By J W Jackie RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) – Greta Thunberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger are two names uncommonly seen together, but they made November headlines after sharing a cycle ride together. Generations apart and from wildly different backgrounds, it would be easy to think the two would have little in common, but they share a […]
The Humanitarian Emergency the World is Ignoring
By Kwame Buist ROME (IDN) – Almost daily violent attacks in the Sahel nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have displaced nearly one million people and caused emergency levels of malnutrition, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned. “Conflict is moving forward and moving fast,” says Margot van der Velden, Director of WFP’s Emergencies […]
Odds Still Stacked Against Poorest Children
By Sean Buchanan NEW YORK (IDN) – Although there have been historic gains over the last 30 years in improving children’s lives, urgent action is needed if the poorest children are to feel the impact, warns a new UN report. The report, published on November 18 by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and released ahead […]
Risks Grow For African Leaders Seeking Extended Term
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – It’s not a piece of cake these days for leaders of African countries plotting to rewrite their constitutions and give themselves another decade or two in power, frustrating efforts by citizen groups to give other leaders a chance to rule. That’s the endgame facing Guinean […]
South African Airlines in Crisis Mode as Workers Strike
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Unions representing more than half of South African Airways (SAA) workforce called a strike last week after the airline refused to meet wage and job security demands. The unions, representing more than 3,000 workers, walked out on November 15 after the state-owned airline rejected their […]
Be Mindful of Constantly Confronting Iran
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Of all the present foes of America it is Iran which has consistently been over time the number one. Since its Islamic Revolution in 1979 that overthrew the secular-minded Shah and supplanted him with a militant, sometimes warlike, Islamic theocracy, it has been America’s Great Satan. (But […]
Insect Birth Control to Combat Mosquito-Borne Diseases
By Kwame Buist GENEVA (IDN) – A form of insect birth control – Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) – that sterilises male mosquitoes using radiation will soon be tested as part of global health efforts to control diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika. The technique involves the mass production, sex-separation and sterilisation of male mosquitoes […]
Rajapaksa Win Heralds A New Era for Sri Lanka
By Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE (IDN) – The emphatic win by former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential elections held in Sri Lanka on November 16 could herald in a new era for the strategically-placed South Asian island that could be modeled on the successful economic path of the Asian Tigers such as Singapore.
ICPD25 Outlines Pathway for Attaining the Rights of Women and Girls
By Justus Wanzala NAIRBI (IDN) – ICPD25, held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi from November 12-14 and marking the 25th anniversary of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt, ended with bold commitments towards attainment of the rights of women and girls. The conference, attended by more than 6,000 world […]
BRICS States Reiterate Commitment to Multilateralism and Urge UN Reform
By J Nastranis NEW YORK | BRASILIA (IDN) – Leaders of BRICS states comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have called for strengthening and reforming the multilateral system, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international organizations, and reiterated their commitment to shaping a […]