Full Coverage: Asia and the Pacific

30.04.2008 Refugees account for over half of those that will need food aid this year due to increased food prices, writes an international refugee agency, noting that violent reactions to the crisis may also force more people to flee their homes.

30.04.2008 General David Petraeus' new job may put him in position to follow through on his saber-rattling against Iran, says a Washington think tank.

30.04.2008 Telecentres can serve as an important source of information by connecting citizens with the government. A growing trend of commercialisation is however treating such entitlements as services and citizens as customers who pay service charges, writes research associate Vivek Vaidyanathan.

30.04.2008 The Department of Education in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, an Indian Union Territory, is introducing IT hobby centres in 24 schools during the summer vacation. The free of cost centres will encourage use of computers in the learning process.

30.04.2008 A discussion paper by WaterAid, Creating user-friendly water and sanitation services for the disabled, takes a look at the social, technical, financial and policy barriers faced by the disabled in meeting water and sanitation needs in Nepal. The document recommends designing proper technologies to facilitate their access to basic services.

30.04.2008 Millions of volunteers will visit every household in the country in the coming years to gather information on changing demographics, in a census that will reveal how economic growth has affected its people. India’s population is expected to climb to 1.19 billion in 2011 from 1.13 billion in 2008, say officials.

30.04.2008 Delhi based Centre for Science and Environment invites applications for a two-month summer certificate course on the policies, politics and practices of environmental management. Last date to apply is May 10, 2008.

30.04.2008 Villages in Orissa on the eastern coast of India are sinking into the sea. In last four months many families have been forced to flee as rising waters have submerged their homes and farmlands. Despite assurances from government, the displaced families are yet to be resettled.

30.04.2008 A first batch of Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal has landed in America. Described as one of the largest resettlement programmes in the world, the US has agreed to take in 60,000 refugees. Away from sub-human conditions in the camps, they are finding their new life both strange and full of prospects.

30.04.2008 BANGKOK, Apr 29 (IPS) - As if the burdens they shoulder are not enough, Asia's women are being compelled to bear the additional weight of rising food prices, say women's rights activists from across the region.

29.04.2008 It is impossible to promote a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace without engaging Hamas, says a women-for-peace group referring to former U.S. President Carter's talks with the governing political party in Palestine, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

29.04.2008 Despite the multitude of political and social barriers they face, the daughters of migrant workers in China are determined to change the course of their lives by securing solid educations and careers.

29.04.2008 Chevron’s ongoing role in financing and profiting from the military regime in Myanmar (Burma) is documented in a report released today that alleges continued human rights violations by pipeline security forces, including murder, rape, torture and forced labour.
From EarthRights International

29.04.2008 Women are the worst hit by the ongoing food crisis in Asia. According to Committee for Asian Women (CAW), female workers are compelled to take additional jobs in the informal sector, where there are no steady wages or social benefits.

29.04.2008 A comprehensive database, designed to track school-going children in Orissa in eastern India, has received the prestigious Prime Minister Award for Excellence in Public Administration for the year 2006-07. According to the state's Primary Education Project Authority, project ‘e-shishu’ will enable steps for universal education in the state.

29.04.2008 In a country where millions of girls are deprived of learning opportunities, UNICEF along with Afghanistan Girls’ Education Initiative (AGEI) has roped in young people to advocate the cause of female education. Called the ‘Young Champions’, these men and women interact with communities to promote gender equality in schooling.

29.04.2008 A new UN report released less than two weeks after the Maoists’ victory in the Nepal polls, says children are still being recruited by armed groups and used for political demonstrations. The report calls for enhanced legal protection of minors, in line with international standards.

29.04.2008 A new campaign has been launched targeting British company Vedanta over its plans to mine a sacred mountain in India.

29.04.2008 Eco Everest Expedition 2008, organised by Asian Trekking and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, is now featured on ‘Google Earth Outreach Showcase’. Key findings of ICIMOD’s scientific research expeditions on the impact of climate change in the Everest region can be downloaded from the website.

29.04.2008 Praxis India, a research and consultancy body is organising its annual workshop on participatory development from August 19, 2008 in Kerala, India. The ten-day programme will focus on training people to use varied approaches to address community-based issues.