South Asia

WHO blames air pollution for 7 million premature deaths a year

World Health Organisation issues its first air quality guidelines since 2005, which aim to reduce deaths from key pollutants that cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases by moving towards clean sources of energy.

The year that linked the fates of Afghanistan and the Middle East

The year 1979 is a turning point in the history of the region, as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Islamic revolution in Iran and ‘Seige of Mecca’ laid the groundwork for the rise and victory of the Taliban over forty years later.

‘India and Pakistan no different on how they treat minorities’

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka are all in the same rickety boat when it comes to human rights.

Bangladesh's media gag: A son fights for his father's release

First, a journalist goes missing for two months and when found, the authorities arrest him under two draconian laws. His son now awaits justice.

Mass hysteria as Indian media relentlessly covers imaginary war in Pakistan

Bemused Pakistanis were perplexed by mainstream Indian media reports that a ‘civil war’ between the army and local police had broken out in the country’s commercial capital of Karachi.

A Silicon Valley lawsuit reveals caste discrimination is rife in the US

A suit filed against tech giant Cisco Systems for workplace discrimination against a Dalit engineer is likely to be a precedent-setting case that shines a spotlight on caste as a global phenomenon.

Facebook bans BJP figure for hate speech but is it too little, too late?

The social networking giant banned Raja Singh just shortly after the Wall Street Journal reported that a pro-Modi executive at the company had blocked any attempt to censure him.

Facebook bars politician from Modi's party over hate speech

T Raja Singh, a regional legislator for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party, has previously made headlines for reportedly saying that Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar should be shot.

South Asia floods claim over a thousand lives

The annual monsoon is vital to the densely populated region, revitalising land and waterways amid scorching summers. But it also causes widespread death and destruction.

Indian police in Kashmir investigate army's alleged staging of gun battle

Family members say their relatives were killed by the military and then buried as unidentified militants. The incident could further ratchet up anti-India anger in the disputed region, where troops have repeatedly been accused of targeting civilians.

Coronavirus pandemic plugs up dengue prevention efforts

The cascading effects of Covid-19 restrictions hamper efforts to cope with seasonal outbreaks of dengue, an incurable, mosquito-borne disease that is also known as “breakbone fever" for its severely painful symptoms.

How the pandemic hits the world’s most vulnerable

The developing countries are feeling the devastating effects of Covid-19 — the poor are the worst hit.