By Sahar Nasr, on Behalf of the Group of 77 and China Following are extensive excerpts from the Statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China by Ms. Sahar Nasr, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation of Egypt, at the general debate of the Forum on Financing for Development Follow-up on the follow-up […]
UN Predicts Loss Of $43 Trillion Through Land Degradation
By Jutta Wolf BERLIN | BONN (IDN) – Land degradation has reached staggering proportions. If the current pace continues unabated, a gargantuan amount of $43,000,000,000,000 ($43 trillion) will be lost to the world economy by the year 2050, warns the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). But the anticipated colossal loss can be avoided […]
Pugwash, UN and ICAN Warn of Ramifications of US Quitting Iran Nuclear Deal
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – The announcement by President Donald Trump to abandon the Iran nuclear deal is “a costly mistake that can hold wide-ranging ramifications beyond its strictly nuclear parameters,” the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize winner Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs have warned. The decision undoes many years of constructive […]
Canada Slams U.S. Decision to Quit Iran Nuclear Accord
By Suresh Jaura TORONTO (IDN) – In 2012, Canada abandoned diplomatic ties with Iran and closed its embassy in Tehran. Former Canadian minister of foreign affairs, John Baird, cited Iran’s support for the Assad regime during the Syrian Civil War and non-compliance with United Nations resolutions on its nuclear program, recalls Katie Dangerfield writing in […]
Access to End-Use Technologies Key to Catalysing Development in Africa
By Joshua Masinde NAIROBI (IDN) – Productive use of energy holds the key to livelihood transformation in Africa’s rural areas. Small industries could improve their production processes and efficiency if they had better access to electricity and technologies. Without electricity, rural micro-enterprises make do with labour intensive and time-consuming manual tools, and often pass up […]
Experts Denounce U.S. Withdrawal From Iran Nuclear Deal
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – Experts have deplored President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Iran Nuclear Deal. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) called it “a dangerous move” that “will have major international consequences”. Daryl G. Kimball, executive director of the independent Arms Control Association said the decision was […]
Iran Nuclear Deal Withdrawal ‘Misguided’, ‘Serious Mistake’
By Barack Obama The following is the text of former President Barack Obama’s remarks on his successor Donald Trump’s decision on May 8, 2018 to withdraw the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal. The original appeared on Obama’s Facebook https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/posts/10155854913976749 – The Editor WASHINGTON, D.C. (IDN-INPS) – There are few issues more important to the […]
Cheers For Zimbabwe’s Musical ‘Lion’ Returning From Exile
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | HARARE (IDN) – Welcome home Mukanya! After 14 long years in the U.S. state of Oregon, singer, composer and bandleader Thomas Mapfumo has come home to Zimbabwe. His recent performance, for some 20,000 ticket holders at the open-air Glamis Arena, only slowed down as the sun […]
Remark About South African ‘White Privilege’ Sparks Debate
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Members of the opposition Democratic Alliance are reportedly squabbling over a casual remark by the head of the party, Mmusi Maimane, who observed that white privilege and black poverty were critical issues that needed to be addressed. “I firmly stand by comments I made on […]
Trump Nominates a Torturer to Become CIA Boss
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Charles Dickens in his novel “A Tale of Two Cities”, set during the French revolution of 1789, draws the character of Madame Defarge. She along with other members of the Tricoteuse, the knitting women, perch every day next to the guillotine, knitting into hats and socks the […]