IDN-InDepthNews

Europe2015-10-212023-07-10

Minor Compromises Are Worthwhile For Better EU-Turkey Relations

By Michael Leigh* | IDN-InDepthNews Viewpoint

Sir Michael Leigh is a Senior Advisor at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

WASHINGTON (IDN | GMF) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s dash to Istanbul on October 18 was a gift to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Erdoğan is hoping that his Justice and Development Party (AKP) will regain its majority in the November 1 general election, after a setback last June, enabling him to call a referendum to strengthen the president’s constitutional powers.

The outcome of the general election could, therefore, settle Turkey’s political fate for years to come, and accentuate the country’s drift toward authoritarian, sectarian rule.

The chancellor’s visit, in the midst of the refugee crisis and after Turkey’s most lethal terrorist attack in decades, was intended to win the Turkish president’s support for a joint action plan to stem refugee flows that are undermining the EU’s internal open borders policy. Merkel’s trip followed the postponement of the European Commission’s annual report on Turkey until after the Turkish election. Insiders claim that the delay occurred for internal procedural reasons.

DEVNET2015-10-212023-07-10

Water Remains Largely Marginalized in Climate Talks

UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently turned the spotlight on the “record number” of extreme weather-related events the world is witnessing these days.

With an eye on the upcoming climate change talks in Paris, he warned that in the South Pacific, entire islands are at risk, largely threatened by a sea-level rise. SPANISH | GERMAN | HINDI | JAPANESE

GLOBAL ISSUES2015-10-212023-07-10

Symbols of Peace for Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings

By INPS* | IDN-InDepthNews Report

NAGASAKI (IDN) – Officials of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs will present global symbols of peace to the people of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in a special ceremony, which will take place on November 1, 2015 at 9:00 am (local time) at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.

This ceremony will mark the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the 60th anniversary of the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, and the 20th anniversary of the Nobel award to the Pugwash Conferences.

Health2015-10-202023-07-10

Japan’s Development Agency Assisting Kenya’s Fight Against TB

By Robert Kibet | IDN-InDepthNews Feature

NAIROBI (IDN) – Catherine Nduta, 26, was diagnosed with Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in 2012, when she was a third year student at one of Kenya’s universities, where she was undertaking a civil engineering course.

“I was almost 6-month pregnant hence couldn’t start MDR-TB treatment. I was to either terminate the pregnancy for me to start medication or continue with normal TB medication until I give birth,” Nduta told a forum organized by StopTB Partnership Kenya, that attracted Kenya’s Members of Parliament (MPs).

“I finally underwent induction and my baby was removed prematurely for me to start medication. 12 months of injections and 24 months of taking 18 pills a day: life was hard,” says she, now mother of one son. Nduta is not a lone sufferer of MDR-TB. Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya’s two biggest cities, host the highest number of normal tuberculosis cases due to poor urban settlements and high population.

DEVNET2015-10-202023-07-10

Japan’s Development Agency Assisting Kenya’s Fight Against TB

ARMAMENTS2015-10-192023-07-10

International Partnership Updates on Nuclear Disarmament Verification

By Fabíola Ortiz | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

NEW YORK (IDN) – An effective verification of atomic arsenals as well as that of nuclear material and other military activities is a pre-condition for achieving a world free of nuclear weapons, experts told IDN. They were participating in a briefing to update on International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV) at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The establishment of the IPNDV goes back to December 4, 2014, when the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller announced a new initiative to develop the tools and technologies in the quest to reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons.

Europe2015-10-192023-07-10

EU Gives Additional Funds to Promote Entry into Force of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

By Ramesh Jaura | IDN-InDepthNews Report

BERLIN (IDN) – With a view to promoting entry-into-force of the nuclear test ban treaty, the European Union (EU) has decided to increase its support to the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) by contributing an additional amount of 3 million euros (about 3.9 million dollars). This brings the bloc’s voluntary financial contributions since 2006 to a total of some 19 million euros (nearly 21.5 million dollars).

Trade2015-10-162023-07-10

ACP Ministers Convene to Adopt Strategy for Global Trade Meet in Kenya

By INPS* | IDN-InDepthNews Report

BRUSSELS (IDN) – African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries’ trade ministers will gather in Brussels on October 19 for a strategic two-day meeting to prepare for the Tenth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to be held in Nairobi, Kenya from December 15-18.

According to the ACP Secretariat, the meeting would discuss ACP strategy and adopt a Declaration on the WTO ministerial conference in Nairobi. Key issues of concern for the ACP Group include those related to development, agriculture, Non-Agricultural Goods Market Access (NAMA), and appropriate provisions for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small and Vulnerable Economies (SVEs).

GLOBAL ISSUES2015-10-162023-07-10

World Food Day Events Focus on Finance and Much More

By INPS* | IDN-InDepthNews Report

MILAN (IDN) – Investment in small-scale farmers can put an end to hunger, Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella and senior United Nations officials said celebrating World Food Day at the Milan Expo 2015 ending on October 31.

At an event hosted by the Italian Ministry of Finance and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on the occasion of World Food Day on October 16, Italy’s President said: “Theoretically, the right to water and food is not debatable. Nevertheless, it can be, and in fact is a cause of tension and conflict between countries.”

Global Goals2015-10-162023-07-10

Entwicklung: Japan bringt Agrarsektor, Tourismus und Bildung in Simbabwe voran

Von Jeffrey Moyo

HARARE, SIMBABWE (IDN) – Gerade erst wurde der Startschuss für die UN-Nachhaltigkeitsziele (SDG) gegeben, und schon hat Japan die Nase vorn: Die japanische Regierung bietet dem afrikanischen Staat Simbabwe über die Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in zahlreichen Entwicklungsbereichen tatkräftige Unterstützung.