By P. Soma Palan* COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 25 November 2023 (IDN) — I write this not as a northern Tamil but as an independent, free, and objective thinker. In today’s international politics, the phrase “Geopolitics” is a commonplace expression. It means an inter-play of power and spheres of influence between militarized nations. Geopolitics has […]
Security Challenges Facing Europe in a new Global Order
A Special Report by Aurora Weiss VIENNA | 24 November 2023 (IDN) — “Europe’s Major Challenges” was the focus of the 27th European Forum Vienna organized by the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES) at the Diplomatic Academy. Key experts, policymakers and think tankers from across the continent discussed the security challenges facing […]
Russia, Not Just Putin, Is in A Very Assertive Mood
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 22 November 2023 (IDN) — President Vladimir Putin is often painted as an ogre in the world’s media. The seemingly eternal president of Russia has an iron grip on his nation and a foreign policy to match. Yet a large majority of Russians give him their support. Is it […]
Gaza, a Graveyard for Children, Says UN Chief
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 20 November 2023 (IDN) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has continued his relentless criticism of Israel, condemning the daily attacks on civilians in Gaza. “I am deeply shocked that two UNRWA schools were struck in less than 24 hours in Gaza. Dozens of people—many women and children—were killed and […]
Weakness of Europe’s Soft-power is Shameful — Denial of the Call for a Ceasefire
By P.I. Gomes* PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago | 19 November 2023 (IDN) — The Israeli brutal bombardment continues into a second month by an unprecedented violation of international humanitarian law. Some 12,000 persons have been killed, that include more than 4000 babies, infants and children. This slaughter of innocent women and children with […]
Is the US Democracy Worth Emulating?
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 15 November 2023 (IDN) — It should take a long time before America can again strut the world stage and lecture us all about the values of democracy and human rights, poking its finger in the eye of every authoritarian or dictatorial government it has the desire to show […]
Somali-American Woman Scoops Race For Mayor in Minnesota
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 13 November 2023 (IDN) — Voters in the Minnesota city of St. Louis Park turned out in force for Nadia Mohamed, a 27-year-old Somali-American, choosing her as the city’s first Black, first Somali, and first Muslim mayor. Mohamed easily defeated Dale Anderson, a former banker and […]
Freeze on Arms Sale to Nigeria Over Enforced Disappearances?
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 12 November 2023 (IDN) — An arms race has been breaking records around the world—defying efforts to keep firearms, handguns, and larger weapons from falling into the wrong hands. Of the many countries currently in conflict, 32 are in Africa. The list includes Algeria, Burkina Faso, […]
Argentina: A Battle Between the Known and the Unknown
By Hari Seshasayee* NEW DELHI | 11 November 2023 (IDN | ORF) — After three decades of failed attempts by both right- and left-wing governments to bring stability to the Argentine economy, the elections in 2023 offered an opportunity ripe for a political outsider. With inflation at a staggering 138 percent this year, the timing […]
Global Progress Towards Ending Land Loss to Be Reviewed in Uzbekistan
By Jutta Wolf BONN | 10 November 2023 (IDN) — The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has announced the launch of its first-ever Data Dashboard compiling national reporting figures from 126 countries, which shows that land degradation is advancing at an astonishing rate across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Between 2015 and 2019, the […]