By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies* NEW YORK. 27 September 2023 (IDN) — As it did last year, the 2023 United Nations General Assembly has been debating what role the United Nations and its members should play in the crisis in Ukraine. The United States and its allies still insist that the UN […]
Nuclear Annihilation: A Haunting Reality of the Future
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 26 September 2023 (IDN) — When the United Nations commemorated the 10th anniversary of International Day for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, the President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, was dead on target when he warned that the risk of nuclear annihilation “is not a chapter from our past; […]
Washington Supports International Law When It Serves US National Interests
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden. 26 September 2023 (IDN) — There is little doubt that Russia broke international law with its attempted take-over of Ukraine and, earlier, of Crimea. It is not only observers in the West who say this but a good number of Russians. Nevertheless, the Kremlin is right to say the West […]
Ukraine Conflict: A Peace Proposal to Avert an All-Out War
By Michael von der Schulenburg* VIENNA. 25 September 2023 (IDN) — At the end of August this year, four highly respected German personalities presented a peace proposal for ending the war in Ukraine through a ceasefire and subsequent peace negotiations: It is arguably the most comprehensive and groundbreaking peace proposal made by any government, international […]
Cocaine Trade is Flourishing Again in South America
By Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury* DHAKA. 24 September 2023 (IDN) — The cocaine trade is experiencing a resurgence in South America, bouncing back from a downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the intriguing positions of several regional countries, Latin America has yet to seriously discuss its drug policy, instead clinging to the prohibitionist and […]
Kurti-EU Tensions Harming Kosovo’s National Interests
By Dr Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK. 24 September 2023 (IDN) — Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti is still wallowing in his obsession with Serbia and seems to never understand that Kosovo’s independence, security, and well-being do not depend on what Serbia’s President Vucic says or does but only on the commitments of the EU and […]
Sudanese Military Chief Hints at a Solution to Ongoing War
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK. 24 September 2023 (IDN) — In a recent press interview, Sudan’s army chief claimed to support a peaceful solution to the ongoing war that killed thousands and displaced millions of civilians. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the de facto ruler of Sudan, was on a regional tour, making […]
Son of Ousted Gabonese Leader Joins Dad in Hot Water
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK. 23 September 2023 (IDN) — More bad news for the Bongo family, one-time rulers of the oil-rich nation of Gabon for nearly 56 years. On the same day, a military coup removed President Ali Bongo Ondimba from power, soldiers arrested one of Bongo’s sons, five senior cabinet […]
India-Canada Row Exposes Double Standards in Fighting Terrorism
Viewpoint by Kalinga Seneviratne* SINGAPORE. 23 September 2023 (IDN) — After returning from the G20 meeting on 9-10 September in New Delhi, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a bombshell announcement in the Canadian parliament alleging that there was evidence to suggest India’s involvement in the assassination of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June […]
A New UN Report Warns of Slow Progress Towards SDG16
By Reinhard Jacobsen VIENNA. 23 September 2023 (IDN) — A first-of-its-kind report jointly produced by three United Nations organizations, shows that progress towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 is worryingly slow, with limited information to drive evidence-informed policies. The report calls for urgent action and substantial investment on Goal 16 to expand data […]