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By Jan Servaes*
BRUSSELS, 7 May 2023 (IDN) — The 69-year-old General Prayuth Chan-Ocha, who has been Prime Minister of Thailand since his coup in 2014, is again a candidate in the elections on 14 May 2023. He refuses to participate in debates but fully indulges during the Songkran New Year festivities. It had been since he was 15 years old that he had been so wild, he told the Thai Examiner.
Viewpoint by Lim Kooi Fong*
This Lotus News Feature, produced in association with the Buddhist Channel, is the 53rd in a series of joint productions with IDN-InDepthNews, the flagship agency of the Non-profit International Press Syndicate. Click here for previous reports.
NEW DELHI, 26 April 2023 (IDN | Buddhist Channel) — The recently concluded Global Buddhist Summit (GBS) held in New Delhi from 20-21 April was probably one of the biggest in terms of high-profile attendance. GBS was organised by the Delhi-based International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) with the support of the government of India.
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, 5 April 2023 (IDN) — The world’s human rights defenders (HRDs) continue to be under constant attacks worldwide—with Latin America branded as the deadliest region.
In its Global Analysis 2022 released April 4, the Dublin-based Front Line Defenders (FLD) provides a long list of threats faced by HRDs in all regions of the world, along with the names of 401 HRDs killed in 26 countries in 2022.
By Azu Ishiekwene
The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria.
ABUJA, 16 March 2023 (IDN) — For the third time since 1999, I voted at a general election on February 25 and did so without much hassle. I knew my candidates would lose at the unit where I voted, but that didn’t matter. Voting mattered more.
The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) processed me so quickly it was almost like magic. I had no reason to suspect my experience would not be the norm that day.
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK | DAKAR, 14 March 2023 (IDN) — Journalism is in trouble in Senegal.
On March 3, a reporter with the news service Walf TV was detained and then charged with six crimes, including “spreading false news,” after reporting on the questionable prosecution of an opposition politician.
The legal columnist, Pape Ndiaye, was arrested based on his expose of politician and opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, who was accused of rape.
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK | TUNIS, 14 March 2023 (IDN) — A campaign targeting Black migrants in the north African nation of Tunisia has escalated with misleading videos on social media. The African Union has responded—cancelling a major conference on illicit financial flows due to take place in Tunisia this month.
By Saisha Shrestha and Simone Galimberti
KATHMANDU, 12 March 2023 (IDN) — Guthi, an ancient social institution of the Newari community in Nepal, if made more inclusive, could herald new ways of people-centred decision-making.
Can traditional forms of community decision-making herald a new way of decision-making and therefore pave the way for a different form of governance?
By Jaya Ramachandran
GENEVA, 4 March 2023 (IDN) — Multiple crises including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate crisis, growing inequalities, rising debt burdens and economic shocks are strongly affecting world's 46 Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
They face the challenge of high debt costs because they do not have sufficient cash to provide essential services. In the last decade, debt service costs in LDCs have increased from around 5% in 2011 to over 20% today.
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK | TUNIS, 27 Feb 2023 (IDN) — Tunisian President Kais Saied sparked controversy last week when he complained that sub-Saharan migrants arriving in Tunisia were changing the complexion of the North African country from “Arab” to Black.
The President complained that “the undeclared goal of the successive waves of illegal immigration is to consider Tunisia a purely African country that has no affiliation to the Arab and Islamic nations”.
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK (IDN) — Nigerians planning to visit the US will be barred from entry if officials believe they pose a threat to upcoming elections in Nigeria, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement.
The announcement also extends to the families of those accused of anti-democratic efforts, according to Sec’y Blinken. Nigeria’s Februray 25 elections will determine who will replace President Muhammadu Buhari, who has reached the country’s two-term limit after serving eight years in office.
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.