By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) — Russian and foreign media have stepped up reports about rising Covid-19 infections. The reports also indicate high deaths in the country. Some new trends are noticeable. Interestingly, Tourism and Travel agencies have revealed that vaccine uptake has lagged in Russia and worse, due largely to mistrust, so many […]
COVID-19 & the Global South: From Crisis Response to Sustainable Development
By Rachel Gisselquist Rachel M. Gisselquist, a political scientist, is a Senior Research Fellow with the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) and a member of the institute’s senior management team. She works on the politics of developing countries, with particular attention to inequality, ethnic politics, state building and governance and […]
Without Tourists Thailand’s Famous Massage Industry on The Brink of Collapse
By Pattama Vilailert BANGKOK(IDN) — Thailand’s famous tourist industry has been synonymous with its traditional massage parlours and treatment centres. But the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns are having a serious impact on the industry and may force foreign takeovers. The continuous lockdowns have impacted savagely on the spa and massage business.
UN Jolted by Single Corona Virus Infection at a Meeting of World Leaders
By Thalif Deen NEW YORK (IDN) — Amid fears of the current General Assembly sessions in danger of being a “super spreader” of the Delta virus—among hundreds of delegates attending a two-week long meeting through end September—the United Nations has alerted its staff about an unnamed delegate testing positive.
Tackling Global Hunger at Its Roots
Viewpoint by Bhikkhu Bodhi Tackling global hunger requires that we identify its fundamental causes and remove these at the roots. This necessitates not only the adoption of transformative policies, but a fundamental change in our own values and attitudes, writes Bhikkhu Bodhi. NEW YORK (IDN) — The Buddha teaches that to effectively solve any problem […]
UN Assembly President Abdulla Shahid Highlights Hope For Billions Around the World
UN News NEW YORK (IDN) — The incoming President of the General Assembly says that hope is desperately needed for those billions around the world struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, devastation, and strife. In his first major interview, he told UN News that the General Assembly, as the UN’s most representative body, is ideally placed […]
As Lockdown Fetish Fades, Australia Argues Over “Living With Covid”
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) — Last year, Australia was among the first countries to successfully battle the Covid-19 pandemic with lockdowns and efficient contact tracing, but, with the rapid transmission of the Delta variant, especially in Sydney and Melbourne, the politicians’ fetish for lockdowns is now being questioned with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and […]
Fiji Keen to Ease US-China Rivalry in the Pacific
By Denghua Zhang, ANU and Shivan, University of Fiji While Denghua Zhang is a Research Fellow at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University (ANU), Shivani is Lecturer in the School of Law at the University of Fiji. CANBERRA | SUVA (IDN) — As strategic mistrust between the United States […]
Angola Mine Leak Causing ‘Unprecedented’ Pollution in Congo Rivers
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — A leak from the world’s fifth biggest diamond mine in northern Angola is causing an “unprecedented environmental catastrophe,” researchers at Kinshasa University are reported to say. The leak threatens some two million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Raphael Tshimanga, director of […]
ALCAP’s “Documentaries for Development” at World Forum 4.0
Viewpoint by Niba Mirza* NEW DELHI (IDN) — Documentaries have always been a potent medium to exchange ideas, information and knowledge. They manifest an inherent tendency of the human beings to document reality of their times and communicate with each other. Among others, this year’s World Forum 4.0 shall feature “Documentaries for Development,” a unique […]