Photo: UNICEF / Ayene

As the United Nations General Assembly gathers, a new report from UNICEF underscores the imperative to expedite efforts in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN within the specified timeframe. Placing children at the forefront is crucial to realizing these objectives.

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals, agreed upon in 2015 and valid until 2030, are now at their midway point.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has sounded the alarm, branding the European Union a "toxic warehouse" for hosting child sexual abuse material and urging Finnish lawmakers to take swift action against this disturbing trend. Criminal gangs have found a haven in EU member states, where they host abhorrent criminal imagery of children enduring sexual abuse, rape, and torture.

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Climate change is taking a significant toll on the quality of river water worldwide, posing threats to ecosystem health and human access to clean water, according to a recent study published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. The study, led by Dr. Michelle van Vliet of Utrecht University, sheds light on the impact of climate change-induced extreme weather events on river water quality.

President Sauli Niinitö and First Lady Jenni Haukio. LEHTIKUVA

President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö and First Lady Jenni Haukio are set to embark on a diplomatic mission to New York from September 18 to 21, 2023. President Niinistö will lead the Finnish delegation during the High-level Week of the 78th United Nations General Assembly.

The highlight of President Niinistö's visit will be his delivery of Finland's National Statement at the Assembly's General Debate on September 20.

Finnish Customs officials check a car at the Vaalimaa border check point between Finland and Russia in Virolahti, Finland on September 28, 2022 as traffic from Russia enters to Finland and Europe's open-borders Schengen area. LEHTIKUVA

The ongoing geopolitical tensions between the European Union (EU) and Russia have taken a new turn. The Russian Embassy in Helsinki recently warned its citizens to abstain from using vehicles with Russian license plates while visiting Finland. This advisory follows the EU sanctions permitting Finnish authorities and other EU member states to seize vehicles with Russian registration.

Firefighters try to control fires in a pine forest near the city of Lac, some 50 km north of Tirana, on August 22, 2023. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Recent extreme heatwaves around the world are not only increasing in intensity and frequency due to climate change but are also exacerbating air quality and pollution issues, says a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The 2023 WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin, the third in an annual series, highlights the growing impact of heatwaves,

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The European Union's trade balance has made a noteworthy turnaround in the second quarter of 2023, transitioning from six consecutive quarters of deficit to a surplus, primarily attributed to a reduction in energy costs. The latest report released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, revealed this promising shift in trade dynamics.

Trade data from the second quarter of 2023 indicated a decline of 2.0 percent in exports and 3.5 percent in imports, resulting in a modest trade surplus of €1 billion.

Over the past two years, inflation in the euro area has surged significantly, and despite recent deceleration, it continues to remain excessively rapid. Consequently, the European Central Bank (ECB) has notably tightened its monetary policy. The policy rates have been raised by 4.25 percentage points, and the ECB's key deposit rate for banks stands at 3.75 percent. "The current scale of monetary policy restrains economic growth and hampers inflation.

French Foreign and European Affairs Minister's employees work at a crisis management's centre at the French Foreign and European Affairs Ministry in Paris on August 1, 2023. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

The cultural landscape within the European Union (EU) continued to thrive, with the sector providing employment for 7.7 million individuals in 2022, constituting 3.8 percent of the total workforce. Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, unveiled figures that demonstrated a remarkable 4.5 percent rise from the previous year's 7.4 million.

Dynamics across EU member states revealed an upward trajectory in cultural employment in 19 nations, while eight witnessed a decline.

Visitors are seen in the Great Court after the British Museum reopened in London on December 3, 2020. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Hartwig Fischer, the director of the British Museum in London, has stepped down from his position following revelations of stolen artifacts from the museum's storeroom, as reported by Al Jazeera on Saturday.

The renowned museum, a prominent tourist attraction in London, had been alerted to the potential theft or disappearance of valuable artifacts over two years ago when an art historian raised concerns about items being offered for sale online.