Nobel Intentions

It was at least partly a case of unfortunate timing: had the referendum on the Colombian government’s peace deal with Latin America’s most resilient guerrilla force been held shortly after President Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last week, its outcome may well have been different.

Unshackling the Chains of Poverty

Two very positive economic developments have recently come to light. One is Bangladesh moving up a notch to rank 106th among 138 countries in the Global Competitiveness Index. Second, that the country's extreme poverty has declined to 12.9 percent in the financial year (FY) 2015-16 from 18.5 percent in 2010, according to the latest Bangladesh Development Update released by the World Bank (WB).

Issues from None

On Thursday, Pakistan finally managed a step that ought to go some distance towards discouraging and punishing two of the most heinous crimes that are committed against the beleaguered women of this land. The Anti-Honour Killing Laws (Criminal Amendment Bill) 2015 and Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Amendment Bill) 2015, originally piloted by PPP legislator Sughra Imam, had been left hanging for months. Passed by the Senate in March 2015, they lapsed because they were not taken up by National Assembly; the only way to secure their passage into law had been through a joint sitting of parliament.

Development Without Democracy Isn’t a Happy Solution

Persistent indigestion may point to the cancer of esophagus, throat or stomach. This prognosis is a sufficient hint for the wise to understand why development without democracy isn't good for a nation. It's no solace for people to know that highways and bridges are being built unless they also feel connected to their country, because it altogether misses the point. A free country is desirable so that people can enjoy, not the freedom of luxury, but the luxury of freedom.

Teachers and Minimum Wage

Rizwana completed her Intermediate and then, having no other opportunities for jobs that her family would allow her to do, started teaching at a private school near her home. She enjoys teaching. Her family can do with the income she brings, and they felt that this was a good way of keeping her occupied until marriage.

An Original Sin

A recent report by a UN-affiliated group refuels the long-standing debate over reparations for African-Americans. The group of experts which includes leading human rights lawyers from around the world presented its findings to the UN Human Rights Council recently, showing a link between the present and past injustices against the black people in the United States. The history of slavery in the US justifies reparations, they argued.

Jailed for Destroying Heritage

Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) sentenced Ahmad al-Mahdi of Mali to nine years’ imprisonment for his part in the destruction of heritage monuments in Timbuktu about four years ago.

Better options for justice

It is a sad but inescapable truth that millions of Bangladeshis have limited access to a functioning, fair and transparent justice system. Despite recent improvement, the country's courts remain overburdened with huge numbers of long pending cases. Petty corruption and expense deter many people from attempting to resolve their cases through the formal legal system, while deeply-ingrained prejudices prevent access to justice for many women, poor people and those from minority ethnic or religious backgrounds.

Mentally Ill Convict

Imagine being on death row, facing your imminent execution. You are a murderer, convicted of killing an innocent man; the Supreme Court has rejected your lawyers’ appeal for clemency and a weeklong reprieve they gave you is now up. Your execution date is to be set any day now. Perhaps by the time this column is printed, you will already have been hanged.

Attack on Civilian Ship Is in Clear violation of int’l Charters and Threatens Freedom of Navigation: UAE Foreign Ministry

(WAM) --- The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has stressed that the civilian ship (Swift) which was targeted by the Houthi and Saleh militias off the coast of Mocha, Yemen, was carrying assistance, wounded Yemenis and passengers.

World Bank: Inequality Threatens Fight Against Extreme Poverty

Washington: Extreme poverty has been falling steadily around the world, but eliminating it by 2030 could be stymied by unequal distribution of the gains of economic growth, the World Bank said Sunday.

What We Need to Do

The following news (published by a leading Bengali national daily on September 30, the National Day of the Girl Child) has been haunting me since I read it: In the last one and a half years, 24 girls below three years were raped.

Beware the Air We Breathe

Health-damaging atmospheric pollutants, which the World Health Organization warned Tuesday affected nine out of every 10 people, originate mainly from industry, heating and transport.

My Hawai’i Commitment

There are two schools of thought on the current debate regarding the global conservation of natural resources agenda: one is a pessimistic view of our future which thinks that it is already too late to avoid a catastrophe - and therefore, we must now focus on survival and recovery - which puts people in despair. Others feel that humanity has faced and overcome many challenges in the past and will continue to do so. With these views in mind, over ten thousand conservation leaders from government, civil society, indigenous communities, faith and spiritual traditions, the private sector, and academia from about 200 countries gathered in an historically important IUCN World Conservation Congress in Hawai'i, from September 1-10, 2016.

A New ‘enemy’

THE US elections have stoked excitement and fear among all, in and outside the country. The liberals hate Trump whom they think is dangerous and reckless and backed by uncouth rednecks; they say he would play havoc with civil rights if in power. A white Democrat American said (jokingly) to me that she would seek political asylum in Pakistan if Trump won.