· June, 2013

Stories about South Asia from June, 2013

UFO Sighting in Kerala, India reported

  22 June 2013

Sans Serif reports that two south Indian newspapers carried out a story that an unidentified flying object (UFO) was sighted in Kannur district in Kerala, India. A commenter on the post reminds that there is an app available in Google Play which lets one add UFOs to the pictures taken...

The Beauty Of Mount Everest At Night

  22 June 2013

Elia Saikaly's short movie catches the majestic beauty of Mount Everest at night in time-lapse. He shares in his blog the experience of climbing to the summit of Mount Everest for the second time.

Counseling Service for Mental Health In India

  21 June 2013

Ugich Konitari introduces iCALL (initiating Concern for All), a counseling service for Indians via email and telephone. At this social venture of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, qualified psychologists are waiting to listen talk, and give people helpful information, guidance and encouragement.

Elections 2013: Challenges Ahead for Nepal

  20 June 2013

The Nepalese government has announced dates for the 2013 Constituent Assembly polls which will be in November this year. Siromani Dhungana at ‘United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal’ discusses the challenges and opportunities ahead for Nepal.

PHOTOS: 26 Reasons to Love Bangladesh

  18 June 2013

Jenny Gustafsson, a Swedish political scientist and independent journalist based in Beirut, thinks that Bangladesh is a great & a special place. She lists reasons why and what to love about Bangladesh.

India Stops 160-year-old Telegram Service

  16 June 2013

India's state-owned telecommunications company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has announced that it is discontinuing its telegram service beginning 15 July 2013 due to declining use of service and huge losses. Many social media users have reminisced over the rich history of the 160-year-old service.

No Witnesses? No Rape, Says Pakistan's Islamic Council

  12 June 2013

A ruling by Pakistan's Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) dismissing DNA as primary evidence in rape cases has received much flak from activists in the country. The ruling has its fair share of supporters though, with some happy that there is a legitimate institution pondering religious issues in Pakistan.

Bangladesh's Capital City Dhaka Gets Its First Bus Map

  11 June 2013

Commuters who take the bus Bangladesh's capital city of Dhaka, home to 15 million people and very heavy traffic, can for the first time look at a map to plan their route, thanks to a crowdfunded and crowdsourced project by US social-venture group Urban Launchpad and Bangladeshi advocacy organization Kewkradong.

Chinese Messaging App Eyes India

  8 June 2013

Lighthouse Insights reports that WeChat, the mobile messaging service from the Chinese Internet giant Tencent has targeted Indian market highlighting its Voice Chat feature and by launching a massive ad campaign involving Bollywood stars.

Mumbai's Newspaper Reading Centers Dwindle

  6 June 2013

Vachanalays (newspaper reading centres) are a familiar sight in most neighbourhoods in Bombay where locals read the papers and discuss the day’s news. Sans Serif reports how they are slowly going out of fashion. The blog also highlights photoblogger M.S. Gopal's excellent photo essay on the subject at Mumbai Paused.

About our South Asia coverage

Rezwan
Rezwan is the South Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.