Bilateral business and financial engagement is growing between India and China, with India taking advantage of China's favorable financing terms.

India has tried to address the concerns of Sri Lankan Tamils through development projects, but now faces a political dilemma with regional consequences.

At upcoming multilateral summits, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an opportunity to expand India's regional position and economic links, and address issues such as terrorism and a rising China.

In its recent defense technology deal with the U.S., India has laid the groundwork for creating a robust long-term defense industrial base.

Germany has been acting as an international leader in reducing its carbon footprint, and India can learn a lot from the example Germany is setting.

Solar power is now priced competitively with traditional forms of energy, which makes new nuclear power plants financially unviable.

Nazir SiyalKARACHI: Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Mission to Pakistan, called upon Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, Syed Awais Qadir Shah, here on Tuesday. CEU Mission to Pakistan leader Jeroen was accompanied by Ms. … read more

Nazir SiyalKARACHI: Sindh Government have posted Mr. Mehboob Ali Siyal, as Secretary (Revenue), Board of Revenue Sindh, against an existing vacancy here yesterday. Mr. Mehboob Ali Siyal will take charge as Secretary Revenue on Wednesday. A vibrant Officer of Sindh … read more

In a world where the fight for land rights often pits the powerful against the marginalized, Indigenous communities stand as resilient defenders of their ancestral lands. These communities, rich in culture and tradition, face numerous challenges, from encroachment and exploitation to climate change. Empowering Indigenous communities is not just a matter of justice; it is […]

The runaway-growth in the cannabis industry, fueled by rolling de-regulation and a high demand forecast, is bringing with it a growing carbon footprint.

9 reasons to have at least 3 walnuts everyday  The Times of India

1. India's CPI Inflation In October 2024 Jumps To 14-Month High Of 6.2%; IIP Grows 3.1% In September  News18
2. Retail inflation surges to a 14-month high of 6.2% in October  The Times of India
3. Retail inflation jumps to 14-month high of 6.21 per cent, breaches RBI tolerance level  Telegraph India
4. Rising food prices are likely to push back beginning of rate cutting cycle  The Indian Express
5. Rate cut unlikely even in February, inflation to dip January onwards: SBI research  The Economic Times

DENPASAR — Several international airlines cancelled flights to and from Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Wednesday, after further eruptions of a volcano that has spewed ash clouds as high as 10 kilometres (32,808 feet) and forced thousands to evacuate.

Netanyahu admits Israel behind pager attack in Lebanon

God’s love for His own simply has no parallel in human experience. It is a powerful, immutable love that extends from eternity past to eternity future. It is a love that is not deterred by our race’s sinful rebellion against God. Because of this love, God pursues and redeems us even when we are morally and spiritually reprehensible and unworthy of His love in every way.

A legal arraignment is where the accused is brought to court to answer formal charges. And that is what the apostle Paul did with all of humanity—all of us—in the third chapter of his epistle to the Romans. At this trial, the whole human race is brought before the eternal Judge. The charge against us is uttered in Romans 3:9: “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.”

In a legal arraignment, the document detailing the specific charges against the accused is called the indictment. In a civil court, there is always the possibility that the charges could be dropped if the accused can prove his innocence or cast enough doubt on the charges brought against him. But sinners are never afforded that luxury in God’s courtroom.

Social development in a global context shows the risk of trending downwards and not recovering if countries do not minimize the long-term impacts of multiple crises and work towards building up their resilience. As much as this will require national political will, it will also need global cooperation for it to be possible. The United […]

Duchess Sophie wins hearts after touching exchange at Windsor: WatchThe Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie, accompanied a 21-year-old Emily, who has cerebral palsy, in a heartwarming gesture.Emily had taken part in the BBC Children in Need and The One Show's fundraiser, The Challenge Squad, in which she...

The curtains fell on the 16th Conference of the Parties of UN Biodiversity (COP16) on Sunday without any formal closing. In a voice message, David Ainsworth, the Communications Director of the UNCBD, confirmed that the COP was suspended due to a lack of quorum in the plenary and would be resumed sometime later. However, before […]

While India continues to rely heavily on coal, the south Asian economic giant is also aggressively pushing renewable energy production, especially after the costs of renewable energy production have fallen drastically in recent years around the world. But experts say that India—the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs)—has to face many headwinds for […]

What started as a broad attempt to allow women to live a more dignified life, an indigenous women’s organization, Masehual Siuamej Mosenyolchicauani, now aims to solve environmental and climate problems that others have created.

The Arab region is among the most water-scarce areas globally, as nearly 392 million people live in countries facing water scarcity or absolute water scarcity. So dire is the situation that, of the 22 Arab countries, 19 fall below the annual threshold for water scarcity in renewable resources, defined as 1,000 cubic meters per person. […]

“Farming is in my blood, and I can’t imagine doing anything else,” said Mahim Mazumder, a farmer from Assam. “Even though the past three to five years have seen drastic changes—with temperatures rising so much that even sitting under a tree no longer offers relief—I will keep farming, even if it only yields a small […]

The Asian Development Bank has launched a new country partnership strategy (CPS) to support the Philippines’ transformation in the next 6 years. It is designed to ensure sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth in the face of climate challenges.

