By Shuvojit Banerjee and Weiwen Qi* BANGKOK, Thailand | 16 June 2026 (IDN) — The energy transition is reshaping economic structures across Asia and the Pacific. When managed well, it can unlock new economic growth opportunities. Where it is not, it can trigger inflation and political backlash that stalls reform. The difference lies in whether […]
Germany, Japan and the Return of Military Power (Part I)
From Defeat to Dependence Eighty years after World War II, Germany and Japan—once defined by constitutional restraints on military power—are rebuilding their armed forces as the international order grows increasingly uncertain. Their transformation is reviving old debates about war, memory, nuclear weapons and the fragile foundations of global stability. By Ramesh Jaura This article was […]
Is Quad’s Port Development in Fiji Really Development Assistance?
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY, Australia | 9 June 2026 (IDN) — At the Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) in New Delhi late May, a grand “aid” scheme to develop ports in the South Pacific was announced, starting with the Fiji Islands. As QUAD looks for relevance in an environment in Asia […]
Has the Democratic Party Lost Its Way Regarding Russia and China?
By Jan Servaes MIAMI | 6 May 2026 (IDN) — Anyone visiting a reputable U.S. bookstore today in search of an analysis of the position the United States occupies on the global stage under President Trump will immediately spot the hefty 534-page tome: Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder by Michael McFaul. […]
Trump’s China War Leads Nowhere
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 20 May 2026 (IDN) — Both the US and China over the last few decades have messed things up. President Donald Trump has been vicious in his attacks, over trade and, in his first term, over the Coronavirus, which he blamed on China. Last week, during his visit to […]
After Venezuela and Iran, Next Cuba?
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 […]
India’s Tamil Nadu: ‘Colour Revolution’ Without Violence
By Kalinga Seneviratne COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 15 May 2026 (IDN) — A remarkable political transformation took place in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu, which resembles a youth-driven ‘colour revolution’. But this time, there were no foreign-funded “dollar-chasing democracy vendors” led by youth rioting in the streets and confronting the police and armed […]
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. […]
Conflict-ridden Sahel at the Crossroads
The Impact of the Iran War on West African Power and Conflict By Ramesh Jaura This article was first published on rjaura.substack.com BERLIN | 25 April 2026 (IDN) — The war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States is centred in the Middle East, but its effects are quickly changing geopolitical boundaries far beyond that […]
Bringing Together China and America
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 16 April 2026 (IDN) — The widespread perception that China is, or soon will become, an aggressive and expansionist power is simply wrong. It is propaganda rather than fact—a kind of right-wing agitprop. Far from being an aggressive power, China is fundamentally a defensive one, and long has been […]