Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) — “Too little too late”. It’s as true of Bashar al-Assad as it was of Muammar Gadhafi, as it was of Saddam Hussein and Pol Pot. The problem always has been not lack of early warning but lack of early action. We have known, literally for decades, that […]
What About Iraq and Iran Now That U.S. Afghan War Is Over?
Viewpoint by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies* NEW YORK (IDN) — At Bagram air-base, Afghan scrap merchants are already picking through the graveyard of U.S. military equipment that was until recently the headquarters of America’s 20-year occupation of their country. Afghan officials say the last U.S. forces slipped away from Bagram in the […]
Latin America’s Unique Biodiversity Can Help Boost Post-Covid Recovery
By Fermin Koop* LONDON (IDN) — Protecting and restoring natural areas in Latin America, home to 50% of the planet’s biodiversity and over a quarter of its forests, could help the region achieve a ‘green’ post-pandemic recovery and meet biodiversity conservation targets, experts say. Doing so could even create thousands of jobs in key economic […]
Combating COVID-19 and Ensuring No One is Left Behind
Viewpoint by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Kanni Wignaraja, and Bambang Susantono Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is the Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Kanni Wignaraja is the Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Bambang Susantono is the Vice-President of Asian Development Bank (ADB). BANGKOK (IDN) — If the world wants […]
Belgium to Return Plundered Artworks to DR Congo
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Belgium is the latest European country to promise to return artworks plundered from its former Congolese colony, as it seeks to confront its brutal colonial past. Belgium’s Africa Museum has said up to 2,000 works, including statues, musical instruments and weapons, were acquired illegally during […]
US Exit from Afghanistan Promises Opportunities for China
Viewpoint by Emil Avdaliani* TBILISI, Georgia (IDN) — China fears the repercussions associated with the looming US withdrawal from Afghanistan as a rise of extremism in the country could spread and threaten Beijing’s key positions in Xinjiang and Central Asia. However, America’s exit might yet bring some unforeseen benefits. A Chinese-led peacebuilding agenda would mean […]
Ethiopian Leader Wins New 5-Year Term in A ‘Credible’ But ‘Flawed’ Vote’
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — In a vote the US called “significantly flawed,” Ethiopia’s “Prosperity Party”, headed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, carried the majority of votes cast. Prime Minister Abiy hailed the election as Ethiopia’s first attempt at a free and fair vote. The vote was a test for […]
Protracted Talks Lead States to Settle on Next CTBTO Leader
By Daryl G. Kimball* The writer is the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association. WASHINGTON, DC (IDN) — After an unusually contentious process that lasted for months, representatives from the member states of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) finally agreed to appoint Robert Floyd of Australia to […]
The Opposition in India Should Focus on Restoration of Democracy
Viewpoint by Dr Ram Puniyani This article is the 14th in a series of joint productions of South Asian Outlook and IDN-InDepthNews, the flagship of the International Press Syndicate. The writer is a former professor of biomedical engineering and former senior medical officer affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (now Mumbai) and meanwhile […]
New Efforts to Reduce Homeownership Disparity in the US
By J W Jackie RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) — The White House has announced that it will be taking new actions to build black wealth and narrow the racial wealth and homeownership gaps that currently exist in the US. The Administration has vowed to “Take action to address racial discrimination in the housing market, including […]