Geneva (D. Ravi Kanth) — The African Group of countries, particularly the Cotton-four – Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad – are going to be left high and dry at the World Trade Organization’s eleventh ministerial meeting (MC11) at Buenos…
Category: Op-Ed
Ending child marriage could add trillions to world economy
By Roshni Majumdar UN (IPS) – The benefits of ending child marriage are many—boosting a young girl’s morale and increasing her chances of education and work, and by that virtue, curbing high population rates in developing economies and boosting growth.
Progress on world hunger has reversed
By Tharanga Yakupitiyage UN, Jul 3 (IPS) – World hunger has increased, reversing years of progress, said a UN specialised agency. During its biennial conference held in Rome, Italy from 3-8 July, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) noted that…
Diplomats ponder whether UK may U-turn on Brexit
A British newspaper says EU diplomats are frustrated at a lack of clear vision over the UK Brexit plan. One envoy thinks a weakened leadership and the scale of what leaving the bloc entails could force a change of mind.
DU Day being observed
Dhaka – The Dhaka University Day is being observed on the campus here on Saturday with much enthusiasm and festivity, marking the 96th founding anniversary of the country’s highest seat of learning. -UNB
UK’s U-turn on abortion for Northern Ireland’s women
Funding abortions for women who travel to England is only an interim solution Hillary Margolis The UK government just took an important step in announcing – following a campaign and under pressure from parliament – that the National Health Service…
Southeast Asia model: From miracle to debacle
By Jomo Kwame Sundaram Kuala Lumpur, Jun (IPS) – The World Bank and other influential international financial institutions and development agencies have been touting Southeast Asian (SEA) newly industrializing countries as models for emulation, especially by African developing countries seeking…
Global cyberattack seems intent on havoc, not extortion
Paris, Jun 30 (AP/UNB)- A cyberattack that caused indiscriminate economic damage around the world was apparently designed to create maximum havoc in Russia’s neighbor and adversary Ukraine, security researchers said.
Why is international human rights law such an easy target?
By Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein London, Jun 27 (IPS) – “Earlier this month, Britain’s Prime Minister called for human rights laws to be overturned if they were to “get in the way” in the fight against terrorism. Specifically, Theresa May…
The high cost of ageing
By Veena S. Kulkarni, Vani S. Kulkarni and Raghav Gaiha New Delhi, June 23 (IPS) – Evidence shows that health systems must be recast to accommodate the needs of chronic disease prevention.
Global ransomware attack causes turmoil
Companies across the globe are reporting that they have been struck by a major ransomware cyber-attack. British advertising agency WPP is among those to say its IT systems have been disrupted as a consequence.
Chimps’ strength secrets explained
By Paul Rincon The greater strength of chimpanzees, relative to humans, may have been explained by American scientists. A study suggests the difference is mostly due to a higher proportion in chimps of a muscle fibre type involved in powerful,…
Socially owned news media must for objective journalism
Mostafa Kamal Majumder A young journalist colleague told me the other day he would make no mistake in aligning himself with either of the two major political parties in Bangladesh because he has seen and is by now ‘sure that…
Trump, Modi exchange hugs as US calls Pak ‘global terrorist’
Washington, Jun 27 (AP/UNB) – Hugging outside the White House Monday, President Donald Trump and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi heralded an increasingly close strategic partnership as the U.S. branded Pakistan as a “global terrorist.”
At center of Qatar crisis, a $1 billion ransom
By Megan R. Wilson The crisis over Qatar that is gripping the Middle East hinges on an alleged $1 billion ransom that was reportedly paid to release members of Qatar’s royal family and others who were kidnapped in Iraq.
15 bodies found after landslide buries scores in China
Mao County, Jun 25 (AP/UNB) – Crews searching through the night in the rubble left by a landslide that buried a mountain village under tons of soil and rocks in southwestern China found 15 bodies, but more than 100 more…
South Asian popular culture focus of int’l confce
Birmingham – More than 30 distinguished academics from around the world are heading to Birmingham (UK) this week, as part of an international conference that focuses on the past, present and future of South Asian popular culture.
Traffic chaos dilute the enthusiasm of Eid-goers
A photo posted in the Facebook on Saturday depected the desperateness of people to make their trips to village homes during the last th4ree days and celebrate the holy Eid-ul-Fitr with their parents and relatives.
What happens when a presidency loses legitimacy?
Mounting evidence that Trump’s election was aided by Russian interference presents a challenge to the American system of government—with lasting consequences for democracy.
The world is burning
By IPS World Desk Rome, June 23(IPS) – Record high temperatures are gripping much of the globe and more hot weather are to come. This implies more drought, more food insecurity, more famine and more massive human displacements. In fact,…
Excessive use of arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury…black soils
By IPS World Desk Rome, June 23 (IPS) – Soils are polluted due mostly to human activities that leave excess chemicals in soils used to grow food, the United Nations reports.
Democracy must prevail, always
by Thorvaldur Gylfason Diversity is desirable in human affairs, as in nature. Most countries strive toward economic and political diversification. Economic diversification is a way of escaping dependence on a narrow economic base so as to spread risk. Political diversification…
Concerted effort in global resilience to turn back desertification
As we mark World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought tomorrow, notable strides have been achieved in building resilience to these issues globally. From Africa to Asia, concerted effort has led to gains in development, and all regions are experiencing…
Yunus Centre refutes PM’s accusations
Yunus Centre yesterday responded to some statements Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made while addressing a reception accorded to her by expatriate Bangladeshis at Stockholm City Conference Centre on June 15. A Yunus Centre release stated that the PM made a…
Domestic violence victims of Brazil
The authorities in the Brazilian state of Roraima are failing to investigate or prosecute domestic violence cases, leaving women at further risk of abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The serious problems in Roraima, the state…
Immigration and economic growth: Is keynes back?
by Bo Rothstein There is something very strange going on in the current debate on refugee immigration. There is a lot of alarmist talk about youth gang criminality, problems related to labor market integration, falling results in school, honor-related violence…
A private-sector solution to the refugee crisis
Nirj Deva Brussels – International development is not just about alleviating poverty; it is also about delivering security, stability, and economic opportunities to poor and fragile communities, thereby preventing citizens from having to flee their home country in search of…
Pakistan’s persistent energy crisis
Nadeem ul Haque Islamabad – For almost a decade, Pakistan has lacked the energy it needs, with producers and consumers across the country facing power outages for up to 12 hours per day. At the root of this crisis lies…
Men commiting femicide lose rights over their children
By Daniel Gutman Buenos Aires, Jun 16 (IPS) – In January 2008, Rosana Galliano was shot to death in Exaltación de la Cruz, a rural municipality 80 km from Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires. Her ex-husband, José Arce, who was sentenced…
Will Qatar-Saudi-UAE diplomatic crisis reconfigure Gulf politics?
By Afro-Middle East Centre (AMEC) The 5 June decision by Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and their allies and proxies – Egypt, Bahrain, the Maldives, Mauritania and rival governments in Libya and Yemen – to sever…