Viewpoint By Sugeeswara Senadhira With increasing Chinese influence in Sri Lanka, the Indian government is lately trying to use Sri Lanka’s “non-implementation” of the 13th amendment to the constitution to provide more autonomy to Tamil areas of the island as agreed 34 years ago, in the infamous Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement, to interfere in Sri Lanka’s […]
Russia Urged to Deliver On its African Pledges
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) — Russia has a long time-tested relationship with Africa. After the first symbolic Russia-Africa summit in the Black Sea city of Sochi on October 23-24, 2019 both Russia and Africa adopted a joint declaration, a comprehensive document that outlines the key objectives and necessary tasks that seek to raise […]
Nuclear Games for the Young Coincides with Tokyo Olympics
By Thalif Deen* NEW YORK (IDN) — The widely-televised Tokyo Olympics, which was inaugurated in the Japanese capital on July 23, wasn’t the only game in town. Coinciding with the opening ceremony, a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), anti-nuclear activists and youth leaders launched “Nuclear Games,” an innovative film and online platform addressing nuclear history […]
From Crossroads to Godzilla: The Cinematic Legacies of The First Postwar Nuclear Tests
Viewpoint by Timothy Noël Peacock Dr Timothy Noël Peacock FRHistS is a Lecturer in History at the University of Glasgow, founder/co-director of the Arts interdisciplinary Games and Gaming Research Lab (GGLab), and a Visiting Fellow at the British Library Eccles Centre. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the […]
US-China Relations Face Transitional Period Ahead
Viewpoint by M.K. Bhadrakumar * NEW DELHI (IDN) — The ‘official working visit’ by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House on July 15 has been most conspicuous for its subdued tone regarding the most fateful topic of her discussion with President Joe Biden—China. Merkel’s guarded remarks about China at the joint press […]
President Biden’s First Nuclear Arms Budget Is Disappointing
By Kingston Reif and Shannon Bugos* WASHINGTON, DC (IDN) — As the Biden administration prepares to initiate a review of U.S. nuclear weapons policy, its first budget request proposes to continue every part of the unnecessary and unsustainable nuclear weapons spending plans it inherited from the Trump administration. This includes the controversial additions made by […]
Afghanistan Faces Funding Shortfall Amid Deepening Humanitarian Crisis
By Radwan Jakeen NEW YORK (IDN) — Nearly 18 million Afghans or half the population of the South Asian country require assistance. A third of the country is malnourished, while half of all children under five are experiencing acute malnutrition. In view of this critical situation, Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, […]
France Denies Covering-Up Deadly Nuclear Tests in French Polynesia
By Asia Pacific Report newsdesk SUVA (IDN) — The French government has denied any cover-up over radiation levels in the Pacific following its nuclear testing in the region, as state-backed discussions took place in Paris about the legacy of the explosions, reports France 24. A two-day meeting called by French President Emmanuel Macron was held […]
What About Iraq and Iran Now That U.S. Afghan War Is Over?
Viewpoint by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies* NEW YORK (IDN) — At Bagram air-base, Afghan scrap merchants are already picking through the graveyard of U.S. military equipment that was until recently the headquarters of America’s 20-year occupation of their country. Afghan officials say the last U.S. forces slipped away from Bagram in the […]
Latin America’s Unique Biodiversity Can Help Boost Post-Covid Recovery
By Fermin Koop* LONDON (IDN) — Protecting and restoring natural areas in Latin America, home to 50% of the planet’s biodiversity and over a quarter of its forests, could help the region achieve a ‘green’ post-pandemic recovery and meet biodiversity conservation targets, experts say. Doing so could even create thousands of jobs in key economic […]