As victims are counted and efforts are underway to save hydroelectric plant workers in Nepal, questions are mounting about the sustainability of the development model adopted in recent years in the shadow of the Himalayas. For its part, the Nepali government is demanding “climate compensation”.
Tension is high in the capital of Bangladesh and other areas, with violence targeting vehicles and public spaces during the days of protests called by the Awami League against Yunus's ‘illegal government’. There have been about twenty attacks as of last night, with patrols and roadblocks. The leaders of the party excluded from the elections deny any involvement and speak of a government manoeuvre to discredit it. Offices and schools are closed today.
The memory of the Oblate missionary, killed on 10 November 1987, lives on in Buttala, the village where he went to live to defend the rights of the poor. According to local Buddhist monks, older residents remember the light he brought to the village. One of his confreres, Father Shanil, calls on fellow members of the clergy to “reflect upon what prompted him to live that type of life” and follow his “living testimony” today.
While Assam, led by the BJP, has passed a bill banning the practice but not applying it in tribal areas, Kerala has taken a different approach. A landmark ruling by the local High Court has ruled that no second marriage can be registered without informing the first wife, reaffirming the primacy of constitutional rights over religious law.
An explosion outside a district court in the Pakistani capital killed at least 12 people and injured dozens. The attack comes at a time of growing internal instability and heightened tensions with India and Afghanistan. While the army is busy fighting the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) in the border regions, the Senate yesterday approved the 27th constitutional amendment, which expands the army chief's powers and creates a new Federal Constitutional Court.
A research team from the Sri Lanka Blue Resources Trust found a new ridge linking the Yakampita and Gingiripita reefs. The discovery reveals the surprising richness of the marine ecosystem near the capital, where some areas show over 50 per cent hard coral cover. But researchers warn that the reefs remain outside protected areas and are threatened by pollution and illegal fishing.
A car bomb that exploded yesterday near the historic Red Fort, a symbol of Indian independence, killed 13 people and wounded more than 20. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but authorities suspect a jihadi attack linked to Kashmir, following the discovery of three tonnes of explosives in Faridabad. However, "all angles" remain open, according to federal Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah. “Let us continue to pray for peace and safety across our beloved nation,” reads a statement by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India.
The family of Manish Nishad, 50, moved his body from village to village for three days because residents refused to allow his burial on private land after he “abandoned” his original religion. This is the latest in a series of cases in tribal areas. “Kanker has become the hotbed of Hindu fanaticism,” International Christian Concern reports.
Two improvised explosive devices were thrown at the country's main Catholic cathedral; one landed inside but did not explode. Police have opened an investigation, but the motive behind the attack is still unknown. The attack came on the eve of an important meeting with approximately 600 worshippers. Worshippers and residents living near the cathedral are very concerned.
The decision not to recruit music and phys ed teachers comes in for harsh criticism. For a choir director, it “is like removing a part of our humanity.” Human Rights Forum Bangladesh urges politicians to resist “unreasonable demands." Youth protests at the capital's university. Student told AsiaNews that “an entire generation” is “at risk of cultural impoverishment.”
In India's federal capital – which has topped the list of the world's most polluted cities for over ten years – the first silver iodide rockets have been launched with the aim of causing artificial rain. The Centre for Atmospheric Sciences is sceptical, calling it an ‘improper application of science’ for political propaganda purposes.
For years, a mother suffering from health problems and her son lived in conditions of slavery in a brick kiln in Pakistan. A debt contracted with the owner after the husband’s death turned out to be a trap. Their freedom was regained thanks to the intervention of a Christian activist. Now they face the challenge of rebuilding their lives from scratch — without a home, savings, or a stable source of income.
In his victory speech, the young Muslim politician quoted Nehru from his independence speech, emphasising his ties to his parents' country of origin with Bollywood music in the background. The new mayor embodies an image of Islam that breaks with the stereotypes spread by Hindu nationalists. In India, "The Wire" wonders if his social agenda can offer an alternative model to Modi's economic formula.
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