An Indian shows her identity papers and signs a polling register before casting her vote on April 26 in the southern state of Kerala.   © AP KIRAN SHARMA, Nikkei staff writerApril 26, 2024 15:13 JST NEW DELHI — Indians in 13 states and federally-governed territories started voting Friday in the second phase of the seven-part general election, with all eyes fixed on politically crucial states that will play a key role in the formation of the next government. More than 1,200 candidates are in the fray in this phase, in which nearly 90 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lo ..read more

by Sadia Korobi A shadow of doubt and anxiety hangs over Bangladesh about India’s plans to institute a pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC). The complex demographics of Bangladesh and its long and porous border with India are at the core of the issue. People frequently travel across to exchange commodities, work informal jobs, and visit family members. The possibility of the NRC’s implementation, however, threatens to upset this balance. While the two countries’ relationship has been characterized by times of harmony and conflict, the relationship seems to be in i ..read more

The arrests of more than a hundred Columbia University students, who were protesting against Israel’s actions in Gaza, shed more light on arguably the most energetic pro-Palestinian movement in the US: the one taking places on college campuses around the country. Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October, in response to terrorist attacks by Hamas, students have launched protests, sit-ins and, most recently, encampments, in a wave they hope will encourage universities to divest from companies which have ties to Israel’s military. How divestment became a ‘clarion c ..read more

Children swim in a pond during a heatwave in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on April 17. (Photo by Munir Uz Zaman / AFP) By Emran Hossain Poultry farm owner Salauddin Bhuiyan Selim closed two of three farms each containing about 1,000 birds last week in Narayanganj district near Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. The unfortunate closures came as the owner of the Bhuiyan Agro farm found birds dying one after another as a deadly heatwave hit Bangladesh. Across the South Asian nation known for its humid and warm climate influenced by the monsoon, temperatures have hovered between 36-42 degrees C ..read more

The US State Department published its annual Country Report on the Human Rights Practices in Bangladesh on April 22, 2024. It recounted the political situation in 2023 at length, citing individual cases of serious wrongdoings. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, as usual, dismissed the report to be based on “unfounded allegations.”  Deplorable Human Rights The country report observed that the democratic and human rights situation in the country had remained as deplorable as in previous years under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who continued her authoritarian rule since January 2009. &n ..read more

A view of encampment at the White Plaza as Stanford students and pro-Palestinian protesters gather at Stanford University to protest  Israeli attacks on Gaza, in Stanford, California, United States,  photo credit : Bdviews via Anadolu The geriatric ideology of feudalism, patriarchy, nationalism, religious culture, market led consumerism, monetised society and capitalism continues to propagate the notion that contemporary youths and students are deviants, lazy, unproductive, and useless idiots. They are depicted as being addicted to the digital world, lacking direction and commitment ..read more

photo credit : Reliance website There are several exercises in extremes playing out in India right now. Nearly a billion people are voting in elections that will last into early June, braving record-high temperatures to cast ballots. Against this backdrop, Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, is throwing what will likely be the world’s most expensive wedding for his youngest son. Although they appear unrelated, these phenomena are intimately linked. With 1.4 billion people, India now has the largest population of any nation in the world, surpassing China in 2023. It is also the world’s largest ..read more

  As India braces for the upcoming 2024 elections, the stakes could not be higher. With the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tightening its grip on power and veering dangerously towards authoritarianism, this election may well represent the last chance for Indian democracy to pull back from the brink. The global community watches with bated breath as India’s fate hangs in the balance, recognizing the significance of this pivotal moment in history. Over the past decade, the BJP has systematically undermined democratic norms and institutions, embarking on a relentless campaign to suppre ..read more

Nearly 300 Myanmar junta personnel who fled to Bangladesh amid fighting in Rakhine State were repatriated on Thursday morning, Bangladeshi officials said. Two Bangladeshi officials told The Irrawaddy that the 288 personnel were sent home on a Myanmar naval ship after being ferried to the vessel from Cox’s Bazar on a tugboat in the morning. Soldiers among the junta personnel were not allowed to take with them any weapons or ammunition during the repatriation. They were seen wearing traditional longyi and T-shirts and carrying small bags as they were taken to the heavily guarded tugboat for tran ..read more

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER Chuck Schumer warned in a conversation with Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington that the safety of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan was a high priority of the United States, multiple sources familiar with the exchange told The Intercept. The warning issued late last month by Schumer, the most powerful Democrat in Congress, to Pakistan came after intense activism by members of the Pakistani diaspora amid concerns that the Pakistani military may harm Khan, the former prime minister who was ousted from office in 2022. “Chuck Schumer speaking to the ambassad ..read more