Back in 2011, a ban was put in place in the country of India. Its purpose was to prevent women being near the tomb of a revered saint. This tomb is located in Haji Ali Dargah, Mumbai’s most famous mosque. Every week tens of thousands of Muslims, Hindus and tourists travel to this mosque located on the islet off the coast… Read more »
Pakistan’s prime minister has named his choice for the next head of the country’s army after weeks of uncertainty, and just days before the position falls vacant. A spokesman for Nawaz Sharif said the new chief of army staff would be Qamar Javed Bajwa, a lieutenant general currently in charge of military training. He will take over from outgoing Raheel… Read more »
Outside the Churchgate branch of the Bank of India in south Mumbai, some of those queueing for cash have become familiar faces. Ever since the prime minister, Narendra Modi, unexpectedly withdrew high-value 500- and 1,000-rupee banknotes from circulation, wiping out 86% of India’s currency overnight, queueing for cash has become a national sport. But for some, such as Santosh Garg,… Read more »
India’s supreme court has ordered cinemas across the country to play the national anthem before film screenings to encourage citizens to “feel this is my country and this is my motherland”. Indians weary from weeks of standing in queues at banks and ATM machines will get no reprieve at the cinema: the court also directed that moviegoers should “stand up… Read more »
Dozens of women entered the inner sanctum of a historic mosque in India on Tuesday after winning a bitter legal battle to overturn a ban on female worshippers. The Haji Ali Dargah trust agreed last month to lift the ban on women entering the mausoleum on an islet off the coast of Mumbai after a group of female campaigners launched… Read more »
Even though I understand why the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is exchanging the old rupees to prevent corruption and fight the black market, I don’t find it a good idea that he started this plan. I say this because the effects of this plan on the poor and the people who own small businesses is terrible. It is getting to… Read more »
If you are drinking tea, I suggest you put down the cup right now because I’ve got bad news for you. You can forget those pretty pictures of happy women in saris on rolling green hillsides that you see on some tea packets. That is not the reality for most tea workers. Last year, I was part of a BBC… Read more »
A suicide bomber has rammed a truck into a German consulate in Afghanistan, killing at least six civilians and wounding 120, officials said. Gunman attacked the building after the blast, in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, battling with German and Afghan forces. The Taliban said it carried out the attack in retaliation for air strikes last week in Kunduz province.
The plan to withdraw high-value rupee notes in India had to be kept secret, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said. Four days after the launch of the anti-corruption move, long queues continue outside ATMs as people try to exchange the 500 ($7) and 1,000 notes. “It had to be done suddenly but I never thought I will receive blessings for… Read more »
A suicide bomber has killed four Americans inside Bagram airbase, the largest US military facility in Afghanistan. US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said two members of the armed services and two contractors had died in the attack. A further 16 US service members and one Polish soldier were injured, he added. The Taliban said one of their fighters had carried… Read more »