By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 2 August 2023 (IDN) — The United States, which has long accused North Korea of nuclear saber-rattling, is now at the receiving end of the same charges. The accusations have been prompted by the arrival in South Korea on July 18 of a US submarine capable of launching nuclear missiles. […]
The Great Transition: Non-alignment and the Rise of the Global South
By Khalid Malik* This article was published in Other News. NEW YORK. 29 July 2023 (IDN) — In the 17th century, Ming China represented roughly one-third of global output, and Mughal India a little less. Together the two countries accounted more than half of the world’s output, with a corresponding size of populations (as a […]
The Significance of the United States Rejoining UNESCO
By Jan Servaes* PARIS. 26 July 2023 (IDN) — When former US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2017, it seemed like an essential part of his determination to make America great again. Meanwhile, China has filled the gap left by the US’s absence from […]
When Politics Spark Smiles & Trigger Loud Laughter…
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 25 July 2023 (IDN) — Ronald Reagan, a former US President and ex-Hollywood movie star of the 1950s, peppered most of his speeches with hilarious anecdotes. Joking about the faltering Soviet Cold War economy, Reagan recounted a May Day parade in Red Square where the Russians were displaying their sophisticated […]
Peace Planners: Awake!
By René Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens GENEVA. 23 July 2023 (IDN) — The recent NATO Summit in Vilnius is an indication that the war planning community is busy at work in the spirit of Von Clausewitz that war is a continuation of politics by other means. Thus, there is a need for the peace […]
Modern Day Slavery – Even in the US
By Thalif Deen* UNITED NATIONS. 22 July 2023 (IDN) — The United States banned slavery centuries ago—going back to December 1865, along with a 13th amendment to the American constitution. In 2021, the US declared “Juneteenth” —June 19—a federal holiday commemorating Emancipation Day and celebrating black history and black culture and the final days of […]
UN Staffer Among 20 Fellows Advancing Rights of Women & Girls
By Razeena Raheem UNITED NATIONS. 21 July 2023 (IDN) — A senior UN staffer, Shihana Mohamed—who is also a dedicated human rights activist and a strong advocate of gender empowerment—is one of 20 Fellows in the 2023 class of the “Public Voices Fellowship on Advancing the Rights of Women and Girls”. The US-based fellowship is […]
UN Concerned About Developing Countries’ Debt
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN. 21 July 2023 (IDN) — African countries pay four times more for borrowing than the United States and eight times more than the wealthiest European economies, a new United Nations report has found. It is not surprising, therefore, that colossal debt is having a grave impact on countries where 3.3 billion […]
A Proposed UN Body to Regulate Artificial Intelligence
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 18 July 2023 (IDN) — As the United Nations continues to debate the positive and negative effects of artificial intelligence (AI), Secretary-General António Guterres laid down the two extremes: the potential benefits of AI to the world economy, running into trillions of dollars, and the devastation it could cause humanity—if […]
UN: One of the World’s Most Multilingual Organizations
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 17 July 2023 (IDN) — When Egypt’s onetime Foreign Minister Boutros Boutros-Ghali was running for the post of UN Secretary-General in late 1991, he had to contend with the candidature of Bernard Chidzero, then foreign minister of Zimbabwe. As the campaign began to intensify, Boutros-Ghali recounted a brief encounter with […]