Featured stories about South Asia
Stories about South Asia
Border row, trade turmoil and rising Chinese influence send Indo-Nepal ties to lowest ebbs
Nepal finds itself in the line of fire of the China-US trade war and the Indo-China border conflict.
Millions of Indian students sit university entrance exams after government disregards protests to postpone them
Students protested throughout the entire month of August, citing concerns with COVID-19 transmission and reduced transportation in quarantined zones.
Indian scientists pen letter against government slashing of environmental protections
The letter says the updates to the Environmental Impact Assessment norms will encourage projects with no prior clearance to commence operations and eventually get regularised by paying a fine.
COVID-19 leaves Indian tea workers struggling for survival
The Indian tea industry is facing losses that hamper the already tenuous well-being of labourers, whose stark economic reality has led them getting back to work during the COVID-19 lockdown.
In Sri Lanka, affected families resist climate of fear on International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
Thousands of people, primarily ethnic Tamils, are believed to have been forcibly disappeared while in state custody during the final years of the 1983-2009 civil war. Their families still seek...
Bangladesh battles the country's longest-running floods since 1998
The devastation comes at a time when emergency and health services were already overwhelmed with responding to the COVID-19 epidemic.
India’s Odia language added to Google and Microsoft translation services
Machine translation is a powerful tool to grow a language's digital presence.
The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for the environment
"If suddenly, skies are more blue, and citizens breathe more freely, they realize a more healthy and sustainable life is within reach."
Islamophobic post on Facebook leads to deadly violence in Bangalore
India experiences another episode of real-life violence triggered by online hate speech.
Natives’ or ‘outsiders'? A mob attack in Meghalaya throws questions of belonging into sharp relief
The ethnic tensions of Meghalaya – and many more of India's north-eastern states – can be traced back to the 'outsider' narrative.
Is India's digital ID system, Aadhaar, a tech solution for a socio-economic problem?
The world's largest biometric ID system was intended to provide a technological solution to socio-economic problems; instead, it has further ostracised marginal and vulnerable communities.
A rare, golden turtle — first of its kind — discovered in Nepal
The recent discovery of a yellow turtle in India drew a lot of attention, but it's not the first time one has been spotted.
In Pakistan, a man accused of blasphemy was shot dead in a courtroom. His killer was hailed as a hero.
Extrajudicial killings of people accused of blasphemy aren't uncommon in Pakistan.
Calls, SMS, and radio: How pre-internet tech helps low-income children's schooling in India's lockdown
An award-winning non-profit start-up from the city of Cuttack, in the state of Odisha, is providing low-cost remote education to over 5,000 children from 400 villages.
Moderate globally, impact locally: A series on content moderation in the Global South
''Even as the platforms have grown and spread around the world, the center of gravity of these debates continues to revolve around D.C. and San Francisco.''
Journalist's abduction raises concerns about media freedom in Pakistan
On July 21, renowned Pakistani journalist Matiullah Jan was abducted in Islamabad. Though he was released about 12 hours after, fingers are being pointed at state security agencies.
Sri Lankan wildlife threatened by poaching during the pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, rising unemployment has been linked to the surge in illegal wildlife poaching.
‘Invisible hands': How millions of domestic workers fare under COVID-19
"We are the invisible hands. Our work is not valued. We don’t exist for the families we serve nor do we exist for the state."
Construction of first Hindu temple in Islamabad faces opposition
The construction of the first Hindu temple in Islamabad was stopped after protests from different quarters, but rights activists and minority politicians are hopeful that the temple will be built.
#BlackLivesMatter resonates in South Asia as Unilever drops ‘Fair’ from ‘Fair & Lovely’ cosmetic line
In the wake of the Black Lives Matters movement, Unilever announced that they would rebrand their leading skin care product ‘Fair & Lovely’ to 'Glow and Lovely'.
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