By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 5 January 2026 (IDN) —What drives people to extremes? Why do the people behind Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State (IS) get so charged up and angry? To understand this dynamic, it is helpful to return to 16th-century Europe and the furious debates over the divine right of kings. Monarchs […]
Russia–Africa: Foreign Minister Lavrov Points to Weak Media Coverage
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW | 27 December 2025 (IDN) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has sharply criticised the near absence of African media presence in the Russian Federation, arguing that this gap undermines the development of a positive and balanced Russia–Africa relationship. Speaking at the plenary session of the Ministerial Conference held in […]
Diving Deep into Natural Disasters: Real or Fake?
By Fathima Kadhija Mohamed* TOKYO | 26 December 2025 (IDN) — The recent rise in natural disasters worldwide has inflicted serious damage on infrastructure and economies across several nations—from typhoons and floods devastating South Asia and Africa to wildfires in Iran, Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean, and spontaneous earthquakes across Asia. Yet while these disasters […]
Who’s the Real Outlaw at Sea? Trump’s Tanker Grab vs. the Houthis’ Anti-Genocide Blockade
Bz Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies NEW YORK | 24 December 2025 (IDN) — The United States has now intercepted multiple Venezuelan oil tankers as part of its escalating aggression against Venezuela, while also destroying dozens of small boats in the Caribbean and Pacific under the banner of “drug enforcement,” killing over 100 […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: Gambella police chief killed
Situation in Sudan (per 18 December) The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have systematically targeted Kanabi farming communities on ethnic grounds in Al Jazira state, especially during military operations in October 2024-January 2025, reports a new investigation by Lighthouse Reports in collaboration with several organisations. The attacks were allegedly pre-planned by forming special local armed groups, […]
The End of America; So Is The Future For Asia?
By Jan Servaes* BRUSSELS, Belgium | 18 December 2025 (IDN) — “We Americans have never been very good at managing empire. It is not one of our skill sets. But what is coming next may be a great deal worse than the naïve and incompetently managed American empire of the past eighty years. We may […]
As Rich Countries Poach Their Medical Professionals, Sri Lanka’s Health System Struggles To Help Flood Victims
*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, […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: Six UN Peacekeepers killed in drone strike in Sudan
Situation in Sudan (per 15 December) Six Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers have been killed, with 8 injured in a drone strike on a peacekeeping base in Kadugli, South Kordofan, on Saturday. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of the attack. The attack was immediately condemned by UN secretary general António […]
Situation Report: Jajaweed leader sentenced to 20 years by ICC
Situation in Sudan (per 11 December) Seven tribal leaders and dozens of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters were killed in a drone strike in the Fama area near Heglig, South Kordofan, on Tuesday with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) accused of the attack. The Heglig oilfield was captured by the RSF on Monday. The South Sudanese […]
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 […]