NEW YORK (IDN) – With little prior notice from military officials, the U.S. launched a Minuteman III Ballistic Missile on April 25 morning at approximately 5:26 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Civilians and residents living near the base, who regularly receive ample notice of missile tests, were left in the dark this time as […]
State of Emergency for Press Freedom in Europe
By ECPMF BERLIN (IDN) – The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) in Leipzig, Germany, is warning against the dismantlement of freedom rights and the increasing threat against journalists in the EU. “Demagogues and autocrats are fighting the free press because they cannot stand democratic control. Under a corrupt administration the work of an […]
‘Fire and Fury’ in Danger of Becoming Trump’s ‘Mantra’
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – A speech of General George Patton, a famous World War 2 warrior, has an uncanny resemblance to the philosophy of Donald Trump. “All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser – Americans despise cowards. Americans […]
UN and CTBTO Hail End to Nuclear Testing by North Korea, Denuclearization Remains a Mirage
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | VIENNA (IDN) – UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo have welcomed the announcement by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to halt its nuclear testing programme and to dismantle the test site. The announcement came six days ahead of the DPRK […]
Strong Plea for Early Entry into Force of Nuclear Ban Treaty
By Jamshed Baruah GENEVA (IDN) – On the eve of a crucial international conference, an eminent Buddhist organization advocating a nuclear-weapon-free world has called for the signing, ratification and early entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) adopted by 122 UN member states as a sign of their resolve […]
Costa Rica Advised To Make Growth More Inclusive
By Robert Johnson PARIS (IDN) – Costa Rica, renowned for its ecological footprint, forest protection and abundant biodiversity, has made impressive economic and social progress in recent years, with robust economic growth facilitating near-universal access to education, health care and pensions. But the Central American country is faced with a fundamental challenge: its fiscal imbalance, […]
Pressure Mounts on Japan to Join the Nuclear Ban Treaty
By Katsuhiro Asagiri TOKYO (IDN) – Japan is coming under pressure from within to sign and ratify the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty, which acknowledges the “unacceptable suffering” of the hibakusha – survivors of hitherto the first ever atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. 122 member nations of the United Nations adopted what […]
Campaign For Moving ‘Nuclear Weapons Money’ to Boost Peace
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – While governments meet in New York for the first ever United Nations High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament from May 14-16, 2018 campaigners for ‘zero nuclear weapons’ will be busy counting one million specially designed notes each of $1 million value, adding up to $1 trillion. The amount of […]
Kazakh Peacemakers Exchange Experience with Indian Partners
ALMATY (IDN | KazInform) – Kazakhstan militaries are taking peacemaking training in New Delhi jointly with Indian colleagues. The classes are taking place at the UN Training Center. The Kazakhstani peacemakers came to New Delhi to study the Indian experience to apply it in missions. Upon arrival they familiarized with the general provisions, structure and […]
Experts Stress Importance of UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) – The increasing fragility of international peace and security is accentuating the critical need for persistent dialogue and relentless diplomacy to deter multiple conflicts triggering nuclear confrontation, disarmament experts and campaigners say. Conflicts related to nuclear weapons, including in Northeast Asia, between the U.S. and NATO on the […]