Viewpoint by Christos Lynteris and Lyle Fearnley* LONDON (IDN) – An epidemic of a new coronavirus, yet to receive a proper name by the WHO, has been developing in China and affecting other parts of the world over the past few weeks. So far, we know thousands have been infected, with nearly 200 deaths, with […]
African Union Campaigning to Achieve Peace and End Conflict
By Zipporah Musau, Africa Renewal NEW YORK (IDN) – Realising a conflict-free Africa is the dream of every African. In this edition, we highlight the current hotspots; the root causes of conflicts; the various efforts in search of peaceful co-existence and development and the African Union’s quest for silencing the guns by 2020. In 2013 African Union […]
Shantytowns Housing Thousands Demolished in Ivory Coast
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Bulldozers have begun demolishing homes built in the shantytowns of Abidjan, the commercial capital of the Ivory Coast, leaving thousands without shelter as authorities carry out plans to build a buffer zone around an international airport. This comes as large numbers of Ivorians are leaving […]
Sri Lanka Committed to Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA | COLOMBO (IDN) – In an exceptional move, Germany has granted funds to Sri Lanka’s Forum on Disarmament and Development (FDD) for the translation of the texts of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban-Treaty (CTBT) to the island state’s official languages Sinhala and […]
Why China’s Strategy to Contain the Coronavirus Might Work
Viewpoint by Fei Chen* LIVERPOOL (IDN) – On January 23, the authorities of Wuhan City, China, sealed off the motorways and shut down all public transport to stop the corona virus outbreak from spreading. Shortly afterwards, at least ten other cities in China were under quarantine orders, most of them located in the areas surrounding […]
Trump Administration’s Landmine Policy a Dangerous Misstep
By J C Suresh TORONTO | WASHINGTON, DC (IDN) —In yet another move to reverse former President Barack Obama’s strategies for a more humane world, the Trump administration is poised to rescind his predecessor’s 2014 directive to no longer “produce or otherwise acquire any anti-personnel landmines,” known as APLs, according to several media reports. APLs […]
Trump the Transgressor: The Psychological Appeal of Leaders Who Break the Rules
Viewpoint by Barry Richards* LONDON (IDN) – Many of today’s politicians appear to appeal to the basic human need for safety, presenting their versions of strong leadership as the best hope for order and safety in a fearful world of growing instability and risk. Much evidence confirms that this appeal is certainly an important factor […]
Emergency World Bank Meeting on Tanzania Focuses on Women’s Rights
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) –The World Bank’s executive board cancelled expected action on a $500 million loan to Tanzania where teenage girls can be expelled from school because they are pregnant. The Bank had been under pressure from rights activists and held a last-minute emergency meeting on January 27 with […]
Global Learning Crisis Stands in the Way of SDGs
By Kwame Buist NEW YORK (IDN) – “Without education, we cannot achieve any of the SDGs,” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed warned a meeting held at United Nations headquarters to mark International Day of Education. And yet, with 2030 – the year set by the United Nations for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – looming […]
A Renowned Russian University Celebrates 60th Anniversary
Viewpoint by Somar Wijayadasa* MOSCOW (IDN) – If education is the ultimate gift one can give a child, then, the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia has given that gift to more than 150,000 deserving young men and women from many countries around the world – who otherwise would never have had the opportunity to receive […]