Last month, East Asia and the region well beyond marked three important anniversaries. First, at the end of April it was 50 years since the reunification of Vietnam. Second, a few days earlier in 1975, the Khmer Rouge had come to power in Cambodia.
And third, mid-April was the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference, which laid the foundations for the establishment in 1961 of the Non-Aligned Movement, chiefly through the efforts of five developing world titans: India’s Jawaharlal Nehru, Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, Indonesia’s Sukarno, Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser and Yugoslavia’s Josip Broz Tito.
The first two anniversaries generated quite a lot of coverage, with thoughtful pieces published in states that participated in the war in Vietnam, including the country itself, the US and Australia. The famous image is of the last helicopters taking off from the rooftop of the US embassy in Saigon as the North Vietnamese forces closed in, but even the way one describes the event is loaded: was it the liberation of South Vietnam from a corrupt US-backed regime by the victorious communists? Or was it a justification for the domino theory, that once the capitalist West allowed one state in the region to be taken over by the “reds”, others would follow?
The disastrous and genocidal consequences of the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia have also been widely examined, including some analysis of why many of its people have an ambivalent attitude towards that four-year period. As the Cambodian-American political scientist Sophal Ear wrote last month: “For many young people, it’s something their parents don’t talk about and the state prefers to frame selectively.”
It was somewhat different, however, when it came to the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference. Celebrations of the latter failed to register in large sections of the western press, to the extent that the Economist recently published an article headlined: “How the Global South forgot its own birthday.”
The meeting in 1955 at the Indonesian city of Bandung – also known as the Afro-Asian Conference – brought together participants from 29 countries, representing more than 50 per cent of the global population at the time, and is considered a key moment in building solidarity among the countries that are now sometimes called the “Global South”. A 10-point “declaration on promotion of world peace and co-operation” was agreed, and stirring speeches were delivered. Nehru, India’s then prime minister, set the tone when he declared: “For too long we, of Asia, have been petitioners in western courts and chancelleries. That story must belong to the past. We propose to stand on our own feet. We do not intend to be a plaything of others.”
Setting the stage for the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement, a major development at the height of the Cold War, was a highly significant movement. If the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference had indeed “passed with barely a squeak”, as the Economist put it, that would have been quite shocking. But that was not the case at all.
There were big conferences in Beijing and Jakarta, the former co-hosted by the prestigious Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the latter held in co-operation with the London thinktank Chatham House and Oxford University. There were panel discussions and events in – among other cities – Delhi, Johannesburg, Colombo, Doha, Moscow and Hyderabad, op-eds published in newspapers from Tanzania to South Korea, and at least one new book. This is a far from exhaustive list, but it does show that the anniversary was celebrated widely and received extensive media coverage – just not, perhaps, in the outlets the Economist editors care to read or view.
But that is, I’m afraid, symptomatic of how Bandung and everything that followed has been treated for decades by what we might refer to now as the “old world order”. The Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77 developing countries established at the UN in 1964? They were derided as meaningless talking shops, hardly worth mentioning – even while their luminaries, such as Indonesia’s then president, Sukarno, and Cuba’s Fidel Castro, were viewed as sufficiently dangerous for the CIA to devise countless operations to undermine or overthrow them.
In fact, the Bandung principles – including those of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, insistence on peaceful means to settle international disputes, resistance to great-power coercion, and promotion of co-operation and conciliation – have long been at the heart of South-South discourse. They were taken further and incorporated into subsequent organisations such as the Association of South-East Asian Nations (formed in 1967), and have been reborn, as it were, in Brics – which many see as the 21st-century successor of Bandung.
Of course, Brics as a grouping is also frequently dismissed in certain quarters. Yet why, as I asked in these pages nearly two years ago, are so many countries keen to join if it is irrelevant?
Part of this is a refusal to depart from seeing the world through the prism of highly formal structures such as the EU and Nato. We know what they have achieved. (A highly mismanaged migrant crisis in the Mediterranean and war with Russia, would be one brutal – but true – answer.) What, ask the naysayers, were the concrete consequences of the Bandung Conference?
Let’s say I asked those same people this question: how did the yearning for freedom and belief in religion contribute to the downfall of officially atheist communist regimes in the Cold War? They would insist that those beliefs did have effects – and I would agree with them – but they would find it almost impossible to quantify them.
So with Bandung. It’s the spirit of the conference, the power of the idea, that has lived on and has grown. The Economist’s writer doesn’t get it, saying the fact that India has moved from a policy of non-alignment to one of multi-alignment shows that the notion of collective solidarity has failed.
On the contrary, non-alignment was a sign of the times: middle powers and small countries didn’t want to end up as client states of great powers. Multi-alignment – which is the position of most countries in the Global South – means they want to be friends with all. And being friends entails mutual respect and a degree of similar standing. That’s a sign of confidence. It’s a sign of success. And it’s a measure of just how far those countries have come since they gathered at Bandung all those years ago.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
RESULT
Brazil 2 Croatia 0
Brazil: Neymar (69'), Firmino (90' 3)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Zayed Sustainability Prize
ASHES FIXTURES
1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The years Ramadan fell in May
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