Viewpoint by P.I. Gomes Dr P.I. Gomes is retired Ambassador of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union and former Secretary-General of ACP Group of State, now the Organisation of African, the Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago (IDN) — Recent events of […]
A Congolese Immigrant Family in the US Confronts Police Shooting Like the Executions Back Home
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — When Patrick Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant, died at the hands of a police officer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, his life was cut down by violence much like the home-grown executions Congolese have been facing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for years. Close to […]
US Urged to Restore the UN-Backed 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal
By Radwan Jakeem NEW YORK (IDN) — More than 40 former government officials and leading nuclear non-proliferation experts have expressed strong support for an agreement that returns Iran and the United States to comply with the 2015 nuclear deal. The accord between Iran and the major world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of […]
Remembering ECHELON: The First International Mass Surveillance Program
By Mila Bera BELGRADE (IDN) — Ask a family member or friend how much they value their online privacy and you’ll usually get a noncommittal answer that belies their disinterest. In fact, most people don’t have a clue how much their privacy is really worth. Governments and their agencies have no such doubts; they set […]
Russian Invasion of Ukraine Triggers a Rise in Military Spending in Europe
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The Russian invasion of Ukraine is forcing most European countries to increase defence spending, boost military capabilities and secure their territorial borders. The attack against Ukraine, which began February 24 and has continued despite international condemnations, has resulted in thousands of civilian killings, along with the devastation of […]
African Leaders Crack Down on The Press
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Retaliating against media reports of civilian deaths at the hands of the Malian Armed Forces, authorities there have ordered French public broadcasters RFI and its sister TV station France 24 off the air. News reports of military abuses were without merit, the ruling junta charged. […]
NATO Is Far from Obsolete
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) — What does ex-president Donald Trump think about NATO? Twice during his campaigning, he rubbished it publicly, saying it was “obsolete”. Three years ago the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said NATO was “brain-dead. Is it obsolete or brain-dead or both?
Russia Battles Its Own Weapon Systems in Ukraine — As US Provides Over A $Billion in Arms
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — Perhaps one of the biggest ironies of the current military conflict is that Ukraine may be using mostly Soviet-era weapons against the Russians, including combat helicopters, T-64 battle tanks and AT-6 anti-tank missiles acquired from the former USSR. But that military scenario is expected to change significantly with […]
Ukraine-Russia: Analysis Briefs
By Aar Jay NEW YORK (IDN) — “Over the past six months, Russia has steadily built up forces along the frontier as Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington have traded barbs,” writes Robert Farley in ‘1945‘ on January 3, 2022. Russia’s immediate concerns involve the Ukrainian acquisition and use of Turkish drones along its border regions, along […]
S.N. Goenka: Spreading Buddha’s Teaching Around the World
By Dr Asoka Bandarage The writer, a scholar and practitioner, has taught at Yale, Brandeis, Mount Holyoke (where she received tenure), Georgetown, American and other universities, and colleges in the U.S. and abroad. COLOMBO (IDN) — Fear and distress prevail. Although less reported, there are developments bringing peace and happiness to people’s lives. One such […]