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South Asia
Over 1,000 Indian Muslim clerics deem IS ‘un-Islamic’
More than 1,000 Muslim clerics in India have backed a religious ruling condemning the Islamic State, calling the extremist group’s actions “un-Islamic.” Religious leaders from hundreds of mosques, education institutions and civic groups across India have signed the edict, or fatwa, saying the actions of the Islamic State group went…
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West Asia
Iranian photographer to share prize money with refugees
Iranian photographer Newsha Tavakolian has said she will donate part of a 100,000-euro ($112,000) Dutch award to charity, including Syrian and Iraqi refugees. “It is hard for me to enjoy this prize as much as I would like to, seeing the region where I work and live in flames and…
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West Asia
Syrian boy’s death sparks media’s attention
As many Syrian refugee families, Abduallah Kurdi’s family was trying to take shelter in another country, when the wife and the two kids died. In a rubber raft, they were trying to make their way from Turkey to Greece, when the waves hit the boat, and the two boys, Aylan…
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West Asia
Egyptian billionaire offers to buy island for refugees
Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, telecom tycoon and owner of an Egyptian TV channel, has offered to buy an island off the shores of Greece or Italy and develop it to help thousands of refugees. He first wrote on Twitter, “Greece or Italy sell me an island, I’ll call its independence…
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Society
Two American journalists shot dead during live TV broadcast
Two American TV journalists were shot dead during live reporting in rural Virginia on Wednesday. 24-year-old Alison Parker and 27-year-old Adam Ward, employees of a local TV station WDBJ7, were holding a live broadcast around 6:45 am when an armed man opened fire at them. The gunman, Bryce Williams reportedly…
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East Asia
Homosexuality in ancient and modern Korea
June 2015 was the LGBT pride month and a number of events were organized by Korean LGBT community to celebrate their identity. Coming from a Pakistani background, I had not quite had a chance to explore the LGBT community in my country and even though Korean society itself is…
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South Asia
Floods kill more than 100 in India
Heavy monsoon rains in India have killed more than 100 people in the past week, forcing thousands of people to take shelter in relief camps. A cyclone struck the state of West Bengal, killing 48 people. More than 200,000 people have moved to relief camps. India regularly witnesses severe floods…
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West Asia
Bahrain’s first female bodybuilder challenges society
The 32-year-old bodybuilder, Haifa Musawi began working out a decade ago after finding a personal trainer to help her overcome obesity – a widespread problem in the oil-rich region. “I had a problem with obesity and I used to like bodybuilding,” says Musawi, as a young girl, she would seek out publications…
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South Asia
Former Indian president Dr. Abdul Kalam passes away
Former Indian President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam passed away at a private hospital in Meghalaya on Monday evening, Press Trust of India reported. According to NDTV, India’s 11th president had been admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Shillong, Meghalaya in critical condition. He…
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South Asia
India’s sex workers seek decriminalization of prostitution
Soliciting, running a brothel and pimping is illegal in India but the law is vague on prostitution itself. Sex workers are hoping the Supreme Court’s ruling will force the government to decriminalize the industry, as they say they are tired of being randomly targeted by police. According to the…
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