Uncovering crucial gaps in climate change data systems reveals how these deficiencies hamper our understanding of climate impacts on vulnerable populations in developing Asia. How can we empower national statistical systems in collecting and analyzing data they need to effectively tackle climate change?

Remarks by Masatsugu Asakawa, President, Asian Development Bank, at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Independent Accountability Mechanisms of Multilateral Banks and International Financial Institutions, 1 October 2024, ADB headquarters, Manila, Philippines

ADB recently launched the Georgia Public–Private Partnership (PPP) Monitor. Helen Steward, Principal Markets Development Advisory Specialist in ADB’s Office of Markets Development and Public–Private Partnerships, explains what the PPP Monitor is all about.

This study examines the impact of economic development in forestry on the indigenous people who have traditionally lived in and obtained their livelihood from the forest. It takes villages in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, as a case study.

This paper surveys the evolution of policy on private sector development in Indonesia post-independence.

This paper examines the causes of export success in East and South East Asia and assesses the role of industrial policy.

Bangladesh and India should pursue bilateral economic cooperation to enhance South Asian regional cooperation.

This paper examines the technological capability of Indonesian industry.

This paper discusses several selected topics concerning governance in Indonesia, September 2005.

To attract infrastructure investment to meet national goals for providing electricity to consumers, India needs continued macroeconomic stability as well as an improved policy and regulatory environment.

India’s federal power minister on Tuesday asked the states that are away from coal resources to consider setting up nuclear-based power plants, besides identifying and listing the power utilities to meet investments to support growing power demand.

The Indian government in its federal budget this year had proposed to partner with private players to develop small nuclear reactors to increase the amount of electricity from sources that do not produce carbon dioxide emissions.

States should consider setting up nuclear power plants at the sites where coal-based thermal power plants have completed their life, Manohar Lal, the country’s power minister, told states as per a government statement.

India’s stringent nuclear compensation laws have hampered talks with foreign power plant builders such as General Electric GE.N and Westinghouse.

The country, which currently has about 8 gigawatts of nuclear capacity, aims to increase it to 20 GW by 2032.

The minister also asked the states to identify and list their power utilities in the country’s stock exchange to meet increasing investment demand in the power sector as well as improve the transmission system to add more renewable capacity.

India has pledged to achieve a net zero carbon emission target by 2070 and has a target of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Tuesday it has asked the sport’s governing body to explain India’s refusal to send a team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy next year.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) informed the PCB last week that India would not tour Pakistan for the eight-team tournament, leaving the fate of the event hanging in the balance.

Pakistan had previously rejected the option of a hybrid arrangement that would allow India to play their matches at neutral venues, for example in the United Arab Emirates.

“The PCB has responded to last week’s ICC letter seeking clarifications for the Indian Board’s decision not to travel to Pakistan for next year’s Champions Trophy,” Sami-Ul-Hasan told AFP.

Deteriorating political ties have meant the bitter rivals have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade — squaring off only in ICC multi-nation events.

Pakistani media reported on Tuesday that the PCB would be unwilling to accept security reasons for India’s refusal to visit.

New Zealand have toured Pakistan three times in the past two years, with England visiting twice and Australia once in the same period.

Pakistan also visited India for last year’s ODI World Cup and the PCB had expected the gesture to be reciprocated for the Champions Trophy.

The Champions Trophy is slated to be played across three venues — Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi — from February 19 to March 9 next year.

But a final schedule due to be announced this week has been postponed over the stand-off — which PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi termed disappointing.

“Almost every country wants the tournament to be played in Pakistan and it will be disappointing if they don’t come,” Naqvi, who is also the interior minister, said last week.

“I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter. We’ll give every team as many facilities as we can.” Naqvi said Pakistan would consider pulling out of events in India as a response.

“Pakistan has shown great gestures to India in the past, and we’d like to say clearly India shouldn’t expect such friendly gestures from us every time”.

India is due to host the women’s ODI World Cup and Asia Cup next year and will co-host the Twenty20 World Cup with Sri Lanka in 2026.

As climate change threatens the cryosphere — the frozen parts of the Earth — at an alarming rate putting almost a quarter of humanity at risk, Pakistan has advocated for coordinated regional efforts and international support to save the eco-system and build climate resilience, particularly across the Hindu Kush and Himalaya region.

The study ‘The State of the Cryosphere 2024’, released on Tuesday on the sidelines of COP29 in Baku, urged urgent action to control emissions to save glaciers, which are melting at a rapid pace due to global warming.

