By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | 23 November (IDN) — President-elect Donald Trump has picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental lawyer, prominent Kennedy political family member, and activist who became a leading figure among vaccine sceptics. He is expected to be a critical prop for Trump’s policies. Four years ago, as the US recorded a daily […]
All Eyes on Busan: Will World Leaders Deliver an Ambitious Global Plastics Treaty?
By Hellen Kahaso Dena* The final round of negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty (25 November-1 December) is underway in Busan, South Korea. Delegates from over 175 nations have gathered to craft a legally binding agreement on the life cycle of plastics. NAIROBI, Kenya | 22 November 2024 (IDN) — Africa is drowning in plastics, […]
Criminal Court Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu Implies Indicment of US Complicity
By Jeffrey D. Sachs* This article was published in Common Dreams and is being republished with the author’s permission. NEW YORK | 21 November 2024 (IDN) — It’s official now. America’s closest ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the one accorded more than 50 standing ovations in Congress just months ago, is under indictment by […]
US, Under Fire, for Vetoing Resolutions Demanding Ceasefire in Gaza
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 20 November 2024 (IDN) — The US veto on a Security Council (UNSC) resolution—demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza—was highly predictable. The resolution, which was vetoed November 20, also called for the release of all hostages and full humanitarian access for civilians. Since 1945, a total […]
Ukraine War: UN Peace Forces as Part of a Comprehensive Peace Deal?
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 20 November 2024 (IDN) — To its credit the Soviet Union and its successor state, Russia, has long supported UN peacekeeping, a practice that originated in 1960 in the time of UN Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjold, who evolved the concept during the great Congolese civil war when it was in […]
Ukrainian Women Drive Humanitarian Response and Recovery Amid Growing Security Threats
By Lakshmi Thor KYIV | NEW YORK | 19 November 2024 (IDN) — As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine entered its 1,000th day on 18 November, civilians, women, and girls in Ukraine are enduring deadly intensified attacks across major cities, amid an increasing humanitarian emergency and a feared energy crisis. The war continues to have […]
Call for Protecting Our Common Climate System
By Bernhard Schell BAKU, Azerbaijan | 18 November 2024 (IDN) — Over 400 religious, faith and values-based individuals and organizations have called for overcoming national barriers in the interest our planet. “Humanity must reach beyond nationalism to build fit-for-purpose global governance for managing the Earth’s atmosphere—our common climate system,” says an interfaith appeal Protecting Our […]
COP29: Focus on Food Systems
By Danielle Nierenberg* BAKU, Azerbaijan | 17 November 2024 (IDN) — We talk a lot about storytelling here at Food Tank, and for good reason: The stories we tell matter. They shape how we approach interacting with our neighbors, transforming systems, and building a better world. The question of who tells our stories matters, too! […]
Zimbabwe Struggling to Save Dying Wetlands
By Sally Nyakanyanga* HARARE, Zimbabwe | 16 November 2024 (IDN) — Budiriro 1 and Budiriro 5, two high-density suburbs of Harare in Zimbabwe, were once separated by a wetland. Now, they are separated by “Budiriro 3 Extension”, an illegally built settlement of temporary homes. As a result of this development, important functions performed by the […]
A New Report Finds Israel’s Warfare Methods in Gaza Consistent with Genocide
By J Nastranis NEW YORK |14 November 2024 (IDN) — A UN Special Committee has found that Israel’s warfare in Gaza is consistent with the characteristics of genocide, with mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions intentionally imposed on Palestinians there. The report of The United Nations Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human […]