Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) – If you like confusion in foreign policy take a new look at Syria, the country that has the worst civil war since the one that raged in Angola in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Syria is now a near-total wreck. Four of its historically important Christian cities […]
A Global Summit Calls for Transition to the Bioeconomy
By Rita Joshi BERLIN (IDN) – Global environmental threats, the opportunities brought by new sciences, and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic call for the transition to the bioeconomy, says the communiqué emerging from the Global Bioeconomy Summit 2020 organised by the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy (IACGB) composed of about forty high-level policy […]
EU Called Upon to Urgently Engage in Peace Efforts for the Horn of Africa
By Reinhard Jacobsen BRUSSELS (IDN) – Representatives of non-governmental organisations and academia from all around Europe have called upon the European Union (EU) to urgently appoint senior High-level Envoys for the Horn to engage in and provide support to international, in particular African, efforts to curb the crisis in the Horn of Africa. The appeal […]
Egypt Bashed for Arrest of Prominent Rights Defenders
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – “Meeting with foreign diplomats is not a crime. Nor is peacefully advocating for human rights.” Those were the first words of Antony Blinken as he steps up to the plate and assumes the position of foreign policy adviser to President-elect Joe Biden. Blinken joins prominent […]
RCEP Augurs Hope for 10 ASEAN States and Their 5 Partners
Viewpoint by Chandra Muzaffar This article is being reproduced from the Website of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST) presided over by Dr Chandra Muzaffar. KUALA LUMPUR (IDN) – Amidst the gloom generated by the twin health and economic crises, the birth of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a ray of […]
Thomas-Greenfield Expected as New US Ambassador to the UN
By Mark Leon Goldberg, UN Dispatch NEW YORK (IDN) – Linda Thomas-Greenfield will be nominated by President-elect Joe Biden to serve as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield is a veteran diplomat who most recently served as Assistant-Secretary of State for African Affairs in the Obama administration. Prior to that she […]
COVID-19 and Lessons from Traditional Chinese Medicine
Viewpoint by Jayasri Priyalal* SINGAPORE (IDN) – They are fighting an invisible enemy taking a warpath. Many countries grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic interpret the situation like a war. Frontline heroes are found in battlefield scenarios. These heroes come from different professions, medical and healthcare workers being the binding force, the rest including, security, transport, […]
Black Holes Pervade the Spirit of 2020
Viewpoint by Prabir Purkayastha* NEW DELHI (IDN) – The Nobel Prize in physics for 2020 has been shared by Roger Penrose, the mathematical physicist, for his work on the theoretical basis of black holes, and astronomers Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez, who led independent teams, for verifying the existence of such a black hole at […]
COVID-19 Shatters Hopes for Industrial Advance in Africa
But the Next Decade Might Trigger the Change Needed Viewpoint by Jenny Larsen* VIENNA (IDN) – Industrial development in Africa has been sluggish for some decades. Now, as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic kick in, hopes for better progress, at least in the short term, appear to be fading. But if countries grasp the […]
Sports and Art Suggested as Means to Promote Teens’ Mental Health
By J W Jackie RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) – Art, music and sports have all been proven to boost mental health across a wide range of age groups, but one new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia indicates that these extracurricular activities are a powerful way to boost teen mental health. The […]