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 […]
India Steers G20 Towards Supporting Global South’s SDG Push
By Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE. 13 September 2023 (IDN) — In a rare demonstration of consensus, Russia and the US welcomed the New Delhi Declaration of the G20 summit on 10 September that did not condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Instead, they focused on the development challenges facing the global community. Russian Foreign Minister […]
African Leaders Decide to Mobilize for Climate Change
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | NAIROBI. 11 September 2023 (IDN) — In a first for African leaders grappling with climate issues from droughts to floods, a summit was convened from 4-6 September in Nairobi, Kenya, with a focus on mobilizing the finances desperately needed for extreme weather, conserving natural resources and […]
Globalisation of Markets Without Globalisation of Peace
By Andrea Riccardi Professor Riccardi is a historian and founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio. The following are extensive excerpts from his remarks at the opening of the International Meeting for Peace, ‘THE AUDACITY OF PEACE’. BERLIN. 10 September 2023 (IDN) — It is of significance—for women and men of different religions, who fill their […]
Artificial Intelligence Likely to Augment, Not Destroy Jobs, says ILO Study
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 8 September 2023 (IDN) — The growing new global phenomenon—Artificial Intelligence (AI)—has sparked both positive and negative reactions, including a perceived threat that it will eventually replace humans in most workplaces. But a new study, Generative AI and Jobs: A global analysis of potential effects on job quantity and quality, […]
The World Must Come Together to Address Global Challenges
By Kristalina Georgieva and Ajay Banga Following are excerpts from the Joint Statement issued by Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank, on 7 September 2023. WASHINGTON, DC. 8 September 2023 (IDN) — The world confronts significant economic challenges, the existential threat of climate […]
Ukrainian Refugees—Mostly Women—Reluctant to Return Home
Ukrainian Refugees—Mostly Women—Reluctant to Return Home By Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury* DHAKA. 7 September 2023 (IDN) — In the wake of the conflict in Ukraine that erupted on 24 February 2022, millions of Ukrainians sought refuge in various countries across Europe and beyond. A unique feature of this refugee flow, however, is its striking gender […]
The Iron Fist Inside a Velvet Glove
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden. 5 September 2023 (IDN) — “1789 is a historic date, but it is not an historic example”. The French Revolution, violent to its fingertips, began with the highest motives, led by the most inspired and determined of people, but descended step by step into its self-created inferno where the revolution […]
Global Heatwave Tells North and South that Climate Change Is Here
Analysis by Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE. 5 September 2023 (IDN) — When heatwaves hit Southeast Asia, India and China in July, breaking temperature records across Asia, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the “global boiling” era has arrived. And it didn’t take long for wildfires fuelled by high temperatures to spread across North America, Hawaii and Europe. […]