By Alon Ben-Meir* This article is one of a series of three; the second one will address how the Palestinians lost their way as well; the third article recommends an urgently needed reality check by both sides to avert catastrophic developments. NEW YORK (IDN) — Seventy-five years after its creation, Israel is now raising the […]
US Re-Launches Military Alliance with Philippines
By Thalif Deen NEW YORK (IDN) — When Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was presiding over a right-wing authoritarian regime in the Philippines (1965-1986), the United States was one of his closest political and military allies. After a long break of successive regimes, where the US was cold-shouldered, the Biden administration re-launched in January 2023 its military […]
‘Cobalt Red’ Portrays the Degradation of Congolese Miners’ Life
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Some might call it a vision of hell. To others, the cobalt mines, where thousands of miners toil in vast open pits, are “a hellscape of craters and tunnels, patrolled by maniacs with guns.” “It was a “lunar wasteland,” a “devastated landscape” that “resembled a […]
Ghana To Establish A ‘War College’ As Fears of Terrorism Grow
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — The Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF) is looking to establish a War College to train future military strategists and leaders. President Nana Akufo-Addo revealed the plans at the Ghanaian Armed Forces end-of-year West African Soldiers Social Activities (WASSA) celebrations in Accra.
Pope Ends African Journey Calling for End to Gun Violence
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Pope Francis departed from South Sudan along with over 70 journalists aboard the papal plane bound for Rome, marking the conclusion of his 6-day Apostolic Journey to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. His first public words in DR Congo set the tone […]
Africa Confronts an Aged Leadership Unwilling to Retire
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — African leaders serving 20 or more years in office are drawing the attention of critics who question their ability to run a country after so many years. Suspicions about the stability of Cameroonian President Paul Biya, age 89, were raised in a recent issue of […]
New Study Reveals Awful Human Trafficking Trails to Libya
By Reinhard Jacobsen BRUSSELS (IDN) — Eritrean refugees are trafficked and enslaved in Libya, where they are tortured, abused and raped by slave traders to force family members to pay ransom for their release. If they escape and make it to the Mediterranean Sea, they risk being intercepted and sent back to Libya or dying […]
UN Asks Libya to Address Serious Rights Violations
Independent Experts Were on Fact-Finding Mission By Reinhardt Jacobsen BRUSSELS | TRIPOLI (IDN) — Libyan authorities must take decisive steps to provide justice and redress to the vast number of victims suffering from longstanding violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Libya said after its final visit […]
Australian FM Urges Britain to Confront Its Colonial Past in Asia
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) — In a landmark speech at King’s College London, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has urged Britain to confront its colonial past if it wanted to strengthen and build new ties in the Indo-Pacific. Malaysian-born Wong said that Britain and other countries should strive to shed staying “sheltered in narrower […]
‘Debt Trap Diplomacy’ Blamed For Zambian Debt Crisis
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — China, the builder of roads, energy, railways and telecom across Africa, came under fire from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during her recent three-country African friendship tour when she singled out the Asian giant for Africa’s looming debt crisis. Driving past Lusaka, the capital city, […]