By Friday Forum The following media release issued by the Friday Forum (FF) on November 22, 2018 expresses grave concern about the situation in the aftermath of Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena’s move to remove Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and prorogue Parliament on October 26, 2018. The FF is an informal group of concerned citizens pledged […]
The Cambodian-UN War Crimes Trials are Finally Over
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Finally, finally, the over-long, ten year trials of the leaders of the murderous Khmer Rouge leadership of Cambodia, are over. The two defendants, Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, were each given a life sentence at the end of the first trial in August 2015 for crimes against […]
Governments Unable to Take Climate Responsibility Seriously
Viewpoint by Roberto Savio The writer is publisher of Other News, a vehicle for “voices against the tide”, and founder of IPS-Inter Press Service News Agency. This article is being reproduced courtesy of Other News with the writer’s permission. He can be contacted at utopia@robertosavio.info and his articles and comments can be read on Facebook […]
A Punitive Approach to Iran’s Missile Activities Will Not Fix the Problem
Europe Should Promote a Regional Security Mechanism in the Middle East Viewpoint by Dr Tytti Erästö * European powers deserve credit for their efforts to maintain the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but their current coercive approach to Iran’s missiles is counterproductive, writes Dr Tytti Erästö, a researcher in the Stockholm International Peace […]
Cities Have the Potential to Shape the Future of Humankind
Viewpoint by Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury* The following are extensive extracts from the opening address by Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations, who is the Chairman of the Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS) since 2008, at the 13th GFHS Annual Session in Bangkok on 30 October 2018. […]
Nuclear Arms Control is Going Down a Trumpian Hole
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Reacting to the radio interview by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to mark Armistice Day, in which he was reported as saying, “We have to protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America… We need a true European army”, President Donald […]
Sri Lanka Needs a Consensus Builder – Where Have All the Leaders Gone?
Viewpoint by H.M.G.S. Palihakkara * The author is a Sri Lankan civil servant, diplomat and former Governor of Northern Province. This article first appeared in The Island and is being republished in view of its fervent plea for ‘building a culture of consensual governance’. – The Editor. COLOMBO (IDN-INPS) – Many concerned citizens are seen […]
NATO’s Gottemoeller Discusses Military Applications of Artificial Intelligence in China
By J C Suresh TORONTO (IDN-INPS) – “We know that we cannot fight tomorrow’s threats with today’s tools. Defending ourselves is no longer about just looking at a map and deciding where to position troops and equipment. We need to defend ourselves in the digital age, and in the age of artificial intelligence,” NATO Deputy […]
Sri Lanka President Told Not to Trample on Parliamentary Democracy and the Rights of People
Viewpoint by Friday Forum Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena’s move to remove Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and prorogue Parliament was “a shameless disregard of this political mandate given to him by the people”, avers the Friday Forum in a statement circulated on November 5. The Friday Forum is “an informal group of concerned citizens pledged to […]
Theresa May Should Join Angela Merkel at the Retirement Door
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Is Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, responsible for Brexit? In a way yes she is because at the time of the great economic crisis of 2007-2013, counterproductively she insisted on austerity throughout the European Union. Austerity helped turn the poorer classes of the UK towards Brexit. But […]