Asia

Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Bishwa Ijtema (World Congregation), is the second largest gathering of Muslims after the holy Haj in Mecca. One of the largest peaceful gatherings in the world, the prayer meeting is held annually on the banks of Turag River and draws millions of Muslims from different parts of… »

By Dr James M Dorsey Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s three-nation tour of Asia is as much about demonstrating he stands tall – despite Western criticism of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the war in Yemen – as it is about exploiting geopolitical and economic opportunity. Prince… »

By Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD. Towards Understanding the Current Affairs Prime Minister Imran Khan impressed the constituents to imagine the phenomenon of “change” as a driving force for future-making. Was the political power a motivating factor to influence the curious minds of the masses or was it an exercise in… »

Under ISDS corporations and the rich have sued governments for billions of euros – for anything from introducing health warnings on cigarettes to banning dirty oil drilling. Citizens, campaigners and social movements are uniting in 2019 to put an end to this parallel justice system for big business. You can… »

Russia and China have already moved to create a shadow bank-transfer system in case the United States unplugs them from SWIFT. Germany, France and even the U.S. poodle Britain joined to create INSTEX — Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges. by MICHAEL HUDSON Originally published on… »

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869: 150 years ago this year. There will be many tributes to Gandhi published in 2019 so I would like to add one of my own. This reflects not just my belief that he gave the world inspiration, ideas and powerful strategies… »

The Madhya Nisheda Andolana-Karnataka is a Padayatra (nonviolent march), the largest of its kind. More than 4000 women from twenty-three districts of the Karnataka State, India, embarked on a twelve-day walk of 210 kilometers from Chitradurga to Bengaluru, protesting against the State’s policy of legal liquor sales. The march was held… »

QUEZON CITY, Philippines – A social development and advocacy network is aiming for a legislative path that will provide Mother Nature its own legal rights and be recognized through a law. Recognizing ‘Rights of Nature’ means that human activities and development must not interfere with the ability of ecosystems to… »

We take the future Asian superpower for granted, but who is their Robert Redford? By Rafael Poch for Ctxt. In the 20th century, in order to become a global superpower, the United States established itself in the first phase as the hegemonic power of the Western Hemisphere. »

Caroline Nye, University of Exeter for The Conversation Japan brought in a controversial new labour policy at the end of 2018 which will open up blue-collar jobs to workers from countries such as Nepal, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. The amendment to Japan’s notoriously restrictive immigration laws… »