Stories about South Asia
Why can't women be marriage registrars in Bangladesh?
A recent court rule in Bangladesh denying women to be marriage registrars has sparked heated debates as women and human rights activists question the basis of the judgement.
Nepali Times, a leading English-language weekly, starts 2021 by reviving its print edition
Publisher Kunda Dixit says the print edition has brought in revenue and positive feedback from readers.
Pakistan's Supreme Court orders reconstruction of Hindu temple razed by a mob incited by Muslim clerics
A cleric of the religious right-wing political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) was arrested in connection with the incident.
2020 round-up: COVID-19 in South Asia
The COVID-19 pandemic swamped our coverage in the past 12 months as we highlighted the challenges people faced and the fight against the coronavirus across the region.
European NGO uncovers 15-year Indian disinformation campaign
The explosive report by a Brussels-based Non-Governmental Organisation has unleashed a new war of narratives between India and Pakistan.
New height of Mount Everest announced just as Nepal reopens its tourism sector
The world's highest mountain has grown by 86 centimeters, according to a survey carried out jointly by Nepal and China.
Combating misinformation in under-resourced languages: Lessons from around the world
A recent webinar explored how underresourced language communities may be at a disadvantage to tackle misinformation and access media literacy resources.
After years of protests, the Islamabad Zoo will convert into an animal sanctuary
A happy ending for 2020, a year when Pakistanis debated animal abuse like never before.
Diary of a Nepali soldier in France
A diary written by a Gurkha sergeant in the British Army in 1914, during World War I, has revealed a whole new side to the Gurkha legend.
Bangladesh bids farewell to Argentinian football legend Maradona
Argentinian football legend Maradona became an icon in Bangladesh after the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Now, Bangladeshi fans mourn his death.
Nepal's Sapana Roka Magar, who provides Hindu funeral rites for unclaimed bodies, listed in BBC's 100 Women of 2020
With COVID-19 disproportionally affecting homeless people in Nepalese cities, Sapana's work became vital to this vulnerable population, who are so often deprived of dignified funerals.
Pakistan to introduce tougher punishment for rape—including chemical castration
The laws address several aspects of the criminal process and include an expansion of the definition of rape, which was welcomed by activists. Other points, however, received mixed reactions.
Exemplary governance: Which countries should high-COVID nations follow?
"What seems clear is that global exemplars do not have to look the same in terms of political structures, incomes, or economic ideology."
In Pakistan, social media platforms risk bans under new ‘draconian’ rules
New rules vesting the government with the power to regulate online content and ban entire platforms drew criticism from human rights groups and tech companies.
Two white snakes, first of their species in the world, found in Nepal
Two white-coloured kraits (Bungarus), discovered during rescue calls in the Province 2, in the southeastern region of Nepal, are first recorded cases in their species in the world.
The pandemic in Bangladesh through the lens of its independent filmmakers
Global Voices spoke with Zuairijah Mou, the co-founder of Bangladeshi filmmaking collective Tong-Ghor Talkies, who have recently released a series of short films set in the context of the pandemic.
October – A bleak month for freedom of expression in Sri Lanka
This article offers a snapshot of challenges to freedom of expression in Sri Lanka during the month of October, 2020.
One young man's protest against Nepal's COVID-19 response
Nepalese activist Iih founded a social movement, went on hunger strikes, and walked 167 km to draw attention to Nepal's poor pandemic response -- as well as help those impacted...
Sora, an indigenous language from India, is getting a new typeface
Indian type designer Sony Salma has recently created a new typeface for the Sorang Sompeng, an old and little-used alphabet of the Sora.
Freedom in sight for Kaavan, ‘the world's loneliest elephant’
Animal rights activists have long highlighted the poor treatment and handling of the animals in Pakistan zoos.
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