By Rodney Reynolds NEW YORK | 16 May 2024 (IDN) — A United Nations report expects a sustained rebound in tourism to improve the economic prospects for small island developing States (SIDS), leading to GDP growth from 2.4 per cent in 2023 to 3.3 per cent in 2024. However, SIDS remain vulnerable to spikes in […]
US Halts 2,000-Pound Bombs to Israel, But Compensates with New Weapons
By Thalif Deen NEW YORK | 15 May 2024 (IDN) — US President Joe Biden’s much-ballyhooed decision to halt the delivery of about 3,500 bombs to Israel seems only a token political gesture to keep his critics silent. The 2,000-pound bombs, used by the US during the Vietnam War, have caused the deaths of thousands […]
Latin America and the Caribbean: Initiative to Empower Young People in Arms Control, Peacebuilding
By Rodney Reynolds NEW YORK | 15 May 24 (IDN) — The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) has launched the first edition of GenerAcción Paz: building dreams, disarming violence (GenerAcción Paz: armando sueños, desarmando la violencia), which aspires to empower young people to create […]
US Declassified Documents Reveal How Concocted Lies Trigger Wars
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 15 May 2024 (IDN) — President Barack Obama once observed, “ISIS [Islamic State] is a direct outgrowth of Al Qaeda in Iraq that grew out of our invasion—which is an example of unintended consequences—which is why we should generally aim before we shoot”. Many of us, looking back at […]
China Turns Focus to Europe in a Diplomatic Game
By Nickolay Kapitonenko* KYIV | 14 May 2024 (IDN) — The ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war has gradually changed the international political landscape, which is being closely monitored even by states far removed from its realities. The war is unleashing complex mechanisms of international interaction, testing the strength of alliances and changing power relations. In addition to […]
U.S. Weapons to Israel are an Arsenal of Genocide
By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies* NEW YORK | 14 May 2024 (IDN) — On May 8, 2024, as Israel escalated its brutal assault on Rafah, President Biden announced that he had “paused” a delivery of 1,700 500-pound and 1,800 2,000-pound bombs, and threatened to withhold more shipments if Israel went ahead with its full-scale […]
UN Report Faults Misinformation and Politicisation of Migration
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA | DHAKA | 13 May 2024 (IDN) — Migration is an intrinsic part of human history, but it is often overshadowed by sensationalised narratives and headlines that contradict reality. “Most migration is regular, safe, and regionally focused, directly linked to opportunities and livelihoods,” says the UN migration agency IOM agency. “Yet, […]
Bad Weather and Poor Harvests Devastating Cocoa Crop in Ghana
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 13 May 2024 (IDN) — Everyone or almost everyone loves chocolate, making it imperative to follow Ghana’s production shortfall and similar problems in the Ivory Coast. These shortfalls have fuelled historic surges in cocoa prices, forcing customers to shell out more for familiar chocolate bars and […]
Lawyer Defies President of Tunisia as He Cracks Down on Free Speech
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 12 May 2024 (IDN) — Authorities in Tunisia are tightening a noose around the necks of its citizens, persecuting those who criticize the government and jailing dozens of Tunisians on dubious and political charges. A slender country wedged between Libya and Algeria; Tunisia faces a severe […]
New Head of African Disease Control Center Linked to Corruption Probe
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 12 May 2024 (IDN) — Trouble is brewing at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Auditors of the African Union say the new Director General of Africa’s CDC failed to follow procurement rules, possibly creating an “avenue for fraud.” Dr Jean Kaseya is now […]