By Isabel Hofmeyr and Charne Lavery* In the run-up to the COP26 climate change conference scheduled for November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland, The Conversation has prepared a five-part series entitled Oceans 21 examining the history and future of the world’s oceans. This is the first article in the series which looks into ancient Indian Ocean […]
There Is Enough Food, yet 2 Billion Have Difficulty Accessing It
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) – “Hunger is an outrage in a world of plenty,” the UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the governing body of the Organization’s food agency, highlighting the important role of food security in cementing peace. “An empty stomach is a gaping hole in the heart of a society. A stunted […]
Poor Indoor Air Affecting the Health of Babies in Africa and Other Regions
By J W Jackie RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) – The recent State of Global Air 2020 report has revealed that pollution leads to half a million deaths among babies on a global scale every year, with poor indoor air quality contributing to two-thirds of these deaths. Particulate matter is a huge problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, […]
Stunning Lack of G20 Responsibility for the World’s Poor
Viewpoint by Roberto Savio* ROME (IDN | OtherNews) – The recent meeting of the G20 – scheduled to take place in Riyadh but held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic – has been an eloquent example of how the world is drifting, in a crisis of leadership. It was, in a sense, a showcase. Everybody […]
A Global Summit Calls for Transition to the Bioeconomy
By Rita Joshi BERLIN (IDN) – Global environmental threats, the opportunities brought by new sciences, and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic call for the transition to the bioeconomy, says the communiqué emerging from the Global Bioeconomy Summit 2020 organised by the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy (IACGB) composed of about forty high-level policy […]
Egypt Bashed for Arrest of Prominent Rights Defenders
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – “Meeting with foreign diplomats is not a crime. Nor is peacefully advocating for human rights.” Those were the first words of Antony Blinken as he steps up to the plate and assumes the position of foreign policy adviser to President-elect Joe Biden. Blinken joins prominent […]
Sports and Art Suggested as Means to Promote Teens’ Mental Health
By J W Jackie RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) – Art, music and sports have all been proven to boost mental health across a wide range of age groups, but one new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia indicates that these extracurricular activities are a powerful way to boost teen mental health. The […]
New Report Sparks Anxiety About COVID-19 Wrecking UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | GENEVA (IDN) – UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi has stressed the need to address the frailties of globalization that led to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and its uneven economic impacts, gravely wounding the world economy with serious consequences for everyone. He hopes that the situation would prove to […]
Australia: Environmentalists’ Market 40 Years on Going Strong
By Kalinga Seneviratne CHANNON (IDN) – At the peak of the hippie movement in the West, in 1976, the traditional farming village here in this scenic setting was a battleground between loggers and environmentalists who had travelled from across Australia, to stop the clear-felling of the rainforest at Terania Creek close by. This was the […]
Why Cybersecurity for Small Businesses is More Necessary Now Than Ever Before
By J W Jackie RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) – Nearly one-fifth of small businesses experienced either a hack, virus or data breach in 2019, according to data from B2B site The Manifest. While this proves that small businesses are indeed vulnerable to cyber attacks, it also serves as a warning to others that makes proper […]