By Farwa Aamer The writer is Director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI). NEW YORK | 25 September (IDN) — Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s win (as new President) marks a period of hope and change for the Sri Lankans who are still recovering from the political and economic crisis of 2022. […]
Is The World Moving Toward Long-Term Self-Destruction?
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 24 September 2024 (IDN) — Eleven hundred years ago Europe was a backwater. There were no grand cities, apart from Cordoba in Spain which was Muslim. The Middle East was much further ahead, still absorbing the intellectual delights and challenges of Greek science, medicine and architecture which Europeans were […]
South Asian Workers in Europe Face Harrowing Working Conditions
By Aju John* BERLIN | 22 September 2024 (IDN) — On 19 June of this year, an agricultural labourer from India named Satnam Singh lost his life on a melon farm in Latina, Italy. He had been crushed by a machine that severed one of his arms and fractured his legs — horrific injuries, but, […]
Opinion: What Does Solidarity with Ukraine Mean?
By Ingar Solty The writer is Senior Fellow for Peace and Security Policy at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. BERLIN | 22 September 2024 (IDN) — On 17 March 1981, the German comic book artist Rötger Feldmann gave himself a birthday present by publishing the first volume of his Werner comics. The series chronicles the adventures […]
A Cultural Feast of Folk Songs That Unveils the Soul of Sri Lanka
Reviewed by Nandi Jasentuliyana, former Deputy Director-General, United Nations. LOS ANGELES, USA | 21 September 2024 (IDN) — If you have yet to experience the mesmerizing performances of the Ranwala Balakaya, you’re missing out on a cultural feast that stirs the soul and celebrates Sri Lanka’s rich heritage. Fans of traditional Sri Lankan arts packed […]
Summit of the Future: The Importance of Youth and Future Generations
By Bisma Qamar* UNITED NATIONS | 21 September 2024 (IDN) — The Summit of the Future, best described by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring together political leaders to discuss the world’s pressing challenges, is aimed at negotiating solutions. Under the theme “Multilateral Solutions for a better tomorrow,” the Summit is […]
Sri Lanka Must Pivot to the BRICS for a New Dawn
Need to De-dollarize to De-colonize after Elections By Darini Rajasingham-Senanayake* COLOMBO | 20 September 2024 (IDN) — In the run up to elections the post-Marxist National People’s Party (NPP), has run a high-gloss, foreign-funded, election campaign to market its policies as a ‘new dawn’. Remarkably, the NPP and rival political parties alike had ignored wider […]
The Four Psychological Dimensions Behind Hamas’ Attack and Israel’s Retaliation
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 20 September 2024 (IDN) — Hamas’ attack and Israel’s retaliatory war are the dire by-products of decades-long psychological impediments—historical, ideological, religious, and humanitarian—that have hindered any progress toward a solution while making the conflict ever more intractable Hamas’s savage October 7 attack on Israel and the latter’s massive retaliatory […]
Bangladesh: Political Crisis Is Deeply Impacting the Economy
By Tajul Islam* DHAKA, Bangladesh | 19 September 2024 (IDN) — Bangladesh is currently facing a political crisis that is not only disrupting its social structure but also casting a significant shadow over the country’s economic outlook. The economic challenges caused by this political instability are widespread, impacting everything from households to industries. The Ready-made […]
Gulf States: Huge Economic Cost of Keeping 13 million Women Out of Workforce
By Amr Saber Algarhi and Konstantinos Lagos* This article was published on The Coversation under Creative Commons licence. SHEFFIELD, South Yorkshire, England | 18 September 2024 (IDN) — When you think of modern, oil-rich Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), you may picture a life of luxury. But beneath […]