By Kalinga Seneviratne* BANGKOK, Thailand | 12 August 2026 (IDN) — Witnessed by the visiting Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing and Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the two ASEAN members signed a Terms of Reference (TOR) on 7th August for the establishment of a joint working group on water quality management for transboundary rivers, such […]
Catholicos Garegin II in court
By Benoit Lannoo* YEREVAN, Armenia | 8 August 2026 (IDN) — Do you remember the Investiture Controversy, when medieval emperors tried to take over the pope’s episcopal appointments? Or the difficult issue of the appointment of bishops in the People’s Republic of China? Well, although Armenia is considered a democratic state in Western chancelleries, respectful […]
Rebuilding Before Peace
How Ukraine Is Reshaping Europe and the International Order By Ramesh Jaura This article was first published on https://rjaura.substack.com BERLIN | 4 August 2026 (IDN) — The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has now gone well beyond being just a conflict in a particular region; it has changed Europe’s strategic position, brought deterrence back to […]
Collapse After a Landslide: Starmer’s Fall May Not Be the Last
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 | 25 July 2026 (IDN) — It was painful to watch him outside No.10 on Monday, 20 July. Despite his immaculate suit and well-groomed hair, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer […]
Armenian Church Ready for New Clashes with PM Pashinyan
By Benoit Lannoo* ANTWERP, Belgium | 23 July 2026 (IDN) — It was a remarkable meeting at the Vardavar celebration – the 14th Sunday after Easter – in Etchmiadzin. Armenian Apostolic Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan was blessed by Catholicos Garegin II in the mother-cathedral of this autocephalous (independent) Eastern Church. ‘Blessing with lots of water’ plays a […]
The Ceasefire in Gaza: A Deadly Illusion
By Somar Wijayadasa* NEW YORK | 30 June 2026 (IDN) — The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has described the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza as a “cruel and deadly illusion” as Israel continues to attack the besieged enclave. “During a period supposedly defined by restraint and protection, a child has been killed, on average, every […]
EEPA reports on Heavy fighting in North Darfur
BRUSSELS | 29 June 2026 (IDN | EEPA) — The following are the situation reports on Sudan, Ethiopia, the EU visa restrictions on Somali nationals and Kenyan Human Rights Lawyer, Martha Karua, arrested and deported upon arrival in Entebbe on 22 June. Situation in Sudan (per 29 June) The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have launched […]
Until Every Child is in School, No One is Truly Safe
By Mohamud Hure* DOHA, Qatar | 26 June 2026 (IDN) — The morning war arrives, a child learns a different kind of lesson: which road is safe, which silence means run, how much can be carried and what must be left behind. Somewhere in Sudan or eastern Congo this year, a girl folded that knowledge […]
Solomon Islands – Climate Change: Perils Of Losing Our Home
By Cheryl Bera Honiara, Solomon Islands, 20 June 2026 (IDN/Wansolwara) — The relocation of the A’ama tribe due to the impact of climate change reflects the perils of loosing one’s treasured homes. In April 2014, after over two weeks of slow moving tropical depression, that later became Cyclone Ita, Solomon Islands experienced flash […]
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 […]