BURMA: Junta Does U-Turn on Relief Aid
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS - The military government of Burma (Myanmar), in a dramatic turnaround, has offered to cooperate with the United Nations in its massive relief efforts in the cyclone-devastated country where the death toll could exceed 100,000.
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BURMA: UN Aid Arrives, But Many Doors Still Closed
By Arlene Chang
UNITED NATIONS - As the first U.N. relief planes landed in Yangon early on Thursday, humanitarian officials complained that the aid flowing into cyclone-devastated Burma (Myanmar) is still encountering bureaucratic obstacles that are threatening the lives of desperate survivors.
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CHINA: Buying Farmland Abroad, Ensuring Food Security
By Antoaneta Bezlova
BEIJING - Rattled by rapidly rising global grain prices, China is looking at strategies to ensure long-term food security for its 1.3 billion people such as procuring farmland overseas and opposing the formation of any international grain price- fixing monopolies.
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INDIA: Gov't Leaves Farmers to the Mercy of Moneylenders
By Bharat Dogra
MAHOBA - There is no let up in farmers’ suicides, say activists urging the Indian government to extend its loan waiver offer to more agriculturists in western Maharashtra and central Madhya Pradesh states where the agrarian crisis is most severe.
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AUSTRALIA: Women in Top Posts but Discrimination Prevails
By Stephen de Tarczynski
MELBOURNE - While some have hailed the recent announcement that a woman is to be Australia’s next governor-general as a breakthrough for women -- the first time that the English monarch’s representative in this country will not be male -- advocacy groups argue that discrimination against women remains prevalent.
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NEPAL: Poor Planning Behind Rising Food Prices
By Mallika Aryal
KATHMANDU - As the sole breadwinner in a family of five, Maya Tamang watches her food budget carefully. And she can vouch best for the way many items are steadily disappearing from the table as food prices spiral steadily.
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BURMA: Junta Gives Referendum Priority Over Cyclone Relief
By Larry Jagan
BANGKOK - Disregarding the disaster caused by Cyclone Nargis, Burma’s military rulers are bent on holding a constitutional referendum on Saturday, said to be designed to enhance the junta’s grip over the country.
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INDIA/US: Nuke Deal Set to Time Out
Analysis by Praful Bidwai
NEW DELHI - Faced with continuing domestic opposition to the United States-India nuclear cooperation deal, the Indian government has launched 'one last push' to complete negotiations before the window of opportunity slams shut.
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JAPAN/CHINA: Tibet Haunts Hu Jintao's 'Historic' Visit
By Catherine Makino
TOKYO - Although the Japanese government is keen not to embarrass Chinese President Hu Jintao, while here on a ‘historic’ five-day state visit, the Tibet question does not seem to go away.
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BURMA: Cyclone Nargis Exposes Junta's Anti-People Attitude
By Larry Jagan
BANGKOK - Cyclone Nargis -- Burma’s worst natural disaster in living memory -- has reinforced the image of the military in that country as a force interested solely in perpetuating its grip on power, regardless of costs to the people it claims to protect.
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