An environment is a complex of surrounding circumstances, conditions, or influences in which a thing is situated or is developed, or in which a person or organism lives, modifying and determining its life or character.

• In biology, ecology, and environmental science, an environment is the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors that surround and act upon an organism or ecosystem.

• The natural environment is such an environment that is relatively unaffected by human activity.
  • environmentalism is a concern with the preservation of the natural environment, especially from human pollution, and the ethics and politics associated with this.

More on [ Environment ]

BBC News | Asia-Pacific | World Edition

Gunfight on Thai-Cambodia border
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:26:17 -0000
Two Cambodian soldiers are killed in an exchange of gunfire with Thai troops over a disputed border near a famous temple.
Vietnam sends journalist to jail
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:52:45 -0000
A Vietnamese journalist has been jailed for two years for his reporting of a major corruption case.
N Korea 'sex spy' jailed in South
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:31:46 -0000
A N Korean woman who pleaded guilty to using sex to extract secret information from S Korean soldiers is given five years in jail.
Australia drops Ahmadinejad case
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:34:51 -0000
The government has dropped plans to take international legal action against the Iranian president on a charge of inciting genocide against Israel.
Asian markets retreat after rally
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:05:14 -0000
After dramatic rises earlier in the week, most Asian stock markets lose ground despite a regional plan to ease the crisis.
Expedition set for 'ghost peaks'
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:04:35 -0000
Scientists prepare to survey Antarctica's Gamburtsev mountains - one of the most enigmatic ranges on Earth.

NYT > Asia Pacific

2 Killed on Thai-Cambodian Border
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:02:19 -0000
Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rocket and rifle fire, according to reports from the scene, threatening to escalate a tense confrontation at the border.
Second Taliban Attack Strikes Major Afghan City
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:28:42 -0000
Afghan government troops repulsed a fresh attack late Tuesday by Taliban fighters in southwestern Afghanistan and killed at least 18 of them.
Hint of High-Level Discord on China Land Reform
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:39:32 -0000
Chinese leaders have yet to announce details of a rural reform policy, contributing to speculation that officials are in disagreement on major aspects of the policy.

L.A. Times - Asia

Deadly fighting erupts at Thai-Cambodian border
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:16:00 -0700
An tense border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia erupted into a gunbattle that killed two soldiers today, but officials from both sides downplayed the violence and called for resolving the conflict through talks, not bullets.
China land reform disappears from radar
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Leaders in Beijing were expected to enact a bold program allowing farmers to eventually buy, sell or lease their fields. But the issue wasn't even mentioned in the meeting's closing statement. A funny thing happened on the way to the Third Plenary Session of the 17th Central Committee, where China's Communist Party leaders were expected to finally enact a bold land reform program allowing farmers eventually to buy, sell or lease their fields.
World Briefing
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Southeast Asia: Thailand, Cambodia trade threats / El Salvador: U.S. pledges funds for gang control / Britain: One less test for schoolchildren Thailand, Cambodia trade threats

UN News Centre - Asia Pacific

Secretary-General urges restraint as Cambodian-Thai border row turns deadly
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed deep concern about the exchange of gunfire today along the Cambodian-Thai border near a disputed ancient temple that has reportedly led to the deaths of at least two people.
Ban to embark on four-nation tour of Asia later this month
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will depart for Asia later this month on a four-country tour whose itinerary includes stops in the Philippines, India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
UN refugee agency musters aid for thousands displaced by Pakistani fighting
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations refugee agency is trying to provide urgent shelter and other aid for some 190,000 people who have been displaced from Pakistan's Bajaur agency bordering Afghanistan since fighting started in mid-August.

Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune

2 killed on Thai-Cambodian border
By SETH MYDANS Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:52:04 -0000
Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rocket and rifle fire, according to reports from the scene, threatening to escalate a tense confrontation at the border.
Tajik farmers enslaved where cotton is king
By DAVID L. STERN Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:52:04 -0000
Farmers are shackled to the land - "like slaves," one European official says - and forced to grow cotton through a system of debts and obligations.
China assures Taiwan of 'serious approach' to milk scandal
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:52:04 -0000
China sought to reassure Taiwanese consumers on Wednesday that its dairy products were safe, as a government spokesman said a "serious approach" was being taken in an investigation into the tainted-milk scandal.
Religious peace threatened in South Korea
By CHOE SANG-HUN Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:52:04 -0000
Buddhists are voicing alarm over the expansion of conservative Protestant churches and a perceived favoritism by the government.
As Iraq cools, rebels go to Afghanistan
By JOHN F. BURNS Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:52:04 -0000
U.S. military successes in Iraq have prompted well-trained "foreign fighters" to join the insurgency in Afghanistan instead.
Vietnamese journalist sentenced to 2 years in jail
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:52:04 -0000
A Vietnamese journalist was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison for writing inaccurate stories about one of the country's most high-profile corruption cases.

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