By Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO | 22 March 2026 (IDN) — When the governing body of the Democratic Party convenes next month, it will face a growing challenge to its support for Israel. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has largely evaded the fact that substantial majorities of Democrats oppose continuing military aid to Israel and […]
The Role of Imported Arms in the Iran War
By Zain Hussain and Pieter Wezeman* STOCKHOLM | 20 March 2026 (IDN) — Imported arms have significantly shaped developments in the Middle East since Israel and the United States launched coordinated attacks on Iran last month. In this Q&A, Zain Hussain (ZH) and Pieter Wezeman (PW) of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme discuss what the […]
SITUATION REPORT – HORN OF AFRICA & NEWS HIGHLIGHTS No. 713 – 19 March 2026
Europe External Programme with Africa is a Belgium-based Centre of Expertise with in-depth knowledge, publications, and networks, specialised in issues of peacebuilding, refugee protection, and resilience in the Horn of Africa. EEPA has published extensively on issues related to the movement and/or human trafficking of refugees in the Horn of Africa and on the Central […]
An Indian Ocean Tragedy: Time to Close US-UK-France Military Bases, Decolonize and Stop War
By Darini Rajasingham Senanayake* COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 17 March 2026 (IDN) —The bodies of eighty-four Iranian sailors who died in a US torpedo attack in the seas of Sri Lanka were repatriated yesterday, 13 March 2026. Describing the scene of the rescue of some of the sailors who survived the dastardly attack, the Sri […]
ASEAN, Calling for a Rules-Based Order, Seeks to Promote International Law
By Simone Galimberti* KATHMANDU, Nepal | 16 March 2026 (IDN) — It is still too early to fully understand the consequences of the American adventurism in foreign policy. Amid the ongoing geopolitical chaos surrounding the second Trump administration, it is easy to forget ASEAN and its claimed centrality. The wider Middle East region is experiencing […]
Situation Report: Severe flooding and landslides in Ethiopia and Kenya
Situation in Sudan (per 16 March) 11 people were killed and at least 20 were wounded, including children, after a drone attack on Adikong market near the Sudan-Chad border on Thursday. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said this was the second deadly drone attack on the same area in less than a month. Senior Rapid Support […]
How cowpea is securing resilience and nutrition for farmers in Africa
By Busani Bafana BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe | 16 March 2026 (IDN) — In villages in Kano State in Northern Nigeria, farmers do not fear the drought. When their maize crop fails, as it does often, cowpea flourishes. They harvest enough of the bean to feed their families with extra to sell and pay school fees for […]
Asian Expertise Is Now Driving The SDGs In The Region
By Kalinga Seneviratne BANGKOK, Thailand | 16 March 2026 (IDN) — The US President Donald Trump may like to believe that it is the US with its powerful military that is driving the global order, but, the recently concluded 13th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) reflected the newly evolving global order is driven […]
Situation Report: Floods and landslides in Ethiopia
Situation in Sudan (per 12 March) The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a drone attack on a secondary school and a healthcare centre in Shukeiri, White Nile province, killing at least 17 people and wounding at least 10 others. Most of the victims were schoolgirls. At least 52 civilians, including children, have been killed […]
Our Need to See the Future
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 11 March 2026 (IDN) — In 1776, Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations, which has guided economists and political thinkers ever since. It marks the start of the Industrial Revolution, which began in England and then spread throughout most of the world. That was 250 years ago. It […]