By Josepheen Tarianga* PORT VILA, Vanuatu, 25 June 2023 (IDN | Wansolwara) — In the first week of March this year after days of cyclone warnings—it did finally come. Not one but two cyclones and a devastating earthquake—all within a week. When the cyclones came, there was already a chill in the air and dark […]
Russia Willing to Discuss Arms Control Proposal with the US
By Shannon Bugos The author is senior policy analyst at the Arms Control Association (ACA). The following text was published in their Nuclear Disarmament Monitor newsletter of 22 June 2023. WASHINGTON, DC, 24 June 2023 (IDN) — Russia expressed a willingness to consider the proposal by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in June to […]
‘America Faces Its Greatest Peril Since the Civil War’
By Dr Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK, 24 June 2023 (IDN) — Republican leaders who claim to put country before party must now rise up along with their Democratic colleagues and together save the country from extremist right-wing Republicans before it’s too late. Those Republicans surrendered their soul and conscience to Trump—a criminal and corrupt wannabe […]
US President Walks Back on Ukraine’s NATO Accession
By M.K. Bhadrakumar The writer is a former Indian diplomat. This article was published by Indian Punchline. NEW DELHI, 23 June 2023 (IDN) — If only the US President Joe Biden had a time machine as in the post-apocalyptic science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, he should have used that vehicle or device to […]
Tonga: A ‘Paradise’ in the South Pacific Ocean Turns to a Plastic Landfill
By Fresh Polutele* NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga, 23 June 2023 (IDN | Wansolwara) — The kingdom of Tonga in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean was known as a “paradise” island. But not anymore. Plastic and glass waste is an ongoing problem in Tonga’s environment and it has created a dilemma for the government. How will […]
UN Chief Refuses to List Israel for Killings of Children
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, 22 June 2023 (IDN) — UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his annual report on Children and Armed Conflict,, has once again left out Israel from the list of perpetrators of grave violations and killings of children. Perhaps the only consolation this year is his decision to stand up to Russia, […]
De-Risking, Not De-Coupling: Is It More Than A Smart Shift In Terminology?
Viewpoint by Herbert Wulf This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. BONN, Germany, 22 June 2023 (IDN) — How to deal with China? The Western industrialised countries have been trying for some time to find a convincing China strategy. One result of the recent G7 summit […]
200 Million Migrant Workers Sent $647 Billion to over 800 Million Families
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, 15 June 2023 (IDN) – In Asia, some of the countries dependent on remittances from migrant workers overseas include India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, Bangladesh and the Philippines. At the international airport in one of the Southeast Asian capitals, there is a sign at the “arrivals” terminal for a special […]
Global Trade Rebounds, But the Outlook for 2023 Is Bleak
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA, 21 June 2023 (IDN) — Trade in goods and services rebounded between January and March 2023 after two consecutive quarters of decline. However, the outlook for the rest of the year is bleak. According To UNCTAD‘s Latest Global Trade Update, published on 21 June, global merchandise trade rebounded both in volume […]
Global South Unites to End Western Ambitions for Hegemony
Viewpoint by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury* DHAKA, Bangladesh, 21 June 2023 (IDN) — When analysts ask, what does the Ukraine war have to do with Bangladesh or Brazil, most of the people may say, perhaps not much. But in reality, Western sanctions on Russia following the outbreak of the Ukraine war is causing tremendous suffering […]