By Assel Satubaldina This article was published in The Astana Times newspaper. NUR-SULTAN (IDN) — Kazakhstan’s capital is set to soon be renamed back from Nur-Sultan to Astana after the Parliament endorsed the draft law on constitutional amendments required to rename the capital on September 16. The document now awaits President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s discretion.
Religious Leaders Gather to Find Ways to Heal a Wounded World
By Kalinga Seneviratne NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (IDN) — “The whole world is experiencing the ongoing impact of the pandemic, conflicts, sanctions, climatic change and other global issues. We all see the increase in geopolitical tensions and conflicts across the globe,” said Maulen Ashimbayev, head of the Secretariat of the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and […]
Myanmar Junta Jails Former British Ambassador Vicky Bowman
By Jan Servaes* BRUSSELS (IDN) — Vicky Bowman was Britain’s ambassador to Myanmar from 2002 to 2006. After completing her role as ambassador, she remained in the country as the founder of the NGO Myanmar Center for Responsible Business (MCRB), which is supported by the UK Institute for Human Rights & Business (IHRB) and the […]
UN’s Economic Ties to a Blacklisted Russia May Threaten Peacekeeping Missions
By Rodney Reynolds UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — After the invasion of Ukraine last February, Russia has been widely described, particularly by the US and Western nations, as an “international pariah”. The United Nations has been equally critical of the invasion of a sovereign nation resulting in thousands of civilian killings and the destruction of entire […]
UN Review Conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Declared a Failure
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The alarm bells have been ringing right across Europe as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has not only triggered nuclear threats by one of the world’s major nuclear powers but also set off emergency drills outside a nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia which has come under fire. Against […]
Being Abroad and Local: Late Prof. Shahul Hasbullah
By A. L A. Azeez Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva COLOMBO (IDN) — Most comments that have come out in public since the sad passing away of Prof. Hasbullah in August 2018 appear to give due credit to him for the work he has done to highlight […]
US Remains Restrained Over North Korea’s Missile Tests & Nuclear Threats
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The US response to North Korea’s continued missile tests—and occasional nuclear threats—has been surprisingly restrained. The reaction has been summed up in two words: dialogue and diplomacy. On August 17, North Korea fired two cruise missiles toward the sea off its west coast. And, according to a report […]
Some European Leaders Warn of the End of Western Hegemony
By Shastri Ramachandaran NEW DELHI (IDN) — Those who assert that western hegemony is no longer sustainable can take heart from the fact that movers and shakers on the world stage are also saying this. French President Emmanuel Macron has proclaimed that “Western hegemony is nearing its end”. Perhaps, the most erudite among the heads […]
India Is Moving Up From ‘Look East Policy’ To ‘Act East Policy’
By Kalinga Seneviratne BANGKOK (IDN) — External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has emphasized that India is keenly interested in the countries to its East, spreading right across East Asia into the Pacific. Speaking at Thailand’s prestigious Chulalongkorn University on August 18, he explained “India’s Vision of the Indo-Pacific” and indirectly went on to distance itself […]
Achieving the Elusive Against the Odds: “A Middle East Nuclear (and WMD) Free Zone”
By Tariq Rauf NEW YORK (IDN) — Finally, at long last, the postponed 2020 Tenth Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference commenced its work at United Nations headquarters in New York on August 1, 2022. Under the able Presidency of Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen of Argentina, the review conference is expected to complete its work on August […]