US forces in Afghanistan confirmed Sunday that the head of ISIS in the country was killed in a strike a little over a week ago. The strike, on Saturday, August 25, was in the eastern area of Nangarhar province and killed Abu Sayed Orakzai, according to a statement from US forces in Afghanistan. CNN reported previously that the ISIS leader and 10… Read more »
A July report shows that at least one was married before the age of 18 in 42% of households in Afghanistan, 55% in the province of Badghis; however, it is believed that child marriages occur much more frequently. Not counting five provinces in Afghanistan, there was about 70 noted cases of child marriage in the 18 months prior, only being… Read more »
Sri Lanka’s government has agreed to ban the ritual sacrifice of animals and birds at Hindu temples on the island. A government spokesman told the BBC the move was proposed by the Hindu Religious Affairs ministry, and said most moderate Hindu groups support it. Some Hindus sacrifice goats, buffalo calves and chickens at temples as an offering to their deities…. Read more »
A suicide bombing in east Afghanistan has killed at least 68 people, officials say, in one of the deadliest insurgent attacks in recent months. The bomber struck in a crowd of people protesting against a local police chief in Nangarhar province near Pakistan. The death toll from Tuesday’s blast soared overnight. Another 165 people were injured – local hospitals struggled… Read more »
A new nationwide study shows that nearly two in every five women who commit suicide are Indian. This is extremely significant because it is unusual for a country with India’s geography and socio-economic indicators to have such high suicide rates. In fact, the new study suggests that the suicide rates of Indian women is three times higher than what would… Read more »
Myanmar’s military has been accused of genocide against the Rohingya in Rakhine state in a damning UN report that alleged the army was responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity against minorities across the country.
Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s nuclear program, warned Israel on Monday, “If nuclear scientists are killed in Iran, consequences will be severe.” Salehi’s statement came in the broader context of Iranian scientists who were assassinated in a number of mysterious explosions in recent years. Iranian government officials pointed a finger at Israel, however, Israel has not taken responsibility… Read more »
The human rights situation in Balochistan is witnessing an unprecedented decline as the state agencies of Pakistan are on a rampage, alleged the Baloch political activists and human rights activists while interacting with media at Geneva Press Club. The conference organized by ‘Baloch Voice Association’ was addressed by Professor Naela Qadri Baloch, Mama Qadeer Baloch and other human rights activists who highlighted the issue of arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances and killings of political and human… Read more »
Officials in the north-western Afghan province of Badghis fear that poverty fuelled by an ongoing drought is leading to rising rates of child and forced marriage. The legal age for marriage in Afghanistan is 16, although it can be as low as 15 with parental consent. A joint report by the ministry of labour, social affairs, martyrs and disabled and… Read more »
Nearly two in every five women in the world who kill themselves are Indian, according to a Lancet study published this week that says the country’s suicides rates constitute a public health crisis. The rate of Indian women who die by suicide has fallen since 1990, but not as fast as elsewhere in the world, and now represents 36.6% of… Read more »