By Jan Servaes BANGKOK | 16 May 2026 (IDN) — Following the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a military attack, US President Donald Trump has hinted that Cuba could be his next target. In a presidential decree dated 26 January, 2026, he declared that […]
A World of Surging Military Spending and Concentrated Starvation
Choosing Bullets or Bread? This article was first published on https://rjaura.substack.com/ BERLIN | 16 May 2026 (IDN) — In 2025, the global order revealed a sharp paradox. Armed conflicts, geopolitical rivalry, and military preparedness drove world military spending to an unprecedented $2.887 trillion. Meanwhile, hunger tightened its grip on the most at-risk populations. Two-thirds of all […]
Child Poverty in America
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 11 May 2026 (IDN) — One of the gravest injustices in America today persists not because it is hidden, but because it has been normalized—absorbed into daily life, tolerated in silence, and sustained by indifference where outrage should prevail. How can the United States—still the richest nation on earth—tolerate one […]
The World Needs Compassion with Urgency to Eradicate Poverty
By Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai The writer is Chairman, World Forum for Peace & Justice. NEW YORK | 17 October 2025 (IDN) — The 33rd commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP 2025) on October 17, 2025, in the ECOSOC Chamber at UN Headquarters in New York City. The event was jointly organised […]
Haiti Situation Report: Haiti blackout ends after security promises
Situation in Haiti Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas were plunged into a blackout for 10 days from 13 May due to sabotage at the Péligre hydroelectric plant, Haiti’s main power source. The shutdown was reportedly carried out by civil society associations from Mirebalais and Saut d’Eau protesting gang violence. Fritz Alphonse Jean met on 23 May […]
Internet Governance Forum Weighs Pros and Cons of AI
By Bernhard Schell RIYADH, Saudi Arabia | 19 December (IDN) — More than 11,000 participants gathered at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh from 15 to 19 December 2024 and addressed the transformative opportunities and risks posed by rapid advancements of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies. They agreed that while AI presents […]
Poverty Is Rising and Inequality Widening in Asia and The Pacific
By Thalif Deen NEW YORK | 25 October 2024 (IDN) —The Asia-Pacific region, with over 4.8 billion people spread across 58 countries and territories, is home to about 60 percent of the world’s total population of 8.2 billion. The population of Asia, which include India and China, is expected to continue to grow, reaching 5.3 […]
Informal Summit of The Future: International Youth Conference
By Bisma Qamar* NEW YORK | 19 October 2024 (IDN) — The summit of the future was held during the General Assembly session last month with the theme of multilateral solutions for a better future. One of the prominent chapters which was highlighted was youth and future generations. Following the summit, the 10th edition of […]
Poverty Cannot Be Eradicated Without Containing Arms Industry
By Kalinga Seneviratne* BANGKOK | 18 October 2023 (IDN) — Every year the United Nations mark October 17 as the ‘International Day for the Eradication of Poverty’. Another day has come and gone and the world’s target of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 is further away than a year ago. Meanwhile the […]
Child Survival Award to Honour the Legendary Jim Grant
By Kul Chandra Gautam The writer is a former UN assistant secretary general and deputy executive director of UNICEF. KATHMANDU | 26 September 2024 (IDN) — Ever since UNICEF’s legendary Executive Director Jim Grant passed away in January 1995, I have had a dream that UNICEF, ideally, or some other organization, would establish a prestigious […]