Viewpoint by Reinhard Naumann LISBON (IDN-INPS) – Until recently, polls indicated a clear victory for the Socialist Party (PS) in parliamentary elections in Portugal on October 6. Even the absolute majority seemed within reach for the PS under the leadership of current Prime Minister António Costa. At the same time, the liberal-conservative parties, the PSD […]
The Climate Crisis Cannot Be Solved by Capitalism
To Fulfil the Paris Agreement, Germany’s Climate Policies Need to Look Beyond Market-Based Strategies Viewpoint by Kai Niebert* ZURICH (IDN-INPS) – It’s time to get tough – that’s how Chancellor Angela Merkel set the tone for Germany’s climate policies in 2019. But the question remains: will the federal government manage to reduce emissions in line […]
Corruption a Cause for Citizen Concern in Latin America and the Caribbean
By Kwame Buist BERLIN (IDN) – In the last five years, momentum has been building against corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean. High-level politicians have been found guilty of corruption in Guatemala and Brazil, and a wave of legal action against the perpetrators of grand corruption has swept across the continent, including the Lava […]
Military Confrontation with Russia in Kaliningrad Is Dangerous
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – “What idiocy”, exclaims Jack Matlock on Facebook. Matlock is one of my “Facebook Friends” because I judge his knowledge of Russia as second to none, having been under President Ronald Reagan the White House’s senior advisor on the Soviet Union and, later, his ambassador to Moscow. The […]
India, Russia Synergize and Leverage Mutual Strengths
By Shastri Ramachandaran* NEW DELHI (IDN) –The Modi-Putin relationship is, perhaps, the most fascinating of India’s external “affairs”. The reasons for their diplomatic bonding and evolving personal chemistry may be many. And, the dazzle of events and optics, as is the wont in any political romance, take the focus away from tangible outcomes. This is […]
Female Football A Gender Equalizer in Kyrgyzstan
By Bagymdat Atabaeva BISHKEK (IDN) – In this predominantly Islamic country, one may expect to see women playing a subordinate role to men in many spheres of life. But, women in Kyrgyzstan are breaking this stereotype image and football is shaping up as a great gender equalizer. “I have been coaching girls for over 40 […]
Kazakhstan Needs Young Graduates as Teachers for Education Reforms to Succeed
By Milena Melnikova* TARAZ (IDN) – Since 2016, the educational system in Kazakhstan has undergone numerous reforms, and in October 2018 President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced further reforms, including a pledge to increase spending in education along with science and healthcare to 10 percent of national GDP within five years. With the aim of making Kazakhstan […]
As Capitalism Fails in Tajikistan, Older Tajiks are Nostalgic About the Communist Era
By Alisher Kukanbekov KHOROG (IDN) – “I’m surely grateful to have lived in the Soviet Union. Our lives moved rather slower back then, we didn’t have to worry about putting food on the table. Everyone was equal,” says Amid, recalling the days when Tajikistan was part of the Soviet Union. It is not uncommon for […]
Kazakhstan Honours Advocates of a Nuclear-Free World
By Ramesh Jaura with reports from Katsuhiro Asagiri BERLIN | NUR-SULTAN (IDN) – Kazakhstan, widely acknowledged as a leader in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, has availed of this year’s International Day against Nuclear Tests to honour two eminent advocates of a world free of nuclear weapons. The Central Asian republic was one-time holder of the […]
Kazakh Capital Hosts Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Delegates
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | NUR-SULTAN (IDN) – Representatives of five Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZs) and Mongolia have been exploring ways of inter-zonal cooperation and further coordination at a seminar in the Kazakh capital, co-organized by the Government of Kazakhstan and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). Inputs from the seminar are expected to […]