By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 13 February 2024 (IDN) — The US is perhaps the only country in the world with more than 750 military bases in over 80 nations, mostly in Western Europe, the Middle East and Asia, plus in some of the still-existing colonies and self-governing territories. But the only full-fledged US […]
The EU Should Take Over Most of NATO’s Role
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 13 February 2024 (IDN) — So what does ex-President Donald Trump think about NATO? Twice during his previous presidential campaign, he rubbished it publicly, saying it was “obsolete”. Yet when a little later he met the UK’s prime minister, Therese May, it was all hunkydory. He told her he […]
NFL Turns to Africa to Build a Market Beyond the U.S.
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 13 February 2024 (IDN) — By the time you read this, the Super Bowl will be over and done. As will the Africa Cup of Nations 2023. What you may not have heard is how the league swapped the greenery of American football fields for an […]
U.S. Cuts African Trade Benefits, Hurting the Poor
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 12 February 2024 (IDN) — A trade preference program that lets African countries export products to the U.S. tariff-free has been suspended for Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea. President Joe Biden ended the benefit over alleged violations of human rights violations. “The Biden-Harris Administration is deeply concerned […]
At Africa’s Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast Savors Victory
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 12 February 2024 (IDN) — Over the last few weeks, more than a million tourists filled the streets of Abidjan, economic capital of the Ivory Coast, eager to cheer their team in the Africa Cup of Nations. Eye-catching posters and billboards called attention to the Elephants, […]
World’s Migratory Species of Animals are in Decline, Says UN Report
By Rita Joshi BONN | SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan | 12 February 2024 (IDN) — Unsustainable human activities are jeopardizing the future of migratory species, warns the first-ever State of the World’s Migratory Species report. Migratory species play an essential role in maintaining the world’s ecosystems, and provide vital benefits, by pollinating plants, transporting key nutrients, preying […]
Using Technology to Support Neurodiversity and Education
By Yejin Choi The writer is CEO of Dubu and Generation17 Young Leader, volunteered as a tutor for under-resourced children after realizing that many, especially those with learning differences, lack proper educational resources. NEW YORK | 11 February (IDN) —Education is vital to ensure a better future for children. But can we provide the same […]
Bangladesh Farmers Are Protecting Paddy Cultivation from Climate Risks
By Rafiqul Islam Montu SHYAMNAGAR (SATKHIRA), Bangladesh | 11 February 2024 (IDN) — The new variety of paddy is ‘Charulata’. This paddy is salinity tolerant, can withstand normal winds, and yields well without fertilisers and pesticides. It is effortless to save seeds from this paddy. Due to these reasons, ‘Charulata’ paddy spreads quickly from one […]
The Magic of Mali’s Digital Pharmaceutical Registry
By UNCTAD GENEVA | 10 February 2024 (IDN) — A digital transformation supported by UNCTAD in the West African nation’s pharmaceutical industry is paving the way for quicker import and distribution of life-saving medicines—all online. Imagine living in a country where urgent medical supplies take 18 months to be imported and distributed, putting people’s lives […]
Senegal’s President Sall Taking ECOWAS from Frying Pan to Fire
By Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA | 10 February 2024 (IDN) — As the troubled Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) convened its Ministerial Council meeting in Abuja on February 8 to discuss the quit notice served by three of its members—Mali, Burkina […]