By Jan Servaes BANGKOK | 15 January 2025 (IDN) — Almost four years after the February 1, 2021 coup in Myanmar, the military junta’s widespread and systematic abuses against the population—including arbitrary arrests, torture, extrajudicial killings and aerial bombardments of civilians—amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. For ordinary citizens, the human rights situation […]
Will Putin and Trump Meet in Budapest?
By Fehér Péter* BUDAPEST | 12 January 2025 (IDN) — Vladimir Dzhabarov, the first deputy chairman of the Russian parliament’s upper house committee on international affairs, mentioned in an interview that he considers Hungary an ideal location for a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. This was the first specific indication that the Hungarian […]
The UN Can End the Middle East Conflict by Greeting Palestine as 194th Member
The June 2025 UN Conference on Palestine can be the long-awaited turning point for the region. By Jeffrey D. Sachs and Sybil Fares* This article was published in Al Jazeera and is being republished with the authors‘ permission. NEW YORK | 11 January 2025 (IDN) — The UN, on its 80th birthday in 2025, can […]
Water Is a Key Factor in Syria’s Protracted Conflict
By Paolo Maggiolini* MILAN, Italy | 10 January 2025 (IDN) — Water security will be a key test of the new Syrian government’s credibility. Since 2011, water scarcity has been a central factor in the country’s prolonged conflict, manipulated for political and economic gain. In a region already vulnerable to climate change, prolonged drought and […]
UN Report Stresses the Significance of Critical Minerals for Developing Countries
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | 9 January 2025 (IDN) — The United Nations flagship report, World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2025, has stressed the need of harnessing the potential of critical minerals for sustainable development. It argues that rapidly reducing dependence on fossil fuels and accelerating the transition to renewable energy remains the most […]
The Next UN Secretary-General — Must be the Turn of a Woman
By Dr Palitha Kohona Former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN and Former Ambassador to China COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 8 January 2025 (IDN) — With Antonio Guterres’s term of office tapering off, there is increasing chatter in the corridors of the United Nations in New York regarding his potential successor. The interest in […]
Robots to the Rescue: Can AI Clean up Household Labour Gaps?
By Jessica Henn & Channe Lindstrom Oguzhan, ESCAP* BANGKOK, Thailand | 7 January 2025 (IDN) — Imagine a world where cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping are no longer all-consuming recurrent chores. This vision is fast becoming a reality as the rapid evolution of automation and artificial intelligence transforms households across the Asia-Pacific region. These advancements […]
Book Review: Saving the World from Nuclear War
By Eric Ross, University of Massachusetts Amherst* AMHERST, Massachusetts, USA | 6 January 2025 (IDN) — In Saving the World from Nuclear War, Vincent J. Intondi offers a concise yet comprehensive examination of the context and legacy of the June 12, 1982, Nuclear Disarmament Rally. Against the backdrop of a period of heightened nuclear anxiety […]
Israel’s Attacks Have Devastating Impact on Gaza’s Hospitals
By Volker Türk* GENEVA | 4 January 2025 (IDN) — A human rights catastrophe continues to unfold in Gaza before the eyes of the world. Israel’s means and methods of warfare have killed tens of thousands of people, inflicted vast displacement, and laid waste to the territory. This has raised utmost concerns about compliance with […]
U.S. Congress Members Face a Lawsuit for Funding Israel’s War on Gaza
By Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO, USA | 4 January 2025 (IDN) — On the last day of 2024, the deputy general counsel for the House of Representatives formally accepted delivery of a civil summons for two congressmembers from Northern California. More than 600 constituents of Jared Huffman and Mike Thompson have signed on as plaintiffs […]