By Sam Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 2 June 2026 (IDN) — Approaching the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one encounters not heroes, founders, or allegories of civilizational ascent, but animals—four of them—standing upright against the stone authority of the façade. A squirrel, a coyote, a deer, and a hawk occupy the Genesis Facade, not as emblems, […]
A ‘Wake-Up Call’ for U.S. Democracy
By Jan Servaes MIAMI | 28 May 2026 (IDN) — The weekend preceding Memorial Day (observed on the last Monday of May) is not only the time when Americans host their first barbecue of the summer season, but also when—during religious services, parades, and speeches—they commemorate those who have fallen in all American wars. In local […]
The Shattered Covenant
As Israel celebrates its 78th anniversary By Alon Ben-Meir* Israel! I speak not in anger, but in mourning. What unfolds here is not prophecy— It is a confession. A lament for a nation that lost its way. A reckoning with faith betrayed, with justice undone. The dream of Israel, once radiant, redemptive, now stands fractured— […]
Saudi Arabian Tourism Is On A Learning Curve, But Russian Tourist Could Help To Accelerate It
By Kalinga Seneviratne BANGKOK, Thailand | 4 Dec 2025(IDN)– Saudi Arabia and Russia have signed an agreement on the sidelines of the Saudi-Russian Investment and Business Forum, held in Riyadh on the 1st December, on a mutual visa exemption for citizens of both countries, that could help to accelerate the Islamic kingdom’s fledgling tourist industry. […]
Sri Lanka: The Beautiful, Besieged Island
By Dr. Asoka Bandarage* COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 31 August 2025 (IDN) — In July 2025, the influential global travel website Big 7 named Sri Lanka the “most beautiful island in the world,” stating that the “teardrop-shaped island off the southern coast of India has it all—golden beaches, terraced tea plantations, timeworn temples, colonial towns, […]
Protecting Human Heritage: Sri Lanka’s Buddhist Culture
By Dr. Asoka Bandarage* COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 24 July 2025 (IDN) — We live in a time of accelerated militarism, environmental devastation, and deepening social collapse. Amid these crises, the destruction of our shared global heritage — humanity’s historical, spiritual, and artistic legacy — receives an astounding lack of attention. As we enter the […]
Russia’s Real Power Is Not Weapons, It’s Culture
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 16 July 2025 (IDN) — Observers say that what drives President Vladimir Putin is to make Russia respected. However, perhaps Putin overestimates the extent of Russia’s existing power. He has overlooked which trumpets to blow — it is not his “hang tough” militaristic policies in international affairs, especially vis-à-vis […]
The rediscovery of America from within
By Jan Servaes MIAMI | 10 July 2025 (IDN) — In 2019, The New York Times published “The 1619 Project” by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Four centuries after African captives arrived on the Virginia coast, this project reshaped America’s origin story, centering on slavery and the contributions of African Americans. An updated version appeared in 2021 and […]
The ‘Latino’ Does Not Exist
By Jan Servaes MIAMI | 26 June 2025 (IDN) — Before, during, and since the 2024 U.S. presidential election, approximately 15 percent of the American voting-age population—the so-called Latinos or Hispanics—has remained in the public eye. According to some observers, they played an important role in the election of Trump, despite his “vile remarks” about […]
Waiting for an African Pope
By Azu Ishiekwene The writer is Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the new book Writing for Media and Monetising It. ABUJA, Nigeria | 27 April 2025 (IDN) — It’s nothing to laugh off, however tempting. If the movies imitate life, we may not be as far away from an African pope. It happened in The Conclave, […]