By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — Speaking during a ceremony marking the 77th anniversary of the devastating atomic bombing of Hiroshima, UN Secretary-General António Guterres remarked on August 6 that it is totally unacceptable for states in possession of nuclear weapons to admit the possibility of nuclear war. “The elimination of nuclear weapons is […]
Beyond First Steps: Phasing out Nuclear Weapons and Energy
By M. V. Ramana* VANCOUVER, Canada (IDN) — The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for “all military activities in the immediate vicinity of the [Zaporizhzhia Nuclear] plant [in Ukraine] to cease immediately and not to target its facilities or surroundings” because “any potential damage to Zaporizhzhia or any other nuclear facilities in Ukraine, or […]
Bringing the Benefits and Peace of Space to Humanity
A new UNOOSA head is to be appointed soon By Aurora Weiss VIENNA (IDN) — Legend has it that a young Isaac Newton was sitting beneath an apple tree contemplating the mysterious universe. Suddenly —”boink!”—an apple unexpectedly hit him on the head. He experienced his “aha moment!”. In a flash of light, he understood that […]
The West’s Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost
Mistakes Made Since The 1990s Might End in A Disaster Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) — You can interpret it on any level you like—that the Russians are inherently parochial and out of touch with how most of the world thinks and have it coming to them; that Russia is instinctively and cleverly […]
Rising Prices, Low Incomes Bedevil Sierra Leoneans
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | FREETOWN (IDN) — Americans aren’t alone in turning purple over the car’s skyrocketing costs for housing, food, medical care and fuel. Last month in Sierra Leone, women street vendors gathered peacefully to protest the soaring cost of living. A few days later, the number swelled to […]
Kenyans Select Presidential Winner but Not All Agree
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — What began as a quiet voting exercise with a low voter turnout ended with an upset victory for Kenya’s Deputy President, William Amolo Ruto, who becomes the nation’s fifth president. The race had taken a worrying turn since polls were shut down several times after […]
Humanitarian Food Grain on way to Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — A UN-chartered vessel has been loaded with humanitarian food grain for Africa, in a first step toward releasing much needed food aid that had been trapped in the Ukraine. The vessel will carry 23,000 tons of grain for Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya as part of […]
Achieving the Elusive Against the Odds: “A Middle East Nuclear (and WMD) Free Zone”
By Tariq Rauf NEW YORK (IDN) — Finally, at long last, the postponed 2020 Tenth Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference commenced its work at United Nations headquarters in New York on August 1, 2022. Under the able Presidency of Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen of Argentina, the review conference is expected to complete its work on August […]
“Misery Acquaints a Man with Strange Bedfellows”
Russia’s Complex Myanmar Embrace Viewpoint by Jan Servaes BRUSSELS (IDN) — Think tanks conduct interdisciplinary research to develop positions and recommendations on a wide range of domestic and international topics encompassing defence, economic development and social policy. Therefore, many think tanks advocate and lobby for policy changes at the local, national and international level. The […]
Gustavo Petro’s Election Promises a Major Change in Colombia
By Shastri Ramachandaran NEW DELHI (IDN) — The leftward shift in South America that gained momentum in 2021, with right-wing politicians being worsted in presidential elections in Peru, Chile and Honduras, continues its sweep in 2022. Colombia, famous for its coffee and the novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, has long remained under right-wing regimes that enjoyed […]