By Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO, 28 March 2023 (IDN) — The announcement by Vladimir Putin over the weekend that Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus marked a further escalation of potentially cataclysmic tensions over the war in neighbouring Ukraine. As the Associated Press reported, “Putin said the move was triggered by Britain’s decision […]
China’s Peacemaker Role Stymied In Ukraine, But Makes Headway Elsewhere
By Arul Louis The writer is a New York-based non-resident senior fellow of the Society for Policy Studies, a New Delhi-based think tank. He can be contacted @arulouis. UNITED NATIONS, 27 March 2023 (IDN) — Chinese President Xi Jinping is auditioning for the role of a global statesman through diplomatic efforts to mediate in several […]
U.S. Vice President to Reset Relations with Africa on Her First Trip There
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK, 27 March 2023 (IDN) — The U.S. has been sending its best and its brightest to Africa with gifts and promises aimed at winning back the continent from its partnerships with China. On 26 March, Vice President Kamala Harris went off on a 9-day trip designed to […]
East African Leaders Clash with West Over Gay Rights and the Environment
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK, 27 March 2023 (IDN) — In defiance of the United Nations, the U.S. and other world government and human rights organizations, the Ugandan parliament has passed a bill imposing the most severe penalties against its gay community – criminalizing lesbians, gays and bisexuals for simply existing. Ugandan […]
U.S. Wins Release of Jailed Hero of Hotel Rwanda
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK, 27 March 2023 (IDN) — From the cinematic screen of “Hotel Rwanda” to solitary confinement in a Rwandese jail, Paul Rusesabegina has been there and back. Now, following a round of quiet diplomacy with two U.S. senior officials of the Biden administration and a final meeting with […]
Is The New Agreement a Turning Point for Serbia and Kosovo?
By Dr Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK, 26 March 2023 (IDN) — The recent verbal agreement reached between Serbia and Kosovo in Ohrid, North Macedonia, obviously represents a positive development in the process of normalization between the two countries. There are however many obstacles and a considerable number of ambiguities that will make it difficult to […]
WHO Providing War-torn Yemen Crucial Humanitarian Aid
By Bernhard Schell CAIRO, 25 March 2023 (IDN) — The United Nations has warned that eight years of protracted multilateral conflict in Yemen, with the involvement of Saudi Arabia, has produced the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. Over two-thirds of Yemen’s population—21.6 million people—are in acute need of humanitarian assistance, and more than 20 […]
Washington Extends Its Long Arm into Africa’s Sahel
By Vijay Prashad* This article was produced by Globetrotter. NORTHAMPTON, Massachusetts, 25 March 2023 (IDN) — On 16 March 2023, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced—during his visit to Niger—that the United States government will provide $150 million in aid to the Sahel region of Africa. This money, Blinken said, “will help provide life-saving […]
Our Global Water Crisis — A Few Facts
By John Scales Avery* COPENHAGEN, 24 March 2023 (IDN) — On its home page on World Water Day, 2021, the United Nations pointed out the following facts: Today, 1 in 3 people live without safe drinking water. By 2050, up to 5.7 billion people could be living in areas where water is scarce for at […]
Lessons on Climate Resilience and Peacebuilding from Ethiopia & the Dry Corridor
By Dr Farah Hegazi and Sandra C. Valencia* This article was published by SIPRI. STOCKHOLM, 24 March 20303 (IDN) — Humanitarian and development interventions often aim to make households and communities more resilient in the face of shocks, including climate change. But they can end up creating new vulnerabilities or missing chances to build and […]