By Shastri Ramachandran NEW DELHI (IDN) — When it comes to well-known public figures, it is the little-known tidbits about them that are interesting. How and why Rishi Sunak lost to Liz Truss in the race to become UK’s Prime Minister is no big mystery. It is because the cow could not help Sunak. Had […]
Myanmar Junta Jails Former British Ambassador Vicky Bowman
By Jan Servaes* BRUSSELS (IDN) — Vicky Bowman was Britain’s ambassador to Myanmar from 2002 to 2006. After completing her role as ambassador, she remained in the country as the founder of the NGO Myanmar Center for Responsible Business (MCRB), which is supported by the UK Institute for Human Rights & Business (IHRB) and the […]
Some European Leaders Warn of the End of Western Hegemony
By Shastri Ramachandaran NEW DELHI (IDN) — Those who assert that western hegemony is no longer sustainable can take heart from the fact that movers and shakers on the world stage are also saying this. French President Emmanuel Macron has proclaimed that “Western hegemony is nearing its end”. Perhaps, the most erudite among the heads […]
The War in Ukraine Triggers a New Order in the Western Balkans
By Aurora Weiss VIENNA (IDN) —Ukraine and Moldova have moved closer to membership of the European Union (EU) much faster than the six countries of the Western Balkans. There has been general agreement that requirements for EU accession candidature are not easy to meet, but Ukraine and Moldova seem to have got that status overnight.
Canada and U.S. Jointly Backing Up Ukraine, NATO
By Jim Garamone, DOD News This report was issued by the U.S. Department of Defense. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IDN) — Canada and the United States are in lockstep in their support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, defense leaders said following Pentagon meetings on April 28. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted Canadian […]
Racial Bias Against Blacks Fleeing Ukraine
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — As the US prepares to welcome tens of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing war, scores of African and Caribbean refugees are being sent back to unstable and violent homelands where they face rape, torture, arbitrary arrest and other abuses. Racial bias? An African refugee thinks so.
EU and US Allocate Funds to Assist Refugees in Moldova
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW | CHISINAU (IDN) — The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, Switzerland, has documented almost five million refugees streamlining from the war-ravaged Ukraine crossing borders, most often with difficulties, especially into neighbouring Poland, Baltic republics, Moldova, Romania, and Hungary.
Ukraine: South Africa Slates European Nations at UN Over Treatment of Fleeing Africans
By Jonisayi Maromo, Independent Online (IOL) PRETORIA (IDN) — The South African government has thrown its weight behind the statement of the African Union (AU), which expressed concern over the treatment of Africans fleeing the war in Ukraine. Ambassador Mathu Joyini, South Africa’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations delivered a statement at an emergency […]
In Norway, Even Prime Minister Not Above COVID Law
Viewpoint by Shastri Ramachandaran NEW DELHI (IDN) — On April 9, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg was fined 20,000 kroner ($2,352) for breach of COVID rules during her 60th birthday celebration on February 26. It was nothing remotely like the Shashti Abda Poorti (celebrating completion of 60 years of age) seen in India.
A Slaughterhouse for Workers
It’s Not Romanians Spreading The Virus, It’s Capitalism Viewpoint by Vladimir Bogoeski * BERLIN (IDN) – While the world heaps praise on Germany’s successful response to the Covid-19 pandemic, recent events have thrown a dark shadow on the shiny image. Although its political leadership, unlike that of France and the US, did not frame the […]