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South Asia
India passes $20 bln law to expand food welfare
India plans to subsidize wheat, rice and cereals for some 800 million people under a $20 billion scheme to cut malnutrition and ease poverty. The Food Security Bill, sent this week by India’s parliament to the president for approval, guarantees citizens a legal right to food. India has some of…
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Chicken goes missing from Kathmandu’s kitchens
Chicken that used to be one of the compulsory items in almost all kitchens in Kathmandu until a month ago has now disappeared from Kathmandu valley, thanks to the outbreak of bird flu. One cannot find chicken in the butchers’ shops, neither do the retail shops dare to sell the…
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South Asia
India’s gov’t struggles to halt rupee slide as financial crisis deepens
Indians returning from abroad bring nearly 3,000 flat screen televisions into the country a day, turning airport luggage belts into revolving electronics displays. A stiff new customs duty aims to sink that popular trade as officials scramble to halt a dizzying plunge in the rupee. The 36-percent TV tax is…
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South Asia
Pakistan’s PM Nawaz Sharif calls for peace talks with anti-gov’t militants
Pakistan’s prime minister reiterated Monday an offer of peace talks with militants in the country’s northwest who have waged a bloody campaign against the government and so far rejected any talk of negotiations. But Nawaz Sharif also held out the option of new military operations to root out the militants…
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South Asia
37 killed as train runs over Hindu pilgrims at eastern India’s station
A train ran over a group of Hindu pilgrims at a crowded station in eastern India early Monday, killing at least 37 people. A mob infuriated by the deaths beat the driver severely and set fire to coaches, officials said. Several hours after the accident, flames and dark smoke could…
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Challenging social norms easier said than done in Pakistan
Challenging Social Norms is easier said than done in Pakistan Society is a regulatory authority for individuals connected through diverse relationships either based on blood, love or friendship. Criticism by society is deterrence for individuals, which makes them move in a specific direction shunning certain unwelcome behaviors no matter…
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South Asia
India marks Independence Day amid tight security in disputed Kashmir
The local government in Indian-controlled Kashmir Thursday held Indian Independence Day functions amid tight security arrangements and complete shutdown called by separatists, officials said. The main function was held at the Bhakshi stadium in Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. The region’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hoisted the…
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South Asia
Israel publishes name of 26 men to be freed before Israel-Palestine peace talks
Mustafa al-Haj expected to die in an Israeli prison for killing an American-born settler hiking in the West Bank in 1989. Now lights decorate his home to celebrate the planned release of the 45-year-old and more than 100 other Palestinian convicts in a deal that revived Mideast peace talks. While…
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South Asia
India-Pakistan clashes along Kashmir border continue amid mounting tension
Pakistan accused Indian troops of shelling its territory along the disputed Kashmir border on Monday and killing a civilian, the latest in a series of allegations of cross-border attacks made by both sides over the past week. The resumption of violence along the border threatens to sabotage recent overtures by…
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South Asia
India launches first home-built aircraft carrier, bolstering naval capabilities
India has launched its first home-built aircraft carrier, marking another milestone in its efforts to bolster its maritime presence. Defense Minister A.K. Antony said Monday that India needs a strong navy to defend itself, and that it will press ahead with developing its maritime capabilities. India joins the U.S., Russia,…
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