| Analysis: How real are Myanmar’s reforms? |
 | LONDON، 19/11/2012 (IRIN) - The visit of US President Barack Obama to Myanmar on 19 November has renewed international interest in the country’s democratic reforms, but also skepticism about their impact on the lives of ordinary Burmese. full report |
| PHILIPPINES: Social media link to rising HIV among MSM |
 | MANILA، 21/11/2012 (IRIN) - Social media, coupled with prevailing unsafe sexual practices, is driving up levels of HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM), health experts warn. full report |
| SRI LANKA: Scraping by with scrap |
 | MULLAITTIVU، 22/11/2012 (IRIN) - Every evening when the setting sun creates long shadows against walls and pillars of bombed-out buildings, half a dozen flatbed trucks line up in the northern Sri Lankan town of Mullaittivu. They have become a permanent early evening fixture in this shell of a town, where some of the worst battles during the final phase of the island’s civil war were fought in early 2009. As darkness spreads, men, women and even children approach the trucks to empty their small sacks of rusting pots, vehicle parts and other metals. full report |
| Analysis: Vietnam’s tale of two helmets |
 | HANOI، 22/11/2012 (IRIN) - Vietnam, where more than nine out of 10 registered vehicles are motorcycles and each household typically owns two, is grappling with how to boost road safety. Each year close to 15,000 people (out of a population of 86 million) die in traffic-related accidents, mostly motorbikes. full report |
| PAKISTAN: Inflation hits food security |
 | ISLAMABAD، 22/11/2012 (IRIN) - Despite efforts by the Pakistani government and international organizations, inflation, declining income, natural disasters and stagnating domestic productivity are hampering attempts to achieve food security for the country’s 180 million citizens. full report |
| THAILAND: Question marks over new approach to drug-users |
 | BANGKOK، 23/11/2012 (IRIN) - In September 2011, the government of Thailand moved to try and decrease the number of drug-users by 80 percent by adopting a more “softly, softly” approach, rather than sending people straight to jail. Progress on drug addiction is being made, say experts, but challenges remain. full report |