*By Kalinga Seneviratne COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 16 December 2025 (IDN) — The ongoing exodus of health professionals to greener pastures abroad has critically weakened Sri Lanka’s healthcare system, and significantly impacted its ability to provide effective medical relief during the recent devastating floods caused by Cyclone Ditwah. The mass migration of doctors, specialist consultants, […]
20 Years Demanded in Extraordinary Trial Against Brutal Alleged Eritrean Human Smuggler ‘Walid’
ZWOLLE, The Netherlands| 10 December 2025 (IDN) — The Dutch public prosecutor has demanded the maximum sentence of 20 years of prison, and over 2 million EUR in damages in the case of alleged Eritrean smuggler Tewelde Goitom “Walid”, accused of earning large sums of money through the kidnapping, torturing, and extorting of refugees in […]
Modi and Putin Send Clear Message To Trump
By Kalinga Seneviratne BANGKOK, Thailand | 8 Dec 2025 (IDN)– By unveiling an ambitious Economic Cooperation Program aimed at expanding bilateral trade and investment till 2030, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a clear message to the US President Donald Trump that India-Russia relations are iron-clad, no matter what […]
Ukraine was Russian — Historically
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 2 December 2025 (IDN) — “George, you have to understand that Ukraine is not even a country. Part of its territory is in Eastern Europe, and the greater part was given to us.” These were the ominous words of President Vladimir Putin of Russia to President George W. Bush in […]
Details of EU Migration and Asylum Pact Revealed Amidst Concerns of Externalisation on Human Trafficking in Libya
Brussels, Belgium | 29 November 2025 (IDN) — On 11 November, the European Commission unveiled the long-awaited details of the much discussed allocation key of the EU’s new Migration and Asylum Pact, marking a major reform of Europe’s migration system that will come into force on 12 June, 2026. The pact aims to create faster […]
Can Global Climate Diplomacy Still Deliver?
COP30 and the Amazon Reckoning This article was first published on https://rjaura.substack.com By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | 28 November 2025 (IDN) — When world leaders arrived in Belém for COP30 on 10 November, the symbolism was clear. Delegates entered a city where the air is thick with humidity, the scent of river mud blends with […]
The Trump-Mamdani Show Was Amazing
But Downsides for Progressives Could Turn Out to Be Steep By Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO | 25 November 2025 (IDN) – Across the political spectrum – with alarm on the right and delight on the left – the display of warmth from President Trump toward Zohran Mamdani on 21 November set off shock waves. Trump’s […]
Trump’s Peace with Russia
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 25 November 2025 (IDN) — Trotsky, the one-time close comrade of Lenin, reportedly said, “You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you”. This is how it seems to have been with the US presidents in office before Donald Trump. Trump is unique when it […]
Trump, Deterrence, and the Erosion of Nuclear Restraint
By Ramesh Jaura* This article was first published on https://rjaura.substack.com BERLIN | 16 November 2025 (IDN) — Ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on 30 October at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, U.S. President Donald Trump declared he had ordered the resumption of U.S. nuclear testing. His statement shattered more […]
Accessibility to the Disabled isn’t a Luxury – it’s a Necessity
By Tanja B. Sejersen & & Manal Hassan* BANGKOK | 14 November 2025 (IDN) — Imagine being invisible—not because you’re unseen, but because your existence isn’t officially recorded. For millions of children with disabilities across Asia and the Pacific, this is a daily reality. A recent UNICEF report reveals stark disparities in access to rights […]