“Under a high emissions scenario…Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), may experience up to 80% of ice loss. With very low emissions however, up to 40% of glacier ice in the HKH region could be preserved,” it said, adding that projections in a few glacier regions even show slow re-growth beginning between 2100 and 2300, but only with very low emissions and essentially carbon neutrality by 2050.

Against this backdrop, the environment ministers from the HKH met on Tuesday at the Baku Olympics Stadium to come together to save the “third pole” and to keep global temperatures below 1.5 Celsius.

This gathering aimed to discuss the rapidly increasing climate risks and vulnerabilities in the region and beyond, while identifying areas for urgent collective actions, inevitable to addressing the pressing challenges and fulfilling the hopes of the quarter of humanity impacted by these changes, said a statement.

It stated that over the past decade, the rate of glacier melting in the HKH has accelerated by 65 per cent compared to the previous decade (2000-2010) and the trend is projected to continue.

“Over the last decade, the rate of glacier melting in the HKH has accelerated by 65% compared to the previous decade (2000- 2010), and the trend is projected to continue.”

Speaking at the event, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said this was an opportune time for the region to unite to push for a new collective quantified role that would directly address the need of the countries which were most vulnerable to climate change.

Pakistan Prime Minister Adviser on Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam said no country across the HKH region could tackle the climate crisis in isolation and besides regional unity, international response was essential.

She said Pakistan stood for regional partnership aiming to save the ecosystem and species, and build climate resilience. She argued for easy access to climate finance to ensure these countries could erect safeguards to protect themselves from climate change.

She said Pakistan was experiencing first-hand the impacts of climate change, increasing the risk of natural disasters in the form of GLOFs and threatening water security and agriculture as well as biodiversity.

Other speakers included delegates from China, Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. The event was organised by the Kingdom of Bhutan and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.

Bleak state of Cryosphere

According to the State of Cryosphere 2024 report, if the current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are met, global temperatures will likely reach 2.3°C by 2100, leading to irreversible ice loss, significant sea-level rise, and severe impacts on coastal regions, mountain communities, and polar ecosystems.

In case of a high emissions scenario, the temperature may rise to 3-3.5°C, which will cause extreme damage, including rapid ice sheet loss, the disappearance of glaciers, and widespread permafrost thaw.

However, the 1.5°C temperature in line with the Paris Agreement can help stabilise the cryosphere and preserve part of glaciers but that cannot happen unless there is a drastic cut in emissions.

“This requires urgent action, however, with emergency-scale tightening of mitigation commitments and fossil fuel emissions declining 40% by 2030,” the report added.

In case there is no action to stop the melting of glaciers, “severe and potentially permanent changes to the water cycle, due to loss of snowpack and ice run-off during the warm summer growing season, will impact food, energy and water security.”

Produced as part of the 2024 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organised by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Centre for Peace and Security.

Header image: View of the landscape from Langtang, Nepal can be seen in this undated handout image. — Tika Gurung via Reuters

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2024

GILGIT: Twenty-six pe­o­ple, part of a wedding party, drowned after their bus plunged into the Indus River in Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan on Tues­day.

Diamer SSP Sher Khan said that the bus, coming from Astore district of GB, was part of a wedding procession heading towards Punjab’s Chakwal district.

It plunged into the river at Telchi bridge at 1pm after the driver reportedly lost control due to speeding.

According to officials, 27 people were on the bus at the time of the accident. Rescuers recovered 13 bodies from the river while the bride was rescued in injured condition and moved to the RHQ Hospital in Gilgit, where she succumbed to her injuries.

The remaining 12 missing persons have been presumed dead. However, the search for them was ongoing despite the freezing temperature, officials said.

Victims were part of wedding party going from Astore to Chakwal

Among the victims, 19 belonged to Astore, while four, including the groom, were from Chakwal.

The Diamer deputy commissioner and superintendent supervised the rescue operation in which five local divers and two boats took part. The bus’ wreckage was pulled out of the river with the help of a crane.

The search for missing persons will be expanded to other areas along the river today (Wednesday), according to officials.

Police have appealed to the population along the river to keep searching for the dead bodies.

According to GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, the contractors working on the Diamer Bhasha Dam, which is being built near the region, have also been mobilised to aid in search activities near their camps.

Authorities have also requested the navy to send its divers to help in the search operation, APP reported while quoting Mr Faraq.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2024

industries study guide

to change minds the art of influence without manipulation

This paper explores how oil price windfalls impact labor market regulation across 83 countries from 1970 to 2014.

This brief shows how India sparked a digital payments boom and boosted financial inclusion through the introduction of its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and outlines ways countries in the region can ramp up their own digital transformation.

This publication provides updated statistics on a comprehensive set of economic, financial, social, and environmental measures as well as select indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The TA will focus on evaluating the wind potential of various site/s for government investment in wind energy. A feasibility analysis of viable wind sites will be carried out, which will inform the government on the scale of wind projects and how best to develop this potential. The TA will also fund the equipment for measuring wind speeds and directions to confirm site selection and build capacity for wind energy development in the EA.