Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NAIONS — Thirty years ago on Nov. 9 1989, the world suddenly changed. Mass civil and religious demonstrations rocking East German cities created a political tsunami which soon reached Berlin. Berlin, the divided city and German capital at the epicenter of the Cold War, would see an unexpected […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — From Hong Kong to Barcelona, and from Beirut to Bolivia and Chile, a global rage seems to be boiling over. It ranges from Hong’s Kong’s pro-democracy pushback to Beijing’s dour diktats, to Spain’s Catalonia region’s revived separatism against the central government, to Beirut’s crowds protesting […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — In a stunningly gloomy presentation, UN human rights experts reviewed the situation in Myanmar/aka Burma, the Southeast Asian country where the government continues to persecute, harass and eliminate members of minority religious groups, especially the Muslim Rohingya. An already bad human rights situation deteriorated two […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — You can’t make this up. Venezuela, a state marred by widespread human rights abuses, one whose government has created humanitarian violations and then callously blocked international humanitarian aid, has won a contested seat on the UN’s Human Rights Council in a three-way race for two […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — Is the United Nations going broke? Well yes and no. The 193-member multinational organization is facing a serious cash crunch which has hampered the day to day operations of the world body but nonetheless may be resolved relatively soon when the United States, the major […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — Sustained and increasing attacks on Christian minorities from the Middle East to West Africa are often tragically overlooked by the mainstream media, underscoring an aura of hypocrisy and double standards towards the free practice of religion. Yet, some are pushing back to this indifference and […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — In the wake of Iranian initiated missile/drone attacks which significantly crippled the Saudi Arabian petroleum industry and threatened to bring the Persian Gulf region closer to the brink of a military confrontation, the Trump Administration and its allies have pursued a tough but decidedly restrained […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Potentates are assembling in New York for the 74th General Assembly. During this annual rite of Autumn, delegations from the UN’s 193 member states shall debate, discuss and hopefully find some common ground on a plethora of global crises ranging from […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — Simmering tensions in the Persian Gulf, resumed uranium enrichment programs, and supporting proxy military operations in Syria’s civil conflict and Yemen headline the current impasse between the West and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Add the diplomatic deadlock in the wake of the United States […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — Despite its territorial defeat in Syria and facing setbacks in Iraq and elsewhere throughout the Middle East, the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) is not yet beaten as a terrorist organization. That’s the grim but realistic assessment of the UN’s Counter-terrorism Chief Vladimir Voronkov who […]