Promise and peril as world tops 8b

UNITED NATIONS — The world's population surged past 8 billion people on Tuesday, the United Nations said, amid calls by the world body for nations to take action to bridge divides between the global haves and have-nots.

Whether it's food or water, batteries or gasoline, there will be less to go around as the global population adds another 2.4 billion people by the 2080s, according to UN projections.

In an opinion article published on Friday by the USA Today newspaper, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the milestone of 8 billion people "a testament to scientific breakthroughs and improvements in nutrition, public health and sanitation".