LAHORE , 3 February (PLUSNEWS) - Beena, 50, runs an 'establishment' in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, where her two daughters and a niece sell their bodies. "Most of us here know all about this AIDS thing. Some NGO people keep coming and talk to the girls about it – but just knowing about it is not always of much use," she mused, chewing on a wodge of tobacco. Full report

ANKARA, 20 September (PLUSNEWS) - The Kazakh government is expected to approve a new programme worth over US $50 million to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in the former Soviet republic. There are over 5,O00 registered cases of people living with the disease in the Central Asian nation. Full report

YANGON, 1 February (PLUSNEWS - DFID) - Isolated Myanmar is grappling with one of the worst HIV/AIDS epidemics in Asia - a struggle made all the harder by the tiny amounts of international aid received by the military government. Full report

NEW DELHI, 26 January (PLUSNEWS - DFID) - As India grapples with one of the world's largest HIV/AIDS caseloads, the government faces the challenge of rapidly scaling up the provision of first-line antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to people who need them, while a growing number require more expensive second-line medication. Full report

CHIANG MAI, 22 January (PLUSNEWS - DFID) - Amid the karaoke bars and beer pubs of a 'designated entertainment area' in Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai, the 'Can Do' Bar stands out for its brightly-coloured décor, large open windows that that allow passers-by to peer inside, and a sign describing it as an "experitainment" venue. Full report

ISLAMABAD, 5 December (PLUSNEWS - DFID) - The United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has launched Pakistan's first association of people living with HIV/AIDS. Full report

BANGKOK, 4 December (PLUSNEWS - DFID) - Thailand is to issue a compulsory licence for Merck's patented HIV/AIDS drug Efaverenz, allowing the government to cut costs of supplying the drug by a reported 50 percent, helping it meet a growing demand for treatment. Full report

LAHORE, 14 November (PLUSNEWS - DFID) - Leaning against his brightly painted truck, Muhammad Rafiq, 30, looks furtively at the two condoms he holds in his hand. "I plan to use these soon, but I hope I can remember to do so when the time comes," he says, a little shyly. Full report