World

Beijing: The World Bank is cutting back a USD 50 million project in China's restive Xinjiang region following a review prompted by allegations of abuses. A statement from the bank dated Monday said it would close a component of the project to support vocational colleges involving partner schools that were the subject of the abuse claims. It said although visits to the partner schools "did not substantiate the allegations," they were too widely dispersed to be properly monitored for adherence to bank standards. "In addition, the project will be placed under enhanced supervision to ensure that all applicable Bank standards are adhered to," the bank said. The statement said a review was ordered after "serious allegations" about the partner schools were received in August, but did not describe them in detail. "The World Bank's work is driven by core principles of inclusion, with special consideration for the protection of minorities and other vulnerable peoples," it said. "When … [Read more...] about World Bank Cuts Back $50 Million Project in China’s Xinjiang after Allegations of Abuses

The Turkish vote to give Recep Tayyip Erdoğan virtually dictatorial powers seems hard to understand for Europeans accustomed to traditional forms of postwar democratic pluralism. Far from being an aberration, however, Turkey is following an growing trend for autocratic “strongman” leaders that has echoes around the world. Developed countries often mocked and stigmatised the tinpot dictatorships that disfigured Latin America during the 1970s and 80s, typified by Jorge Videla in Argentina, Augusto Pinochet in Chile and Anastasio Somoza in Nicaragua. Africa’s post-colonial “big men”, such as Zaire’s Mobutu Sese Seko and Ethiopia’s Mengistu Haile Mariam, were similarly reviled. Josef Stalin, an ally turned foe, came to be viewed in the west as the worst sort of totalitarian despot. The end of the cold war and the Soviet collapse appeared to usher in a global era of open, inclusive parliamentary governance. As US president in the 1990s, Bill … [Read more...] about Erdoğan’s referendum victory unsurprising in a ‘strongman’ world

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. "They get a different meaning than being strictly cemeteries; they became an appeal for peace and reconciliation" Luc Vandael Project Manager, UNESCO World Heritage bid The four year conflict left millions dead and injured - and memorials and cemeteries were built across Europe. Now France and Belgium are hoping some of those monuments will be granted World Heritage status by the UN cultural organization, UNESCO. A few of the memorials included in the bid: The Monument to the Missing at Thiepval in France, which honours more than 70,000 French and British soldiers whose remains were never recovered. Across the border in Belgium, the Menin Gate lists the names of more than 50,000 fallen fighters. Statues of grieving parents at the Vladslo cemetery, also in Belgium and home to the graves of some 25,000 German soldiers. But these sites aren't just memorials to the dead, says Luc Vandael, who's managing the World … [Read more...] about WWI memorial sites bid for World Heritage status

Every year, November 13 is celebrated as World Kindness Day. Celebrating this day is an attempt to make the world a better place with acts of kindness and pledging good deeds. World Kindness Day was first celebrated in 1998 by The World Kindness Movement. This is an organisation formed at a 1997 Tokyo conference by the like-minded kindness organisations from around the world. In 2019, the organization was registered as an official NGO under Swiss law. “To highlight good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness that binds us,” is the main purpose of the World Kindness movement. Currently, there are 28 countries involved in this movement whose mission is to create a better world by inspiring individuals and nations towards greater kindness. Presently, this observance of World Kindness Day is unofficial, and the World Kindness Movement hopes to get an official recognition at the United Nations. ‘Be kind!’ This is … [Read more...] about World Kindness Day: All You Need to Know UN Celebrations on November 13

        The first trailer for the second season of Netflix’s hit series Sacred Games was released on Tuesday. Within a couple of hours of its releases, Twitter is already teeming with hilarious memes and jokes, made on fresh new dialogues from Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s cool gangster, Ganesh Gaitonde.From cricketer Rohit Sharma to frustrated engineering students, the Sacred Games 2 trailer’s dialogues found resonance with everyone. “Apun ko kya maloom tha, apun ko toh bas ga**d marni thi” and “Balidaan dena hoga” were hot favourites. Some even realised how the latter dialogue, spoken by Pankaj Tripathi’s Guruji, could be perfect for today’s India vs New Zealand semi final match at the ongoing ICC World Cup. Check out the best tweets here:#SacredGames2pic.twitter.com/v1SC56qOAy— Abhi (@im_Abhi_07) July 9, 2019Me preparing for exams 😝#SacredGames2 pic.twitter.com/6aoQXscw1o— Spartan 🍁 … [Read more...] about Sacred Games 2 trailer spawns hilarious memes on Rohit Sharma, India vs New Zealand World Cup semi-final