By Somar Wijayadasa* NEW YORK | 7 February 2026 (IDN) — On 5 February 2026, the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty)—the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia—expired. For the first time since 1972, there are no legally binding limits on strategic nuclear weapons between Washington and Moscow. This marks […]
One More Step Towards Nuclear Obliteration?
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 3 February 2026 (IDN) — Nuclear arms control is close to collapse. On Wednesday, February 4, the so-called New START Treaty, signed in 2011 by the United States and Russia, expires. It capped long-range strategic nuclear warheads at roughly 1,500 each—a dramatic reduction from Cold War levels. Even so, today’s […]
Democracy in The Age of Disinformation and Digital Capitalism
By Jan Servaes* BRUSSELS | 2 February 2026 (IDN) — President Trump’s second term in office started with a crackdown on immigration, the introduction of sweeping tariffs and efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce. Hours after taking office, Trump signed executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs in business and higher […]
Tribute to Dr. William Foege: A Giant of Global Public Health
By Kul Chandra Gautam The writer is a former UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF. KATHMANDU, Nepal | 30 January 2026 (IDN) — This weekend, the world lost a true giant of global public health. Tributes are pouring in from public health scholars and leaders around the world, mourning the passing of […]
When the Centre No Longer Holds
The UN’s failure and the rise of the Board of Peace By Ramesh Jaura* This article was first published on https://rjaura.substack.com/p/when-the-centre-no-longer-holds BERLIN | 29 January 2026 (IDN) — As the Canadian prime minister concluded his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 20 January 2026, the applause lingered, stretching just beyond the ordinary. […]
A Global Piracy For All To See
By Alon Ben-Meir NEW YORK | 7 January 2026 (IDN) — Trump’s actions in Venezuela are morally calamitous, showing a perilous disregard for human dignity and the rights of ordinary Venezuelans to be free from external forces. Although Maduro is a corrupt autocrat who has often ruled by decree, no country has the right to […]
When War Slowly Loses Its Legitimacy
By Jonathan Power* As the United States’ invasion of Venezuela dominates headlines, it obscures a quieter but significant truth: despite setbacks, the world has steadily moved away from war as a legitimate instrument of policy. LUND, Sweden | 6 January 2026 (IDN) — When it comes to war, the world does move on for the […]
Why 2026 Marks ‘The New Disorder World’
BUT IT IS NOT INEVITABLE By Ramesh Jaura This article was first published on https://rjaura.substack.com/ BERLIN | 3 January 2026 (WorldView) — There was a time when humanitarian statistics startled the world. A million displaced people made headlines. A famine declaration triggered emergency summits. Images of starving children or bombed-out cities forced leaders to respond, […]
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 […]
Divine Rights of Humans
Our Everyday Essentials By Ramesh Jaura This article was first published on https://rjaura.substack.com BERLIN | 13 December 2025 (IDN) — Human Rights Day has arrived with a strange, almost jarring double exposure. In UN conference rooms and on official social feeds, the language is familiar: dignity, equality, universality. Outside those rooms, the world feels harsher—war […]