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Wednesday, September 30, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
AFGHANISTAN: For Kabul, Reconstruction is a Double-edged Sword
Fazil Karim, the mayor of war-ravaged Kabul, has been getting his first taste of an inevitable reality: the bubble economy that balloons in a destroyed city awash with foreign money for reconstruction efforts.HEALTH: To Fight HIV/AIDS, Asia Needs to Look at Its Taboos
The spectre of HIV/AIDS moving from the margins of society to the mainstream should prod Asians into taking a hard look at taboos that help the pandemic - including how openly they can talk about sex.HEALTH-ASIA: Region Ripe for Full-Blown HIV/AIDS Crisis
Countries across the Asia and the Pacific are rife with the correct conditions to propel HIV/AIDS from a killer disease that is still in the margins to a regional pandemic, experts here warned Tuesday.ASIA: Red Card to Child Labour in Making Footballs – Activists
Due to the efforts of children like Geeta, the world was treated to a football feast dished up by Ronaldo and the Brazilian team over the past month, ending with Brazil's World Cup triumph Sunday in Yokohama, Japan.POLITICS: Burma’s Attacks against Monarchy Test Thai Tolerance
Thailand is known the world over as a tolerant nation, but it draws the line when barbs are thrown at the country's monarchy, as Burma's government-run press has been doing of late.RIGHTS-CAMBODIA: Law Gives Women Tool against HIV/AIDS
By passing Cambodia's first HIV/AIDS-specific law, the country's lawmakers seek to give women another instrument to fight the pandemic, and the unequal gender relationships that make them more vulnerable to it.POLITICS: Tamil Tigers Have Still to Come Clean on Human Rights
While the Tamil Tigers have convinced the world that they are keen to talk peace with the Sri Lankan government in Thailand, they have hardly been convincing on another front: grappling with their Achilles heel -- human rights.ECONOMY-THAILAND: Credit Card Boom Revives Fears of 1997 Crisis
An explosion in the number of credit card users often means robust consumer demand, but in Thailand it is being greeted by alarm bells./CORRECTED REPEAT/POLITICS: Amid Row with Thailand, Burma Drags Feet on Ethnic Issue
The tension along the Thai-Burmese border, now in its fifth week, has given Rangoon the opportunity to drag its feet on pursuing national reconciliation efforts, leaders of Burma's ethnic groups say.POLITICS: Amid Row with Thailand, Burma Drags Feet on Ethnic Issue
The tension along the Thai-Burmese border, now in its fifth week, has given Rangoon the opportunity to drag its feet on pursuing national reconciliation efforts, leaders of Burma's ethnic groups say.RELIGION: A Greater Role for Women in Conflict Resolution
After a history of neglect and marginalisation, women who have made a mark in their respective faiths will be offered a platform in Geneva early October to demonstrate their strengths as religious and spiritual leaders.RIGHTS: Court Decision on Unocal a Moral Boost – Activists
Human rights activists here are cheering a landmark decision by a Los Angeles judge to have U.S. energy giant Unocal Corp face a lawsuit for profiting from a gas pipeline in Burma at the expense of harsh rights violations.POLITICS: Ghost of Coups Past Rears Its Head in Thailand
Just as Thais had finished celebrating a 10-year spell of political life without military domination, talk of a military coup has entered the stream of this country's political discourse.DEVELOPMENT: Little Sign of Financial Aid for Asia’s Poor
A U.N. summit seeking to lift millions out of poverty and protect the environment at the same time still lacks relevance and meaningful action for Asia's poor, say regional activists.SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Burma Sticks to Role as ASEAN’s Problem Child
Thanks to a three-week anti-Thai tirade, Burma has confirmed its reputation as the problem child of the South-east Asian family.RELIGION: Heads of Faiths to Meet on Global Problem-solving Mission
Religious leaders from all faiths assemble in the Thai capital mid-June to shape a programme of community initiatives aimed at solving some of the world's pressing problems.THAILAND: Declining Public Funds for Farm Research Worry Experts
Rice farmers in Thailand's north-eastern region of Isaan are among those who would benefit from an international push to secure more funds for agriculture research.POLITICS: Thai-Burmese Cosiness Faces Reality Check
Thailand's much vaunted cosy relationship with the Burmese military junta is facing a reality check in the wake of border skirmishes this week.THAILAND: Govt Displays Fruits of Populist Village Scheme
The Thai government is laying out the first fruits of a high-profile economic programme to help villages, a key pledge that helped it win office last year, but experts say the sustainability and the quality of its benefits bear close watching.RIGHTS-THAILAND: Karens Worry as Deportation Deadline Nears
The purr of a vehicle climbing the hilly terrain here sends the Karens living in small wooden shacks fleeing into the nearby dense, green tropical forests.SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Jury Out on Getting Rebels to Stop Landmine Use
A novel effort in the Philippines to get a rebel group to stop using landmines is being closely watched by activists, since it may serve as the template for an international push to get militant groups across the world to stop using these weapons.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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