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By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK (IDN) — For her “ability to capture and communicate vital truths even amidst times of upheaval”, Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Dangarembga will receive the PEN Pinter prize in memory of the Nobel laureate Harold Pinter.
Dangarembga is the author of Nervous Conditions, which she wrote when she was 25, and which was described by Doris Lessing as one of the most important novels of the 20th century.
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene
The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria.
ABUJA (IDN) — The Nigerian government thinks Twitter is the greatest source of its misery. After straining at the leash for months, it couldn’t resist swatting the microblogging platform with a ban last week. But what does the ban mean, really?
It means that about 40 million users in Nigeria who are mostly young people would be unable to access the service through local service providers.
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK (IDN) — At a state visit to Switzerland last year, Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo put his cards on the table. The second-largest cocoa producer would no longer ship the raw material to Switzerland if by doing so, it would trap the country in poverty for the next century.
Ghana and the Ivory Coast supply 70% of the cocoa beans, but most of the value in a chocolate bar is generated in Europe and North America. The global chocolate industry is worth over US$150 billion. West African economies receive less than US$6 billion.
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK (IDN) — Over 200 people were killed in violent attacks across Nigeria last week, as the insecurity across the country continues despite the efforts of security agencies. Over the same period of time, no fewer than 137 people were abducted across the country.
The figures were gathered by the Premium Times of Nigeria from newspaper reports and family members of victims.
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK (IDN) — “Time for everything—time to come here for prayer and time to return home after the service.”
With those words, Nigerian preacher TB Joshua, one of Africa's most influential televangelists, ended his final sermon on Emmanuel TV, the broadcast arm of his megachurch. His death was marked by over 300,000 followers on Facebook within 24 hours of his passing on June 5. He was 57.
By Jamshed Baruah
GENEVA | BRAZZAVILLE (IDN) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of the threat of a third wave of COVID-19 in Africa threatening Africa's health facilities, and advised them to urgently boost critical care capacity to prevent health facilities from being overwhelmed. At the same time, vaccine shipments to the continent are grinding to a near halt.
Viewpoint by Rene Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens
GENEVA (IDN) — The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, 2021-2030 began on June 5. An ecosystem is an interaction between people, plants, animals and their surroundings. The UN Environment Programme and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization are the lead UN agencies for this Decade. However, the Decade aims to become a broad-based global movement in which many can play a role.
Viewpoint by Yossef Ben-Meir
The writer is a former Peace Corps Volunteer and president of the High Atlas Foundation
MARRAKECH (IDN) — Recognizing this week’s World Environment Day reminds us of the evolution of the concept of sustainable development since the phrase was coined in a 1987 United Nations report. At that time, sustainable development concentrated on the idea of natural resource management and how humanity must not consume the sources of our sustenance to an extent that any harm is brought upon our collective future.
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene
The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria.
ABUJA (IDN) — Nigeria has been struggling with insecurity for over a decade. Against reasonable expectations six years ago when President Muhammadu Buhari was voted in, things have worsened.
By CPJ
NEW YORK (IDN | CPJ) — Zimbabwe authorities should not contest journalist Jeffrey Moyo’s appeal of a recent ruling denying him bail and should drop the criminal case against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on June 2.
On May 31, a court in the city of Bulawayo denied Moyo’s bail request and ordered him to remain in custody until June 10, according to news reports.
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.