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 […]
Challenges Ahead for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Viewpoint by Ambassador Adam Bugajski Following are extensive excerpts from Ambassador Adam Bugajski’s Reflections on the second session of the preparatory committee (2nd PrepCom) of the 2020 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) from April 23 to May 4, 2018 at the UN in Geneva, which he chaired in […]
UN Climate Talks Show Business Support For Paris Agreement
By Jaya Ramachandran BONN (IDN) – Over 700 leading businesses around the world, together representing 2.62 gigatons of emissions equivalent to the total annual emissions of India, have made strategic climate commitments through the ‘We Mean Business’ coalition’s Take Action campaign. Organizers of the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) to be held in San Francisco […]
Mobilising Finance and Regional Cooperation Key To Sustainable Development in Asia-Pacific
Viewpoint by Shamshad Akhtar Building on steady economic growth, how can Governments in Asia and the Pacific ensure that such performance is sustained over time, is inclusive and has minimal environmental implications? What is the near-term macroeconomic outlook in the region, and what are the major current and emerging challenges? These are some of the […]
Conference on Justice for Child Prisoners in Africa
Viewpoint by Assefa Bequele and Alex Kamarotos* ADDIS ABABA (IDN) – Let us begin with the positive. Unlike some years back, children are now very much on the political and public agenda in Africa. Every politician loves to talk about them, and the African Union has adopted a charter to protect them and a mechanism […]