TSUNAMI-IMPACT: Muslim Solidarity Missing in the Aftermath of Killer Waves

If the Islamic world needs another reason to nail Osama bin Laden as more of a monster who thrives on killing than having a heart for the world's victims, then Muslims should listen to the silence pouring forth from the al-Qaeda leader's camp since the Dec. 26 Indian Ocean tsunami.

SINGAPORE: Casino Plans Stir Debate in Otherwise Reticent Society

The Singapore government's plans to develop an integrated entertainment resort with a casino as its centrepiece, to attract more tourists to this tiny island nation, has triggered a rare public debate on a state-sponsored initiative.

TSUNAMI IMPACT: When Compassion Takes A Wrong Turn in Malaysia

Even the Indian Ocean tsunami has been unable to make compassion-fatigued Malaysia baulk at its latest order. It wants to deport all undocumented workers back to their tsunami-hit countries on Jan. 31, regardless of whether these migrants end up in emergency relief camps surviving on rations handed out by charities.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: For India’s Dalits, Little Change A Year Later

When dalits (or India's 'untouchables') were out in force at the World Social Forum (WSF) in Mumbai in January 2004, their voices and protests became one of the hallmarks of the gathering. They took the opportunity at the forum to vent their outrage at social injustice.

IRAQ-UAE: Expatriates Face ‘Devil or Deep Blue Sea’ Election Choice

Democracy in Iraq is in the eye of the beholder. The elections on Jan. 30 may be touted as the first step towards freedom in the strife-torn country, but the chance to vote in their own government has evoked mixed emotions among Iraqi expatriates living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: IT Powerhouse Strikes Back

Anyone who doubts the power of Linux needs only to get hold of a nifty, hand-held device that the Indian army plans to issue to soldiers in its million strong army.

TSUNAMI IMPACT: Nobel Peace Laureate Calls for Aceh Peace

East Timor's Nobel laureate Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo is appealing for peace to be given a chance in tsunami-hit Aceh as an Indonesian top-level team meets with Acehnese rebels later this week at talks in Finland.

TSUNAMI IMPACT: Back to Zero for Sri Lanka’s War Survivors

The stress is beginning to show on Kasumathi Thangamani's face. She hardly smiles while rummaging through the remains of what was once her house in this small coastal hamlet, 60 kilometers north of the main eastern town of Batticaloa.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Delhi Youngsters Bank Way Out of Trouble

Raju Kumar sits quietly in the corner of a cheerful bright room, across a child-friendly bank counter, updating accounts and ledger books. A bank manager since 15, he delicately balances his work with his studies.

TSUNAMI IMPACT: A Month Later It Seems People Do Not Really Matter

There is enough money, material and manpower pouring in from around the world for emergency relief work to be in full swing across South and South-east Asia, a month after the killer Indian Ocean tsunami struck. Nonetheless, something vital still seems to be missing.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: India’s Dalits Create Space for Themselves

To the casual visitor, Gaurav Apartments on the eastern edge of India's national capital looks like any other block of middle-class residential flats, set into a genteel neighbourhood patronised by doctors, engineers and other professionals.

TSUNAMI IMPACT: World Heritage Sites Not Spared From Killer Waves

As the world rushes to the aid of millions of survivors struggling to regain their devastated lives in the tsunami-struck countries in the Indian Ocean, a group of international archeologists is planning a joint study to restore cultural treasures that have been destroyed in the huge disaster.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: In Thailand, Poor Show Power from the Streets

Prasittiporn Kan-Onsri spends long hours plotting to shake up Thailand's political establishment. D-Day for the 38-year-old activist is Feb. 6 when the country goes to the polls to elect a new parliament.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: In Bangladesh, Potters Shape Their Future

Old man Maneendra Paal talks with his head bent and hands busy casting bases for bird-patterned earthen vases, one of the popular items produced at this small-scale pottery industry in the Bijoypur village in Comilla, a district in eastern Bangladesh.

TSUNAMI IMPACT: Goodbye World, We Can Do It Alone – Indonesia’s Kalla

The world has come together to aid survivors of the Indian Ocean tsunami, and by large it has been welcomed in the tsunami-hit countries in South and South-east Asia. Yet in Indonesia's Aceh province, the welcome is proving awkward and signs are emerging that there is paranoia about the presence of foreigners on Indonesian soil.

TSUNAMI IMPACT: Transparency Debate Puts Down Under Charities on Notice

The success of aid groups in raising over 157 million U.S. dollars from individual Australians and business for humanitarian relief in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami has fuelled a debate over the accountability and effectiveness of charities.

POPULATION-INDONESIA: Regional Autonomy Restricts Women’s Rights

When regional autonomy was implemented in Indonesia four years ago, women, who account for more than half of the country's population, thought they would play a greater role in making decisions. However, over the years, they found themselves all the more left out and discriminated against.

RIGHTS: Cambodians Battle Their Minds to Remember the Khmer Rouge

''I just can't understand why they did this to my people. Why was the Khmer Rouge so brutal and cruel to their Cambodian brothers and sisters?'' asks Noch Chamroen, a 25-year-old Cambodian activist.

TSUNAMI IMPACT: There’s More to Disaster Mitigation Than a Warning System – NGOs

Non-governmental organisations are worried that important aspects of global disaster reduction would be overlooked at an international conference as countries and agencies jostle to take the lead in a high-profile tsunami early warning system.

TSUNAMI IMPACT: China Defends ‘Nominal’ Role in Global Relief Effort

While China's media and academics are defending the country's conspicuously small aid donations to the tsunami-battered countries, they also denounced major donors as engaging in ''political chess play'' - as these countries doled out huge sums of money in emergency aid packages.

SOUTH ASIA: Smuggling of Sacrificial Cattle Drives Prices Up

With the Muslim festival of sacrifice or 'Eidul Azha' just around the corner on Friday, the region is seeing a huge increase in the movement of smuggled cattle - across the border from Pakistan to Afghanistan - to be slaughtered in sacrificial offerings.