Viewpoint by Michael W. Lodge Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) based in Jamaica. KINGSTON (IDN) – In his address to the United Nations Economic and Social Council in July 2020, reflecting on what kind of UN we need at the 75th anniversary, the Secretary-General of the UN called for strengthened and renewed multilateralism, […]
The Navalny Case: Why Hasn’t Germany Sent Samples of the Tests to WHO?
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) – I begin this column with a declaration that shows my bias: if President Vladimir Putin wanted Alexei Navalny dead, he would be dead. Army sharp-shooters do not miss a sitting target. A bullet in the head would leave an imprint hard to trace, and that would be […]
A Nigerian State to Test Castration as Punishment for Rapists
By Lisa Vives Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Is it a welcome development? Or legislative sadism? Those are the two sides of a debate roiling Nigeria following the passage of an amendment to a law that orders convicted rapists to be surgically castrated if a man, or have their fallopian tubes removed if […]
Historic Uganda University Devastated by Overnight Blaze
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – “It is a very dark morning for Makerere University. Our iconic Main Administration Building caught fire and the destruction is unbelievable. But we are determined to restore the building to its historic state in the shortest time possible.” Those were the words of Makerere’s Vice-Chancellor […]
Transforming Agriculture for Food, Nutrition and Livelihoods
By Busani Bafana BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (IDN) – Horticulture farmer Prosper Chikwara, grows cabbages, spinach and kale on the idyllic family farm, 20km north of the city of Bulawayo. Word of mouth is no longer enough to sell his produce. He now grows on order because it no longer guaranteed there will be buyers at his […]
Besides Mali, Russia Keenly Interest in 5-Nation Sahel Group
Viewpoint on By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) – Russia’s alleged involvement in the political change on August 18 in Mali, a former French colony with the fractured economy and breeding field for armed Islamic jihadist groups (some of which are reportedly aligned with Al Qaeda and ISIS), demonstrates the first drastic step towards penetrating […]
Reviewing the Book ‘Myth of ‘Free Media’ and Fake News in the Post-Truth Era’
By Kannan Salazar BANGKOK (IDN) – With Julian Assange’s “show trial” in progress in the UK for alleged national security breaches in the US, and a cold war era propaganda campaign between the Anglo-American media and China gathering momentum, a timely new book sheds some light on how the so-called “free media” has ditched its […]
UN Releases Special 2020 Broadcast Calling for Collective Action
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – In a significant move to mobilise global support, the United Nations, Project Everyone and 72 Films are launching ‘Nations United – Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times’. A first of its kind film has been released September 19 on the UN YouTube channel and global broadcast networks. The importance […]
COVID-19 Crisis Underlines the Importance of Economic Diversification in Africa
Business as Usual Will Only Reinforce Economic Hardship Viewpoint by Njuguna Ndung’u* NAIROBI (IDN) – Africa’s low level of economic diversification is a leading factor in the continent’s economic fragility. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the risks of countries’ over-dependence on a single natural resource such as oil. Africa is endowed with abundant natural […]
Call for a Strengthened and Reformed United Nations System
By J C Suresh TORONTO (IDN) – Ahead of the September 21 High-Level Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations, a group of prominent former government and UN leaders are calling on current world leaders to take action to strengthen the United Nations system. According to the UN2020, in an Open Letter published […]