Month: September 2023

Human Rights, Politics and Democracy, SDGs, WaterLeave a comment

But for NATO, Flood Havoc Could Have Been Averted in Libya

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Viewpoint by Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE. 27 September 2023 (IDN) — Catastrophic floods in Libya this month have killed over 10,000 people, according to estimates, due to a burst of a dam, weak infrastructure, and a lack of governance created by NATO’s bombing campaign over a decade ago to overthrow the long-serving Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and bring “democracy” to the North African country. In a compassionate mindset to the tremendous suffering of the Libyan people, former US President Obama—who authorized the NATO bombing of Libya—has sent out an appeal through his foundation for people to come forward to help. In … Continue reading But for NATO, Flood Havoc Could Have Been Averted in Libya

Human Rights, Politics and Democracy, Religion, Rise of Asia, TerrorismLeave a comment

India-Canada Row Exposes Double Standards in Fighting Terrorism

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Viewpoint by Kalinga Seneviratne* SINGAPORE. 23 September 2023 (IDN) — After returning from the G20 meeting on 9-10 September in New Delhi, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a bombshell announcement in the Canadian parliament alleging that there was evidence to suggest India’s involvement in the assassination of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June in Canada, whom India has designated as a terrorist threatening Indian sovereignty. This allegation has infuriated the Indian media and the government. If it’s an affront to Canada’s sovereignty that the Indian government has organized an assassination of a terror suspect inside Canada, then what … Continue reading India-Canada Row Exposes Double Standards in Fighting Terrorism

UncategorizedLeave a comment

SDGs For All Issue 5 August 2023

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IN THIS ISSUE This month we do not really have a clear theme. But, with geo-political battles gathering steam around the world, we reflect on these battles, especially in the Indo-Pacific region with the choice of some of the stories. For one of our project reports, we sent our Thai correspondent Pattama Vilialert to Laos to look at the new China-built railway that links landlocked Laos to China on one side and Southeast Asia via Thailand on the other. We explore what is in store for Laos from this large investment and whether it could bring prosperity to the country. … Continue reading SDGs For All Issue 5 August 2023

Development and Economy, Rise of Asia, SDGsLeave a comment

India Steers G20 Towards Supporting Global South’s SDG Push

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By Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE. 13 September 2023 (IDN) — In a rare demonstration of consensus, Russia and the US welcomed the New Delhi Declaration of the G20 summit on 10 September that did not condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Instead, they focused on the development challenges facing the global community. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who led his country’s delegation to the summit, praised India for achieving a consensus that focused on the core role of global development instead of indulging in making political statements. Last year, the G20 summit in Bali (Indonesia) was hijacked by the US … Continue reading India Steers G20 Towards Supporting Global South’s SDG Push

Indigenous People, Rise of Asia, South PacificLeave a comment

China’s Shandong Province Expands Its Footprint to The Pacific

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By Kalinga Seneviratne SUVA, Fiji. 2 September 2023 (IDN) — While Japan’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated waters into the Pacific from its Fukushima nuclear plant was drawing flak right across the Pacific, a high-powered delegation of Chinese ocean and marine scientists and Asia-Pacific scholars from Shandong Province visited Fiji promoting South-South cooperation to mitigate climatic change—Pacific Islands’ biggest security threat. Facilitated by the Chinese Embassy here, Shandong Province and Fiji signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to exchange scholars and experts from the provincial institution to assist the Pacific Island nation in the agriculture sector. At the signing event, Agriculture Minister … Continue reading China’s Shandong Province Expands Its Footprint to The Pacific