(Al Jazeera English: 0742 PST, April 20, 2011) Nepal's forest cover is reportedly decreasing at a rapid pace, an issue that continues to pit environmental concerns against local economic interests. Rampant corruption and lack of monitoring has now led to widespread logging in the country's southern region. Al Jazeera's Subina Shrestha reports from the Tarai belt.

(Euronews: 0017 PST, March 25, 2011) Reports from Jordan say anti-government protesters have been attacked in the capital Amman. It happened after police tried to disperse the crowd and cut the power supply to the square in which the rally was taking place. A group several dozen strong, thought to be government supporters, are said to have assaulted demonstrators with stones. Earlier, in what seemed like a carnival atmosphere, hundreds of young people called for political reform and an end to corruption.

(Euronews: 0028 PST, March 7, 2011) Lebanese protesters have called for an end to the country's sectarian political system. Around 8,000 demonstrated outside the electricity ministry. They claimed it was a symbol of the corruption the long-established division of power among religious sects had produced.

Lebanon's constitution says the president must be a Maronite Christian, and the prime minister a Sunni Muslim. Critics say dividing power this way has fuelled self interested alliances.