By Reinhard Jacobsen VIENNA | 18 August 2024 (IDN) —- The UN’s atomic energy agency IAEA is concerned about the nuclear safety situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which is deteriorating following a drone strike that hit the road around the plant site perimeter on 17 August. The attack occurred as Ukrainian forces […]
Bangladesh: Hasina Has Fallen, And So Has Misguided Policy of India in South Asia
By M. Adil Khan* This article was originally published in South Asia Journal. BRISBANE, Australia | 17 August 2024 (IDN) — On 5 August 2024, protesting and venting their anger against Sheikh Hasina Wazed, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and her Awami League government’s years of despotism, injustices and brutalities, an angry mob of hundreds […]
The Scheming of Netanyahu Has Hit a Dead End
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 15 August 2024 (IDN) — Netanyahu feels that all stars are aligned together to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, but agreeing on a ceasefire with Hamas will deprive him of realizing this “historic opportunity” and jeopardize his political survival. His days of scheming have hit a dead end The Iranian […]
The Cradle of Chinese Buddhism Is A Major Tourist Attraction
A Lotus News Feature by Kalinga Seneviratne LUOYANG, China | 15 August 2024 (IDN | LCN) — Though people around the world may not relate China with Buddhism these days, the reality is that Buddhism has been an integral part of Chinese civilization and culture for 1900 years, and even today with over 200 million […]
What After Earth Has Just Ended A 13-Month Streak of Record Heat?
By Christopher Merchant* This article was originally published in The Conversation under Creative Commons License. READING, Berkshire, England | 15 August 2024 (IDN) — A 13-month streak of record-breaking global warmth has ended. From June 2023 until June 2024, air and ocean surface water temperatures averaged a quarter of a degree Celsius higher than records […]
The First-Ever Medal for UN Refugee Team at Paris Olympics
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 14 August 2024 (IDN) — When the 16-day Paris Olympics came to a glittering end last Sunday, the spotlight was mostly on the two biggest medal winners: the United States with a tally of 126 medals, including 40 gold medals, followed by China with a total of 91, including […]
Gaza War: Theft of Nation—Again
By James E. Jennings* ATLANTA, Georgia | 12 August 2024 (IDN) — At a carnival or county fair the chances are you’ll be accosted by a huckster with a shell game—“Step right up—try your luck!” It’s a game of distraction, and you’re a sucker if you think you can beat the quick fingers of the […]
US Supports UN Cybercrime Treaty but With Reservations
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 12 August 2024 (IDN) — Amid strong protests from a coalition of over 110 human rights groups and civil society organizations (CSOs), the UN Ad Hoc Committee on Cybercrime adopted—by consensus on August 8—a global cybercrime treaty. Described as “broad in scope” with insufficient human rights safeguards, the treaty […]
The Cost-of-Living Crisis Lingers on Despite Recent Declines in Inflation
By Shuvojit Banerjee* BANGKOK, Thailand | 12 August 2024 (IDN) — High prices of essential goods and services have become a pressing issue for the poor and vulnerable in Asia and the Pacific despite decent economic growth and declining inflationary trends so far in 2024. This cost-of-living crisis since the onset of the war in […]
Nuclear-weapon States Urged to Promote Non-proliferation and Disarmament
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | 11 August 2024 (IDN) — The United States deserves unequivocal accolades for joining Egypt and Qatar in exerting its diplomatic weight to avert a wider war in the Middle East. It is regretful, however, that such zeal was missing at the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the Eleventh […]