Pakistan awarded Bill Gates, billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, one of its top civilian honors in recognition of his service in the field of poverty alleviation and diseases like polio and tuberculosis control
Erasing Colonial Symbols Won't Feed India's Families: A Call for Economic Pragmatism
But tearing down a clubhouse will not lower a family's grocery bill or write a line of exportable code. India's chance to close the gap with the economies that outran it will not wait for a hearing date in September, and neither should the country's attention.
Taslima Nasrin’s Return and the Politics of Selective Protection
Taslima Nasrin’s homecoming deserves to be welcomed. A writer should be able to return to a city she considers home without fearing violence. The harder test will come when the symbolism fades. Will the government protect her if her criticism becomes inconvenient to the people now celebrating her return?
Jewish Footprints and Connections that Shaped Sri Lanka’s History
Today, the Chabad Houses in Colombo and on Sri Lanka's southern coast have attracted considerable attention amid a rise in anti-Semitic incidents and rhetoric. It is noteworthy that Colombo once had an active synagogue, which served as a regular place of worship for British Jewish servicemen World War II
Repositioning India as the Capital of Buddhist Tourism: A Blueprint for a Global Destination
Buddhist tourism as an important tool of India’s soft power. The shared Buddhist heritage can help develop cultural ties with Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Mongolia, South Korea, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, and several other Buddhist-majority nations through cooperation in archaeology, monk-to-monk dialogues, youth programs, academic exchanges, and cultural festivals
More on Soft Power, Culture and Society
Helping Kashmiris become doctors: Indian Army's unusual non-combat role
Battling negative perceptions about its security role in Kashmir and its alleged involvement in human rights violations, the Indian Army has embarked on a series of measures that are earning the force the goodwill of the local population
Autistic Bangladeshi person, who strayed into India years ago, reunited with family - thanks to Facebook
Liton Bhumij, a 25-year-old Bangladeshi man, accidentally entered India in 2017. At the time little did he know that he would next meet his family four years later.
Pakistani brother, on life sentence for honor killing of model sister, acquitted by court
A Pakistani man, who was serving a life sentence for killing his sister Qandeel Baloch, a social media celebrity, in 2016, was acquitted of murder by the Lahore High Court
A mass apology to Sundarbans in Bangladesh for deforestation and pollution damages
In an act of mass expiation, dozens of activists organized an event on Monday in Bangladesh, offering a mass apology to the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, for deforestation and other damages, in an attempt to raise awareness about the wanton destruction of the environment
Teaching the intricacies of cricket to US and Japanese foreign ministers a 'major advancement': Indian foreign minister
Quad foreign ministers, at the end of their deliberations Friday, visited the 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) where Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar gifted his Australian counterpart Marise Payne with a cricket bat signed by former India skipper Virat Kohli and then taught cricket to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, both from non-cricket playing countries
India has the world's longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet
India's newly-built over nine km long Atal Tunnel has officially been certified by the World Book of Records, as the 'World's Longest Highway Tunnel above 10,000 Feet', said the Ministry of Defence
Trekker rescued by Indian Army high-altitude warfare team in a challenging operation
A young trekker, trapped between rocks on a hill in Kerala's Palakkad since Monday, was rescued this morning after a marathon effort by the Indian Army in a difficult and challenging operation
Kerala man trapped between rocks for two days; Indian Army, Indian Air Force in massive rescue operation
A youth, in his 20s, has been trapped on a hill between rocks in Malampuzha area of Palakkad in Kerala in southern India since Monday with rescuers unable to reach him or provide him with food or water
Broken pledges of Nepal's grandees leaves Kathmandu zoo animals in distress
Last year, KP Sharma Oli, then Prime Minister of Nepal, and his wife had announced taking sponsorship of a one-horned rhino, living in the Central Zoo of Nepal, for a year and promised to pay NPR 1.5 million to cover the feed, care, and medication
South Asia grieves over Lata Mangeshkar's death; reflects subcontinent's cultural connectedness
The passing away of legendary Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar has triggered an outpouring of grief not just in India, but in the neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives as well, showing that music has no boundaries and recognises no political divisions
Kerala’s famed snake boat race to be held in UAE
After the Indian Premier League, the Nehru Trophy boat race, one of the famed annual events held in Alappuzha of Kerala, is slated to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this year
World's best new building: Bangladesh's rural hospital exemplifies sustainable development
Bangladesh’s Friendship Hospital, built in a remote part of the southern district of Satkhira, has won the world's best new building award by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for putting “care and humanity” at the heart of its design
India, with 49, has most Ramsar sites In South Asia
Two more wetlands in India were declared as Ramsar sites, taking the total number of protected sites in the country to 49, India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Wednesday
Role of women in India's growth cycle expanding; old thinking about women needs to change, says PM Modi
The role of women is continuously expanding in a changing India, and women’s commissions should also work to promote and recognise women entrepreneurs
