Asia

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… »

By Dr Arshad M Khan … And my life’s cold winter that knew no spring; Of my mind so weary and sick and wild, Of my heart too sad to sing. — Paul Laurence Dunbar The world now has more refugees than at any time since after WW2, more than the … »

Estimates indicate that between three and 5 million women formed a wall across Kerala to protect Kerala’s renaissance values and for women’s empowerment.  The women stood shoulder to shoulder across Kerala and formed a 620 km “wall” from Thiruvananthapuram to the northern district of Kasaragod which was organised against the… »

After the historic ‘Women’s Wall’ that challenged Brahmanic Patriarchy two young women entered the Sabarimala temple early morning today. Bindu and Kanaka Durga, both in their early 40s, entered the hilltop shrine around 3.45 am. This is the first entry of women after the Supreme Court ordered the end of… »

I recently returned from my first trip to China and I am still thinking about everything I saw, which undoubtedly made me realize – once again – how much distortion comes from the press, manipulated by Western interests, on a daily basis. We construct our picture of the world on… »