing COVID-19. Five countries alone--India(26%), Indonesia(10%), China(6.8%), and Pakistan(6.3%) contributed 56 per cent of global tuberculosis burden. 55% of TB cases occurred in men, 33% in women, and 12% in children and young adolescents. The report quoted Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director-General as saying:"The fact thatTB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage, when we have the tools to prevent it, detect it, and treat it." An estimated 8.2 million people were newly diagnosed with TB in 2023--the highest since WHO began global TB monitoring in 1995, the report says. TB is caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is spread when people who are sick with TB expel bacteria into the air, by coughing. About a quarter of the global population is estimated t...

HUMAN AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND EXTREME WEATHER

  The human and economic dimensions of climate change are far-reaching and multifaceted, impacting various sectors and regions  globally. A report released by the World Meterological Organisation(WMO) said:"Extreme weather is wrecking havoc on communities and economies across the world." The report issued during the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference, COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, observed:"Climate catastrophe is hammering health, widening inequalities, harming sustainable development and rocking the foundations of peace. The vulnerable are hit the hardest." "The record-breaking rainfall and flooding, rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones, deadly heat, relentless drought and raging wildfires this year are unfortunately our new reality and a fore-taste of our future," Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary General, is quoted as saying. A study based on available data from the International Disaster Database(EM-DAT), the WMO reports that there has been a sevenfold in...

16TH WORLD STROKE CONGRESS

 " Every second 100 billion neurons in our brains are firing 5 - 50 messages, each one a vital spark of connection that ignites our unique identity, and writes the storeyof our life. But when stroke strikes, that storey is changed forever, " says World Stroke Organisation(WSO). The World Stroke Day(October 29) campaign seeks to channel the emotional power of sports to drive stroke awareness and motivate us to take action every day to reduce Stroke risk. According to a Policy Paper published by the WSO, stroke is a leading cause of disability and death world-wide, affecting an estimated  12 million people globally, every year, including an increasing  number of young people. "One in four of us will have a stroke in our lifetime. Knowing more about prevention and symptoms of stroke could save millions of lives," says WSO. The direct and indirect costs of strokes worldwide  are conservatively estimated to be around USD 900 billion annually and are expected to almost do...