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China backs WHO-led review of global pandemic response

BEIJING: China said on Friday it supports a World Health Organisation-led review into the global response to the coronavirus outbreak, but “after the pandemic is over”.The comments from foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying came as China has faced increasing global pressure in...




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50 Labour MPs oppose Starmer's new stance on occupied Kashmir

LONDON: Fifty Labour Party parliamentarians have told the new Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, that his recent statement on Indian-occupied Kashmir after a meeting with the Labour Friends of India is unacceptable, illegal, and historically wrong and he must clarify his position or face open...




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Officer among six martyred in Balochistan IED blast

RAWALPINDI: An officer and five other soldiers were martyred, while one was injured in an improvised explosive device blast in the Buleda area of Balochistan on Friday, the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a press release.According to ISPR, security forces conducted routine patrolling In...




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Over 240 stranded Pakistanis fly home from Qatar

PESHAWAR: Over 240 Pakistanis stranded in Qatar landed at the Bacha Khan International Airport here on Friday.Upon landing at the Peshawar airport, Qatar Airways flight was disinfected and the passengers went through a screening process and later shifted to a quarantine facility.Earlier, at least...




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Bajwa reiterates Pak support for Afghan peace in Khalilzad meeting

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said Pakistan’s support towards Afghan peace is a manifestation of “our goodwill to the cause” in a meeting with US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad.According to a press release issued by the...




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Indian faces trial for 'spying' on Sikhs, Kashmiris in Germany

FRANKFURT: An Indian national will stand trial in Germany accused of spying on Sikh and Kashmiri communities for New Delhi’s spy agency, a court said on Friday.Federal prosecutors allege the suspect, identified as 54-year-old Balvir, has been working with the Indian foreign intelligence...




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UK falls silent in remembrance on VE Day 75th anniversary

LONDON: The UK has fallen silent to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day as the country was urged to draw on the “same spirit of national endeavour” during the coronavirus crisis.Millions across the country paused at 11am on Friday to remember those who served in the Second World War,...




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UK nations outline different plans for lockdown changes

LONDON: The UK looks likely to operate under slightly different lockdown rules next week after announcements by the leaders of the Welsh and Scottish governments suggested deviation between nations.Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said lockdown restrictions in the country will continue for a...




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Pakistan sees sharp spike in virus cases as curbs ease today

By News DeskISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has summoned a session of the Upper House on Tuesday, as the country witnessed its sharpest spike in confirmed coronavirus cases in a 24 hour period with nearly over 1,900 new cases and 35 more deaths.According to a press release issued by the...




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Corona cases surge ahead of lockdown ease: Pakistan slips two points in two days

The NCC, under Imran Khan, had decided to substantially ease the lockdown from Saturday (today) after detailed deliberations and consultations with the provinces




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Quality development projects, guaranteed -- by Donald Lambert

Guarantees are one of government’s most powerful financing tools for mobilizing private sector participation in development projects.




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Artificial intelligence, and human education, needed to advance energy efficiency -- by Yongping Zhai (翟永平), Yoonah Lee, Dan Millison

To get energy efficiency programs back on track, governments need to focus on education, incentives and improved regulations, as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning.




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What is governance? -- by Bruno Carrasco

Governance can be a complex, broad topic but its basic underlying definition is deceptively simple.




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Get smart to avoid a global water crisis -- by Stephane Y. Bessadi

Technology is a critical aspect of improving the availability and accessibility of clean water around the world.




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Working for the public good -- by Sri Wening Handayani

Public work programs can build much-needed infrastructure while helping lift people out of poverty and shield them from the effects of natural disasters and economic crises




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Why it matters that one of the region’s biggest trade deals is being upgraded -- by Jayant Menon, Anna Cassandra Melendez

Important changes are underway for Southeast Asia’s relationship with its biggest trading partner, the People’s Republic of China.




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What makes a city livable? -- by Sonia Chand Sandhu, Jingmin Huang

Total asset management brings together all aspects of what it takes to make a city vibrant and livable.




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Good governance by design -- by Bob Babajanian

Carefully designed social programs offer the best chance to avoid corruption, inefficiency and other governance problems. 




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Papua New Guinea is spending more on health. How can it get value for its money? -- by Inez Mikkelsen-Lopez, Alan Cairns

Better information and a willingness to tackle difficult issues are necessary to ensure a fit-for-purpose and accountable health system in Papua New Guinea.




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Inside the camps in Cox’s Bazar, lives are gradually being rebuilt -- by Manmohan Parkash

At Camp No 5, in Cox's Bazar, there are about 632,000 displaced people still living in terrible conditions. But an international humanitarian effort is helping people in the community in southern Bangladesh live a better life. 




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Data on climate change an effective weapon in fighting India’s coastal erosion -- by Rajesh Yadav

Effective and planned shoreline management would trigger activities for tourism, and support development of ocean and beach landscape, conserve biodiversity along with coastal people’s livelihood.




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For sale—cheap: farms, buildings, cinemas, kindergartens and more -- by Rafael Abbasov

State-owned enterprises, including power utilities, in many countries have collected a menagerie of assets unrelated to their core business. And they are selling cheap.




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Why I’m optimistic we can achieve SDG #1—ending poverty in all its forms, everywhere -- by Alessandra Heinemann

The graduation approach provides a sequenced intervention designed to overcome multiple barriers that prevent the extreme poor from breaking out of poverty.




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Why we need to act fast on international trade laws and standards -- by Steven Beck

There’s one big element missing before we can create a truly transparent, seamless and open international trading framework.




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Pension extension: Bringing informal workers into the retirement social safety net -- by Sri Wening Handayani

Millions of Asia’s informal workers – such as vendors, day laborers, and others – are left out of national pension systems. Here’s what we can do to help them in their later years.




