By Nicholas Mwangi* NAIROBI, Kenya | 22 December 2024 (IDN) — Ghana’s Electoral Commission declared on December 9 that former President and opposition leader John Dramani Mahama was the winner in the presidential election held on December 7, securing 56.55% of the vote, according to provisional results. The election marked a political comeback for the […]
Internet Governance Forum Weighs Pros and Cons of AI
By Bernhard Schell RIYADH, Saudi Arabia | 19 December (IDN) — More than 11,000 participants gathered at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh from 15 to 19 December 2024 and addressed the transformative opportunities and risks posed by rapid advancements of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies. They agreed that while AI presents […]
The First Element of a North Korean Nuclear Proliferation Network
By Robert Kelley* VIENNA | 13 December 2024 (IDN) — On the night of 6 September 2007 Israeli jets bombed a building in Northen Syria. The building was alleged to be a nuclear reactor under construction to support a nuclear weapons program. The reactor was reported to be a copy of the small plutonium production […]
Syria: They Made a Desert, And Called It Peace
By Jeffrey D. Sachs* This article was published in Common Dreams and is being republished with the author’s permission. NEW YORK | 12 December 2024 (IDN) — In the famous lines of Tacitus, Roman historian, “To ravage, to slaughter, to usurp under false titles, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call […]
Sandbagging Trump: Obstacles to a Ukraine Settlement
Manages to Insult Trump After Meeting (After Demanding the Meeting!) By Stephen Bryen* This article was issued by Weapons and Strategy and is being republished with their permission. WASHINGTON, D.C. | 10 December 2024 (IDN) — President Donald Trump reluctantly met with Volodymyr Zelensky and Emanuel Macron in Paris to discuss the way forward in Ukraine. […]
Syria is the Big Enchilada
By James E. Jennings* ATLANTA, USA | 9 December 2024 (IDN) — In American slang, “the big enchilada” means something of supreme importance, more than any other item among a slew of alternatives. Historical comparisons over long millennia in the Middle East show that Syria, not Iraq or Palestine, is the keystone of the Fertile […]
Syria: UN Relocates Non-critical Staff — Report Unveils Torture in Detention Centres
By J Nastranis NEW YORK | 8 December 2024 (IDN) — More than 300,000 people have been displaced in northwest Syria in recent days following the sudden and massive offensive into Government-controlled areas led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is sanctioned by the UN Security Council as a terrorist group. According to the United […]
Two Words Stick as Nepal PM Goes to China for Connectivity Assistance
By Kalinga Seneviratne Bangkok | 7 December 2024 (IDN) — Breaking with tradition, Nepal’s recently re-elected Prime Minister Sharma Oli, a Communist politician, visited China from 2 to 5 December in a bid to add new momentum to growing trends in the landlocked Himalayan nation to diversify its connectivity to the outside world via railways […]
Namibia Elects First Female President Despite Loss of Trust in SWAPO
By Hajo Lanz* This article was issued by IPS-Journal. WINDHOEK, Namibia | 7 December 2024 (IDN) — Following the presidential and parliamentary elections on 27 November 2024, the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) will once again form the government of Namibia and maintain its absolute majority in parliament. The current Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah […]
UNHCR Hits a Record USD 1.5 Billion in Early Funding to Support Refugees
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 4 December 2024 (IDN) — As humanitarian emergencies in the Middle East and Africa keep escalating—including in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan and most recently in Syria—there was a glimmer of hope to millions starved of food and deprived of shelter and medication in war zones. According to the Office of […]