By Rodney Reynolds UNITED NATIONS | 24 May 2024 (IDN) — The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, has urged the Government of Israel to investigate multiple allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment against detained Palestinians since 7 October 2023. “Persons deprived of liberty must always be treated humanely,” […]
Low-Income Countries Face Worst Debt Crisis Ever, says New Report
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 23 May 2024 (IDN) — A new report on global economic governance says low-income countries are faced with the worst debt crisis they have ever encountered. Currently, debt service eats up over 50 per cent of public revenue in Kenya; over 60 per cent in Morocco and over 70 […]
US Rejects ICC on Afghan War Crimes but Seeks Its Support Against Russia
By Mohammad Ali Salih* LONDON | 23 May 2024 (IDN) — The Americans’ deep anger, official and popular, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has been leading to: first, decisions to send heavy arms to Ukraine to liberate “every inch’ of its territory; second, increasing sanctions on Russia to make it “suffer forever;” and, […]
ICC Faces Controversies and Allegations of Hypocrisy
By Tajul Islam* DHAKA, Bangladesh | 22 May 2024 (IDN) —The International Criminal Court (ICC) and its chief prosecutor Karim Khan, a Pakistani-British member of the Ahmadiyya community, with deep-rooted connections with Buckingham Palace and UK’s intelligence establishments are hitting headlines in international media in recent days. Criticising ICC, in a recent statement on his […]
Why Is the ICC Prosecutor Seeking Arrest Warrants Against Israeli and Hamas Leaders?
By Rodney Reynolds UNITED NATIONS | May 21 2024 (IDN) — The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is seeking arrest warrants on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and leaders of Hamas, on charges of war crimes in the 7-month-old war in Gaza. While the request must be approved […]
Congolese Bishops Decry ‘Trails of Murders’ in the City Of Goma
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 20 May 2024 (IDN) — A despairing picture of the Democratic Republic of Congo was recently captured by a group of local bishops who condemned how “the dignity of the Congolese people is being undermined.” “The situation in and around (the capital city of) Goma is […]
The Dead End of Liberal American Zionism
By Abba A. Solomon and Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO | 20 May 2024 (IDN) — In 2014, we wrote an article titled “The Blind Alley of J Street and Liberal American Zionism.” At the time, Benjamin Netanyahu was in his sixth continuous year as Israel’s prime minister, while President Obama was well into his second […]
UN Report Cautiously Optimistic About Global Economic Outlook
By Rodney Reynolds NEW YORK | 16 May 2024 (IDN) — A United Nations report expects a sustained rebound in tourism to improve the economic prospects for small island developing States (SIDS), leading to GDP growth from 2.4 per cent in 2023 to 3.3 per cent in 2024. However, SIDS remain vulnerable to spikes in […]
Latin America and the Caribbean: Initiative to Empower Young People in Arms Control, Peacebuilding
By Rodney Reynolds NEW YORK | 15 May 24 (IDN) — The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) has launched the first edition of GenerAcción Paz: building dreams, disarming violence (GenerAcción Paz: armando sueños, desarmando la violencia), which aspires to empower young people to create […]
UN Report Faults Misinformation and Politicisation of Migration
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA | DHAKA | 13 May 2024 (IDN) — Migration is an intrinsic part of human history, but it is often overshadowed by sensationalised narratives and headlines that contradict reality. “Most migration is regular, safe, and regionally focused, directly linked to opportunities and livelihoods,” says the UN migration agency IOM agency. “Yet, […]