Close ties with China ‘a consensus shared by all groups in Pakistan’ This article was issued by Global Times. Viewpoint by Yang Sheng and Liu Caiyu BEIJING (IDN) — Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted from office in a no-confidence vote in the country’s parliament on Sunday (April 10), but such a major political […]
South Pacific: Is China Establishing a Military Base in Solomon Islands?
By Ravindra Singh Prasad SUVA, Fiji (IDN) — Solomon Islands Prime Minister Mannasseh Sogavara has brushed aside concerns raised in Australia and New Zealand that a new China-Solomon Island security treaty will diminish the role of its traditional security partners in the region.
Rice Exports to Sri Lanka Good Business for Myanmar
By Deshan Maduranga COLOMBO (IDN) — A recent statement by a Myanmar official has indicated that Sri Lanka has been buying rice from the country at a price higher than what others are paying for it. This has raised eyebrows in Sri Lanka that has prided itself for being self-sufficient in rice, its staple diet, […]
BIMSTEC—Can It Take a Giant Leap Forward?
By Sugeeswara Senadhira COLOMBO (IDN) — This week, Sri Lanka is hosting the fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit in the backdrop of member nations struggling to shake-off the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The summit would provide the leaders of the seven members—India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, […]
Australia: Acquittal of White Police Officer of Murder Upsets Aborigines
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) — The acquittal of a White Police Officer of murdering an Aboriginal teenager over two years ago, has deeply upset the Aboriginal community with many weeping outside the courts in the northern city of Darwin, after the verdict was announced on March 11. Some could not contain their anger with […]
What Can be Done to Reduce Land Forgery in Sri Lanka?
By Maheswary Sivapragasam The writer is a lawyer specializing in housing and property laws. COLOMBO (IDN) — As land forgery continues unabated in Sri Lanka, something has to be done to prevent the prevalent rate of land fraud, with legal owners and innocent buyers unknowingly falling into these traps. According to news sources, the Registrar […]
ASEAN’s ‘Feeble and Overly Diplomatic Response’ to Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Viewpoint by Tim Newton The writer Tim Newton has lived in Thailand since 2011. An Australian, he has worked in the media, principally radio and TV, for 42 years. This article was issued by Thaiger. BANGKOK (IDN) — Issuing its first cautious statement over the invasion of Ukraine, ASEAN calls on… “all parties concerned to […]
South Pacific: US Announce New South Pacific Strategy to Counter China
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) — Marking the first visit by a US Secretary of State in 37 years to South Pacific’s major power Fiji, Antony Blinken during his 8-hour stay on February 13 insisted that the US is a Pacific nation and unveiled a raft of new strategies to better engage with the nations […]
Panguna Copper Mine Share Value Doubles Overnight After Landowners Opt to Reopen Mine
By Gorethy Kenneth The writer is a senior PNG Post-Courier journalist. This article was issued by Asia Pacific Report on 15 February and is being republished with permission. PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (IDN) — The dormant Bougainville Copper Limited share value has more than doubled overnight on the Australian Stock Exchange following a resolution […]
Civic Rights for Foreign Residents Sparks Backlash in Japan
By Yasuo Takao This article was issued by East Asia Forum on February 12. The writer is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts, Curtin University, Perth, Australia. PERTH (IDN) — The number of foreign residents living in Japan has dramatically increased in the past decade, marking a […]