By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden, 12 April 2023 (IDN) — Poets as diverse as William Blake and Yehuda Amichai have sung the praises of the heavenly Jerusalem, a land without strife or rancour, war or bitterness, envy, acquisitiveness or hatred. Israel, Fatah and Hamas, in the midst of the present chaos and carnage this Easter […]
African Nun, Gifted Classical Music Composer, Passes At 99
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK, 11 April 2023 (IDN) — African stars in the pantheon of world music have followers today on almost every continent. We have the albums, DVDs, videos and tapes of such great singers as Miriam Makeba, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Youssou N’Dour, and Angelique Kidjo to name just a […]
Thailand: Chiang Mai Breaks Records
By Jan Servaes* BRUSSELS, 9 April 2023 (IDN) — Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand, is consistently cited as one of the best tourist destinations in the world. While Thailand ranks among the world’s best places to retire, Chiang Mai is also popular with digital nomads and backpackers from around the world. Moreover, Chiang […]
Controversial Documentary on Gold Smuggling in Zimbabwe Hits the Air Waves
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK, 3 April 2023 (IDN) — It’s the biggest criminal conspiracy you’ve never heard of. “Gold Mafia—The Laundry Service”—is a shocking tale of corruption in high places, illicit gold smuggling and its powerful enablers who slip through international borders with gold and return with billions in American dollars.
Netanyahu’s Dismal Failure To Guard Israel-Arab Relations
This article was originally published in CNN Arabic By Dr Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK, 3 April 2023 (IDN) — Repulsive statements recently made by Israel’s finance minister demonstrate how corrupt and irresponsible the Netanyahu government is and the damage that it has inflicted on Israel. This damage will endure as long as this extremist nationalist […]
American Journalists in China
By Jan Servaes* BRUSSELS, 2 April 2023 (IDN) — After the success of the ‘Assignment China’ TV-series, Columbia University Press. recently published the book with the same title: “Assignment China: An Oral History of American Journalists in the People’s Republic”. The themes already covered in the TV series have been updated and expanded to 25 […]
Africa: Why Does Afrobeat Superstar Rock More than Nigeria’s Elections?
By Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA, 30 March 2023 (IDN) — From Accra to Cape Town images of Nollywood, Nigeria’s popular movie footprint, are a common staple in homes across the continent as are the sights and sounds of its pop icons who are […]
U.S. Vice President to Reset Relations with Africa on Her First Trip There
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK, 27 March 2023 (IDN) — The U.S. has been sending its best and its brightest to Africa with gifts and promises aimed at winning back the continent from its partnerships with China. On 26 March, Vice President Kamala Harris went off on a 9-day trip designed to […]
U.S. Wins Release of Jailed Hero of Hotel Rwanda
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK, 27 March 2023 (IDN) — From the cinematic screen of “Hotel Rwanda” to solitary confinement in a Rwandese jail, Paul Rusesabegina has been there and back. Now, following a round of quiet diplomacy with two U.S. senior officials of the Biden administration and a final meeting with […]
Washington Extends Its Long Arm into Africa’s Sahel
By Vijay Prashad* This article was produced by Globetrotter. NORTHAMPTON, Massachusetts, 25 March 2023 (IDN) — On 16 March 2023, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced—during his visit to Niger—that the United States government will provide $150 million in aid to the Sahel region of Africa. This money, Blinken said, “will help provide life-saving […]