By Stephen Bryen* This article was issued by Weapons and Strategy and is being republished with their permission. WASHINGTON, D.C. | 13 January 2025 (IDN) — The Ukrainians sent nine drones to attack a natural gas compressor station in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia. The compressor station was part of the TurkStream pipeline. All […]
Ukraine War: Neutrality Remains the Key to Peace
By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies NEW YORK | 13 January 2025 (IDN) — President-elect Trump said on January 9 that he is planning a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine. He said “Putin wants to meet,” because “we have to get that war over with.” So what […]
Senegal, Chad and Ivory Coast Have Ordered French Troops to Leave
By Abayomi Azikiwe* DETROIT, USA | 12 January 2025 (IDN) — Senegal during 2024 underwent a mass upheaval and a groundbreaking national election, which brought to power the youngest elected head-of-state on the continent. The country won its freedom in 1960 during the so-called “Year of Africa” where 16 colonies became independent. Just three years […]
Will Putin and Trump Meet in Budapest?
By Fehér Péter* BUDAPEST | 12 January 2025 (IDN) — Vladimir Dzhabarov, the first deputy chairman of the Russian parliament’s upper house committee on international affairs, mentioned in an interview that he considers Hungary an ideal location for a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. This was the first specific indication that the Hungarian […]
The New Syrian Government Faces Herculean Task
By Dr Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 12 January 2025 (IDN) — Recognizing the horror the Syrian people have endured over the past 14 years, the question is, will Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Ahmed al-Sharaa follow through on his public promises to transform Syria into a democracy where freedom and equality reign, regardless of how […]
The UN Can End the Middle East Conflict by Greeting Palestine as 194th Member
The June 2025 UN Conference on Palestine can be the long-awaited turning point for the region. By Jeffrey D. Sachs and Sybil Fares* This article was published in Al Jazeera and is being republished with the authors‘ permission. NEW YORK | 11 January 2025 (IDN) — The UN, on its 80th birthday in 2025, can […]
Water Is a Key Factor in Syria’s Protracted Conflict
By Paolo Maggiolini* MILAN, Italy | 10 January 2025 (IDN) — Water security will be a key test of the new Syrian government’s credibility. Since 2011, water scarcity has been a central factor in the country’s prolonged conflict, manipulated for political and economic gain. In a region already vulnerable to climate change, prolonged drought and […]
UN Report Stresses the Significance of Critical Minerals for Developing Countries
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | 9 January 2025 (IDN) — The United Nations flagship report, World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2025, has stressed the need of harnessing the potential of critical minerals for sustainable development. It argues that rapidly reducing dependence on fossil fuels and accelerating the transition to renewable energy remains the most […]
Why 2024 Was the Deadliest Year on Record for Reporters
By Kristin Skare Orgeret* OSLO, Norway | 9 January 2025 (IDN) — The past year has been the deadliest for journalists since the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) began tracking fatalities in 1992. Since 7 October 2023, at least 146 journalists have been killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanon, though the actual numbers […]
India: Farmers Intensify Battle Against Big Corporates in Agriculture
Since 2020, Indian farmers have been agitating against repeated attempts by the ultra-right-wing BJP-led government to open the country’s agricultural sector to big corporations. By Abdul Rahman DHAKA, Bangladesh | 8 January 2025 (IDN) — Thousands of farmers participated in the Kisan Mahapanchayat, or farmers gathering, in Tohana, Haryana province, on January 4. The gathering […]