By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden. 23 August 2023 (IDN) — There can be no question that if President Bashar al-Assad of Syria falls the International Criminal Court (ICC) will want to put him on trial for war crimes. The long arm of international law will reach him wherever he flees to. The ICC has an […]
If This Is Artificial Intelligence, Let’s Go with Real Stupidity
By Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO. 22 August 2023 (IDN) — At first, I admit, I was a bit flattered to learn that online entrepreneurs are selling study guides for my new book. I thought of CliffsNotes from long ago, helping fellow students who were short on time or interest to grasp the basics of notable […]
Polarisation as a Challenge to Democracy
By Wolfgang Merkel* This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. BERLIN. 22 August 2023 (IDN) — It is above all social conflicts that shape politics, its disputes and its effects on democracy. The effects can be positive or negative, depending on the degree of conflict and […]
UN Dilemma: Terrorists vs Freedom Fighters
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 21 August 2023 (IDN) — A former UN Ad Hoc Committee chairman to Eliminate International Terrorism once predicted the UN will never agree on a definition of terrorism because “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter”. As someone rightly remarked: to the Indians, it is the Muslims in Kashmir; […]
India’s Karnataka State Has a New Approach to Feed the Hungry
By Manjushree Naik MANIPAL, India. 21 August 2023 (IDN) — With India facing the prospect of a grain crisis, the state government of Karnataka in southern India has come up with a novel approach to keep to election promises by giving the poor money to buy the grains. The Karnataka Government’s most ambitious programme, Annabhagya […]
The UN Charter Must Remain the Heart and Soul of Any New Peace Architecture
By Michael von der Schulenburg* This article is a contribution to the German peace movement’s pamphlet on the occasion of this year’s Anti-War Day on September 1. On this day, 84 years ago, the German Reich marched into Poland and ignited the Second World War, bringing indescribable destruction, misery and suffering to Europe and the […]
Opinion: Joe Biden’s Disastrous Diplomatic Gamble
By Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury* DHAKA, Bangladesh. 20 August 2023 (IDN) — In a series of swift and ill-conceived diplomatic moves, US President Joe Biden has plunged into catastrophic decision-making, most notably concerning Afghanistan. Biden’s first significant move involved the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, a decision that has had dire repercussions. His statement […]
UN Security Council Warned of Weapon Transfers to Ukraine War
By J Nastranis NEW YORK. 19 August 2023 (IDN) — Briefing the UN Security Council, United States journalist Danny Haiphong has claimed that many of the weapons transferred to Ukraine have landed on the black market, to drug cartels, criminal organizations, and “neo-Nazi and fascist elements, many of which now make up parts of the […]
IPPNW Seeks Ban on Military Attacks on Nuclear Power Plants
By Aurora Weiss VIENNA. 18 August 2023 (IDN) — The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) has called on member states of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to condemn any attacks on nuclear facilities, including reactors unequivocally, spent fuel storage facilities and other critical infrastructure or personnel. Nuclear power plants should not […]
USAID Launches Pacific Mission to Assist in Achieving SDGs
By Kalinga Seneviratne SUVA, Fiji. 18 August 2023 (IDN) — The United States government’s overseas development aid arm US Agency for International Development (USAID) opened two new offices in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Fiji on 15 August, pledging to assist Pacific island countries in addressing the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The last USAID office […]