Jeffrey Sachs: "I have nothing against my country. I live in it, I thrive in it. I just want it not to destroy other civilizations, provoke wars, support genocides, overthrow governments, murder foreign leaders. I want it to behave like a normal country..."

Singapore's View on an Increasingly Multipolar World Russia, Ukraine, Kishore, how do you see that conflict ending? Cuba has a sovereign right to choose a Chinese base. What, what do you say to that?

The greening of a mega city. Brilliant lessons from Guangzhou. Guangzhou 🇨🇳 with 19 million is one of the greenest big cities of the world. It was inspiring to meet mayor Sun Zhiyang to exchange views and learn from Guangzhou. Europe - Asia Center and Asia Data Group plan to launch a green platform for robotics and artificial intelligence in Guangzhou. In the early days of industrialization Guangzhou suffered from pollution and garbage. Now the green achievements are overwhelming: * Air pollution is drastically reduced. Guangzhou runs 12 000 electric buses, 10 000 electric taxis. There are 19 metro lines with 397 stations. * Haizhu Wetland Park covers an area three times Central Park in New York. It’s the largest urban wetland in the world. *Guangzhou is pioneering nature based urban cooling in a tropical climate through roof top green areas, water systems and light colored surfaces. * There are 7 circular economy industrial parks. Waste to energy plants keep the city clean and tidy and convert waste to value. * Guangzhou is a front runner in battery recycling, A “battery Hospital” help extend the life span of batteries and assists recycling. The result? An attractive city with high quality life. Major Sun proudly told me life expectancy in Guangzhou is now 84,5 years. That puts Guangzhou on par with the lead nations of the world - like Japan, Korea and France. Learn more: lnkd.in/e-XHppMi

The worlds largest car market is going electric - at very high speed! I spent last week in China and it’s wonderful to see how electric vehicles have won the battle.  * Buses are electric * Scooters are electric - there are no motor bikes in cities * Many trucks and construction machinery are electric And yes - the top 10 bestselling cars in August were all fully electric. That is a telling snapshot of just how quickly China’s car market is changing. There is an interesting policy angle too. China had a target of 20% New Energy Vehicles by 2025. The actual result was 54%. Its new target is 70% by 2030, and August was already close. China is the worlds largest car market so this matters hugely - but look 97% of new cars in Denmark and Norway are electric, 80% in Nepal and 50% in Vietnam and Singapore. Ethiopia is even higher. The future of driving is electric - little noise, little pollution, smart traffic.

No. This is not the Niagara! It’s Jog falls in Shivamogga, Karnataka, India 🇮🇳

It’s hard to underestimate how aggressive the US is. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: We must continue to ensure that the United States of America can strike anywhere on the globe at the time and place of our choosing and sustain that force. What would be US reaction if China made the same claim?

Indias 🇮🇳 airports have improved dramatically over the last decade. This is still extraordinary! Guwahati Airport has to be not just India’s, but one of the most beautiful airports in the world 💖✨

5745 people are still missing after the flood disaster in Nepal 🇳🇵. What comes next? In the morning hours of August 26 Nepal was hit by a flood of extreme proportions. The water washed away everything along its way. 1451 are found dead as of now. Even worse - 5745 are still missing. 636 of them are foreign nationals - from India, Europe, basically everywhere. The flood also affected the Chinese province of Tibet acoss the border. It’s time to show solidarity with the victims and to look to the future. * The most urgent task is to help the victims. Nepal has mobilized 21 000 soldiers in rescue efforts. 21 holding centers for displaced are established. Those who don’t wish to stay at the centers are provided with cash support. DNA tests are made on the dead and on relatives to help identify victims. * This week Er. Balen Shah and other Nepal leaders have gone to the UN General Assembly to call for support and reflection. * The catastrophe was caused by the collapse of a glacier. The force of the ice and rock felling down pushed enormous masses of water through narrow valleys, leaving only destruction in its path. This is exactly what scientists have warned us will happen with climate change. The disaster is a warning of more to come. We must fight global warming. It’s also important to study the Himalayan glaciers to be able to better predict future extreme events. Partnerships between Nepali, Indian, Chinese and outside scientists are called for! * Nepal is a hydropower country. It is proudly sourcing its energy from renewable energy and Nepal is leading the global charge into electric vehicles powered with hydropower. A number of power stations were destroyed during the floods. Some workers were trapped in tunnels,  filled with water. I am on the board of International Hydropower Association (IHA) and I am proud that Eddie Rich and his good people will try to mobilize the global hydropower industry in the reconstruction of plants and in building resilient hydropower stations for the future. * Nepal government has appointed my friend Bishow Parajuli as honorary humanitarian adviser for the disaster response. Anyone who can provide assistance or bring important ideas, please contact Bishow!

