By James E. Jennings* ATLANTA, USA | 7 May 2026 (IDN) — The proud chants USA! USA! USA! have quieted down a bit in recent weeks following the ugly, over-the-top rants against Iran by former game show host and failed casino owner Donald John Trump and his acolyte, former Fox News commentator Pete Hegseth. Their […]
Is Immigration a Good Thing?
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 6 May 2026 (IDN) — Every developed country is importing cheap labour, although much less so during this time of near recession, yet all too rarely are the pro and con arguments discussed with real profundity. In his incisive book, “The British Dream”, David Goodhart, the founder of the […]
What Dispute Tribunal Reveals About the UN Internal Justice System
By Naïma Abdellaoui* GENEVA | 5 April 2026 (IDN) — The recent judgment of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT/2026/042) marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing crisis of confidence in the UN’s internal justice system. At its core, the case involved an unprecedented collective action by 438 staff members challenging the retroactive expiration of roster memberships—a […]
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— […]
USA: Is the DNC Giving Kamala Harris a Boost for 2028?
By Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO, USA | 2 May 2026 (IDN) — More than four months after Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin announced that he was breaking his promise to release the autopsy report on the 2024 election, the decision remains highly controversial. Arguments swirl around whether it’s wise to proceed without public […]
Kenya: Ruto-Tinubu Banter as Food for Thought
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 | 1 May 2026 (IDN) — Listening to Kenyan President William Ruto diss Nigerians with a smile from faraway Italy, one would think he had taken a page from Amos Tutuola’s […]
A World Edging Back Toward the Nuclear Brink
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 29 April 2026 (IDN) — Not long ago, U.S. Strategic Command—the branch responsible for nuclear weapons—issued a stark warning: conflict conditions could “very rapidly drive an adversary to consider nuclear use as their least bad option.” That sober assessment captures a growing unease. President Joe Biden’s decision to send […]
IRAN: Sustainable Peace Takes Time
By David L. Phillips* OXFORD, UK | 29 April 2026 (IDN) — I spent hours with Ambassador Javad Zarif, Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN and Foreign Minister in 2015. Rather convincingly, he maintained that Iran was not seeking a nuclear weapon but merely insisting on its right to enrichment. He called Iran’s nuclear program a […]
Breaking News: Peace Is Happening. Nobody Is Reporting It
By Renu Nauriyal* MUMBAI, India | 28 April 2026 (IDN) – While missile attacks and bombardments fill our feeds, front pages, and screens, cameras are not following the volunteer doctors operating on the injured, often without anesthesia. Journalists are not rushing to capture the teams that have crossed frontlines on foot to rescue marooned families. […]
Trump, Iran, and the Folly of Demanding Surrender
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK, 27 April 2026 (IDN) — Trump’s threats and maximalist demands ignore Iran’s history, security fears, and distrust of Washington. A durable agreement requires time, restraint, and professional diplomacy—not bombast, coercion, and calls for unconditional surrender that guarantee only resistance. Iran is not a transient power that can be coerced into […]