By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The warnings came from the highest echelons of the United Nations, from UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President of the 193-member General Assembly Abdulla Shahid. The message was clear: the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) desperately need help for their very survival, eight years ahead of their […]
New Film Shows Eminent Somali Runner Forced into Slavery in the UK
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Somalia-born runner Mohamed Abdi Jama Farah, known as Mo Farah, won 10 gold medals (four Olympic and six World titles) for being the second man in history to win long-distance doubles at successive Olympics and World Championships. But he won much more than that. He […]
Rwandan ‘Genocidaire’ Finally Convicted in French Court
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — A former senior Rwandan official linked to the deaths of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus has been found guilty of complicity in that nation’s genocide, 20 years after the horrific crime occurred. Laurent Bucyibaruta is the highest-ranking Rwandan to face trial in France over the […]
Sharp Rise in Gun Violence Triggers Debate
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | PRETORIA (IDN) — An outbreak of shootings at three different bars over one weekend has rocked the nation. Illegally obtained weapons were blamed for the violence in which 22 people died. According to police, the gunmen in the Soweto shooting used high-calibre rifles, including AK-47s, leaving […]
Something Is Rotten in the State of Sri Lanka
Viewpoint by Asoka N.I. Ekanayaka Prof. Asoka N.I. Ekanayaka is an Emeritus Professor of Community Dentistry and former Dean of the Faculty of Dental Science University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. COLOMBO (IDN) — This article is not primarily about the woeful record of the present government. Nor is it about the abomination of governance by […]
Multi-Religious Nigeria’s Ruling Party Picks 2 Muslims as Top Candidates
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) — If the flag bearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s presidential election, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, thought a “placeholder” would be a lightning rod and maybe soften the blow of his final […]
New UN Report Calls on African Countries to Rethink Export Diversification
By Jaya Ramachandran with UNCTAD Report GENEVA (IDN) — African countries must diversify their exports to survive economic shocks from global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, says the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In its Economic Development in Africa Report 2022, published on July 14, UNCTAD […]
Lessons to be Learnt from Sri Lankan Crisis
Viewpoint by Dr Ram Puniyani This article is the 22nd in a series of joint productions of South Asian Outlook and IDN-InDepthNews, the flagship of the International Press Syndicate. The writer is a former professor of biomedical engineering and former senior medical officer affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (now Mumbai) and, meanwhile, […]
WHO Calls for Equitable and Global Access to Bacterial Medicines
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA (IDN) — In the first-ever “analysis of bacterial vaccines in preclinical and clinical development: 2021”, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for “equitable and global access to the vaccines that already exist, especially among populations that need them most” because of limited resources at their disposal. This report is part […]
‘Asian Century’ Won’t Come Until Global Governance Becomes More Inclusiv
Viewpoint by Dawei Wang, Economist, UNCTAD This article was first issued by China Daily and republished by UNCTAD. GENEVA (IDN) — Claims that the “Asian century” has arrived or is set to begin frequently appear in the media and public fora. For example, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated during the 2018 Asian Infrastructure Investment […]