Full Coverage: South Asia

04/30/2006 Si susseguono gli appelli alla mediazione e al dialogo per evitare che lo Sri Lanka sprofondi di nuovo in un conflitto civile. La Caritas Internationalis, attiva sull’isola con progetti di solidarietà e sviluppo, rafforzatisi all’indomani della tragedia dello tsunami, ha diffuso un messaggio in cui si definisce l’eventuale guerra “un secondo tsunami”. Per questo l’organizzazione - che riunisce 162 organismi di carità presenti in 200 fra paesi e territori - richiama la comunità internazionale a compiere uno sforzo urgente di mediazione per comporre il conflitto fra il governo e i ribelli Tamil. E dopo gli scontri dell'inizio di questa settimana nel nord e nell'est dello Sri Lanka, l'Alto Commissariato delle Nazioni Unite per i Rifugiati (UNHCR) nella capitale Colombo resta seriamente preoccupato per la recente fuga di migliaia di persone all'interno del distretto nord-orientale di Trincomalee. Gli attacchi aerei di martedì e mercoledì scorsi nel distretto e le ostilità nell'area di Muttur sembrano cessati, ma si stima che tra le 7mila e le 8mila persone abbiano abbandonato diversi villaggi della regione. Analisti internazionali osservano che l’escalation di violenze in Sri Lanka è collegata all’elezione del nuovo presidente Mahinda Rajapakse in novembre che non sembra accettare il cessate-il-fuoco stabilito nel 2002.

04/29/2006 Snowfall has increased dramatically in northern Pakistan because of human-induced climate change, say researchers.

04/28/2006 NEW DELHI, Apr 28 (OneWorld) - Nearly 2,000 people marched Friday under Delhi's blazing summer sun to protest government policies that are causing people to lose their homes and land across India in the name of economic development.

04/28/2006 The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has run into a roadblock with the Centre deciding to cut down the minimum wages.A few days ago, after analysing the average payments to workers employed under the EGA, the Centre decided to fix a uniform wage rate of Rs 60.

04/28/2006 Nearly 2,000 people marched on Friday in the heart of Delhi to protest against government policies causing displacement of people all over India. They later submitted a memorandum to President APJ Abdul Kalam seeking stoppage of construction work on the Narmada dam till people are rehabilitated and making a national law that prevents displacement of people without rehabilitation.

04/28/2006 Today, the demand for wireless access outside the corporate office is satisfied by an unwieldy patchwork of technologies—GPRS, CDMA and Wi-Fi hotspots. There's no easy way to access your corporate network or even the Internet on the move.

04/28/2006 The concept of e-governance is now a reality for Indian citizens. We are graduating from pilot e-governance projects to bigger Mission Mode projects. In this, the core strategy is to move ahead in a systematic manner, and the approach is to achieve success step by step.

04/28/2006 Radio Frequency Identification, billed to improve communication, productivity and information, can deliver better results when supported by development of computer networks and wireless data networks, says Rajesh Cheerla.

04/28/2006 The current debate about 27% OBC reservation and sufficient access to educational institutions poses various questions to the stakeholders. In terms of access in the higher education till date only 10% of the people in the age group of 18-24 are in the higher education system.

04/28/2006 The international community must help ensure that the commitment made by the King of Nepal, to give sovereignty to the people, is fulfilled, says human rights defender Shobhakar Budhathoki.

04/28/2006 At least two sailors were killed and three STF personnel injured when suspected LTTE cadres exploded two claymore mines targeting the security forces in two separate incidents in Mannar and Jaffna.

04/28/2006 King Gyanendra reinstated the assembly on 24 April in a bid to end almost three weeks of nationwide protests in which at least 14 people died. But the swearing-in ceremony for newly appointed Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala was delayed due to ill health.

04/28/2006 At least half a billion people in developing Asia are unemployed or underemployed and finding ways to provide them productive jobs should top economic agendas around the region, according to an ADB book.

04/28/2006 A few days ago, after analysing the average payments to workers employed under the EGA, the Centre decided to fix a uniform wage rate of Rs 60. The earlier directive allowed states to fix their own wage rates. If the new decision is implemented, the states would be forced to bring down the wages too.

04/27/2006 More than a dozen civil society organisations gave a call on Thursday to support the ongoing Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) agitation and ensure that millions of Indians getting uprooted due to development – construction of dams, digging of mines and setting up of industries – are given their rights by the government.

04/27/2006 The United States Wednesday vowed to organise an international pressure campaign against the LTTE in the aftermath suicide bombing in Colombo. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said the State Department was in touch in Washington and abroad with other countries "to bring to bear whatever pressure we can on the Tigers to abandon this course of action" and to look for ways to support the Government of Sri Lanka.

04/27/2006 Thousands of people have fled their homes in north-eastern Sri Lanka as the military launched fresh air strikes on Tamil Tiger targets. Local officials said about 40,000 people were moving north to seek safety in the jungle.

04/27/2006 Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh emphasised the role of women teachers in the learning process at the valedictory function of the "Education For All" programme organised at National Bal Bhavan.

04/27/2006 An escalation in violence between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels is placing people in danger and threatening tsunami reconstruction and long-term development work.

04/27/2006 The state government has issued a preliminary notification making it mandatory for all autorickshaws plying within Huda limits to have digital meters installed in them.