By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden. 19 September 2023 (IDN) — “What did these vain and presumptuous men intend? How did they expect to raise their lofty mass against God, when they had built it above all the mountains and clouds of the earth’s atmosphere?” This is St. Augustine writing about Babylon in his “City of […]
Clarion Call for a World Free from Nuclear Weapons
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN. 19 September 2023 (IDN) — Mark* is 28 years. Like him, those in their twenties believed that atomic bombs, which the United States dropped over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, belonged to a remote past. However, since Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to deploy nuclear weapons in the Ukraine […]
UN Chief Wants $500 Billion Annual Development Fund, Financial Reforms
By Arul Louis* UNITED NATIONS. 18 September 2023 (IDN) — UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday renewed his call for the reform of the “outdated, dysfunctional and unfair” World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and for a $500 billion stimulus fund for the world organisation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Speaking at the opening […]
Re-Elected Zimbabwe President Gets Low Marks for Gender-Balance
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | HARARE. 17 September 2023 (IDN) — Women’s groups in Zimbabwe are calling on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to have a gender-balanced cabinet. The recently reelected leader has appointed just six women out of 26 cabinet positions. Women comprise 54% of Zimbabwe’s population, but men received the lion’s […]
Global Debt Is Rising After Decline in 2022
By Vitor Gaspar, Marcos Poplawski-Ribeiro, Jiae Yoo* WASHINGTON, D.C. 16 September 2023 (IDN) — The global debt burden retreated for the second year in a row, even though it remains above its already-high pre-pandemic level, according to the latest update of our Global Debt Database. The total debt stood at 238 percent of global gross […]
A High Seas Treaty Aimed at Protecting Polluted Oceans is Now a Reality
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 16 September 2023 (IDN) — A historic new international treaty, described as “a monumental win for the protection of the world’s oceans”, will be open for signature by member states beginning September 20 during the high-level meeting of world political leaders at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The treaty will […]
Trillion of Dollars Needed to Ensure Green Energy for All
By J Nastranis* NEW YORK. 15 September 2023 (IDN) —Transition to green energy, addressing energy poverty and decarbonization, requires a considerable investment and impact. In the wake of new multibillion-dollar commitments to boost renewable energy, electricity access, and clean cooking technologies by 2030, the UN has therefore pledged trillions of dollars in finance and investment […]
Pope Francis’ Special Envoy Goes to China to Seek Peace in Ukraine
By Devin Watkins BERLIN | ROME. 14 September 2023 (IDN | VATICAN NEWS) — Pope Francis’ special envoy, Cardinal Matteo Mario Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna, is visiting Beijing on 13-15 September to seek peace in Ukraine, according to The Holy See Press Office. “The visit (to China) forms another step of the mission desired […]
Saudi Arabia, Under Fire for Civilian Killings, is Largest Buyer of US Arms
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 14 September 2023 (IDN) — Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s richest oil-blessed countries in the politically volatile Middle East, continues to strengthen its military relationship with the United States. According to the latest figures released by the US Department of Commerce, Saudi Arabia is America’s’ largest foreign military sales […]
UN Conference in Samarkand to Address Rapid Land Degradation
By Rita Joshi BONN | SAMARKAND. 13 September 2023 (IDN) — At least 100 million hectares of healthy and productive land were degraded every year between 2015 and 2019, affecting food and water security globally and directly impacting the lives of 1.3 billion people, according to the latest UN data. This adds up to 420 […]