カテゴリー: South and Central Asia
Escalation of violence between the volatile neighbours makes a Qatar-mediated ceasefire appear increasingly shakyPakistan bombed Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul and two other provinces on Friday, hours after a cross-border attack, the latest escalation …
Centuries-old wells restored to provide drinking water as parts of the country head towards “day zero” when no water will be availableA loud cheer and sounds of clapping reverberated around Bansilalpet, a neighbourhood in Hyderabad, when the first tric…
Proposal approved by Modi government will bring official English name into line with Malayalam languageThe Indian state of Kerala, known as “God’s own country” for its golden beaches and lush tea plantations, is to be given a new name.Narendra Modi’s c…
The Taliban are burning musical instruments in the name of morality. It is an assault on all culture
The sounds of Afghan history are being erased to prevent music’s ‘moral corruption’ of the Afghan people. We can help keep Afghanistan’s music alive. Plus, Eliane Radigue’s deep listening, and the brilliance of Sinners’s scoreThe horrors of the Taliban…
Not enough support for freed victims, say aid agencies, with growing numbers sleeping on the streets, unable to travel home without passports or moneyCharities and aid workers have called for urgent international government support for victims of sout…
Dominic Ethan Stewart was among 19 killed when vehicle veered off road and plunged down mountainsideTributes have been paid to a young British hiker who was among 19 people killed when a packed passenger bus veered off a treacherous stretch of road and…
Motorway stretch plays music as a safety feature but those close to it say ‘intrusive’ noise is constant and distressingResidents of one of India’s most upmarket neighbourhoods say the country’s first “musical road” has turned their daily lives into a …
‘Intelligence-based, selective operations’ carried out against Pakistani Taliban camps, says information ministry Pakistan carried out strikes along the border with Afghanistan on Saturday night, stating it was targeting hideouts of Pakistani militants…
Australia’s strength has never come from purity tests or cultural fear. It has come from beautiful human overlapIn my tough early days in Melbourne, when everything still felt slightly unreal, I was introduced to Suzy through a cricket magazine editor …
Narendra Modi’s thirst to supercharge economic growth is matched by US desire to inject AI into world’s biggest democracyIndia celebrates 80 years of independence from the UK in August 2027. At about that same moment, “early versions of true super inte…
Banned from education, a clandestine reading circle meets every week to pore over novels by Abbas Maroufi, Zoya Pirzad and Ernest HemingwayFour young women sit together, waiting for the phone to ring. When the call finally comes, their friend’s voice i…
Google, Anthropic and OpenAI bosses to mingle with global south leaders wrestling for control over technologySilicon Valley tech billionaires will land in Delhi this week for an AI summit hosted by India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, where leaders o…
Many voice hope that moment will mark move away from repression and unrest and a chance to revive economyBangladesh’s new prime minister has been sworn in, sealing a dramatic comeback for the Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP) and formally closing the …
Tarique Rahman set to take oath and become prime minister after landslide victory prompted by ousting of Sheikh HasinaBangladesh’s incoming prime minister Tarique Rahman and other politicians were sworn into parliament on Tuesday, becoming the first el…