Viewpoint by Jackie Cabasso The writer is the Executive Director of the Western States Legal Foundation, based in Oakland, California. OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, USA (IDN) — If our attention wasn’t riveted on the midterm election results and Russia’s continuing nuclear threats in Ukraine, we would be rightly alarmed about rising nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula. […]
A New Initiative Seeks to Transform Agriculture & Food Systems
By Bernhard Schell SHARM EL-SHEIKH (IDN) — The Egyptian Presidency of the UN Climate Conference COP27 has launched a new initiative Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation or FAST, to improve the quantity and quality of climate finance contributions to transform agriculture and food systems by 2030. The cooperation programme will have concrete deliverables for […]
US Hits Myanmar with More Military Sanctions
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The United States, which has failed in its attempts to move a divided UN Security Council to adopt a resolution restricting arms sales to the military regime in Myanmar, has been left with only one alternative: continue to hit Myanmar with unilateral military sanctions. With two veto-wielding permanent […]
Doubts Whether Ghanaian President Will Survive Discontent
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) — Not so long ago, he was the poster boy of what looked like an African renaissance. Ghana’s President Akufo-Addo didn’t only know what to say, he also knew when and how. I still remember 2018. […]
No First Use of Nuclear Weapons Policies: A Path to Risk Reduction
Viewpoint by Tomohiko Aishima The writer is the Executive Director of Peace and Global Issues, Soka Gakkai International TOKYO (IDN) — While the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference held this past summer failed to adopt a final document, the fact that the conference saw a repeated debate on reducing the risk of nuclear weapon […]
Biden Made It Harder for Democrats to Win
He’d Be an Albatross on the 2024 Ticket Viewpoint by Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO (IDN) — No amount of post-election puffery about Joe Biden can change a key political reality: His approval ratings are far below the public’s positivity toward the Democratic Party. Overall, the Democrats who won the midterm elections did so despite Biden, […]
Indigenous Societies Draw Focus of the Arctic Circle Assembly
By Lowana Veal REYKJAVIK (IDN) — The Arctic region is a unique area among Earth’s ecosystems. The cultures in the region and the Arctic indigenous peoples have adapted to its cold and extreme conditions. Life in the Arctic includes zooplankton and phytoplankton, fish and marine mammals, birds, land animals, plants and human societies. Reykjavik—capital of […]
Africa Needs A Massive Aid Programme
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) — Surely a massive infusion of aid into Africa would be to pour money down a rat hole? Isn’t this the mistake that was made in the past—enormous generosity by the rich countries only to see it wasted on misconceived projects, bad economic management and, at its worst, […]
COP27: Leaders Launch Global Alliance Against Future Drought Impacts
By Rita Joshi BONN | SHARM EL-SHEIKH (IDN) — Leaders from over 25 countries and 20 organizations have launched the International Drought Resilience Alliance to accelerate action and help countries to be better prepared for future droughts. Drought represents the most serious hazard to livestock and crops in nearly every part of the world, and […]
Mending US-Saudi Relationship is Critical to Their Mutual Geostrategic Interest
Viewpoint by Alon Ben-Meir Dr Alon Ben-Meir is a retired professor of international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University (NYU). He taught courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies for over 20 years. NEW YORK (IDN) — The US’ misperception of its bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia on a […]