By James E. Jennings* ATLANTA, USA | 4 February 2026 (IDN) — While UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ recent speech brilliantly described the world as it is in 2026—growing in population, war, starvation, and conflict, there are no solutions as yet that anybody can see. No easy fix exists for the widespread unrest that may eventually […]
India–Europe at a Geopolitical Crossroads
Trade, Trust, and the Return of Strategic Memory By Ramesh Jaura This article first appeared on https://rjaura.substack.com BERLIN | 4 February 2025 (IDN) — When India and the European Union finally inked their long-anticipated Free Trade Agreement on January 27, 2026, the fanfare barely masked the unease that had driven both sides to the table. […]
One More Step Towards Nuclear Obliteration?
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 3 February 2026 (IDN) — Nuclear arms control is close to collapse. On Wednesday, February 4, the so-called New START Treaty, signed in 2011 by the United States and Russia, expires. It capped long-range strategic nuclear warheads at roughly 1,500 each—a dramatic reduction from Cold War levels. Even so, today’s […]
Democracy in The Age of Disinformation and Digital Capitalism
By Jan Servaes* BRUSSELS | 2 February 2026 (IDN) — President Trump’s second term in office started with a crackdown on immigration, the introduction of sweeping tariffs and efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce. Hours after taking office, Trump signed executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs in business and higher […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: Details emerging of fighting in Tigray as situation calms
Situation in Ethiopia (per 2 February ) Negotiations are reportedly ongoing between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) following the fighting in western Tigray. Flights to and from Tigray are expected to resume soon, and the TPLF has ordered a stop to any fighting, sources state. One person was […]
Sensitive Data Sovereignty Conference commits to African Health and Humanitarian Data Space
Sensitive Data Sovereignty Conference commits to African Health and Humanitarian Data Space A conference on Sensitive Data Sovereignty held at Tangaza University in Nairobi – Kenya adopted a resolution to support the principle of creating an African Health Data Space including sensitive and humanitarian data. The proposal is supported by universities who acknowledge the critical […]
Tribute to Dr. William Foege: A Giant of Global Public Health
By Kul Chandra Gautam The writer is a former UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF. KATHMANDU, Nepal | 30 January 2026 (IDN) — This weekend, the world lost a true giant of global public health. Tributes are pouring in from public health scholars and leaders around the world, mourning the passing of […]
When the Centre No Longer Holds
The UN’s failure and the rise of the Board of Peace By Ramesh Jaura* This article was first published on https://rjaura.substack.com/p/when-the-centre-no-longer-holds BERLIN | 29 January 2026 (IDN) — As the Canadian prime minister concluded his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 20 January 2026, the applause lingered, stretching just beyond the ordinary. […]
Sudan’s Civil War Is the Normalisation of Atrocity
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 29 January 2026 (IDN) — The horror of the Sudanese civil war is not exhausted by the enumeration of its atrocities. However, those alone are staggering: mass killings, ethnic cleansing, systematic rape, the razing of villages, famine used as a weapon, and the deliberate destruction of the conditions of […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: Fears of escalation as ENDF and TDF clash in Tigray
Situation in Ethiopia (per 29 January) The Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) reportedly clashed in Tselemti, western Tigray. The clashes started several days ago and the current situation is unclear. There are reports of military movements in southern Tigray. All flights between Addis Ababa and Tigray have been cancelled. This […]