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In Wenchuan, they really did build back better -- by Ilan Noy, Benno Ferrarini, Donghyun Park

‘Build back better’ is often easier said than done after a disaster, but one example from the People’s Republic of China shows that it can be done well. 




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Promoting skilled labor mobility and migration in Southeast Asia -- by Aiko Kikkawa Takenaka, Eric Suan

Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are working together to encourage the free flow of skilled labor within their countries. 




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Ten thousand years in a lifetime: Fragility and resilience in Papua New Guinea -- by Artur Andrysiak, Henrik Lindroth

To understand fragility and resilience in Papua New Guinea, look to history and the people living in the country’s most vulnerable areas.




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Tại sao Đông Nam Á không nên lo lắng về việc “chảy máu chất xám” -- by Elisabetta Gentile

Bài viết giải thích tại sao nhận thức cho rằng sự di cư của lao động có kỹ năng nghề làm tổn hại nguồn lực quốc gia là sai lầm.




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Five disaster resilience lessons we can learn from India -- by Dr. Archana Patankar

India is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to disasters and it has a lot to share when it comes to preparing for them.




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Taking the quantum leap in international development -- by Arun Ramamurthy

Quantum computing could change the face of many international development programs, including those involving transport, financial services and health care.




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The impact of financial innovation on monetary policy -- by Irfan A. Qureshi

Central banks have powerful tools to affect national economies but they are being challenged by innovative financial practices




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Building credit: How state-owned enterprises can get foreign financing for infrastructure -- by Donald Lambert

State-owned enterprises face unique challenges when it comes to attracting foreign financing for infrastructure projects. But there are solutions.




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Hồi chuông cảnh tỉnh: Làm thế nào các doanh nghiệp nhà nước có thể huy động tài trợ nước ngoài cho cơ sở hạ tầng -- by Donald Lambert

Các doanh nghiệp nhà nước phải đối mặt với những thách thức riêng khi mời gọi tài chính nước ngoài cho các dự án cơ sở hạ tầng. Nhưng không phải không có giải pháp.




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汶川灾后重建得更好 -- by Ilan Noy, Benno Ferrarini, Donghyun Park

灾后“重建得更好”通常说起来容易,做起来难,但中华人民共和国的例子表明,这是可以实现的。




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Getting it right on railways -- by Naoyuki Yoshino, Grant Stillman

Lining up rights-of-way for megaprojects, such as railways and highways, in crowded places is challenging but it can be done with an imaginative and respectful plan.




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Will robots take our jobs? It’s an age-old question. -- by Jayant Menon

The discussions around the impact of artificial intelligence and its impact on jobs could result in improved skills and greater adaptations by the world’s work force.




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It’s time to stand up for happier workplaces. Here’s how. -- by Haidy Ear-Dupuy

A landmark international agreement designed to eliminate violence and harassment in the workplace has been passed. Now comes the hard part.




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Strengthening the chains that helped pull Asia out of poverty -- by Bambang Susantono

The global value chains that help drive Asia’s export-driven economic miracle have widespread development impacts. We need to understand them better to maximize the benefits.




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Eight steps to get PPPs right in Viet Nam -- by Donald Lambert, Sanjay Grover

A well-structured law on private-public partnerships is a key opportunity to upgrade Viet Nam’s infrastructure.




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Tám bước để có đầu tư theo hình thức đối tác công - tư (PPP) hiệu quả ở Việt Nam -- by Donald Lambert, Sanjay Grover

Một bộ luật cấu trúc tốt về đầu tư theo hình thức quan hệ đối tác công-tư là cơ hội chính để nâng cấp cơ sở hạ tầng ở Việt Nam.




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More than just money: Digital technologies can help narrow the trade finance gap -- by Kijin Kim

Digital or financial technology – including mobile internet access, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and big data – can make international trade more efficient and support financing options.




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Knowledge is everywhere. Here are four ways to make it easier to share. -- by Sonia Chand Sandhu

A wealth of knowledge – knowhow and wisdom – rests with the officials, professionals, practitioners and communities. The challenge is to unleash the untapped power of this information.




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Creating a digital path for the unbanked -- by Lotte Schou-Zibell

In the Philippines, cloud-based technology is being used to address the financial exclusion that helps fuel poverty and inequality.




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A surprising lifeline for workers, companies and communities after disasters -- by Yasuyuki Todo

Global supply chains link the welfare of disaster-hit companies and their surrounding communities to a network of corporations that have an economic incentive to help them bounce back. 




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We need to get 'climate-smart' to enhance food security in Asia -- by Akmal Siddiq, Md. Abul Basher

Climate-smart and resource-saving farming technologies could be one way to address hunger in Asia.




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Finding the right balance in food production -- by Akmal Siddiq, Md. Abul Basher

The transmission channels of perishables like fruits and vegetables from producers to consumers in developing countries need a revamp to provide benefits to all involved.




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For rural water systems, small and simple is a "pipe dream" -- by Neeta Pokhrel

The idea that rural water schemes are only sustainable if small, simple and locally managed is a bias that must be overcome to get more clean water to the people who need it.




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Making infrastructure work for women and girls in Asia and the Pacific -- by Takehiko Nakao

Infrastructure has a critical role in narrowing gender gaps and accelerating the advancement of women and girls. If women are given a say in infrastructure design and investment, projects can become more effective enablers of their growth.




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Asia’s vibrant elderly are redefining what it means to be “old” -- by Cyn-Young Park (朴信永), Aiko Kikkawa Takenaka, Raymond Gaspar

The Asia and Pacific region is aging rapidly, and that is affecting the region’s workforce, but increased longevity is adding an unexpected element to the picture