By Jamshed Baruah GENEVA (IDN) — The German city of Koblenz on the banks of the river Rhine has made history. The Higher Regional Court there has convicted a former senior Syrian intelligence officer, for crimes against humanity. The man, known as was charged with complicity in the torture of thousands of people between 2011 […]
Sustainable Development Observer Issue 4 Focuses on Global Health Crisis
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) — This fourth issue of Sustainable Development Observer focuses on the global health crisis that has been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and pharmaceutical industry’s greed—at the cost of peoples’ health. While the world’s media has gone berserk about a new “Omicron” variant of the COVID virus, the World Trade […]
Arrest of Popular Benin Leader Evokes Protests of Lawyers for Democratic Opposition
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Reckya Madougou, one of the strongest challengers to Benin’s autocratic leader, Patrice Talon, will be observing the next election from her cell in jail. The 47-year-old activist was found guilty of conspiring to assassinate political figures and sentenced to 20 years behind bars. Madougou was […]
A Private Funeral to Be Held for Last of The Apartheid-Era Presidents
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — There will be no state funeral for South Africa’s last white president, Frederick Willem de Klerk, his foundation said in a published statement. Instead, Mr. de Klerk will have a private burial following cremation on November 21 for family members that will be closed to […]
Found in Translation: New York Times Says Democrats Shouldn’t Challenge Oligarchy
By Norman Solomon and Jeff Cohen* SAN FRANCISCO (IDN) — A few days after the November 2 election, the New York Times published a vehement editorial calling for the Democratic Party to adopt “moderate” positions and avoid seeking “progressive policies at the expense of bipartisan ideas.” It was a statement by the Times editorial board, […]
IDN-INPS Southeast Asia’s Second Sustainable Development Observer
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY | BANGKOK (IDN) — The second issue of Sustainable Development Observer—an e-monthly of IDN-InDepthNews in association with INPS Southeast Asia with news and views on sustainable development goals from the perspective of the two-thirds world (Global South)—has been published. The inaugural issue can be downloaded here.
The Middle East Still Leads as One of the World’s Most Prolific Arms Markets
By Thalif Deen New York (IDN) — The politically and militarily volatile Middle East continues its run as one of the world’s biggest single arms markets—led primarily by Saudi Arabia. But the Saudi dominance is being gradually challenged by another oil-blessed country in the region: the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the latest report […]
Inaugural Flight To Kushinagar Cements Eternally Binding Buddhist Indo-Lanka Bond
By Sugeeswara Senadhira This article is the 47th in a series of joint productions of Lotus News Features and IDN-InDepthNews, flagship agency of the Non-profit International Press Syndicate. Click here for previous reports. COLOMBO (IDN) — An inaugural flight between Colombo and India’s newest international airport Kushinagar landed on October 20 to mark the official […]
With Public Interest Journalism Fund, NZ Seeks To ‘Normalise’ Diversity
By Sri Krishnamurthi The author wrote this article for the IDN partner Asia-Pacific Report on October 13. WELLINGTON (IDN) — The announcement in February of a new $55 million, three-year Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF) by Minister for Broadcasting and Media Kris Faafoi suggested a revitalisation of tired old traditional media models. Since then it […]
Nobel Peace Laureate Tutu Celebrates 90 With Global Leaders
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Celebratory messages of love and appreciation for Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu poured in from across the world on the Nobel Peace laureate’s 90th birthday on October 7. A week’s worth of events culminated on his birthday with the 11th Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture delivered […]