Viewpoint by Rene Wadlow* GENEVA (IDN) – As the world celebrated the UN-designated International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on September 26, there were still some 16,000 nuclear weapons in the world, largely in the hands of the United States and the Russian Federation, some on “ready alert”. There are plans to […]
India-U.S. Strong Partnership Not Endorsement of Washington-led Regional Order
Viewpoint by Jagannath Panda The writer is a Research Fellow and Centre Coordinator for East Asia at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi. He is also the Series Editor for Routledge Studies on Think Asia. This article was first published in East Asia Forum on September 23, 2018. NEW DELHI (IDN-INPS) […]
Why the International Court for War Crimes Is Essential
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Last year the office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) released a report which for the first time explicitly named U.S. military forces and CIA operatives in secret prisons as possible war crimes culprits for the alleged use of torture and rape. Because the […]
India’s Stance on the Indo-Pacific Not Exclusionary of China
Viewpoint by Prateek Joshi The writer is a Research Associate with the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) India, a New Delhi-based public policy think-tank. This article was first published in East Asia Forum on September 21, 2018. NEW DELHI (IDN-INPS) – In a move that heralds greater bilateral cooperation, Chinese Defence Minister Lieutenant General Wei Fenghe […]
The Earth is the Common Home of All Inhabitants
Viewpoint by Riccardo Petrella* ROME (IDN) – The first vast work of “worldwide” occupation and predation of the Earth and its inhabitants was that begun in the sixteenth century by a number of European states (Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, England and France). After the First World War, new actors – no less conquerors and predators […]
The Russia, Iran, Turkey, Israel and Syria Mosaic
Viewpoint by Pier Francesco Zarcone* ROME (IDN) – Recent events in Syria (downing of a Russian Ilyushin plane and an agreement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recip Erdoğan on Idlib) lead to some reflections starting with the Israeli bombing that caused more than ten Russian deaths. Many political observers, including Alberto Negri […]
Global Compact Pays Heed to Migrants Fleeing Degrading Lands
Viewpoint by Mariam Traore Chazalnoël The writer is a specialist in environmental and climate migration at the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s Office to the United Nations in New York. She has been working since 2013 on the global governance of environmental migration and regularly publishes on the topic. This article first appeared in UNCCD […]
When Climate Change Dishes Up a ‘Toxic Stew’
By William S. Becker* MILWAUKEE, USA (IDN) – It happened in July 2016. A flash flood roared through Ellicott City, Maryland, killed two people and caused tens of millions of dollars in damages to the historic buildings along Main Street. The experts said it was one of those rare 1,000-year flood events. The city set […]
Japan and China Boost Connectivity in Southeast Asia
Prime Minister Abe is reported to be keen to reach an agreement on specific cooperation project during his planned official visit to China this October. Viewpoint by Zhao Hong The author is Professor at the Research School for Southeast Asian Studies, Xiamen University, China. This article was first carried in EastAsiaForum on 15 September 2018. […]
South Africa Is Determined to Grasp the Nettle of Land Reform
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Zimbabwe messed up its land reform. Now South Africa has decided to give a great push to its slow moving land reform. We’ll see if it can avoid Zimbabwe’s mistakes. President Donald Trump tweeted that he’d asked his secretary of state to look into “farm seizures and […]