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South Asia
Hindu Community Celebrates Festival of Colours and Spring
Hindu community celebrates happy Holi, the festival of colours By Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty DHAKA: As the “King of Seasons” arrived, the spirit of spring painted the city in vibrant colours. Songs, laughter, and clouds of coloured powder filled the air as people welcomed Basanta—the season of renewal and joy. March…
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West Asia
When War Silences the Songs of Gulf Children
Drive-by Gargaoon Handing gifts to children in a car (Photo: Al Ayam) By Habib ToumiMANAMA: For children in Bahrain and across the Gulf, Gargaoon is the most eagerly awaited night of Ramadan, the sacred month Muslims associate with reflection, generosity, and blessings. It is a ritual stitched into childhood memory:…
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South Asia
Seven Million Bangladeshis in the Middle East in Extreme Fear; Relatives Worried
By Bhanu Ranjan ChakrabortyDHAKA: Tension has spread in the Middle East countries due to the US and Israel’s military operations in Iran. About 7 million expatriate Bangladeshis engaged in various activities in these countries are now spending their days in extreme uncertainty and fear. Two Bangladeshis have already died and…
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Main Slide
The View from Manama: Bahrain Did Not Choose This War – So, Why Is It Paying the Price?
35-storey building with 103 flats up in flame following a drone attack MANAMA: Four days into the war launched on Saturday by the United States and Israel against Iran, Bahrainis are asking a simple, personal question: Why has their country been pulled into a lethal confrontation in which civilians and…
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West Asia
The First Casualty of War is People, Not Truth
People head to shelters as thick smoke billows from the area where an explosion occurred By Habib Toumi MANAMA: Arif is torn between anxiety, resignation and hope as he contemplates his options – very limited – on how to reach home on time for a short reunion with the family…
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EditorsPick
Widespread Unrest Grips Pakistan
By Nasir AijazThe AsiaN RepresentativeISLAMABAD: The situation in Pakistan has escalated into widespread unrest following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike. As of March 2, 2026, the country remains on high alert with a rising death toll and significant diplomatic fallout. Reports…
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South Asia
Violent Anti-US Protests Erupt in Pakistan; 9 People Killed in Karachi
Police resort to shelling to disperse protesters outside the US Consulate in Karachi on March 1, 2026, following Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s assassination. — Shakil Adil/ White Star By Nasir AijazThe AsiaN Representative ISLAMABAD: Protests erupted across Pakistan on Sunday against US and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s…
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People
From Hope to Hostility: The Middle East’s Fragile Calm Shattered. Again.
Symbol of Compassion: A woman carrying her dog as she flees from missiles launched by Iran on Bahrain – Picture: Samira Danouni) By Habib Toumi MANAMA: Another war in the Middle East began on Feb. 28, adding yet another chapter to a region’s long history of armed conflict, shattered hopes…
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South Asia
Pakistan: A Nation’s Dignity at Stake
By Nasir AijazThe AsiaN Representative ISLAMABAD: In the early hours of February 26, 2026, the quiet of a local settlement in historic Umerkot city of southern Sindh province of Pakistan was shattered not by the desert wind, but by the heavy boots of a police raid. What followed was a…
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EditorsPick
R4 + 4H = LOVE: Dr. Rha Jeong-chan’s Formula of Recovery — “Living Without Aging and Pain”
SEOUL: How far can science restore the human being? And is restoration merely the recovery of medical function? These are the questions raised by Dr. Rha Jeong-chan’s new book, Wisdom of Living Without Aging and Pain – Spiritual Insights from Stem Cells (First Edition, January 14, 2026), which reflects on…
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