By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 17 October 2023 (IDN) — American foreign policymakers often wonder aloud why much of the world has such an anti-American reflex. Why the “Ugly American”? Graham Greene would never have written a novel entitled “Ugly Russian” or even “Ugly German”. Not just Iran considers the US the “Great Satan.” […]
UN Peacekeepers in The DRC Suspended Over Misconduct Charges
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 16 October 2023 (IDN) — South Africa’s military has ordered home a group of soldiers accused of operating a system of mass prostitution in front of their base in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Some nine South Africans, part of a UN peacekeeping mission, were […]
Water is life. Nourishing Humanity from the Ancient Past to the Future
A Feature by The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) BERLIN | ROME | 15 October 2023 (FAO) — Water is finite but an infinitely valuable natural resource. Without it, there would be no food and no life. Centuries ago, the inventive nature of humankind spurred farmers to discover ways to irrigate crops, […]
No Blind Support for Israel in Asia
By Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE. 14 October 2023 (IDN) — In the aftermath of Palestinian group Hamas’s terror attack inside Israel on 7 October and the Israeli state’s equally terrifying attacks on Palestinian settlements in Gaza, the media across many parts of Asia tend to take a more neutral stand to that of their western counterparts, […]
A Trust Redeemed: Celebrating and Reinforcing Achievements
By Ramu Damodaran* NEW YORK | 14 October 2023 (IDN) — Among all the conditions that convened at the creation of the United Nations, and have sustained what will be its 78 years on October 24, none was as unequivocal and decisive as that of trust, the trust demanded between States and invested by them […]
Who’s WHO?
BY Aayusha Pokharel* KATHMANDU. 12 October 2023 (IDN) — The World Health Organisation (WHO) will be nominating its South East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) Director at its 76th session starting 30 October in New Delhi. Nepal’s candidate Shambu Prasad Acharya has emerged as a clear favourite among international public health practitioners. But vying for the […]
Hospitals in the Gaza Strip at a Breaking Point, Warns WHO
JERUSALEM | 12 October 2023 (IDN | WHO EMRO) — WHO warns that the health system in the Gaza Strip is at a breaking point. Time is running out to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe if fuel, life-saving health, and humanitarian supplies cannot be urgently delivered to the Gaza Strip amidst the complete blockade. Hospitals have only a few hours of electricity […]
Egypt Working to End Poverty, Hunger by 2027
By UNIC Cairo CAIRO. | 12 October 2023 (IDN) — Egypt has committed to end poverty and hunger by 2027. At the 2023 SDG Summit, Egypt laid out bold, concrete commitments to accelerate its progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDG Summit, convened by the President of the UN General Assembly at […]
UN Human Rights Council: Russia Loses, China Wins Narrowly
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 11 October 2023 (IDN) — The UN’s 47-member Geneva-based Human Rights Council (HRC) has had a longstanding notoriety for having several so-called “repressive regimes” and “authoritarian governments” as its members—elected by the 193-member General Assembly. At the elections, held by secret ballot on 10 October, the 15 new members […]
Is Russia Planning to Revoke its Ratification of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty?
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 10 October 2023 (IDN) — The Russian Federation, which made several implicit threats to use nuclear weapons in its ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, is reportedly toying with the idea of withdrawing its ratification of the landmark Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The international wire service Reuters reported […]