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 […]
The Five-Nation BRICS Finds Unity in Cultural Diversity
Interview by Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) – Under the Russian Chairmanship of BRICS 2020, Moscow has organised and hosted a series of corporate conferences, business forums and other important events. For example, the Roundtable discussion on the theme “International Cultural Cooperation for Strengthening BRICS Unity” brought high-profiled participants from Brazil, Russia, India, China and […]
US President-Elect Should Talk to Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro
Viewpoint by Vijay Prashad * This article was produced by Globetrotter. NORTHAMPTON, Massachusetts (IDN) – In June, Joe Biden, who will be the U.S. president in January 2021, sent out a tweet that described Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro—and others—as “thugs and dictators.” Maduro won two elections to hold his post—in 2013 and 2018. In 2018, […]
Faith-based & Other NGOs Look Forward to Entry into Force of the Nuclear Ban Treaty
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN (IDN) – When she learned that the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) reached the 50 states parties required for its entry into force, Setsuko Thurlow said: “I was not able to stand. I remained in my chair and put my head in my hands, and I cried […]
Undeterred by Health Warnings, Russians Begin Flocking to Africa’s Islands
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) – Despite the worsening coronavirus situation in Russia, at least during the months of October and November, Russian tourism agencies have briskly been organizing group tours to the Indian Ocean islands of Zanzibar, Seychelles and Mauritius. Obviously, because the islands seem to have the lowest cases of the pandemic […]
A Rallying Call for Nuclear Weapons Elimination By 2045
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – Kazakhstan’s Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in New York has joined the call of civil society for achieving the global elimination of nuclear weapons at least by 2045, arguing that setting the 2045 goal would provide a global rallying call to build a strong movement and that […]
U.S. Upsets Election of African Candidate for Top World Trade Post
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Backed by an overwhelming number of World Trade Organization (WTO) delegates, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was on a fast track to become the head of the global trade group. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was set to become the first woman and first African to lead the global trade […]
Haiti Has a Long History of Being Assaulted by Its Latin American Neighbors
By Lautaro Rivara * PORT-AU-PRINCE (IDN) – Thirteen United Nations peacekeeping missions are underway in various countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Haiti has been the epicenter of the UN peacekeeping missions in Latin America and the Caribbean; there have been eight UN missions since the International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH) was […]
Five BRICS Countries Accentuate UN’s Central Role in International Affairs
Parliamentarians Pledge Partnership for Global Stability By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) – Parliamentarians of five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have pledged to join hands in combating COVID-19, facing the challenges and threats that each member state currently faces, and strengthening cooperation, including at the inter-parliamentary level. In view of […]