South Asia

11 Stories

Muslims, Hindus Make Beautiful Punk Music Together

'Taqwacore' bands seize their moment in the spotlight

(Newser) - From the basement of a middle-class home west of Boston, the Kominas have helped launch an unlikely trend. A son of Indian immigrants, trained in classical violin and raised on traditional Punjab music, the 25-year-old electric guitarist Arjun Ray is getting his three Pakistani-American bandmates in sync, with the goal...

50 Dead in Widening Bangladesh Mutiny

Border guards take officers hostage as tanks roll through Dhaka

(Newser) - A growing mutiny among troops in Bangladesh has left 50 people dead and forced the army to unleash tanks on the streets of the capital, Dhaka. The unrest began yesterday when border guards rebelled over pay and work conditions and has spread to at least 12 cities throughout the country....

Editor Fingers Killers From Beyond Grave

Slain Sri Lankan journo blames gov't in posthumous editorial

(Newser) - Days after the murder of Sri Lanka's best-known independent journalist, his newspaper has published a 2,500 word editorial from "beyond the grave" that accuses the government of orchestrating his death. Lasantha Wickrematunge was shot dead on Thursday after 15 years of dogged reporting on the country's civil war....

One-Quarter of Mammal Species Imperiled: Survey

Deforestation, climate change among culprits threatening 1,141 types of beasts

(Newser) - Nearly 25% of the world’s mammal species face extinction, the Guardian reports, and 3% are critically endangered. The stark conclusion, based on research conducted over 5 years in 130 countries, paints an especially bleak picture for marine mammals, the highly regarded Red List says. "We are threatening the...

Fuel Crisis a Boon for Rickshaw Business

Banned in some areas, the throwback vehicle attempts a comeback

(Newser) - New Delhi had fallen out of love with rickshaws. Here, as in many modernizing Asian capitals, the bicycle-drawn cabs are seen as embarrassing, street-clogging third-world throwbacks. They’ve even been banned from the city’s older, walled section—but with gas at $7 a gallon, rickshaw peddlers are touting their...

Study Sees Wal-Mart in India's Future
 Study Sees Wal-Mart
 in India's Future 
ANALYSIS
May 28, 2008 8:10 PM CDT

Study Sees Wal-Mart in India's Future

But government can help mom-and-pop outfits get organized for future

(Newser) - South Asia is still dominated by mom-and-pop grocery stores, but—as in the US about 70 years ago—the supermarket sector is expanding and will eventually overtake family-run shops, the Economist gleans from a new study. "Many people assume that Asia's shopping habits are peculiar to the region and...

Climate Change May Trigger Crop Failures

Major food shortages predicted for Africa, Asia by 2030

(Newser) - Climate change could cause severe food shortages in South Asia and southern Africa, two of the poorest regions in the world, by 2030, National Geographic reports. "We were surprised by how much, and how soon, these regions could suffer if we don't adapt," said one of the study's...

Disease Fears Shadow Flood Victims
Disease Fears Shadow Flood Victims
Aug 7, 2007 3:48 PM CDT

Disease Fears Shadow Flood Victims

Relief workers struggle to supply food, medicine to waterlogged South Asia

(Newser) - Humanitarian efforts have come up short following massive floods in South Asia, sparking anger throughout the region. Hard-hit areas such as India's Bihar state have seen fighting over limited food and supplies, the BBC reports. An official in Bihar says relief efforts are now in “high gear,” but...

Rivers Recede in Flooded South Asia

Helicopters continue food drops as death tolls climb in India, Bangladesh

(Newser) - Millions in South Asia experienced relief today as the rains relented and rivers in flooded regions started receding. The death toll stands at 169 in India and 120 in Bangladesh, where 200,000 started returning to their homes in the northeastern state of Assam. Some 14 million are displaced in...

Food Dropped to Indian Villagers
Food Dropped to Indian Villagers
Aug 4, 2007 6:24 PM CDT

Food Dropped to Indian Villagers

(Newser) - Helicopters dropped food today to some two million Indian villagers left stranded by heavy monsoon rains, the AP reports. Floods in South Asia have driven 19 million from their homes and left hundreds dead. Villagers have been killed by collapsing houses, violent waters and even panicked rhinos as neck-deep water...

Floods Devastate South Asia
Floods Devastate South Asia
Aug 3, 2007 9:50 AM CDT

Floods Devastate South Asia

Millions are displaced; huge areas are underwater

(Newser) - Some of the worst flooding in living memory has hit Northern India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, where three weeks of heavy rains have caused rivers to rise as much as 30 feet.  Over 12 million acres of farmland is underwater, and almost 20 million people have been displaced.

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