All Asia: South & Central
To fight trafficking, Indian groups turn to the experts: survivorsSurvivors' perspectives are key to prevention and rehabilitation efforts, advocates argue. Young women are helping each other heal, while challenging the attitudes that contribute to trafficking in the first place.
First LookIndian transgender activist challenges norms at Hindu festivalLaxmi Narayan Tripathi, one of India's best-known transgender activists, is expanding on the ruling Hindu nationalist party's emphasis on the nation's Hindu heritage to carve out a place for transgender people and her inclusive monastic order among the country's religious elite.
First LookPakistan's top court upholds acquittal of Christian woman accused of blasphemyThe Pakistan's Supreme Court's decision is a blow to radical Islamists, who demanded the execution of Aasia Bibi. Her lawyer hopes that Ms. Bibi's acquittal will deter false blasphemy allegations in the future. She will join her family who has fled to Canada.
First LookFreed from death row, Pakistani Christian woman still fears for her lifePakistan's Supreme Court acquitted Aasia Bibi of blasphemy after eight years on death row on Oct. 31. As she awaits the final verdict, extremists and angry mobs are still calling for her death because she refuses to convert to Islam.
First LookDays before Bangladesh election, Facebook shuts down fake news sitesFacebook has identified a series of its pages and fake accounts that spread false information about events in Bangladesh. The accounts were created by anti-opposition Bangladeshis with government ties, says Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity.
First LookAfter Rohingya refuse to go, Bangladesh puts return plans on holdOn Nov. 15, Bangladesh had planned on beginning the repatriation of 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar, where they had previously faced violence. But the Rohingya people – fearing for their own safety – refused to return when the buses appeared.
Lure of Europe loses shine for AfghansNot long ago, there were almost as many Afghans as Syrians applying for asylum in Europe. But their numbers dropped by 75 percent last year. Why? Part 6 of On the Move: the faces, places, and politics of migration.
First LookAasia Bibi free in Pakistan as hard-line Islamists protest blasphemyAfter spending 8 years on death row for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammed, Christian Aasia Bibi has left prison and is planning to seek asylum in Europe. Her case has sparked nationwide demonstrations by the extremist Tehreek-e-Labbaik Party.
India’s Modi stakes claim to future – and past – with world’s tallest statueTwice as tall as the Statue of Liberty, the Statue of Unity depicts an important freedom fighter. Hindu nationalists are making a bid to control his legacy, analysts say.
First LookIndia's ruling party caters to Hindu nationalists ahead of electionsCalls 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.
First LookRohingya teen looks beyond refugee camp to college and a careerRahima 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.
First LookIn Nepal, women learn how to build stronger homes after 2015 earthquakeIn 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.
First LookCan Asian leaders say no to Chinese-funded development as promised?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?
First LookPope and China to jointly decide on appointing Catholic bishopsSince 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.
First LookIn high-stakes election in the Maldives, a win for democracyIn 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.
First LookInstant divorce of Muslim women outlawed by India's Modi governmentThe 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.
First LookA mountain water pipe brings peace to Pakistani villageWith 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.
First LookWho will Aung San Suu Kyi stand with: the military or the Rohingya?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.
First LookIndia's highest court delivers victory for LGBT rightsThe 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.
An Afghan woman, on top of the (tallest) mountainHanifa 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.
