Viewpoint by Walden Bello * “This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper.” — T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men NEW YORK (IDN) – The fix that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is in now illustrates the truth in the saying that the best-laid plans of mice and men are often […]
Nuclear Testing Should Have No Place in the 21st Century
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) – UN Secretary-General António Guterres has in a message for the International Day against Nuclear Tests warned of resurgent nuclear menace and called for a complete ban on testing. Following is the full text of his message. Commemorated annually since 2010 on the anniversary of the closure of […]
The nomination of Kamala Harris Attracts Great Attention in Neighbouring Canada
By Suresh Jaura TORONTO (IDN) – Any student of world affairs may know the phrase “when America sneezes, the world catches a cold.” What the phrase means, of course, is that what happens in America affects the rest of the world, be it for good or bad. It is no surprise, therefore, that citizens and […]
How the Shadow of Slavery Still Hangs over Global Finance
Viewpoint by Philip Roscoe* ANDREWS, Scotland (IDN) – When the infamous Zong massacre trial began in 1783, it laid bare the toxic relationship between finance and slavery. It was an unusual and distressing insurance claim – concerning a massacre of 133 captives, thrown overboard the Zong slave ship. The slave trade pioneered a new kind […]
El Sistema Brings Forth Genius in Every Child
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Simon Rattle, the former chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic and now conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, has said that El Sistema in Venezuela is “The most important thing happening in classical music today in the world”. Julian Lloyd Weber, the renowned cellist, has said, “It’s […]
In a Historic Move, Africa Eradicates Devastating Polio
By Ronald Joshua GENEVA | BRAZZAVILLE (IDN) – While COVID-19 pandemic is playing havoc with the global economy and a frantic search continues for a vaccine, thanks to a concerted campaign of immunization, Africa is free of a highly infectious disease which mainly affects children under 5 years of age. It is a significant development […]
UNDP South Africa Analyses the Horrendous Impact of COVID-19
By Devendra Kamarajan JOHANNESBURG (IDN) – The COVID-19 pandemic will push South Africa’s overall GDP down by 7.9% in 2020 leading to major setbacks in addressing poverty, unemployment and inequality, the government’s development priorities, according to new research by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The study expects the economy to recover slowly through 2024.
US-Trained Colonel Called ‘True Force’ Behind Mali Coup
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been ousted from power, removed by troops unwilling to keep up a bloody fight against jihadists and religious extremists who have been gaining ground while charges of corruption against the government continue to pile up. The “mutinous” army had […]
EU Subsidies Benefit Big Farms While Underfunding Greener and Poorer Plots
Viewpoint by Murray Scown, Kimberly Nicholas & Mark Brady* UTRECHT | LUND | UPPSALA (IDN) – The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the European Union’s largest budget item. For the 60 billion euro a year it pays in subsidies, the CAP is expected to support farmer incomes, ensure a supply of quality food, protect biodiversity, tackle […]
President Trump’s ‘Orwellian’ Policy Fosters Child Trafficking
Viewpoint by Sonali Kolhatkar This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute. Sonali Kolhatkar is the founder, host and executive producer of “Rising Up With Sonali,” a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations. LOS ANGELES (IDN) – President Donald Trump thinks […]