All Asia: South & Central

Calls to ignore court orders, demolish mosques, and vote as a religious bloc suggest the political party of India's Prime Minister Modi is heading toward the extremes of Hindu nationalism. 

Rahima Akter, born in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, is one of only a few girls to complete a high school education. Now, she's preparing university applications and interviewing refugees who fled Myanmar last year, hoping to document their stories.

In April 2015, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake ripped through Nepal, leaving more than 785,000 families homeless. Rebuilding efforts are frustratingly slow, and so Nepali women have started to build their own homes – but this time, stronger.

New leaders in Malaysia, Pakistan, and the Maldives all campaigned on promises to reevaluate Chinese-funded development projects that increase the national debt and bolster China's influence. Now that they've been elected, will they follow through?

Since the Communist takeover in 1949, the Catholic Church has had limited control in China with a split between underground and state-sponsored churches. This new compromise could signal a new direction for the faithful and a step toward restoring diplomatic ties between the Vatican and Beijing.    

In what many feared would be a rigged election and a slide back toward autocratic rule, opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared victory over President Yameen Abdul Gayoom. Over the past few years, Mr. Yameen has grown increasingly powerful by jailing his opponents. 

The practice of talaq in Indian Muslim communities allows men to instantly divorce their wives. India's Hindu-led government is pursuing its punishment of this edict in efforts to, some experts say, broaden their electoral chances ahead of elections in April. 

With a limited water supply, villagers in northern Pakistan struggled to grow crops, bathe, and drink clean water. But a new mountain pipe drastically increased water supply, yielding greener fields and a higher quality of life.

As the Myanmar military continues to face international pressure for its role in the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya minority last year, many are wondering what the country's democratically elected leader will do. 

The country overturned an 1861 British colonial law that criminalized LGBT Indians. The court's decision is a first step toward the recognition of sexual orientation as a fundamental right in South Asia. 

Hanifa Yousoufi has entered the alpine record books as the first Afghan woman to summit Mt. Noshaq, which towers at 24,580 feet in her country's northeast. She hopes to inspire other women to push past barriers. 

The Myanmar government claims it is ready to repatriate its Rohingya refugees from camps in nearby Bangladesh. But Rohingya who did not flee Myanmar during the August 2017 exodus report continuing harassment from government forces and unlivable conditions.

In the worst floods in a century, fishermen in southern India were the ones who rescued their more affluent neighbors when official rescue response teams faced delays, resulting in tens of thousands of people saved by community volunteers.

From campaign slogan to oath-of-office attire, Imran Khan has signaled he wants a new chapter for Pakistan. It’s a frequent promise of charismatic, break-the-mold politicians. But it often collides with the realities of government – in this case, a powerful army.

A group of Rohingya refugees have painstakingly pieced together the only record of those killed in a brutal crackdown by Myanmar's military. The lists tell the stories of 10,000 people which the group hopes will serve as a historical record of atrocities that otherwise might be forgotten. 

When the town of Leh – located in the far north of India – became a popular tourist destination, plastic and pollution also came with the new attention. Steady environmental deterioration over the years inspired one women's alliance to take action. 

Former cricket player Imran Khan is expected to be sworn in as prime minister. He has adopted a conciliatory foreign policy strategy and promised job growth.

For decades, fears of migration from Bangladesh to Assam state have triggered tensions between its majority ethnic group, Hindus, and Muslims. Now, those left off of an official citizenship list are filing appeals to avoid possible detention, expulsion, or years in limbo.

Despite criticism of the election process, Imran Khan has won Pakistan's third consecutive election and promises to sweep out corruption and rebuild international relationships. But without majority support he must form a coalition before he can pursue his agenda.  

The collapse earlier this week, which killed at least 27 people and left 131 missing, was most likely caused by heavy rainfall or shoddy engineering. Laos has dozens of other hydroelectric projects under construction.