IRIN - Asia
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AFGHANISTAN: Talking to the Taliban KABUL Thursday, March 11, 2010 (IRIN) - The insurgents in Afghanistan have shown interest in negotiating with the UN and aid agencies on humanitarian access and aid distributions, according to a purported Taliban spokesman.


SRI LANKA: Dengue spread slows in north COLOMBO Thursday, March 11, 2010 (IRIN) - The spread of Dengue fever has eased in Sri Lanka's conflict-affected north, but health officials warn continued vigilance is necessary.


INDONESIA: Farming for alternative livelihoods CIANJUR Thursday, March 11, 2010 (IRIN) - Young unemployed men are finding opportunities in a project that also aims to introduce sustainable farming methods to Indonesia's agricultural sector.


AFGHANISTAN: Driven into the arms of the Taliban QALA-E-NAW Wednesday, March 10, 2010 (IRIN) - A year after his expulsion from Iran for not having a work permit, Abdul Majid, 26, has found paid employment in Muqor District, Badghis Province, northwestern Afghanistan. But it is not a normal job: “My son has joined the Taliban,” Majid’s father, Bismillah, told IRIN, adding that he had had no contact with his son for over three months.


CAMBODIA: War crimes court juggles public demands PHNOM PENH Wednesday, March 10, 2010 (IRIN) - Competing pressures in Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal could work against the victims it is supposed to represent, human rights groups warn.


In Brief: Afghan refugees allowed to stay longer in Pakistan KABUL Wednesday, March 10, 2010 (IRIN) - The refugee cards of about 1.7 million Afghans in Pakistan will be extended until December 2012 and the Afghan government will have to enhance its reintegration services, according to a tripartite meeting of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).


MYANMAR: Abortion a leading cause of maternal death YANGON Wednesday, March 10, 2010 (IRIN) - In Myanmar, where abortions are illegal, complications arising from unsafe terminations are the third leading cause of maternal deaths after post-partum haemorrhage and eclampsia, according to the government's 2006-2011 National Health Plan.


VIETNAM: Government leads region in climate change challenge HANOI Tuesday, March 09, 2010 (IRIN) - Serious efforts are under way to respond to the impact of climate change in Vietnam but a lack of capacity and resources remains a challenge, experts say.


PHILIPPINES: Food security warnings over El Niño MANILA Monday, March 08, 2010 (IRIN) - Warnings have been raised over food security in the Philippines as the El Niño phenomenon wreaks havoc across vast agricultural areas, leaving staple crops such as rice dying in parched earth, officials say.


AFGHANISTAN: Women’s rights trampled despite new law KABUL Monday, March 08, 2010 (IRIN) - As the world marks International Women’s Day, ambivalence, impunity, weak law enforcement and corruption continue to undermine women’s rights in Afghanistan, despite a July 2009 law banning violence against women, rights activists say.