In an age of climate change and deepening inequality, the spreading Naxalite insurgency in India - not al-Qaida - may show the world its future.

(This article was first published on 5 November 2009)

Ten million children are born annually in India. Primary education should be a vital lifeline, for those who survive.

Local elections in the restive Indian state have reshaped Kashmir's landscape of conflict

A war of words over compensation for rape victims has overshadowed the real issue, of violence against poor women

This week in Bangladesh: the controversial move to abolish the Consitution's Fifth Amendment returns to the spotlight; the energy sector comes under renewed scrutiny in the wake of a crackdown on illegal power tapping; and Bangladesh's prime minister is voted in as Vice Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement.

History (not modern "radicalism" and "separatism") links India and Pakistan's restive borders

The process of decriminalising homosexuality has begun, but the road to equality remains a long one

In this week's Bangladesh update: The National Human Rights Commission has finally been reinstated by Bangladesh's parliament and given far-ranging powers to pursue its mandate. Critical legislation regarding War Crimes Trials is also passed, despite calls for caution from Human Rights Watch. And the prime minister urges opposition parties to end their boycott of the political process.

A process of cooperation between the military leaders of India and Afghanistan comes at a bad time for the American and British war effort in Helmand province.

The ongoing security crisis in West Bengal exposes the cracks in Indian democracy, stemming from a volatile mix of poor governance, petty politics, and a fundamental breakdown in credibility

Garment workers riot for three days, leading to violent clashes with the security forces that leave two dead. The government vows to implement the CHT Peace Accord twelve years after its signing as another member of the CHT indigenous communities is killed by the army. Special Branch arrests more members of the extremist JMB militants, and more in this week's Bangladesh update.

Cross-border firing killed an Indian soldier on the Line of Control in Kashmir on Sunday. A coup in Honduras toppled President Zelaya. Protests in Iran recommenced this weekend, with the authorities detaining workers at the British embassy. The Iraqi government is readying itself for the withdrawal of American troops on Tuesday. And much more in today's update.

This week in Bangladesh, India remains adamant that its controversial hydro-electric project bordering Bangladesh’s northeast will go ahead. Alleged war criminals are finally charged as the War Trials process gets underway. The BNP is thrown into chaos as moves to reorganise its grassroots base backfire.

Dozens killed in US drone strike as Pakistan and Taliban prepare for war in South Waziristan. US snubs Israel after Netanyahu remains committed to settlement expansion. China charges leading dissident with subversion. And much more in today's update.

An illegal Islamic militant group is rebuilding its forces in Bangladesh's Chapainawabganj region. A community of indigenous people is attackedby land grabbers. And more in this week's Bangladesh update.

The new, stable government in New Delhi has monumental hurdles awaiting it in tackling the education and national security sectors

A strong, stable Congress government may be good for business, but can it contend with the real, looming threat of environmental catastrophe?

The urbanisation of Pakistan’s internal war is intended to turn the country’s population centres into places of permanent insecurity, says Razi Ahmed.

Pakistan won’t collapse. But it is in trouble, and needs strategic leadership.  Pervez Hoodbhoy offers a long-term view of the country’s predicament.

This week in Bangladesh: MI5 is implicated in the torture of a British national by Bangladeshi security forces; a devastating cyclone strikes Bangladesh's exposed southern coast, while Sheikh Hasina takes the offensive against environmental degradation; and one of the most influential figures in Bangladesh's military and political scene retires

The Pakistani army and state are seeking to find space for their own strategic interests in the region amid increasing pressure from the United States, says Shaun Gregory.

North Korea successfully tests its second nuclear bomb. Sudanese army and Darfur rebels clash, leaving sixty-plus dead. Sikh leader's assassination in Vienna provokes violent rioting in Punjab. Sri Lankan war crimes investigation splits UN. Swat campaign threatens "humanitarian catastrophe". Palestine looks to Obama for settlements clampdown. France opens first military base in the Gulf. And much more in today's update.

This week in Bangladesh: the Foreign Ministry calls for Pakistan to formally apologise for the gross human rights violations committed by its armed forces during the 1971 Liberation War. Human Rights Watch, in an excoriating report, urges the government to disband its two elite intelligence and security organisations. And much more, in this week's digest.

The Congress party returns to power with a clear mandate, a privilege it should not squander

The Sri Lankan government has claimed to have killed top members of the Tamil Tigers, including the rebel group's leader. Sudan labels Chad air strike an "act of war". Islamist groups in Somalia win another town, but remain riven by in-fighting. US drone attacks continue in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And much more in today's update.

The verdict of the month-long parliamentary election is due tomorrow. India's big parties scramble for allies as the horse-trading kicks off

This week in Bangladesh: the Prime Minister is in mourning after the death of her husband, the RAB clashes with suspected Islamic militants and gangsters, the trauma of the 1971 liberation war gets entangled in the thicket of contemporary politics, and more in today’s digest.

The multiple realities of poverty in India are a key arena where the arguments about global civil society are being tested, say the editors of the new edition of the Global Civil Society Yearbook.  

Pakistan's bid to open its agricultural sector to foreign corporations may accentuate rural poverty and inequity

As the US reshapes its policy to the "AfPak" region, India must strengthen its support for democratisation in Afghanistan and also be less touchy about Kashmir