Full Coverage: Asia and the Pacific

30.11.2007 The Central Park of the Indian capital was lit up by aspirations for peace in the region, as more than 20 organisations celebrated the South Asian Women's Day for peace, justice, human rights and democracy. This was also the spot where Anusheh Adil and her popular band BANGLA played a special piece for the day, as part of the SAARC Band Festival.

30.11.2007 Small salt producers in the Indian western state of Rajasthan are partnering NGOs and the government in the campaign against iodine deficiency disorders. According to the WFP, Nawa now produces iodised salt as per the national standard.

30.11.2007 President Pervez Musharraf in a televised address has said that he intends to lift the emergency on December 16 and urged all to participate in elections scheduled to take place on January 8, 2008. Some political parties in Pakistan plan to boycott the elections, fearing that they would not be fair and transparent.

30.11.2007 As China develops into an economic powerhouse, it is becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and advancing greatly in the fields of renewable energy and resource conservation, writes Yingling Liu.

30.11.2007 An art and photography exhibition in Kathmandu brings to light the difficulties faced by young Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. Forced out of their home country with their families in the 1990s, these young people have no memories of Bhutan, yet yearn for a return to their old homes.

29.11.2007 SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 29 (OneWorld) - U.S. war veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have announced they're planning to descend on Washington, DC this March to testify about war crimes they committed or personally witnessed in Iraq.

29.11.2007 Australia's newly elected prime minister concentrated on policy rather than vision while campaigning. But in office he may yet usher in a new Australia, says Tim Soutphommasane.
From: Prospect

29.11.2007 OneWorld's own social networking space, OneClimate.net, is opening a virtual window on the UN's forthcoming climate conference in Bali, allowing people around the world to participate in the event without emitting carbon through flying to Indonesia.

29.11.2007 Finally bowing to the pressures from domestic quarters and international community, Gen Pervez Musharraf has stepped down as Pakistan’s army chief. He handed over the charge to his trusted deputy Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kavani in a ceremony held in Rawalpindi.

29.11.2007 With tensions running high between Israel and Syria, a peace park agreement in the Golan Heights area could be essential to regional stability and should be put on the table at the current Middle East peace talks, write Saleem Ali and Michael Cohen.

29.11.2007 Hundreds of Muslim women from across India, along with academics, social experts and parliamentarians, addressed social, livelihood, legal and religious issues of the community at the first annual convention of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) in Delhi. The campaign also called for the implementation of the 2006 Justice Sachar Committee report for better education and employment facilities.

29.11.2007 Meet survivors Lisa and Resma in a photo essay by UNICEF – two nine-year olds in Barisal district, who are working hard with their families to recover what they lost in the devastating storm.

29.11.2007 The XI National Conference on e-Governance in India, to be held on February 7-8, 2008, will focus on the national awards for e-Governance 2007-08. The event will be organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG) in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology.

29.11.2007 Organizations and networks across 41 districts of Uttar Pradesh, India’s biggest northern state, have come together to campaign on the Domestic Violence Act, as part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence.

29.11.2007 The Beijing Olympics have been described as the superpower's "coming-out party." The authorities are also slowly realising that the arts will play a central role in improving the country's international image. Alice O'Keeffe looks at the burgeoning cultural scene.
From: New Statesman

28.11.2007 The threat to global health and security posed by Indonesia's refusal to share samples of "bird flu" virus with the World Health Organization could be countered by the establishment of a vaccine stockpile in Asia, say two scientists.

28.11.2007 Around 15 organisations, on November 27, held a silent protest at New Delhi’s cultural hub Mandi House in support of Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, who has been in exile since 1994. Living in eastern Indian city of Kolkata since 2003, she had to recently move out when under pressure from Muslim fundamentalists, the West Bengal government forced her to leave at once.

28.11.2007 "By their very presence [at the Middle East Peace Conference to be held in Annapolis, MD], the Arab states are signaling they are willing to normalize ties with Israel without receiving any concessions on borders, East Jerusalem or refugees," says Jalal Ghazi.
From: New America Media

27.11.2007 The Zionist Power Configuration defeats Big Oil, the Military Industrial Complex, the White House, and the Pentagon, says James Petras.

27.11.2007 Domestic violence in the Russian Federation; sex slavery in India; self-immolation in Central Asian republics; gender-based violence and HIV; and 'compensation' marriages are the five underreported stories used by the UN Population Fund to launch a campaign against gender-based violence.
From: UNFPA