By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK. 12 August 2023 (IDN) — To prevent creeping authoritarianism and the complete disintegration of Israel’s democracy, it will be crucial to not only preserve the independence of the judiciary but to embrace other central pillars on which democracy rests The socio-political turmoil in Israel which is manifested by the pervasive […]
Russian Invasion of Ukraine Triggers Self-defence
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 11 August 2023 (IDN) — The Russian invasion of Ukraine—now in its 16th month—has been described by the United Nations as violations of both the UN charter and the territorial integrity of a sovereign nation. But it has also triggered the concept of self-defence: you hit me, and I’ll hit […]
It’s Time for No-First Use as Doomsday Clock Moves Closer to Midnight
By Aurora Weiss VIENNA. 11 August 2023 (IDN) — At the two-week-long Preparatory Committee meeting here for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International (SGI)—in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)—and the Nuclear Age […]
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Bypasses Gender Parity—Updated
By Thalif Deen The following is an updated version of the article published on 6 August 2023. UNITED NATIONS. 9 August 2023 (IDN) — The United Nations has been a vociferous and longstanding advocate of gender empowerment in its political, social and economic agenda characterized by 17 Sustainable Dvelopment Goals (SDGs), including poverty and hunger […]
The Erosion of The International Arms Control Regimes
By Sergio Duarte The writer is an Ambassador, former UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, and President of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. NEW YORK. 9 August 2023 (IDN) — Nuclear weapons burst into the international scenario 21 days after the signature of the Charter of the United Nations. For that chronological reason, […]
An Early Warning to Prevent Renewed & Catastrophic Korean War
By Joseph Gerson* NEW YORK. 7 August 2023 (IDN) — Along with the obvious and increasing military tensions across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China/West Philippine Sea, the continuing danger that confrontational policies, arms racing, and provocative military operations across and around the Korean Peninsula could all too easily trigger escalation to the […]
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Bypasses Gender Parity
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 6 August 2023 (IDN) — The United Nations has been a vociferous and longstanding advocate of gender empowerment in its political, social and economic agenda characterized by 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including poverty and hunger eradication, quality education, human rights and climate change. In her 23 July presentation, titled […]
Kazakhstan Continues to Suffer Awful Impact of Nuclear Tests
By Aurora Weiss VIENNA. 4 August 2023 (IDN) — The Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan, along with Japan and other Pacific Island states, is one of the most challenging in terms of the consequences of testing or use of nuclear weapons. Being a young state, Kazakhstan is facing a very heavy heritage and its difficult […]
Will ‘Oppenheimer’ Movie Avert Nuclear Holocaust?
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN. 4 August 2023 (IDN) — The release of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer sparked a media frenzy just weeks before the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in Vienna. It is a biopic about the “father” […]
Russia-Africa Summit Fortifies ‘Deep-rooted’ Relations
By Somar Wijayadasa* This is the second of a two-part article looking into relations between Russia and Africa, which began long before the massive decolonization of Africa in the 1960s. Here is the link to the first part. NEW YORK. 2 August 2023 (IDN) — The second Russia-Africa summit, which concluded on 28 July in […]