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By Kester Kenn Klomegah
MOSCOW (IDN) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has bashed Western States for resorting to pressure, intimidation and blackmail against governments of sovereign African countries, hoping that “it will help them win back their lost influence and dominant positions in former colonies and seek – this time in a ‘new wrapper’ – to reap excess profits and exploit the continent's resources without any regard for its population, environmental or other risks”.
NEW YORK (IDN) – A group of civil society organizations is warning that a growing global movement to decriminalize and rebrand prostitution as "sex work" could lead to more, not less, violence against the world's most vulnerable women and girls.
The critics are petitioning UN Women, which is leading a review of the results of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, alleging that many dissenting voices against decriminalization have been shut out of the discussions.
Viewpoint by Kester Kenn Klomegah
MOSCOW (IDN) – After nearly three decades of extremely low political, economic and cultural engagement, Russia is indeed returning to Africa. For obvious reasons, Russia's relations with Africa turned extremely worse as some diplomatic representations were unexpectedly cut, all cultural centers closed, and many projects were suspended. Of course, relations with many foreign countries have faded into the background compared with the challenges the country had to deal with in order to preserve its statehood.
Viewpoint by J W Jackie
RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) – Nearly 12.8 percent of the U.S. population are living with disabilities, according to the latest report by the American Community Survey (ACS). Over the years, American lawmakers recognized the immediate need to provide the members of this community with their basic needs of employment, health, and accessible housing options. At the moment, there is a series of progressive legislative proposals existing for the cause.
By Jeffrey Moyo
MUREHWA, Zimbabwe (IDN) – Year after year since 2015, 56-year old Hapias Zindove has delivered hundreds of tonnes of soya beans to Zimbabwe’s Grain Marketing Board (GMB). With proceeds from soya beans, he – the father of seven children – has managed to send four of them to universities.
“I have risen from being a mere hands-to-mouth farmer to a big supplier of soya beans even to the GMB and big supermarkets in the country,” Zindove tells IDN in a ‘rugs-to-riches story’, as he rides on success in his farming endeavors.
Viewpoint by Rene Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens
GENEVA (IDN) – The dreams of vast horizons of the Soul
Through dreams made whole,
Unfettered free ... help me!
Help me make our world anew – Langston Hughes
The United Nations remains the only universally representative and comprehensively empowered body the world has to deal with threats to international peace and security, to promote human rights, and to foster ecologically-sound development worldwide.
Viewpoint by Henrik Maihack *
NAIROBI (IDN-INPS) – In the next 25 years, Africa’s urban population is set to double. By 2040, the majority of Africans will be living in cities. There are numerous reasons for this: climate change, violent conflicts and the hope of finding work or education, although this list could easily be extended. Urbanisation thus constitutes one of the greatest transformations facing Africa in the 21st century.
By Rohan Venkataramakrishnan, Scroll.in
This article first appeared on Scroll.in on 14 October 2019.
MUMBAI (IDN-INPS) – Abhijit Banerjee, the renowned economist who was one of three awarded the Nobel prize for economics on October 14, put together some prescriptions for what the Indian economy needs right now. The last item on the list? “Pray.” On the next list, for the longer run? “Pray more.” Banerjee was speaking in response to Raghuram Rajan, another renowned economist and former Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian prime minister, as part of the OP Jindal Lectures at Brown University in the United States.
By Katsuhiro Asagiri
NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (IDN) – 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the end of nuclear weapons testing in Semipalatinsk, the primary testing venue for the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons, the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia, and the ratification by Kazakhstan as the 26th country to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Kazakhstan is known for its commitment to ridding the world of nuclear weapons. An estimated 1.5 million of its people suffered the effects of the testing of 456 nuclear weapons at Semipalatinsk over four decades.
Viewpoint by Makeda Saba
BRUSSELS (IDN) – On October 11, 2019, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace prize to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Dr Abiy Ahmed. He is the fourth African leader to be bestowed that honour after President Anwar Sadat in 1978; President FW de Klerk in 1993); and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2011.
IDN-InDepthNews offers news analyses, features, reports and viewpoints that impact the world and its peoples. It has been online since 2009. Its network spans countries around the world.
IDN-InDepthNews serves as flagship agency of the International Press Syndicate and its partner, the Global Cooperation Council, established in February 1983.