By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 11 June 2025 (IDN) — David Attenborough said in his wondrous new documentary film, “Ocean”, it had taken him a long time in his 99 years of life to understand that for the survival of our planet the oceans are more important than the land. This week as we […]
Russia’s Economic Influence in Africa Lags Behind Its Geopolitical Rhetoric
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW | 10 June 2025 (IDN) — With its Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan (2023-2026), approved as a working document by the Kremlin, Russia faces a long and winding road, especially in implementing several bilateral agreements signed with African countries. While manoeuvring around challenges and obstacles within Africa, Russia has still […]
Cameroon: The World’s Most Neglected Displacement Crisis
By Norwegian Refugee Council OSLO | 10 June 2025 (IDN) — Cameroon is now the world’s most neglected displacement crisis, according to a new report from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Decision makers must recognise that displacement isn’t a distant crisis; it’s a shared responsibility which cannot be ignored. The annual list of neglected displacement […]
Kuala Lumpur Summit Reflects Shift To The East In The Global Economy
By Kalinga Seneviratne BANGKOK, Thailand | 6 June 2025 (IDN) — The last week of May marked an important landmark in the shift in the global economy to the East when countries representing over 2 billion people and a combined economy of over US$ 25 trillion came together to chart a new path for a […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: Attack on Sudan aid convoy kills 5
Situation in Sudan (per 5 June) An aid convoy delivering essential supplies to North Darfur was attacked on Monday night, resulting in the deaths of five humanitarian workers and injuring many others. The killed humanitarian staff were working for World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF as contractors. WFP, UNICEF and the broader international community condemned […]
Disaster Preparedness: Anew From the Ancient Old
By Yossef Ben-Meir* Marrakech, Morocco | 4 June 2025 (IDN) — The Kingdom of Morocco is taking the wise measure of building 36 storage facilities that will serve the people’s serious needs during severe crises, should they ever arise, such as with the horrifying 2023 earthquake in the High Atlas region. Ancient knowledge captured in […]
UK High Court Rules Torture for Ransom Is Human Trafficking Exploitation
Landmark Decision Expands Legal Protections for Victims of Transnational Crime By Jaya Ramachandran UK High Court Rules Torture for Ransom Is Human Trafficking Exploitation Landmark Decision Expands Legal Protections for Victims of Transnational Crime By Jaya Ramachandran LONDON | 4 June 2025 (IDN) — In a landmark judgment that could reshape how the United Kingdom […]
UN Calls for Probe as Food Convoy is Destroyed in North Sudan
By J. Nastranis NEW YORK | 4 June 2025 (IDN) — A United Nations humanitarian convoy en route to the famine-stricken city of El Fasher in North Darfur has been attacked and destroyed in the town of Al Koma, currently under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The assault left five people dead […]
Goodbye to the Iranian Nuclear Bomb?
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 4 June 2025 (IDN) — Is it agreement time in Iran? Is Iran going to bend to the will of the UN Security Council and engineer a compromise that will allow it to enrich uranium—but only to a small degree—in return for allowing the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency […]
An Era of Extreme Heat: Teleconnections of Glacial Risks from the Arctic to the Third Pole
By Elena Pronina, Consultant, ESCAP; Dr. Valentina Khan, Executive Director of North Eurasia Climate Centre, RosHydroMet; Dr Oksana Lipka, Deputy Director, Yu. A. Izrael Institute of Global Climate and Ecology; Leila Salarpour Goodarzi, Associate Economic Affairs Officer, ESCAP; Sanjay Srivastava, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction, ESCAP BANGKOK, Thailand | 3 June 2025 (IDN) — As […]