Stories about South Asia from August, 2015
India Has a Less-Than-Rosy Track Record on Media Freedom
The government recently threatened to pull the licenses of three news channels over criticism of the execution of Yakub Menon, convicted of the 1993 Mumbai bombings.
Google's Optical Character Recognition Software Now Works with All South Asian Languages
Google's OCR software supports more than 248 world languages, including all the major South Asian languages, bringing together hope for the large-scale digitization of old texts.
No, India, Hindi Will Not Take Over Without a Fight
People all across India are pushing back against government policies and new trends in human migration that have made the imposition of the Hindi language a sensitive political issue.
Is a More Child-Friendly Bangladesh Possible?
Weighed down by heavy schoolbags and neglected by the government, is life about to get better for Bangladesh's millions of miniature citizens?
This Doctor Has Written Thousands of Postcards to Get Health Advice to India's Poor
He spent his career trying to deliver health care outside of expensive hospitals. Now, he's sick — but he doesn't want to get treatment.
Students Push for Alcohol Prohibition in Southern India Street Protests
"The protests against the prohibition of alcohol are a great move. If Tamil Nadu government bans the sale of alcohol, it will be greatly appreciated by the general population."
Why Is Gang Rape and Child Rape Skyrocketing in Bangladesh?
Some observers say rape and sexual harassment would rise in parallel with women empowerment since this patriarchal society denies freedom of women.
Is Pakistan's Least Developed Province Balochistan Getting its Share of Federal Jobs?
We look at the latest advertised federal jobs in Pakistan and find that Balochistan is only allocated half of its quota.
Google's New CEO Sundar Pichai is Getting a lot of Love from India
Google has created a new larger holding company Alphabet with a new CEO for Google, Sundar Pichai. Indian social media users welcome Pichai's new leadership with greetings, pun and humour.
Bangladesh Police Chief Tells Bloggers, ‘Don't Cross the Line’
"Those who illogically write against religion in blogs are also extremists," said a high police official.
18 Stunning Photographs of the Rana Tharus From the Southern Foothills of Nepal
Solveig Boergen, a German photographer who lives and works in Japan, travelled to the Kanchanpur district of western Nepal to capture the daily lives of the Rana Tharus.
Will Nepal's Gadhimai Temple End Its Centuries-Old Animal Sacrifice Rituals?
News reports that the Gadhimai temple -- which hosts one of the world’s biggest massacre of animals -- will ban their centuries-old ritual of sacrifice, turned out to be wrong.
Maldivians March to Mark Anniversary of Local Journalist's Disappearance
"To demand action and accountability from the state, Rilwan’s well-wishers started the #FindMoyameehaa campaign – the first of its kind in the Maldives."
“No Country For Secular Bloggers”: Niloy Neel is the Fourth Bangladeshi Blogger To Be Killed in 2015
"How many more bloggers must be murdered before the government acts decisively to stem the violence and impunity?"
“They Can't Take Our Flag!”: Madagascar Outraged at 2015 Indian Ocean Games
The 2015 Indian Ocean Island Games in Réunion have been plagued by incidents which escalated into a diplomatic row between Madagascar and France.
How India's Porn Ban Backfired And “Brought the Entire Nation Together”
India's overreaching ban on pornography sites was lifted less than a week after it was laid down, in the wake of heavy criticism. But the mockery of government continues.
Buddha’s Beads Fetch Millions for Farmers in Central Nepal
News guaranteed to thrill Buddhists and botanists around the world: a Nepalese tree famous for its use in making Buddhist prayer beads, has been described as a new species.
“We Will Choke You”: How Indian Women Face Fatal Threats on Facebook While Trolls Roam Free
One Facebook user threatened to choke her. Two days later, on August 4, Inji Pennu's Facebook account was suspended.
#NepalQuake: When Human Trafficking Is not Earth-Shattering And More Needs To Be Done
Post-earthquake, an overwhelmed Nepali state struggles to develop a long-term vision to tackle the vultures of human trafficking within and beyond its borders.
Indians Blast Facebook Over Broken Community Standards
"What the **** are community standards if they cannot take down a page purely abusive in nature, harassing a woman using her photos and other personal details?"
A Holiday Too Delicious to Resist
Twitter users from the Indian state of Odisha have launched a campaign to dedicate an entire day to their state delicacy, a dessert known as Rasagola.
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