By Sean Buchanan LONDON (IDN) – South-East Asia is expected to experience a future of many dry years and the hardest hit will be the poor, especially farming communities that rely on regular rainfall for their annual crops and have few resources to fall back on during periods of rain shortfall. This is the prospect […]
Future EU-Caribbean Relations in New ACP-EU Partnership
By ACP Press KINGSTON (ACP-IDN) – As the EU is working to modernise its relations with 79 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP), the two groups’ chief negotiators Neven Mimica and Robert Dussey met with ACP Caribbean leaders for a dedicated dialogue on the regional EU-Caribbean pillar in the framework of the […]
Infrastructure Development Key to Africa’s Growth
By Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW (IDN) – Over the years, African Union officials have repeatedly urged African leaders to prioritise Africa’s Agenda 2063 – a strategic framework for delivering on Africa’s goal for inclusive and sustainable development – and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 15-member UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a […]
The Secret of Greatness Lies in ‘Net Resources’
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Let’s make America great again! Or as the prime minister of France said: Let’s make France great again. Or, as President Donald Trump conceded, let every nation in the world announce that they are going to be great again. But what makes for greatness? Over that there […]
Zambian Villagers Win Landmark Ruling in Water Poisoning Case
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Zambian villagers whose livelihoods were turned upside down by a toxic spill from a copper mine will finally have their day in court. They succeeded against the odds in a case pitting their claims against a worldwide mining company which denied responsibility for the spill […]
UN Eager to Advance Commitment to Nuclear Non-Proliferation
By Jamshed Baruah NEW YORK (IDN) – Deeply concerned about the erosion of the disarmament and arms control framework that reaped significant post-cold-war-era gains, the United Nations is keen to ensure the continued viability of the landmark Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). With an eye on the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty’s […]
Huge Risks Accompany the Desire for Fair Skin in Africa
By Pavithra Rao* NEW YORK (IDN-INPS) – “I’ve been dark skinned for many years and I wanted to experience the other side. I wanted to see what it would be like to be white and I’m happy,” says South African singer Mshoza, whose real name is Nomasonto Mnisi. Mshoza is famous for her music – […]
New Attempt to Tackle Nuclear Proliferation Threat in the Middle East
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) – A conference on the establishment of a Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Zone (WMDFZ) and a Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone (NWFZ) in the Middle East appeared to have been consigned to oblivion until the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) decided in December 2018 “to entrust […]
The Great De(b)terioration in the Offing As Impotent Capital Weds Algorithms
Viewpoint by Jayasri Priyalal The writer is the Regional Director responsible for Finance Sector of UNI Global Union, Asia & Pacific based in Singapore. This article was first published in the Financial Times, Sri Lanka. SINGAPORE (IDN-INPS) – We are now in the era of acceleration termed as the Fourth Industrial Revolution [4IR]. In the […]
Women in Politics: Miles to Go Before Parity Is Achieved
By Zipporah Musau NEW YORK (IDN-INPS) – In the fight for gender equality, women around the world have advanced in small and large ways. Yet for women in Africa, progress is measured in micro steps, and the struggle has a long way to go. The good news is that women’s representation in political decision making […]