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News for a Sustainable World
Published by The Non-profit International Press Syndicate Group
with IDN-InDepthNews as the Flagship Agency
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We wish our readers happy and heathy New Year.
Coming BBN issues will appear Thursday.
Dear Reader,
We are pleased to send you Edition 01 | 2022. This weekly is the flagship news product of the Non-Profit International Press Syndicate Group with registered offices in Canada, Germany, Japan and Singapore, and correspondents around the world. Feel free to share and re-publish articles pro bono mentioning the source. Previous editions are available on https://newsletter-archive.indepthnews.net. Your feedback is most welcome.
Kind regards from the Non-Profit
International Press Syndicate
Viewpoint by Herbert Wulf
This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission.
After constant Cold War rhetoric and sabre-rattling, the presidents of the USA and Russia talk to each other about the Ukraine conflict and more generally about the security architecture in Europe. The EU is directly affected but is left out and wonders.
BONN (IDN) — In recent years, observers of the security situation in Europe have been reminded of the times of the Cold War. Ice age, confrontation and mutual mistrust prevail.
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Viewpoint by Dr Ram Puniyani
This article is the 17th in a series of joint productions of South Asian Outlook and IDN-InDepthNews, the flagship of the International Press Syndicate. The writer is a former professor of biomedical engineering and former senior medical officer affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (now Mumbai) and meanwhile a social activist and commentator. This article was first published on NEWSclick on January 3, 2022.
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By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK (IDN) — Over the course of his 90 years, Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu gave voice to his beloved nation in its struggle for change and reconciliation under Black majority rule. His last wishes for a green burial have sparked a tweetstorm on the mostly unfamiliar practice among devoted followers of “the Arch”.
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By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK (IDN) — The Biden administration has cracked down on three African countries accused of serious rights violations, expelling them from AGOA, a duty-free trade program worth millions in benefits.
The three countries—Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea—had been warned in November of the threatened action which affects imports and exports of their products to the U.S.
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By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK (IDN) — World-famous Kenyan conservationist and fossil hunter Richard Leakey, cited for “great contributions to human origins and wildlife conservation”, has passed away in Nairobi. He was 77 years of age.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed “deep sorrow” at the news of Leakey’s death.
His will and ego made him the most powerful, respected man in African conservation. In the end, they’re what brought him down.
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Viewpoint by Jonathan Power
LUND, Sweden (IDN) — We had much to be glum about as we came to the end of 2021. We are brainwashed with bad news. “If it bleeds it leads”, say the wags in the newsroom. One plane crash or celebrity’s death or royal family transgressions or Russian military manoeuvres are worth more airtime than the news that, despite Covid, we are winning the fight against early death.
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By Neville de Silva
Neville de Silva is a veteran Sri Lankan journalist who held senior roles in Hong Kong at The Standard and worked in London for Gemini News Service. He has been a correspondent for foreign media including the New York Times and Le Monde. He was also deputy chief-of mission in Bangkok and deputy permanent representative to ESCAP and later Sri Lanka’s deputy high commissioner in London.
LONDON (IDN) — Facing a political and economic cataclysm, Sri Lanka’s besieged government has turned from China to India in search of support.
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By Radwan Jakeem
NEW YORK (IDN) — The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the joint statement by the five nuclear-weapon States on the prevention of nuclear war and avoidance of arms races.
"The Secretary-General appreciates the recognition by the nuclear-weapon States of their need to comply with their bilateral and multilateral nonproliferation, disarmament, and arms control agreements and commitments, including their binding obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons related to nuclear disarmament," the UN Chief's spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.
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Analysis by David Robie
Dr David Robie is a retired professor of journalism and founding director of AUT University’s Pacific Media Centre.
AUCKLAND (IDN) — In the South Pacific, the year 2021 has closed with mounting tensions over sovereignty and self-determination issues and growing stress over the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic in a region that was largely virus-free in 2020. Pacific leaders are also raising their voices globally on the devastation brought about by climate change on their islands.
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By Kalinga Seneviratne
SYDNEY (IDN) — China will be sending a number of police officers along with riot-control gear such as shields and helmets for the Solomon Islands police, to help train the local police to stem any more violence against Chinese interests and their citizens in the South Pacific nation.
The announcement on Christmas Eve by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's besieged government that it would accept Beijing's offer of assistance to strengthen its anti-riot policing capabilities has created shockwaves in Canberra.
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Viewpoint by Tariq Rauf*
"The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is an essential pillar of international peace and security, and the heart of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. Its unique status is based on its near-universal membership, legally-binding obligations on disarmament, verifiable non-proliferation safeguards regime, and commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear energy". UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the NPT’s opening for signature, 24 May 2018, Geneva.
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By Jamshed Baruah
GENEVA (IDN) — The Human Rights Committee periodically scrutinizes the implementation of the legal obligations of countries that have ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Despite the challenges to its work brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee was able to hold online follow-up reviews of 12 countries during its three regular sessions in 2021.
To date, 173 countries have ratified the Covenant. An additional six countries have signed the Covenant but have yet to ratify it, while 18 have taken no action.
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By Thalif Deen
NEW YORK (IDN)— The United Nations, which has been brought to a virtual standstill because of an upsurge in coronavirus infections in New York City, has been forced to postpone a long-awaited 10th review conference (REVCON) of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), scheduled to take place 4-28 January.
Diane Barnes, NGO Liaison Office at the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), was explicit: "There will be no Review Conference in January 2022, in any format".
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By UN News
NEW YORK (IDN) — Together, let's make recovery "for people, planet and prosperity" our resolution for 2022, the UN chief said in his message for the New Year.
"The world welcomes 2022 with our hopes for the future being tested by deepening poverty and worsening inequality…an unequal distribution of COVID vaccines…climate commitments that fall short, and by ongoing conflict, division, and misinformation", Secretary-General António Guterres lamented.
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By Kalinga Seneviratne
SYDNEY (IDN) — In July 2021 Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Australians to go out and get vaccinated as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spread across the world. They were assured that once double-vaccinated the lockdowns will be lifted. He said at the time “by Christmas Australia will be a different place” if fellow Australians follow his advice.
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By Sugeeswara Senadhira
COLOMBO (IDN) — Many Sri Lankans seeking visas to Switzerland end up filling forms listing out all their personnel information including details about Police records, if any. A vast majority of Sinhalese end up with a curt denial of visas despite their clean records.
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Viewpoint by M K Bhadrakumar *
NEW DELHI (IDN) — A Kyodo News agency report on December 23 cited Japanese government sources to the effect that Tokyo and Washington have drawn up a draft joint operation plan that would enable the setup of an attack base along the Nansei island chain in Japan’s southwest in the event of a Taiwan contingency.
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By Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury Former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the UN
Following is the text of a brief homage on December 26 for the Culture of Peace global network.
Dear co-activists! Today the world has lost a precious treasure of humanity with the demise of Desmond Mpilo Tutu, globally respected and loved as Bishop Tutu. To the South Africans, he was the Arch.
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