Chinas high speed rail network is simply otherworldly! China's next-gen 400 km per hour high-speed trains have finished the mandatory 600,000 km pre-service trial, equal to 15 trips around Earth's equator. Trains must pass this test and every performance criterion before carrying passengers.

Incredible hero from Odisha, India! 🇮🇳 Since 1996, Ganapati Sahu lives far from home in remote conflict zones, risking his life alone to save snakes. He still rescues 4,550+ snakes, educates communities, and secures urgent medical care for bite victims. Grassroots devotion! 🐍🏥

Incredible India 🇮🇳! This is so cute! A monkey trying to feed a banana to the Nandi while life goes on around them. 🐒♥️

No nation is combating deforestation and planting trees with the dedication of China 🇨🇳!

Incredible India 🇮🇳! 1000 Pillar Hall of Ancient Meenakshi Amman Temple , Madurai

Incredible india 🇮🇳. Such a wonderful pool party. Under the care of the loving mother!

Beijing Green Development Forum - so much to learn from how Beijing went green! Ten years ago I would never go running in Beijing. Why would I inhale all that black smoke? The city was infamous for horrible pollution. Now - what a change - the sun is bright, the sky is blue and I will happily breath fresh air. Last year PM 2,5 was down to 27 on average. Down from 900 under the worst smog events some years ago. The speed and determination of cleaning Beijing air is simply a miracle. Beijing Green Developoment Forum brought together city government and planners, business and activists. I was happy to speak about the incredible green transformation of Beijing: * It hosts the biggest metro system of any city in the world. * Buses, taxis and scooters are all electric, as well as 60% of new cars. Traffic not only doesnt emit, it is also hardly any noise. * Parks and green areas are expanded. * Its a very clean city with outstanding garbage management. * The local government is planning for an even greener city for the future. Bravo - Beijing! Let other capitals learn!

The importance of staying true to your roots! The legendary forundring father of Singapore - Lee Kuan Yew - is spot on! “I may speak the English Language better than the Chinese language, but I’ll never be an Englishman, not in a thousand generations.”

Incredible India 🇮🇳! I was taken aback by the cleanliness when I visited Indore - nicknamed the “cleanest city of India”. But I dint know that just outside it lies something quite as magical as this. Gulawat’s famous “Lotus Valley” It’s stunning! Thanks @anandmahindra

Tha canal of the century opens today! Pinglu Canal is China’s first river-to-sea canal—134.2 km, 5,000-ton vessel capacity. It creates a new gateway for China - ASEAN cooperation and opening-up. It’s amazing!

Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 76 today - what has he achieved? A jubilee is an occasion to reflect on achievements. I have pondered over it.  Five major changes in India stands out from his tenure at the top, in my view: * Direction. He has given Bharat a new purpose through his leadership, his life story and his total devotion to Bharat. The entire nation aspire to Viksit Bharat, a developed India by 2047. * Infrastructure. India had high economic growth also during Manmohan Singh. But in Modi ´s time we have sen a massive improvement in roads, rail, airports and ports. 25 Indian cities are now constructing metros. Incia is simply much better connected. * Environment. Before Modi India was far behind Europe on the environment. Now India is the second largest solar market in the world and the third largest renewable economy. Very few Indians any longer argue that India cannot afford to protect the environment. Modi has won the debate - going green is not a pain, but an opportunity. Green is gold! * Global leadership. India played a key role as a mother of the nonaligned movement during Prime Minister Nehru ´s reign. But Modi has taken Indian global roles to a new level. India has simply become more visible and more important to the rest of the world.  During his G20 and BRICS leadership he showed how the Global South can be non-western, but not anti-western. * Pride. Modi has created a new pride in Bharat. For too long parts of the Indian elite was very westernized. They preferred afternoon tea to dosas and chapatis. School curriculums focused on European philosophy and history, not on the proud history of India. Rooting Indian modernity in the old wisdom of the Hindu dharma, makes India prouder and stronger. No leader of any nation incarnates his nation the way Modi incarnates India - wearing Indian traditional clothes, speaking hindi, radiating pride in Bharat,  showcasing India as a  civilizational state.

The Yanwu bridge in Xiamen, China, costs $83 billion - or about 44 minutes of US military spending.