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South Asia
An Indian Muslim Sufi holy man self-flagellates with sharp objects
In this Saturday, May 11, 2013 photo, an Indian Muslim Sufi holy man self-flagellates himself with sharp objects during a procession at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti during the Urs festival in Ajmer, India. Thousands of Sufi devotees from different parts of India travel to the shrine for the…
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South Asia
Pakistan elections: A positive step toward democracy
Editor’s note: Pakistan elections held on May 11 have paved the way for the first transition from an elected government to another. G. Shabbir Cheema, Senior Fellow at the East-West Center, explains their implications. This past weekend’s national election in Pakistan marked a landmark event in the country’s 66-year history.…
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South Asia
Savar tragedy opens eyes to labour issues in Bangladesh’s RMG industry
Rescue operation ends, leaves jolt for Bangladesh’s RMG industry Dhaka – The rescue operation to recover the bodies from the rubble of the collapsed nine-storey Rana Plaza building in Savar near Bangladesh capital Dhaka came to an end on Monday (May 13) evening after 20 days. A total of 1,127…
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South Asia
Pakistani opposition supporters protest against alleged vote rigging
Supporters of Pakistani politician Imran Khan shout slogans during a protest against alleged vote rigging in eastern Pakistan’s Lahore on May 13, 2013. High turnout in Pakistan’s landmark election was a positive step for democracy even though the campaign was marred by violence and irregularities, a European Union observer mission…
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South Asia
Indian mass marriage held to mark Hindu festival ‘Akshaya Tritiya’
Indian brides, left and bridegrooms, right, sit in customized vehicles during a procession held ahead of a mass marriage held on ‘Akshaya Tritiya’ in Bhopal, India, Monday, May 13, 2013. Monday marked Hindu festival ‘Akshaya Tritiya’ considered most auspicious for marriages and buying gold among other things. Indian brides, and…
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South Asia
Nepalese devotees perform during Rato Machindranath chariot festival
Nepalese devotees play traditional instruments during the first day of Rato Machindranath chariot festival in Lalitpur, Katmandu, Nepal, Monday, May 13, 2013. Members of Nepal’s Newar community believe celebrating this festival brings rain, good crop and prosperity. A Nepalese priest gestures from the top of a chariot during the first…
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South Asia
Death toll reaches 1127 as search ends at collapsed Bangladeshi building
A man walks at the site where a Bangladesh garment-factory building collapsed on April 24 in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, May 13, 2013. Nearly three weeks after the building collapsed, the search for the dead ended Monday at the site of the worst disaster in the history of the…
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South Asia
Yunus appeals for action on Bangladesh’s garment industry
Editor’s note: The microfinance pioneer and Bangladeshi Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus says action is urgently needed to improve the conditions of four million Bangladeshi workers. In his writing as the first involvement since the incident, he calls on foreign clothes companies to fix a minimum wage for workers to prevent…
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South Asia
Pakistan at crossroads after landmark election
Editor’s note: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has claimed victory in May 11 parliamentary elections. But the biggest winners in these historic elections are the Pakistani people who came out to vote despite the fear of the Taliban, says Dr. Altaf Khan, a political analyst specializing in the South…
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South Asia
Bangladesh’s bomb disposal crew defuse bomb during nationwide strike
Members of Bangladesh’s bomb disposal unit defuse a bomb during a nationwide strike called by Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, May 12, 2013. The strike was called after a Bangladesh tribunal on Thursday convicted Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, a top Islamic party politician of atrocities stemming from the nation’s 1971…
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