By Sam Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 18 June 2026 (IDN) — In 2016, during the first Trump campaign, I wrote an article asking whether American democracy could survive the reduction of politics to entertainment. At the time, the question seemed exaggerated to some readers. Politics had always contained theatrical elements. Presidents cultivated images. Campaigns relied […]
EEPA reports on RSF mobilisation in El Obeid
BRUSSELS | 18 June 2026 (IDN | EEPA) — The following are the situation reports on the Horn of Africa, and the refugee and migration situation in the region. Situation in Sudan (per 18 June) The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been mobilising large numbers of fighters from Darfur and West Kordofan around El Obeid […]
Palestinian Workers Find Strong Support at Chicago Gathering
By Kim Scipes* Editor’s Note: This article deliberately follows US English spelling conventions. WESTVILLE, Indiana, USA | 17 June 2026 (IDN) — Strong support for Palestine and Palestinian workers was obvious at the recently concluded Labor Notes conference in Chicago. This bi-annual conference of labor activists took place on June 12-14 at the Hyatt Regency […]
The Fulcrum is Female
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 17 June 2026 (IDN) — Over 200 years, we have watched with a mixture of fascination and horror the explosion of population in most parts of the world. In the 1960s and 70’s, many people were convinced that it was the single most important issue of our times. Government […]
Energy Transition Only Works If Development Works
By Shuvojit Banerjee and Weiwen Qi* BANGKOK, Thailand | 16 June 2026 (IDN) — The energy transition is reshaping economic structures across Asia and the Pacific. When managed well, it can unlock new economic growth opportunities. Where it is not, it can trigger inflation and political backlash that stalls reform. The difference lies in whether […]
EEPA reports on meditation efforts between TPLF and federal government resume
BRUSSELS | 16 June 2026 (IDN | EEPA) — The following are the situation reports on Ethiopia, Sudan and The 62nd session of the Human Rights Council taking place in Geneva. Situation in Ethiopia (per 16 June) Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has resumed mediation efforts between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopia’s […]
Constant Digital Monitoring Is Quieting Public Voices Worldwide
By Gina Romero* BOGOTA, Colombia | 15 June 2026 (IDN) — The modern digital world we live in today is characterised by an interconnected, massive network of monitoring tools—a surveillance ecosystem. Governments frequently justify this intrusion by poorly vague national security narratives and cybercrime frameworks. We have then moved far beyond occasional governmental monitoring into […]
The New Documentary “An Ordinary Insanity”
Only when such sanity becomes ordinary will we have a chance of surviving the nuclear era. By Robert Ellsberg* NEW YORK | 13 JUNE 2026 (IDN) —This film presents a synthesis of my father’s book, The Doomsday Machine. His book depicts the evil murderousness of nuclear war plans, and the particular dangers posed by ICBMS, with their […]
Netanyahu’s Betrayal Of Israel’s Promise
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 13 June 2026 (IDN) — For nearly three decades, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu has treated the state as an instrument of personal power rather than a public trust. No external enemy—not Iran, not Hezbollah, not Hamas—has done more to hollow out Israel from within than a leader who repeatedly sacrificed the […]
How Books Can Save Democracy
By Jan Servaes MIAMI | 12 June 2026 (IDN) — It is well known that American democracy is in crisis. American society is more polarised than ever before. “We are being strategically driven apart by disinformation – the deliberate spreading of lies disguised as truth,” argues Barbara McQuade, a professor at the University of Michigan […]