TOKYO: Twenty-two journalists from developing countries in the region were chosen as finalists in Asian Development Bank’s annual Developing Asia Journalism Awards. Their stories were picked from at least 200 submissions and competed in four categories ranging from poverty, climate change, government responses to the financial crisis and infrastructure development.

Imelda Abano of the Philippines won the Development Journalist of the Year while Supiya Khandekar of India was chosen as Young Development Journalist of the Year.

Yasmin Lee Arpon of the Philippines and deputy editor of Asia News Network (publisher of AsiaNews) won 2nd runner-up in the government
response category for the story “Shopping For Debts” on Taiwan’s cash stimulus and the implications on its economy.

Xiaohua Sun of China Daily, a member of ANN, was a finalist in the climate change category for her story “Tibet Moving on Climate Change
Threat”.

The journalists gathered in Tokyo for the awarding and a two-day workshop that discussed varying issues affecting the region including
climate change, poverty impact of the financial crisis and trends and the future of journalism.
(ASIA NEWS NETWORK)