BEIJING, China — Chinese university students are being asked to sign a letter of guarantee that they will not cheat on English exams required for graduation. The letter serves the same function as the slogans authorities used to paint on walls, and now hang up on banners. Can this guarantee honesty in the exam hall?

Kathmandu, Nepal — As Nepal faces the uncertainty of elections and an indefinite bundh, or strike, in the southern Terai region, the perfect match between entrepreneurial expertise and not-for-profit networking has been hammered out to create a nationwide movement aimed at self-sufficiency for the underprivileged.

Hong Kong, China — Encouraging public participation to tackle pollution is an important feature in new environmental legislation introduced by the Chinese government, a report released today in Hong Kong, by the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs and World Wide Fund, has said.

KOLKATA, India — Hot on the heels of a comment by the Archbishop of Canterbury on BBC Radio 4 that recognition of some aspects of Islamic Sharia law was unavoidable, Chancellor Alistair Darling is now mulling over the issue of Islamic bonds to pay for Gordon Brown's public spending program.

Seoul, South Korea — South Koreans are gripped by a deep sense of shock and dismay after their top treasure, the ancient city gate of Namdaemun, was destroyed by fire Monday, possibly caused by an arsonist. The 610-year-old wooden gate in the heart of Seoul was known as the "pride of the nation."

Kolkata, India — "Honor killings" are on the rise among Asian immigrants from the Indian subcontinent in the United Kingdom. These crimes are committed mostly against women by men from tribal, feudal and patriarchal rural societies with little or no education. They have nothing to do with Islam, Hinduism or Sikhism.

Nagercoil, India — "Ram Rajya" is described as a society where a beautiful young girl decked in the finest gold jewels can walk on a deserted road at midnight, unmolested. Whenever someone tries to justify an attack on a woman because of her "provocative dress" I remember this definition of the ideal moral state.

Shanghai, China — An old Chinese saying goes that heavy snow predicts a good harvest next season. But China's current snow may mean just the opposite, as many crops have been destroyed in the country's worst snow in 50 years. The situation was improving somewhat as Lunar New Year dawned Thursday.

Hong Kong, China — Raju, a healthy 14-year-old boy weighing 60 kilograms, goes to a reputed school for the elite in the Indian capital city of New Delhi. "I love sports," he says, meaning he loves watching cricket on television. He hardly plays any games, except during his biweekly physical education class at school.

Tokyo, Japan — In China, the worst snow disaster in 50 years has turned this huge country into a drowned rat. Reports from around the country sound like some kind of odd competition as, in 14 provinces in south and central China, people struggle to cope with no electricity, no water and no roads.

QINGDAO, China — Authorities have informed a group of 204 laid-off workers in China's southwestern city of Chongqing that they will have to pay 350,000 yuan (US$48,500) for arbitration in a dispute over unpaid wages, Xinhua reported last week. It is far more than they can afford.

Meerut, India — Mohandas K. Gandhi, both inside and outside his native India, is respectfully referred to as "Mahatma," an honorific used for a spiritually elevated soul. As the world remembers Gandhi on Wednesday, the 60th anniversary of his death, it is instructive to review his life to understand why he merited this title.

Trat, Thailand — Why are sea turtles that are raised in an aquarium released at night, not during the day? And what is the connection between turtles and tourism in Thailand? These and other issues were addressed during the launch of a project between the Thai government and an NGO to promote "eco-tourism."

Beijing, China — Despite eight years of setbacks and criticisms, China's National Grand Theater, a showcase for the performing arts, is now open. Only time will tell whether the leadership in Beijing has unveiled an oblong pearl for future soft power projection and cultural development, or will be left with egg on its face.

Toronto, ON, Canada — A recent India-Australia cricket match in Sydney, which Australia won, was despoiled by acrimony and bad umpiring. Australian fans enjoyed their hour of victory, but India swung into action to win the battle of prestige. In India, cricket is taken seriously.

Shanghai, China — China's Ministry of Health says that life expectancy for Chinese citizens had risen to 73 by 2005 from 71.4 in 2000. This is good news for the Chinese people, who traditionally value long life. The Chinese people are also comparably much richer. But is this happiness?

Beijing, China — After scandals involving former gold medal winner Marion Jones, the Mitchell report in Major League Baseball, and the most recent winner of the Tour de France testing positive for performance enhancing drugs, the spotlight shifts to China and the upcoming Olympics in Beijing.

Taean, South Korea — Lee Chung-young, a taxi driver in South Korea's northern border city, rushed to this west port town of Taean soon after he heard the scenic coastline had been blackened by the country's worst oil spill in early December. He was one of hundreds of thousands of volunteers who joined hands to clean up the blackened coast.

Hong Kong, China — Vitamin D is well known for its importance in maintaining good bone health. Recent studies suggest, however, that there is a positive relation between vitamin D and several types of cancers, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, heart diseases and even diabetes.

Islamabad, Pakistan — The era of President Pervez Musharaff has witnessed a mushrooming of media channels and newspapers never before seen in Pakistan. Unfortunately, soon after they were given the right to publish and transmit freely, these media empires were taken over by commercial interests or by anti-government factions.

Tokyo, Japan — The Science and Technology Foundation of Japan announced three winners of the 2008 Japan Prize Wednesday in Tokyo. All three laureates are American scientists engaged in Internet technology and medical genetics.

Hong Kong, China — Every night Mr. Cai prepares dinner for his wife; not with vegetables and meat, but with bags of nutritional products that he injects into his wife's veins. Cai's wife, Zhou Qisi, lost a large part of her intestines through surgery and has not been able to digest food for the past 20 years.

Meerut, India — In light of ongoing religious conflicts, the question has arisen as to whether or not religion is necessary for a society. Many people are repulsed by inhuman acts perpetrated under cover of a religious community. Yet it is important to understand that such acts are not in keeping with the original goals of the community.

BEIJING, China — A Guangzhou court has handed a life sentence to a 24-year-old migrant worker named Xu Ting for withdrawing 170,000 yuan (US$24,000) from a malfunctioning ATM. Compared with financial crimes by corrupt officials, Xu's is a small case, yet most officials receive much lighter sentences.

Manila, Philippines — The cost of medicines in the Philippines is among the highest in the world. There are more than 17,000 registered drugs in the local market, but a majority of the population cannot afford the prices charged by the multinational pharmaceutical companies that produce them.

CHENGDU, China — A news program on China's state television station, CCTV, was suddenly interrupted when a woman appeared on camera to announce that her husband, the program's announcer, was having an affair. She also criticized China as an immoral nation unfit to host the Olympic Games.

Hong Kong, China — Just a few days prior to the New Year, Indonesia's National Commission for Child Protection published its annual report on child protection. Surprisingly, the capital of Jakarta was found to be the most unsafe city for children in the country.

Hong Hong, China — Radha is a young girl living in an impoverished village in India. The floor and walls of her tiny hut are plastered with mud and cow dung. There is an infestation of sand flies in the dense vegetation around her house. Radha, 14, is the sole bread earner for her family, but of late even her health seems to be failing.

Hong Kong, China — People have misconceptions about walking as a form of physical activity. They think it is not a proper exercise. But actually it is a near perfect exercise. Walking is a safe, easy and inexpensive form of workout that has several positive outcomes on health.