IT did not take long after the declaration of Bagong Pilipinas that it is now morning in the modern, dynamic and inclusive Philippines that the rude awakening came, and the message bearer was neither a member of the political opposition nor a part of the underground Left. The business magazine Forbes, probably the most prolific wealth tracker in the world, came out with its yearly list of the world s wealthiest families and individuals. Just a bare-bones report on names and, across each name, a figure that represented an estimate of that name s wealth. Forbes, as usual, operated in the usual environment of complete agnosticism. It deliberately withheld pointing out the basic fact that in some of the countries where a few families and individuals hold obscene and grotesque wealth, mass poverty is deeply rooted and intractable.
ISTALIF, Afghanistan: Twice a month, Noor Agha Faqiri lights up the kiln at his small workshop around 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of the Afghan capital to fire a fresh batch of pottery.
ASTANA. KAZINFORM March 1, the first day of spring, is an important date for Kazakhstan. On this day, the nation celebrates the Day of Gratitude. The holiday, established in 2015, promotes the values that have characterized the Kazakh nation for centuries - kindness, mercy, and good faith. More about what this holiday means for the country and how its meaning has evolved over the years is in the latest article of Kazinform.