The declaration of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was applauded by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which described it as "a critical and long-overdue reprieve for civilians who have endured weeks of unrelenting violence."
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been welcomed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who expressed optimism that it will lay the groundwork for long-term stability in the Middle East.
As part of an earlier two-week ceasefire agreement between Tehran and the United States to pause the conflict in the Middle East, Iran's Foreign Ministry praised the ceasefire reached by Israel and Lebanon.
At midnight local time on Friday, gunfire broke out in the southern suburbs of Beirut as a ceasefire with Israel came into effect.
The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health estimates that since March 2, Israeli forces have killed at least 2,196 civilians and injured another 7,185.
The Lebanese government urges people not return back to their homes in southern Lebanon, despite Israel and Lebanon have reached a 10-day ceasefire.
The United States is "very close" to a deal with Iran, President Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House.
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Home » Editor's Choice » More Than Half the World’s Population is Using the Internet
More Than Half the World’s Population is Using the Internet
The International Telecommunication Union reports that for the first time in history, half of the global population is using the internet. A new report finds by the end of the year, 3.9 billion people worldwide will be online.
The report finds access to and use of information and communication technologies around the world is trending upwards. It notes most internet users are in developed countries, with more than 80 percent of their populations online. But it says internet use is steadily growing in developing countries, increasing from 7.7 percent in 2005 to 45.3 percent this year.
Using Smart phone by mohamed mohamed mahmoud hassan is licensed under CC0 Public Domain
The International Telecommunication Union says Africa is the region with the strongest growth, where the percentage of people using the internet has increased from just over two percent in 2005 to nearly 25 percent in 2018.
The lowest growth rates, it says, are in Europe and the Americas, with the lowest usage found in the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition to data on internet usage, newly released statistics show mobile access to basic telecommunication services is becoming more predominant. ITU Senior Statistician, Esperanza Magpantay says access to higher speed mobile and fixed broadband also is growing.
“So, there is almost 96 percent of the population who are now covered by mobile population signal of which 90 percent are covered by 3G access. So, this is a high figure, and this helps explain why we have this 51 percent of the population now using the internet,” she said.
With the growth in mobile broadband, Magpantay says there has been an upsurge in the number of people using the internet through their mobile devices.
The ITU says countries that are hooked into the digital economy do better in their overall economic well-being and competitiveness. Unfortunately, it says the cost of accessing telecommunication networks remains too high and unaffordable for many.
It says prices must be brought down to make the digital economy a reality for the half the world’s people who do not, as yet, use the internet- VOA
