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THIS WEEK'S STORIES
India and Pakistan Playing better Neighbors

India and Pakistan Playing better Neighbors

Bilateral relations between India and Pakistan are back on track with two high-profile Indian delegations visiting Pakistan this month.

The two nations have agreed to strengthen economic ties and liberalize bilateral trade.

The response evoked by the two delegations has also revived hope for political stability and peaceful resolutions to all bilateral issues.

But there are issues holding back the bl... Read more...

Pakistan Braces For Another Monsoon Season

Pakistan Braces For Another Monsoon Season

It's two years since Pakistan suffered the worst floods in its history.

Just 12 months later, almost to the day, floodwaters ravaged the country yet again. The destruction was swift and devastating.

The government was criticised for being under-prepared and failing to respond quickly enough.

Now with this year's monsoon season just months away, aid agencies are asking whether the authorities in Pakis... Read more...

China Goes West, First Stop Chongqing

China Goes West, First Stop Chongqing

Twenty years ago, former paramount leader of China, Deng Xiaoping, visited the country's Southeast coast.

He told his audience, and the world, that China was committed to economic reform.

Since then, ch...

Acclaimed Abroad, Filipino Director Struggles For Recognition at Home

Acclaimed Abroad, Filipino Director Struggles For Recognition at Home

“Busong” was named one of the top 10 Asian films by the Asian Wall Street Journal – where it was described as film “small in scale, but big in impact.”

Auraeus Solito, an internationally acclaimed inde...

Cambodia’s Amazon Under Threat

Cambodia’s Amazon Under Threat

The remote 200,000-hectares of Prey Lang Forest is arguably the Amazon of Cambodia.

Home to the indigenous Kouy people, “Prey Lang” means “our forest”.

Last year, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen approv...

Taming China’s Desert with Red Dates

Taming China’s Desert with Red Dates

China has often been criticized by the international community for putting profit before environmental protection.

And the country is now seeing the consequences of heavy water usage, with millions of ...

Young Burmese Long For Brighter Future

Young Burmese Long For Brighter Future

The Burmese government is spending 4 percent of this year’s budget on education, a two-fold increase from last year.

But it’s still below international standards according to the UN, which recommends 6...

Street Kids Recycling For a Green Jakarta

Street Kids Recycling For a Green Jakarta

Indonesia is the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases and lags far behind its Asian neighbors when it comes to garbage disposal and recycling.

The capital and bustling metropolis of Jakart...

India Gas Tragedy Victims Boycott London Olympics

India Gas Tragedy Victims Boycott London Olympics

Download The victims of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy are urging the Indian government to boycott the 2012 Olympic Games.

One of the Games’ sponsors is the US-based Dow Chemicals – the company that now ow...

Filipinos Reject Mega Project in Pristine Area

Filipinos Reject Mega Project in Pristine Area

Download The remote province of Aurora is a promising tourism destination in the Philippines – blessed with natural attractions and historical sights.

But activists and locals are worried about its futu...

       

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  • This week on Asia Calling

 Cambodia’s Amazon under threat: The remote 200,000-hectares of Prey Lang Forest is arguably the Amazon of Cambodia. Home to the indigenous Kouy people, “Prey Lang” means “our forest”. Last year, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen approved a 9,000-hectare rubber plantation, despite its status as a protected area  The deal is part of a joint business initiative between the Cambodian and Vietnamese governments, which say will improve local welfare. But a recent investigation has revealed the dirty deals made between companies and villagers, and the extent of illegal logging in the forest. Borin Noun joins the investigation team in the largest intact forest on the Indochina peninsula.

China goes West, first stop Chongqing:  Twenty years ago, former paramount leader of China, Deng Xiaoping, visited the country's Southeast coast. He told his audience, and the world, that China was committed to economic reform. Since then, cheap labor, easy port access and massive state investment are transforming some coastal areas into thriving industrial hubs. And with labor costs rising, Beijing is ushering investment elsewhere: in the remote West. Rebecca Valli visits Chongqing, the star megacity of the “Go West” program.

These stories and much more this week

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