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Photo: Emily Welty of World Council of Churches (WCC) reading the joint statement on behalf of the group, 'Faith Communities Concerned about Nuclear Weapons'. Credit: religionnews.com

Faith Communities Sound a Clarion Call for Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

By Santo D. Banerjee

NEW YORK (IDN) – Heed the voices of the world’s hibakusha, survivors of atomic bombings, by unequivocally recommitting to achieving a world without nuclear weapons, by supporting the signing and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Fifty-three groups and individuals of diverse faiths have joined forces to sound a clarion call to States parties also to actively assist victims and remediate contaminated environments and to engage in international cooperation and assistance to affected communities.

: Santo D. Banerjee; ARMAMENTS; Nuclear Weapons; 03 May 2019

Hate Speech: Tech Companies and World Leaders Opt for Band-Aid Solutions

Viewpoint by James M. Dorsey

James M. Dorsey – a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, an adjunct senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture – offered this viewpoint to IDN.

SINGAPORE (IDN) – There’s a ‘blame the messenger’ quality to global efforts to counter misinformation, extremism and hate speech by world leaders and technology companies.

: Phil Harris; OPINION; 03 May 2019

Photo: Kazakh Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yerzhan Ashikbayev, addressing the opening of the Third Preparatory Session for the 2020 NPT Review Conference. Credit: Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kazakhstan Calls for Rigorous Implementation of the NPT

By Santo D. Banerjee

NEW YORK (IDN) – Kazakhstan, an active supporter of nuclear disarmament and strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime, has reiterated its firm support for the strict and complete compliance by all parties of the provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

This was stressed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yerzhan Ashikbayev, head of the Kazakh delegation at the opening of the Third Preparatory Session for the 2020 NPT Review Conference on April 29, 2019 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

: Santo D. Banerjee; UN INSIDER; 02 May 2019

Photo: Cyclone Idai has impacted the lives and livelihoods of almost three million people across Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Credit: UNDP Zimbabwe

Cyclone Ripped Southern Africa Faces Tough Challenges

By Jeffrey Moyo

CHIMANIMANI, Zimbabwe (IDN) – The cyclone will affect the region for months to come after it impacted key livelihoods of fishing and agriculture in the largely rural region, the World Food Programme (WFP) said commenting the havoc caused by Cyclone Kenneth that struck Mozambique on April 25, nearly five weeks after the Cyclone Idai that lashed Southern Africa.

Some 31,000 hectares (76,600 acres) of crops were lost at the peak of the harvest season. “The area is already very vulnerable to food insecurity,” spokesman Herve Verhoosel said.

: Jeffrey Moyo; THE WORLD; Africa; 01 May 2019

Photo: Sadara, Saudi Aramco’s joint venture with Dow Chemical Company, which is the world’s largest petrochemical complex ever built at one time. Credit: Aramco

Saudi Gas Ambitions Likely to Have Geopolitical Impact

Viewpoint by James M. Dorsey

SINGAPORE (IDN) – A Saudi push to become a major natural gas player is as much about diversifying the kingdom’s domestic consumption and export mix as it is about taking advantage of harsh U.S. economic sanctions against Iran designed to force a change of the Islamic republic’s policy, if not its regime.

: Phil Harris; OPINION; 01 May 2019

Photo: Landslides due to flooding are a major concern in the Mahate neighbourhood of Pemba after Cyclone Kenneth swept across northern Mozambique. Credit: OCHA/Saviano Abreu

Oil Barons Bid Billions for Energy Giant While Mozambique Fatalities Spike

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – The back-to-back cyclones that have ravaged Mozambique are unprecedented in recorded history, according to the UN. As more villages are wiped away, a multi-billion-dollar bidding war is heating up in foreign board rooms among multinationals eager to extract Mozambican oil. Top bid so far by Occidental Petroleum Corp has reached $57 billion.

The fantastic sums changing hands are between Anadarko which owns the wells, Chevron and Occidental, hopeful buyers. Donations for relief and rescue, however, are far below satisfactory, according to foreign charitable organizations like CARE.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 30 April 2019

Photo: Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah (right), interacting with Members of Parliament at one of the sittings at the first Session of Parliament in Ghana. Credit: Graphic Online.

Ghanaians Reflect on Legacy of Former President Nkrumah

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – The anniversary of the passing of Ghana’s first Prime Minister and President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, prompted reflections by Ghanaians on social media of his legacy and contributions.

He led the 'Gold Coast' to independence as the nation of Ghana from Britain in 1957. An influential advocate of pan-Africanism, Nkrumah was a founding member of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and winner of the Lenin Peace Prize in 1962.

Dr. Nkrumah’s daughter Samia, in an open letter, wrote: “Kwame Nkrumah may not be with us physically but he lives in our hearts and minds as the fire he lit burns aloft giving us guidance for the total liberation and unification of Africa.”

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 30 April 2019

Collage of graphics from Internet by IDN-INPS.

Demographic Peace Likely as Russia, China and USA Turn Grey

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Traditionally old men have sent young men to fight the wars they have started. Today it may be somewhat different. Old men may be shying away from war while young men are still beholden to it.

The world, as never before, is becoming demographically lopsided, with older people concentrated in rich countries and the young in not-so-rich countries. These older societies are becoming less warlike, as the influence of the experienced and the wise filters down into the body politic.

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 30 April 2019

Photo: Sir Ronald Sanders, Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organisation of American States. Credit: Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda, Washington, DC.

79-Nation ACP Group Must Guard Against Lack of Unity

By Desmond Brown

This report is part of a series focusing on the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States working to "modernize" their relations. These involve "a greater presence" of the ACP Group at the United Nations. As a minimum, an ACP-EU coordination unit should have a seat at the UN, said a landmark resolution of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly held March 18-20 in Bucharest, the capital of Romania.- The Editor.

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (IDN) – The prospect of Brexit, the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, continues to loom large over the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries. If a no-deal Brexit happens in October, this could mean severe consequences for the ACP.

: Desmond L. Brown; GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; ACP Group of States; 29 April 2019

Photo: A general picture of the market with the trucks bringing animals to the market. (Centre) Andakulova Gulmeera with the horse. (Close to bottom): A farmer with his cattle. Credit: Kalinga Seneviratne | IDN-INPS.

Animal Market Nerve Centre of Local Economy in Kyrgyzstan

By Kalinga Seneviratne

AT-BASHY, Kyrgyzstan (IDN) – Separated by mountain ranges from the rest of the country, Naryn province in southeastern Kyrgyzstan lies at an altitude of between 1300 to 3000 meters. Sheep and cattle, raised on the extensive grasslands and alpine pastures, are the mainstay of the economy. While horses play an important role in transport, they also do so in shepherding the herds, especially in summer.