World Biz
18th East Asia Summit: President Shahabuddin Highlights Urgency of Rohingya Crisis
President Mohammed Shahabuddin issued a compelling call to action on Thursday (September 7), urging the global community to swiftly address the Rohingya crisis and initiate a secure, voluntary, and sustainable repatriation process. He underscored the potential risks to the entire region due to the shortage of humanitarian support.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 18th East Asia Summit at Jakarta Convention Centre, the President emphasized the collective responsibility of the international community in finding a lasting solution to the Rohingya crisis within Myanmar, the root of the issue. Delays in repatriation efforts and the humanitarian shortfall, he warned, pose significant regional threats.
President Shahabuddin acknowledged the humanitarian role played by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who provided shelter to 1.2 million Rohingya refugees on compassionate grounds. Despite seven years of crisis, no viable solution has emerged, and Bangladesh’s resources have been stretched to their limits.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s desire to strengthen its ties with ASEAN, the President expressed a keen interest in becoming ASEAN’s Sectoral Dialogue Partner. He identified numerous sectors, such as trade, investment, transnational security, and climate change, where collaboration between ASEAN and Bangladesh could yield mutual benefits, including economic cooperation, enhanced access to regional markets, and strengthened regional integration.
The President also noted that becoming a Sectoral Dialogue Partner would facilitate cultural exchanges and cooperation on security matters, ultimately advancing Bangladesh’s relations with ASEAN.
President Shahabuddin recognized the importance of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) as a vital regional forum for shared values and cooperation. He highlighted IORA’s potential for cooperation in six priority areas and two cross-cutting issues, particularly in leveraging emerging connectivity options. The President welcomed the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ASEAN and IORA as a significant mechanism for fostering mutually beneficial cooperation.
Additionally, he praised Bangladesh’s contributions to the development of the IORA Outlook on the Indo-Pacific during its Chairship and emphasized that IORA’s involvement in the Indo-Pacific region would promote fair, equitable, and sustainable trade and investment environments, thereby enhancing economic growth and resilience in regional and global value chains.
The East Asia Summit (EAS) serves as an annual regional forum where leaders from East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, and Oceanian nations gather. Initially comprising 16 countries, it expanded to 18 countries, including Russia and the United States, in 2011. The EAS was inaugurated in 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, under the ASEAN Plus Six mechanism.
The United Kingdom finds itself ensnared in an inflation-driven cost-of-living crisis, a predicament that, according to a recent study in the open-access journal BMJ Public Health, could have dire consequences, including premature deaths and an alarming exacerbation of wealth-related health disparities.
The study, underpinned by meticulous modeling, presents a grim prognosis. It anticipates that the percentage of individuals meeting an untimely demise (before the age of 75) will surge by an unsettling 6.5% owing to the prolonged period of elevated price levels. What’s particularly disconcerting is the disproportionate impact on the most economically disadvantaged households. The research predicts that these vulnerable segments of society will witness a fourfold increase in mortality rates compared to their more affluent counterparts. This grim disparity is exacerbated by the fact that the less privileged must allocate a larger share of their income to grapple with soaring energy costs.
The study’s focus was on the impact of inflation on mortality rates in Scotland during the years 2022-3. It took into account scenarios with and without potential mitigating measures, such as government interventions aimed at alleviating household financial burdens.
Analyzing the collected data, the researchers constructed models to explore the potential ramifications on life expectancy and socioeconomic inequalities for the entire United Kingdom if varying degrees of mitigation were enacted. The unmitigated scenario paints a bleak picture, projecting a 5% increase in mortality rates in the least deprived areas and a staggering 23% surge in the most deprived areas. However, with the implementation of mitigation measures, these figures diminish to 2% and 8%, respectively, albeit still contributing to an overall increase of approximately 6.5% in mortality rates.
This grim outlook extends to overall life expectancy, which is expected to decline in all scenarios. The study underscores a crucial point: the economy’s performance directly impacts public health. It highlights the detrimental consequences of inflation and reductions in real-term income, underlining the stark disparities in how these challenges affect different segments of the population.
In a sobering conclusion, the researchers emphasize that public policy responses, as currently formulated, are insufficient to safeguard public health and prevent the deepening chasm of inequality. The situation remains grim, despite a slight unexpected slowdown in UK inflation to 6.7% in August, though it still maintains its position as the highest among G7 nations. This inflation surge is attributed to a combination of factors, including the enduring impact of coronavirus lockdowns, Brexit, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Amazon has announced a substantial investment of up to $4 billion in the artificial intelligence company Anthropic. This move signifies Amazon’s entry into the fiercely competitive AI arena, which has thus far been dominated by major players like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI.
Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, expressed admiration for Anthropic’s team and foundational AI models, emphasizing the potential to enhance various customer experiences in both the short and long term through deeper collaboration.
World Biz
Emirates and SriLankan Airlines Forge Interline Agreement for Seamless Travel Connectivity
Emirates and SriLankan Airlines have recently entered into a reciprocal interline agreement, aiming to enhance connectivity and convenience for passengers of both carriers. This strategic partnership facilitates seamless travel experiences, allowing passengers to access additional destinations on each other’s networks via Colombo and Dubai, all while utilizing a single ticket and enjoying the ease of baggage transfers.
For Emirates passengers, this interline collaboration provides access to a network of 15 regional destinations operated by SriLankan Airlines through Colombo. This expanded network includes new Indian destinations such as Madurai and Tiruchirapally, along with Gan Island in the Maldives. Furthermore, travelers can explore Far East and South Asian destinations, including Cochin, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Malé, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Guangzhou, Seoul, and Tokyo, as detailed in a press release.
SriLankan Airlines’ customers will also reap the benefits of this partnership, gaining access to Emirates’ extensive global network. They can conveniently connect to 15 cities across the Middle East, Africa, Russia, and the United States, all operated by Emirates beyond Dubai. Notable destinations include Bahrain, Amman, Dammam, Medina, Cairo, Muscat, Nairobi, Moscow, Tel Aviv, as well as several key U.S. cities like New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, and Houston.
Travelers can already book their itineraries through various channels, including emirates.com, srilankan.com, and preferred online and offline travel agencies. In addition, Emirates has expanded its service to Dhaka, now offering 21 weekly flights and convenient connections to nearly 140 destinations spanning six continents.
