By Dr. Asoka Bandarage* COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 9 April 2025 (IDN) — I returned to the U.S. from Cuba just a few hours before Donald Trump signed a memorandum on June 30, 2025, tightening the long-standing U.S. economic blockade against Cuba. The memorandum includes a statutory ban on U.S. tourism to the neighbouring island. […]
Kosovo’s Leadership Failure: A Dangerous Hijacking of Democracy
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 8 July 2025 (IDN) — It is hard to imagine how a small country experiencing significant economic hardship and in constant conflict with its neighbour is still under a caretaker government four months after the national elections. Prime Minister Kurti must end the deadlock, as it does not bode […]
Billionaires’ Anger and Efforts to Prevent Zohran Mamdani from Becoming New York’s Mayor
By Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO, USA | 2 July 2025 (IDN) — The Supreme Court’s first chief justice, John Jay, would have empathized with the billionaires who’ve been freaking out ever since Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York last Tuesday. “Those who own the country ought to govern it,” Jay insisted. […]
Persistent School Dropout Issue in Majengo: A Community Call to Action
By Whitney Atieno 30 June 2025 (IDN) — Despite numerous government interventions aimed at promoting free and compulsory education for all children, the community of Majengo continues to struggle with a high rate of school dropouts. This worrying trend undermines national education goals and threatens the future of our children. Recently, I encountered a troubling […]
Haiti Situation Report: CPT faces scrutiny over foreign mercenaries and drone use
Situation in Haiti Armed members of the “Talibans” group, based in Canaan, Port-au-Prince, took control of La Chapelle commune on 22 June, burning the police station and blocking reinforcements. Authorities had reportedly received warnings as early as 19 June, but no proactive measures were taken. The assault, linked to the Viv Ansanm coalition, displaced 8,890 […]
No More Business as Usual to defeat Child Labour
By Simone Galimberti* KATHMANDU, Nepal | 24 June 2025 (IDN) — The year 2025 should have been one celebrating the end of child labour. This was the plan as per the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with Target 8.7 tackling the most nefarious of children’s exploitation. Unfortunately, we are still a long way away from achieving […]
How the US and Israel Used Rafael Grossi to Hijack the IAEA and Start a War on Iran
By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies* NEW YORK | 23 June 2025 (IDN) — Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), allowed the IAEA to be used by the United States and Israel—an undeclared nuclear weapons state in long-term violation of IAEA rules—to manufacture a pretext for war on […]
Israel Fights Wars to Prevent Peace
By James E. Jennings* ATLANTA, USA | 21 June 2025 (IDN) — Israel’s blatant aggression against Iran in the current “Star Wars” conflict between Tel Aviv and Tehran was designed not to ensure peace, but to prevent it. Diplomatic talks over Iran’s nuclear program were scheduled to begin within a few days, so a new […]
Russia-Africa Youth Engagement: Fostering Significant Diplomatic Collaboration
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW | 20 June 2025 (IDN) — Russia and Africa seek multipolarity and economic sovereignty through technology transfer, vocational training, and cultural exchange. The Russia-Africa Youth Committee at the Diplomatic Academy supports academic diplomacy, youth diplomacy, and strategic networking by connecting students with practitioners to develop policies and solutions. The first […]
Infrastructure Without Inclusion: What the Rohingya Camps Teach Us
In a crisis, data is not just numbers; it can save lives. It helps people plan ahead, respond faster, and make sure aid reaches those who need it most. But in places like the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, where data systems are fragmented or controlled by a few powerful actors, they can make things […]