By Reinhard Jacobsen VIENNA. 23 September 2023 (IDN) — A first-of-its-kind report jointly produced by three United Nations organizations, shows that progress towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 is worryingly slow, with limited information to drive evidence-informed policies. The report calls for urgent action and substantial investment on Goal 16 to expand data […]
US Decides to Supply Depleted Uranium Shells to Ukraine
By Ramesh Thakur* This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. CANBERRA, Australia. 22 September 2023 (IDN) — At the G20 summit in Bali last year, most of the world’s most influential leaders had strongly deplored “the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine”. By contrast, the […]
The Global South Gains Strategic Impact After BRICS XV Summit
By P.I. Gomes *The writer is a former Secretary-General of the Organisation of African, Caribbean & Pacific States (OACPS). PORT OF SPAIN, Tobago. 22 September 2023 (IDN) — When the XVth Summit of the BRICS—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa—concluded with the Johannesburg II Declaration, it agreed that six new members would join the group […]
Caribbean Leaders Want Urgent Reform of the Global Financial Structure
By Linda Hutchinson-Jafar PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad. 21 September 2023 (IDN) — In a resounding call to action, leaders in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have urged the international community to swiftly embark on comprehensive reforms of the global financial system to create a conducive environment that empowers developing nations to address inequities and achieve the […]
‘Humanity Has Opened the Gates of Hell’ For Climate Catastrophe: UN Chief
By Arul Louis* UNITED NATIONS. 20 September 2023 (IDN) — UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued the grim warning, “Humanity has opened the gates of hell”, as he pitched the Climate Solidarity Pact for industrialized that have benefitted the most by using fossil fuels to cut emissions and support emerging economies to reach climate change goals. […]
Respect Laws of Nature by Moving to a Circular Economy
By Sameepa Rajapakse* COLOMBO. 19 September 2023 (IDN) — Against the backdrop of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York on 18-19 September, it would be an appropriate time for us to focus on moving to a circular economy that respects laws of nature. While poverty and hunger […]
NATO Admits that Ukraine War is The War of NATO Expansion
By Jeffrey D. Sachs* This article was published in Other News and is being republished with the author’s permission. NEW YORK, 20 September 2023 (IDN) — During the disastrous Vietnam War, it was said that the US government treated the public like a mushroom farm: keeping it in the dark and feeding it with manure. […]
Development Goals Need a Rescue Plan, Warns UN Chief
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 20 September 2023 (IDN) — When the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the 193-member General Assembly back in 2015, they were hailed as a panacea for some of the world’s economic, social and environmental ills. The SDGs were aimed at eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, ensuring […]
U.S.-India Relationship Critical to Free, Open Indo-Pacific
By Joseph Clark , DOD News ARLINGTON COUNTY, Virginia, U.S. 20 September 2023 (IDN) — A shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific bolsters the U.S.-India relationship as the two countries continue to strengthen defense ties, a senior Pentagon official said on 19 September. Siddharth Iyer, the Office of the Secretary of Defense director […]
Iceland Imports Foreign Workers but Does Not Employ Asylees
By Lowana Veal REYKJAVIK, Iceland. 19 September 2023 (IDN) — Facing a shortage of workers in the hospitality and construction sectors, Iceland has started importing foreign labour while at the same time refusing to give employment permits to asylum seekers. Since early August 2023, at least 58 asylum seekers have been deprived of accommodation, food […]