Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Last week Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden had a phone call. But many say, so what? They are so wrong. A lot was there if you read between the lines. Importantly, they reaffirmed that the New START Treaty, cutting long-range nuclear-tipped missiles by one third, (that’s […]
Two African Nations Emulate U.S. and Cry Election Fraud
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Endangered citizens of the Central African Republic are fleeing the country in the hundreds of thousands as rebel fighters seek to overturn the recent re-election of President Faustin Archange Touadera with familiar cries of fraud and demands for his ouster. Touadera was re-elected after a […]
Activists Fear Return of Police State in Tunisia
Viewpoint by Asma Abidi* BERLIN (IDN) – Ten years after the revolution that sparked the Arab Spring, Tunisia, often hailed as its only success story, has yet to deliver the promised freedom, jobs and prosperity to its people. Civil unrest erupted on January 14 across the country when the authorities announced a four-day strict lockdown, […]
ALCAP Sets Out into Asia and Africa To Enhance Audio Visual Exchange
By Niba Mirza * BUENOS AIRES (IDN) – The Asociación Latinoamericana de Comunicación Audiovisual Parlamentaria, ALCAP or the Latin American Parliamentary Association of Audio-Visual Communication has ventured into Asia and Africa with the appointment of Mr. Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. as its Special Advisor for the region. ALCAP is a project of promotion, strengthening, integration, dissemination, […]
UN Chief Explains How to Make 2021 A Year of Transformation
By Radwan Jakeem NEW YORK (IDN) – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has told the UN’s 193 Member States that in the wake of an “annus horribilis” of death, disaster and despair, 2021 must be a year of transformation. “We need to move from death to health; from disaster to reconstruction; from despair to hope; […]
Security Council to Focus on Climate Change and Security
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – “Addressing climate-related security risks to international peace and security through mitigation and resilience-building” will be the focus of a high-level open debate which the UK plans to host in February. According to the Security Council Report, the meeting is expected to consider conflict risks, peacebuilding approaches and ways […]
AU Rallies Support for Equitable Access To COVID-19 Vaccines
By Jeffrey Moyo HARARE (IDN) –The African Union (AU) Chairperson, President Cyril Ramaphosa, has called on the World Trade Organization (WTO) to waiver specific Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) obligations related to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 for a defined period. Together with India, South Africa has proposed a TRIPS waiver in […]
Biden Administration Has an Opportunity to Emerge as A Reliable Partner with African Countries
Viewpoint by Daniel Haile* COLLEGE STATION, Texas | USA (IDN) – The lack of engagement with African countries economically, politically, and militarily could haunt the United States in the coming decades. Washington needs to forget the trauma of the infamous “Black Hawk Down” incident in Somalia and draft a new policy for mutually beneficial cooperation […]
Tributes Pour in for South Africa’s Musical Genius Dr Khumalo
By Jeffrey Moyo HARARE (IDN) – President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to Jazz and Opera Musician, Dr Sibongile Khumalo, for advocating the rights of performing arts, women, as well as human rights. Khumalo passed away on January 28, at the age of 63. She was an esteemed member of the Order of Ikhamanga, a […]
Donations for International Seabed Authority to Support Programmes in the Developing States
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK (IDN) – Three countries – Norway, France and Mexico – have reaffirmed their commitment to support, through three separate grants, the implementation by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) of capacity development programmes and activities targeted at developing States members of ISA and to improve their integrated participation in the work […]