 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
By Kalinga Seneviratne
SYDNEY (IDN) — The most comprehensive report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued a dire warning to countries in the Pacific region where rising sea levels and increasing temperatures could wipe out island nations and make dry habitats uninhabitable. But the two major powers in the region—Australia and New Zealand—have reacted to the report with defensive rhetoric rather than moving to implement immediate action to save the region.
By Ibrahim Thiaw
UN Under Secretary General and Executive Secretary to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, Mr Ibrahim Thiaw, responds to the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land.
BONN (IDN) — We have known for over 25 years that poor land use and management are major drivers of climate change, but have never mustered the political will to act. With the release of the IPCC special report on climate change and land, which makes the consequences of inaction crystal clear, we have no excuse for further delay.
By Niba Mirza*
HYDERABAD (IDN) — The COVID-19 pandemic has completely upended and transformed the world we live in. It has caused many disruptions and posed serious threats to lives and livelihoods universally. Organizations and societies have responded and coped with the pandemic differently and innovated at various levels to deal with COVID-19.
These innovations include social innovations, communications innovations, business innovations, medical innovations, financial innovations and other innovations which help us better prepare for the next normal.
By David Robie
The writer, Dr David Robie, is editor of Asia Pacific Report, founding editor of Pacific Journalism Review and former director of the Pacific Media Centre.
AUCKLAND (IDN) — Pacific journalism educators are worried that the global covid pandemic has threatened media development programmes in a vast region of island microstates at a time when expertise in health and climate change reporting has never been greater. The news media industry in some countries has recognised this need and is trying to boost resources and human skills.
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power
LUND, Sweden (IDN) — By any reasonable measure violence should have had its day. Throughout our long history violence and war have solved little. In most cases, if not all, war could have been pre-empted by deft diplomacy and non-violent action.
Take Afghanistan where after America’s longest ever war the US and its allies are finally withdrawing their troops.
By Kalinga Seneviratne
SYDNEY (IDN) — Japan was the first Asian country to host a summer Olympic Games in 1964 and this year became the only Asian country to host it twice. The Olympics that concluded on August 8, included very few sports that could be called Asian, and the question begs whether Japan had done enough to promote more Asian sports in the latest Olympic Games.
By António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
NEW YORK (IDN) — Today’s IPCC Working Group 1 Report is a code red for humanity. The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk. Global heating is affecting every region on Earth, with many of the changes becoming irreversible.
The internationally agreed threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius is perilously close.
By Lisa Vives
NEW YORK (IDN) — Lalibela, a holy site for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and home to 13th century rock-hewn churches—a world heritage site—has been caught between the warring forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the central government in Addis Ababa, according to reports from the region.
In a statement issued by the UN agency UNESCO, Lalibela’s historic role as a place of pilgrimage, devotion and peace was underscored. “It should not be a place for instigating violence and conflict,” their statement read.
By Lisa Vives
NEW YORK (IDN) — Fred Kajjube, aka Lumbuye, a controversial blogger, social media activist and critic of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, has been arrested in Turkey and extradited to Uganda where he was picked up by police at the airport. His whereabouts currently are unknown, according to several news reports,
Human rights and political activists have expressed fears for his safety.
By Lisa Vives
NEW YORK (IDN) — One thing the head of the agency leading Africa's response to the coronavirus pandemic is sure of. He owes his life to the vaccine that beat the virus.
"I want to be very clear that without [the vaccine] I wouldn't be here," said Dr. John Nkengasong at a weekly briefing announcing the deployment of recently acquired doses.
IDN-InDepthNews offers news analyses, features, reports and viewpoints that impact the world and its peoples. It has been online since 2009. Its network spans countries around the world.