By Linda Hutchinson-Jafar PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad. 21 September 2023 (IDN) — In a resounding call to action, leaders in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have urged the international community to swiftly embark on comprehensive reforms of the global financial system to create a conducive environment that empowers developing nations to address inequities and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (P18) HINDI | JAPANESE

By Lowana Veal REYKJAVIK, Iceland. 19 September 2023 (IDN) — Facing a shortage of workers in the hospitality and construction sectors, Iceland has started importing foreign labour while at the same time refusing to give employment permits to asylum seekers. (P17) JAPANESE | SPANISH

By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 16 September 2023 (IDN) — A historic new international treaty, described as “a monumental win for the protection of the world’s oceans”, will be open for signature by member states beginning September 20 during the high-level meeting of world political leaders at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The treaty will regulate the world’s wide-open oceans, which have been degraded by illegal and over-fishing, plastics pollution, indiscriminate seabed mining, and the destruction of marine ecosystems. (P16) GERMAN | JAPANESE | SPANISH

By Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE. 13 September 2023 (IDN) — In a rare demonstration of consensus, Russia and the US welcomed the New Delhi Declaration of the G20 summit on 10 September that did not condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Instead, they focused on the development challenges facing the global community. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who led his country’s delegation to the summit, praised India for achieving a consensus that focused on the core role of global development instead of indulging in making political statements. (P15) JAPANESE | GERMAN

By Jeffrey Moyo HARARE, Zimbabwe. 29 August 2023 (IDN) — The three-day BRICS Summit from 22-24 August 2023 in South Africa has raised hopes across the African continent that a new deal for development aid to Africa could be taking shape that will be more fair and equitable. For decades, critics have pointed out that Africa has been paying more to the West than it gets in terms of development loans. (P14) JAPANESE | SWAHILI

By Manjushree Naik MANIPAL, India. 21 August 2023 (IDN) — With India facing the prospect of a grain crisis, the state government of Karnataka in southern India has come up with a novel approach to keep to election promises by giving the poor money to buy the grains. (P13) GERMAN | JAPANESE

By Sera Sefeti SUVA, Fiji. 14 August 2023 (IDN) — International environmental campaign group Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior is currently sailing across the Pacific waters, calling at ports collecting evidence to present to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also called the World Court, during a historic hearing in The Hague next year. (Page 12) HINDI | JAPANESE

By Pattama VilailertVIENTIANE, Laos. 5 August 2023 (IDN) — When a China-built high-speed railway began operations in December 2021, Laos joined the modern-day Silk Road project that opened itself to trade and tourism opportunities across Asia. But many in the country doubt whether the land-locked nation would reap full benefits. (P11) JAPANESE | THAI

By Rita Joshi BONN | NEW DELHI 11 July 2023 (IDN) — More than 125 civil society groups have expressed concerns that big polluters continue emitting under the cover of deceiving net zero claims while communities and ecosystems across the world suffer immensely. They see an urgent need for real, deep, and urgent emission reductions in line with principles of fair shares starting with just and equitable phase out of fossil fuels. (P10) JAPANESE |

By Linda Hutchinson-Jafar PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, 29 June 2023 (IDN) — With an estimated 4 billion people facing water scarcity around the world, a regional water conference held earlier this month addressed the unique issues small island nations of the Caribbean face in confronting this challenge. These include climate change, which is having a profound impact on the hydrological cycle in the Caribbean. (P09) JAPANESE