The following is a revised version of the previous report titled “India Falls from ‘Free’ to ‘Partly Free’ in Freedom Index” By Ditsa Bhattacharya, NewsClick and ICF Team NEW DELHI (IDN) — India’s status fell from “free” to “partly free” in the Freedom in the World 2021 report released on March 3. India’s score in […]
A Woman, a Latin American and a Future Force of Change
By Isabella Duque Muñoz This article first appeared as one of Youth Community’s Spotlight Stories on February 26, 2021, as a part of UNODA’s #Youth4Disarmament Initiative. BOGOTA (IDN) — As a Colombian, I grew up in a nation marked by violence and armed conflict. These matters seized my interest from a very young age; learning […]
World’s Largest Free Trade Area Opens for Business in Africa
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) — The opening of the world’s largest free trade area in Africa on January 1, 2021, is of great interest to Russia. It comes more than one year after the first Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi on the Black Sea. As Russian President Vladimir Putin then said: “The event really […]
Farm Crisis Fuelling India’s Farmers’ Protests
By Manu Moudgil* NEW DELHI (IDN) – On February 6, protesters blocked roads at an estimated 10,000 spots across India as part of the ongoing movement against the new farm laws enacted by the national government last year. For over two months, the most populous democracy in the world has witnessed what is being called one of […]
Russia Blames U.S. for Youth Protests
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) – While Russia is currently investigating reasons behind the unsanctioned January 23 mass protest that took place in central Moscow and many other regions including the Far East, it has allegedly accused the United States of meddling in its domestic affairs. According to human rights organisations, over 3,600 people […]
The US Department of Defense Announces New Strategies for the Middle East and Space Force
By J C Suresh WASHINGRTON, D.C. (IDN) – The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has announced that changing Middle East situation means changes for Israel. In another press release it said, partnerships are key to Space Force delivering warfighting capabilities. In the first release on January 15 it said: in a sign of the changing […]
India Has an Ambitious Agenda as UN Security Council Member
By Devinder Kumar NEW DELHI (IDN) – With the start of the New Year, India joins the 15-member United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member for the eighth time. Along with Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico, India will have a two-year term: 2021-2022. Of the 15 UNSC members, five occupy a permanent seat. […]
How the U.S. Is Locking Out China from Latin America and the Caribbean
Viewpoint by Vijay Prashad * NORTHAMPTON, Massachusetts (IDN) – On August 20, 2018, El Salvador’s leftist president Salvador Sánchez Cerén announced on national television that El Salvador would break its ties with Taiwan and recognize the People’s Republic of China. This was in accord with international law, said Sánchez Cerén, and it would bring “great […]
India Succeeds Russia as BRICS Chair Amid Rising Challenges
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) – India assumes the rotating Chairmanship of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) regional association on January 1, 2021. The South Asian nation takes over from Russia under whose leadership the organization managed to achieve progress in the political, economic and humanitarian fields. During the five-nation bloc’s […]
Russia Expanding Its Military Bases in Africa
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) – After years of negotiations with Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia to establish naval bases, Russia has finally signed an agreement with Sudan, signifying further its return to Africa. Sharing a northern border with Egypt, Sudan is located on the strategic Red Sea coastline. Moscow had a naval base in […]