South Asia

Pakistan reports more polio cases: Pakistan reported four polio cases just two days after the much-publicized anti-polio campaign concluded on October 16. Three polio victims are from Punjab and one from the North West Frontier Province. These cases take the number of children incapacitated by the disease this year to 81. Five cases of polio surfaced in the capital city Islamabad, seven in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, 15 in the southern province of Sindh, 22 in Punjab and 32 in nwfp.

South Asia

PASHMINA is Kashmiri: India granted, on September 12, the Geographical Indicat-ion (GI) status to Pashmina yarn, produced in th Kashmir valley by Tahfuz (a body of all Kashmiri handicraft artisans). Islamabad filed an objection claiming that the fine wool is also produced in Pakistan. A consultative committee of the Geographical Indication Registry of India rejected Pakistan's objections. A GI status ensures that a name can only be used by produce from a particular geographical region, not anywhere else. Example: Darjeeling tea, Champagne.

South Asia

CHILDREN STUNTED IN SRI LANKA: The infant mortality rate (IMR) of Sri Lanka, as per the latest demographic and health survey

Energy starved

energy-starved Sri Lanka has levied a tax on incandescent bulbs of over 40 watts and soon plans to ban the import and manufacture of bulbs of 75 watts and above.

Green shopping

Supermarkets in Sri Lanka pitch in to eradicate plastic menace

Carbon craze

Sri Lanka sets up carbon fund to acquire marketing edge

South Asia

Another disputed dam: After Baglihar, Kishanganga dam has embroiled India and Pakistan in a water dispute. Union minister of state for power Jairam Ramesh recently asked the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to expedite work on the 330-mw Kishanganga power project in Jammu and Kashmir, citing that Pakistan is also constructing a power project on the Kishanganga river, called Neelum across the Line of Control. Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority has recently started work on 969-mw Neelum Jehlum hydel project.

South Asia

Kalabagh aborted: Pakistan's new government has decided to shelve the controversial Kalabagh dam project "once and for all" in the name of national reconciliation. The announcement follows the government's recent plans to save energy and end load-shedding by 2009. Addressing a press conference, Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said Sindh and North-West Frontier Province had passed resolutions against the dam and, therefore, its construction could endanger the federation. "For a strong and united federation, it is

South Asia

On Kalabagh dam: Construction of the controversial Kalabagh Dam across river Indus will not begin without reaching a consensus among all the four provinces, Pakistans newly elected Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said at a media briefing.

South Asia

Lanka warns rice hoarders: In the face of soaring food prices, the Sri Lankan government has said it would come down heavily on rice hoarders and traders flouting a price control order on rice--Sri Lanka's staple food. On April 16, the government declared price control of rice and stipulated that the retail price of rice must not exceed Rs (Lankan) 70 (US $0.65). The decision came after some varieties of rice were found sold at more than Rs (Lankan) 150 a kg in the market.