By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) — The landslide victory in the May 9 presidential polls in the Philippines by Ferdinand Marcos jr the son of the former dictator of the same name who was forced to flee the country with his family (that includes his young son) in 1986 by a “peoples’ power” revolution throws […]
Australia’s Looming ‘Independent Day’
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) — On May 21 when Australians go to the polls to elect a new government, the vast continent which was stolen from the indigenous people in 1788 and annexed to the British crown may have its ‘independent day’—not one that would declare itself a republic, but a day when ‘independent’ […]
Australia: Major Parties Fight Shy of Making Healthcare an Election Issue
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) — During the months-long Covid lockdowns across Australia in 2021, the reason given was that the country’s public hospitals would be overwhelmed by the virus-infected patients, and they would not be able to cope with the situation. Thus, while the surgery scheduled was postponed, there were long queues of patients […]
A Staged Default: Sri Lanka’s Sovereign Bond Debt Trap and IMF’s Spring Meetings Amid Hybrid Cold War – Part 1
This is the first in a series of three articles. Viewpoint by Darini Rajasingham-Senanayake * Debt cancellation, not asset stripping is the need of the hour! COLOMBO (IDN) — In Cherry Blossom lined Washington DC in the glare of global media April 18-23 Sri Lanka became the poster child of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF), […]
Safeguarding The Blue Pacific from Any Further Nuclear Contamination
By Neena Bhandari SYDNEY (IDN) — The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the region’s leading political and economic policy organisation, has appointed a panel of global experts on nuclear issues to provide independent scientific and technical advice to Pacific nations in their discussions with Japan over its intentions to discharge treated nuclear wastewater from the Daiichi […]
Pakistan’s Political Change ‘Won’t Affect Solid Friendship with China’
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 […]