By Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO | 7 February 2026 (IDN) — California Governor Gavin Newsom has made headlines this winter by vowing to defeat a proposal for a one-time 5 percent tax on billionaires in the state. Many national polls now rank him as the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, but aligning with the […]
Can We Quench the Fire That Might Start in Mali?
By Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP and the author of the new book Writing for Media and Monetising It. ABUJA, Nigeria | 6 February 2026 (IDN) — Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—three rogue states that have formed an Alliance of Sahelian States (AES) to resist external pressure from ECOWAS on military rule— […]
Human Rights Watch in Disarray Over Palestine
By Jan Servaes The Guardian and Jewish Currents reported on February 3, 2025, that two Human Rights Watch (HRW) staff members had been dismissed, leaving the organisation’s entire Israel and Palestine team. They resigned after HRW leadership blocked a section of a 33-page report that called Israel’s denial of the right of return to Palestinian […]
Situation Report: PM Abiy acknowledges Eritrean troop atrocities
Situation in Ethiopia (per 5 February ) Ethiopian Airlines resumed the flights to and from Tigray on Tuesday, following the suspension of flights due to conflict in western Tigray a week ago. Key private-sector bondholders of Ethiopia’s $1 billion international bond have protested after the Official Creditors Committee, led by China and France, blocked a […]
The Netanyahu Government’s Insatiable Thirst for Blood
By Dr Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 5 February 2026 (IDN) — It was hoped that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, agreed upon on 10 October 2025, after months of gruelling negotiations, would bring an end to the horrific death and destruction that had been inflicted on Gaza by Israel for two years. But […]
Will Human Rights Survive a Trumpian World?
By Jan Servaes * Bangkok, Thailand| 5 February 2026 (IDN) As is tradition, for the 36th time, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has examined the human rights situation in more than 100 countries in a 529-page World Report 2026. In his introductory essay, titled “Will Human Rights Survive a Trumpian World? Authoritarian Advances Threaten Rules-Based Order,” […]
A Shaky International System gets Shakier
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 […]