Viewpoint by Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) — It may not be as dramatic as the Vietcong tanks crashing through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon while the US airlifts its last troops by helicopter at the end to the Vietnam war, yet the US troop “withdrawal” from Afghanistan this month looks nothing but […]
UN Determined to Counter Cyber Crime and Ensure Peace and Security
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) — As digital advances continue to revolutionize human life, the United Nations has called for remaining “vigilant” about malicious technologies that “could imperil the security of future generations”. Currently, there are over 4.6 billion internet users around the world.
Sub-Saharan African Migration into Morocco
Viewpoint by Max Berengaut* MARRAKECH (IDN) — Entering Morocco, Sub-Saharan African migrants find themselves at a crossroads. There is the promise of an economic future waiting for them in Europe, but the path to it is perilous. They require either an assurance of asylum status or some familial relationship with a European in order to […]
Who Wins from The Tokyo Olympics Going Ahead?
Viewpoint by Corey Wallace The writer is Assistant Professor at Kanagawa University. YOKOHAMA, Japan (IDN | East Asia Forum) — Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics have cast a shadow over Japan’s COVID-19 response. Critics—including a former Japanese prime minister—questioned whether the government’s lacklustre early response to the outbreak and its ‘risky’ […]
New Equations in South Asian Security with High Tension in Afghanistan
Viewpoint by Sugeeswara Senadhira COLOMBO (IDN) — A transformation in the security dynamics in South Asia is taking place at such a fast rate that experts on regional security are totally confused and puzzled about the future scenario. The withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, the gradual expansion of Taliban control in the country, India’s […]
UNODC’s First Global Research on Imprisonment Reveals Shocking Facts
By Reinhard Jacobsen VIENNA (IDN | UNODC) — One in every three prisoners worldwide are held without a trial, which means that they have not been found guilty by any court of justice, according to the first global research data on prisons published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The research […]
Free Online Learning Courses from A German Platform in Demand Worldwide
By Hans-Joachim Allgaier POTSDAM, Germany (IDN) — A German learning portal that provides free basic digitization knowledge in several languages to Internet users around the world is heading for its one-millionth enrolment. German science patron, Prof. Hasso Plattner, co-founder of the software company SAP and founder of the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) in Potsdam, is […]
President Biden’s First Nuclear Arms Budget Is Disappointing
By Kingston Reif and Shannon Bugos* WASHINGTON, DC (IDN) — As the Biden administration prepares to initiate a review of U.S. nuclear weapons policy, its first budget request proposes to continue every part of the unnecessary and unsustainable nuclear weapons spending plans it inherited from the Trump administration. This includes the controversial additions made by […]
Afghanistan Faces Funding Shortfall Amid Deepening Humanitarian Crisis
By Radwan Jakeen NEW YORK (IDN) — Nearly 18 million Afghans or half the population of the South Asian country require assistance. A third of the country is malnourished, while half of all children under five are experiencing acute malnutrition. In view of this critical situation, Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, […]
More Than 220,000 Germans Leave Catholic Church in 2020
By Catholic News Agency (CNA)* ROME (IDN) — More than 220,000 people left Catholic Church in Germany in 2020, according to official figures. The statistics issued by the German bishops’ conference on July 14 showed that 221,390 people exited the Catholic Church last year. The figure was almost 19% lower than that of 2019 when […]