THE WORLD – Page 211 – IDN-InDepthNews

Asia-Pacific2013-12-012023-07-10

Bangladesh Media Need Funds For Agro Based Programs

By Tithe Farhana* | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

DHAKA (IDN) – International aid communities are extending supporting hands to transnational and national media for campaigns and programs, related especially to agriculture and climate change issues.

In Bangladesh, there is enormous scope for them to support initiatives, which can generate silent revolution in agricultural development. In particular, financial and technical assistance could trigger a strong campaign on food security, climate smart technology, green technology and other agro-based inventions and interventions.

Europe2013-11-292023-07-10

Arab NGO Network Criticises EU Policies

By Richard Johnson | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

BRUSSELS (IDN) – The Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND), a regional network, working in 12 Arab countries with seven national networks, has criticised the 28-nation European Union’s response to democratic transformations in the Arab Region.

The EU had launched a set of initiatives to support transitions in the Arab region, thus reassessing its previous policies, “which turned a blind eye to dealings with authoritarian and repressive regimes and sacrificed the values of freedom and democracy in order to maintain security and stability and energy resources”, ANND said in a statement.

Asia-Pacific2013-11-282023-07-10

Social Equity Key To Asia’s ‘Mobile Revolution’

By Kalinga Seneviratne* | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

BANGKOK (IDN) – Opening the Connect Asia-Pacific Summit of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in the Thai capital, secretary general Dr Hamadoun Touré remarked that the conference was about putting the “feet on the accelerator in the quest to embrace broadband” but also warned that it needs to add value to the lives of the ordinary citizens.

The Summit – the last of the regional gatherings organized by ITU since 2006 – included some 554 participants from 37 ITU Asia-Pacific Member States, including 7 Heads of State or Government, 30 Ministers, deputy ministers and Ambassadors. A total of 88 Project Proposals were submitted for funding and the Summit identified a market opportunity of approximately 53 billion USD by the roll out of broadband services in the region.

Middle East2013-11-262023-07-10

Implications of Nuclear Deal For Iran

By Abbas Maleki* | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

TEHRAN (IDN | Iran Review) – The Islamic Republic of Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) reached a historical agreement on Iran’s nuclear energy program in the early hours of November 24, 2013.

Middle East2013-11-252023-07-10

Geneva Nuclear Breakthrough Win-Win For All

By Zachary Fillingham* | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

TORONTO (IDN) – A preliminary deal has been reached between the P5+1 parties and Iran, establishing a series of restrictions on the country’s nuclear program in exchange for a partial reduction of the sanctions that have decimated the Iranian economy. The agreement represents a breakthrough in U.S.-Iranian diplomacy since the 1979 Revolution, and the new normal it envisions could have a profound impact on not just the geopolitical reality of the Middle East, but the global economy as well.

The deal was helped along by secret talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives – another exceptional event given the disregard and mistrust that generally passes for bilateral exchange between the two countries.

Asia-Pacific2013-11-242023-07-10

UK Fails To Turn CHOGM13 Into Rights Tribunal

By Kalinga Seneviratne | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

SINGAPORE (IDN) – In his opening address to the Commonwealth leaders’ summit (CHOGM) in Colombo mid-November, Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse concluded his speech by quoting from the Buddha. “‘Let not one take notice of faults of other’s or what they have done or not done. Let one be concerned only about what one has done and left undone,” he told assembled leaders from 53 member countries in an obvious swipe at the British PM’s pre-summit tirades on human rights violation by Sri Lanka.

Middle East2013-11-232023-07-10

Syria: Road To Geneva-II Littered With Bumps

By Manish Rai* | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

NEW DELHI (IDN) – While efforts are underway to make a peace conference on Syria possible, the surrounding atmospheres are not encouraging as opposition groups in the Syrian conflict seem to still have reservations and preconditions.

The Western-backed Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the main opposition group in exile, threw a monkey wrench into the planned peace talks in Geneva saying that it won’t attend the Geneva II peace conference unless there’s a strict timetable for President Bashar al-Assad to leave power.

Asia-Pacific2013-11-212023-07-10

Asia Wants To Abolish Hunger and Poverty

By Ashok Kumar | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

BANGKOK (IDN) – Asia-Pacific region has bumpy roads to traverse before it achieves ‘zero hunger’ and ‘zero poverty’. But it is gearing up for ‘food security for all’ backed by ‘concerted efforts’ to achieve Zero Hunger by 2025 when global population is estimated to surpass the 8 billion mark.

The ‘Zero Hunger Challenge’ – highlighting that hunger can be eliminated in our lifetimes – was launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in June 2002 at Rio to commemorate and review the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in June 1992.

Middle East2013-11-122023-07-10

Iran Talks: France Anxious About Competition With the Other Five

By Jaya Ramachandran | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

BERLIN | TEHRAN (IDN) – France is concerned about its declining influence in the Middle East and fears economic competition from the U.S., Britain and Germany if relations between Tehran and the West are normalized for the first time since the 1979 Iranian revolution. This, according to a senior Iranian analyst, is the reason French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius appeared to adopt a tough stance in Iran’s talks with the P5+1 – the UN Security Council’s permanent members, the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China along with Germany – on November 9-10 in Geneva.

Europe2013-11-102023-07-10

Whither Post-Wall Europe – and Germany?

By Ramesh Jaura | IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

BERLIN (IDN) – Europe is the world’s richest region. Together 28 countries constituting the European Union (EU) are the world’s largest market. EU and its member states provide 56% of about $130 billion global official development assistance. Precisely this obliges Europe not to stay bogged down in ongoing financial and identity crises but accept its international responsibilities wholeheartedly.

This was the upshot of a landmark speech by the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy on November 9, the very day the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, 28 years after it was erected to reinforce post-war division of Germany and Europe. The day was “perhaps the most important tipping point, not just for Germany but in our recent European history,” he said.