South Asia

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Bangladesh: 400 garment factories close in three years

Thousands of people are unemployed and struggling to survive. A former worker told AsiaNews: “It’s an inhumane way of life.” The government is compiling a list of the closures. The Minister for Trade told Parliament that the causes are global and domestic pressures. Measures have been introduced to support the sector.

  • Sri Lanka's kidnapped Fishermen return home

    In the hands of Somali pirates for four and a half months, the six Sri Lankan sailors from the ship 'Lorenzo Putha 4' who had been kidnapped at the end of January and then freed by the Seychelles Coast Guard have finally arrived in the port of Dikowita. The joy of re-embracing their families but also concerns about the financial loss they suffered as a result of the unfortunate mishap.

  • Fatwa halts Pakistan's first milk bank

    The Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology will ask the Council of Islamic Ideology for guidance to comply with Islamic law. A madrasa had already approved the establishment of the human milk bank with a set of preconditions. But the project has sparked controversy on social media prompting a review of the issue.

  • Lynched and set on fire, Mohammad Ismail is the latest victim of Pakistan’s blasphemy rules

    The man was holidaying in the Swat Valley. Police arrested him on charges of burning pages of the Qur'ān, but a mob stormed the station and killed him. Activist accuses Pakistan of being "a barbarian state" while the authorities remain silent. For Naveed Walter, “No one is safe now.” In another case, the wife of Nazir Masih, another lynch mob victim, died from the traumatic experience. In Sialkot, a Christian man is on the run.

  • Thai PM bets on gambling, pushes nuclear power to lessen energy shortages

    Today's headlines: Israeli protests Armenian recognition of the Palestinian state, continues to attack Rafah, killing 45. China wants to execute supporters of Taiwanese independence. Five Pakistani soldiers are killed in a TTP attack near the Afghan border. Russia’s parliament further restricts immigration.

  • Methanol-laced booze kills the poor in Tamil Nadu

    The death toll from tainted booze in Kallakurichi has reached 50, with about 100 people hospitalised. For Fr Devasagayaraj, the most disadvantaged were the most affected, especially Dalits who cannot afford more expensive drinks. Responsibility also lies with the state, which runs liquor shops through the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation.

  • No Eid for Ahmadis: arrests and bans in Punjab

    Police is backing extremist groups attacking the Ahmadiyya community. Several arrests were made before Eid even though Pakistani law guarantees Ahmadis religious freedom in their own homes. For Ahmadi spokesman Amir Mahmood, the community’s fundamental human rights are being violated.

  • Modi’s Ukraine balancing act between the G7 and Russia

    What binds India and Russia is oil, which India is buying at discounted prices. Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the latter did not show particular interest for the Summit on Peace in the Ukraine held in the Swiss city of Lucerne, sending a low-level delegation. At the same time, Indo-Russian relations are not likely to expand, experts believe.

  • Colombo seeks partners for its first nuclear power plant

    Contacts with the IEA underway to define regulations and site selection criteria. Russia's Rosatom-already present in Bangladesh and India-is in the front row, but Chinese engineers and other major industry giants are also expected in the country. The crux of funding in a country still grappling with the severe economic crisis.

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