https://www.voanews.com/z/5452 VOA provides complete coverage of South and Central Asia. https://www.voanews.com/Content/responsive/VOA/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.voanews.com/z/5452 en 2026 - VOA 60 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:50:03 -0400 Pangea CMS – VOA Hindus across India and other South Asian countries, dressed mostly in white, smeared or sprayed friends and relatives with brightly colored powder Friday as millions celebrated the return of spring during Holi, the festival of colors. Friday is a nationwide holiday in India, so people can participate in the raucous, joyfully messy celebration, which usually lands on the last full moon of the lunar month heralding the end of winter. In neighboring Nepal, festival activities began Thursday and stretched across two days. The boisterous festival is observed in other South Asian countries and by many in the Indian diaspora. Holi is one of India's biggest festivals, and millions of people make nostalgic journeys to their hometowns to celebrate with loved ones by lighting bonfires on festival eve, which signifies the triumph of good over evil. Gathering around the flames, family members sing, dance and pray to Hindu gods. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted Holi greetings to the nation on social media Friday. In a post on X, Modi wrote about the important benefits of the festival in bringing people together. “Happy Holi to all of you. It is my wish that this holy festival full of joy and happiness infuses new enthusiasm and energy in everyone's life and also deepens the color of unity of the countrymen,” Modi posted in Hindi. In one New Delhi park so many people hurled colored powder at one another that the air took on a rainbow haze, while others danced in the streets to music blaring from speakers. Water guns were the weaponry of choice for groups of young men who chased festival participants, already drenched in a variety of hues, through public parks and side streets. Children took aim from a greater distance, perched on rooftops or balconies, where they flung water balloons filled with colored pigments and glitter at the revelers below. The annual event also celebrates the mythical love affair between the Hindu god Krishna and his consort Radha. On a larger scale, it signifies rebirth and rejuvenation across Hindu culture. https://www.voanews.com/a/millions-celebrate-hindu-holi-festival-approach-of-spring-/8011484.html https://www.voanews.com/a/millions-celebrate-hindu-holi-festival-approach-of-spring-/8011484.html Fri, 14 Mar 2025 21:41:19 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) ISLAMABAD — Pakistan officials confirmed Friday that 31 people, including 23 security personnel, lost their lives in Tuesday’s train hijacking by armed militants in the country’s restive Balochistan province. In a news briefing, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said 18 off-duty military and paramilitary Frontier Corps personnel, three railway staff and five civilian passengers were among those killed in the initial attack. Five Frontier Corps personnel were also killed in the attack and the ensuing battle with militants. Separatist militants from Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a designated terror group, took over the Jaffar Express near Sibi hours after it left the provincial capital, Quetta, on Tuesday. In the clearance operation that lasted more than 30 hours, the Pakistan military said it killed 33 BLA terrorists. Chaudhry, director general of military public relations, said 354 passengers were freed, 37 of whom were injured. Officials also revised the tally of passengers on the train downward to 425 from 440. Speaking alongside Chaudhry, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said 425 tickets were sold for the cross-country train. However, passengers could board at any station along the roughly 1,600-kilometer route, which, Bugti said, largely explained the gap between the number of passengers and those rescued. “Maybe some did not travel; some were boarding later, maybe some of those who ran [from the terrorists] lost their way, and maybe some got caught [by the terrorists],” the chief minister said. Blaming neighbors Tuesday’s attack marked a dramatic escalation in the separatist insurgency that has seen a sharp increase in violence in recent months. In 2024, the BLA and other Baloch separatist groups killed nearly 400 people in over 500 attacks. Pakistani officials blamed archrival India, accusing it of providing support to anti-Pakistan militants in Afghanistan, a charge New Delhi quickly rejected. “We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters. Bugti and Chaudhry reiterated the claim that Tuesday’s attack was orchestrated by militants with bases in Afghanistan, a charge Afghan foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi rejected Thursday. Intelligence failure? Pakistani officials acknowledged there was a security threat, but rejected questions that the brazen hijacking in the heavily militarized province was an intelligence failure. “There was a threat in the general area,” said Chaudhry, adding that it was not specifically about an attack on the train. “There are thousands of intelligence success stories too behind [such incidents], which you don’t know — incidents that did not happen because our intelligence was successfully able to detect them,” he said. The military spokesperson said law enforcement agencies have conducted 11,654 intelligence-based operations across the country so far this year. Nearly 60,000 such operations were conducted nationwide last year, he said. Resource-rich Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest and least-populated province, where members of the ethnic Baloch minority say they face discrimination and exploitation by the government in Islamabad. In the last 15 months, 1,250 terrorists from various groups have been killed in Pakistan, along with 563 security personnel, Chaudhry said. https://www.voanews.com/a/military-says-death-toll-in-pakistan-s-train-hijacking-rises-to-31/8011076.html https://www.voanews.com/a/military-says-death-toll-in-pakistan-s-train-hijacking-rises-to-31/8011076.html Fri, 14 Mar 2025 15:40:17 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Sarah Zaman) WASHINGTON — When Naveeda Khoshbo published her book of political analysis in 2019, she received widespread praise and recognition. For many, "it was the first time that they were reading a book written by a young woman," she said. So, when she received a text message from a friend and fellow journalist in November 2024, telling her the Taliban had banned her book, she was shocked. Khoshbo, 33, said she can't figure out why the book, "Siyasi Jaj" or "Political Analysis," was banned, saying "it did not address any sensitive topics." Published by the Peace Publish Center in Kabul, her book covers political events and processes from 2001 to 2019. But last year it was included in a list circulated on social media of more than 400 books banned by the Taliban. The list covers a range of topics: democracy, the arts, literature, poetry, history, religion, governance, rights and freedoms. The Taliban's deputy minister for the Ministry of Information and Culture, Zia-ul Haq Haqmal, told media his department had identified 400 books deemed "against Afghanistan's national interest and Islamic values." 'Hostility is directed at women' Khoshbo believes her book also was banned because it was written by a woman. She is now based in London. "I believe their hostility is directed at women, and for them, the books written by women are the first to be targeted, regardless of their content," she said. About a dozen titles in the book ban are by women, or they were translated by women. Other titles include the book by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, "I am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education." The Taliban, who seized power in August 2021, have imposed strict measures against women in Afghanistan, barring them from education, work, long-distance travel and participating in public life. Afghan writer Nazeer Ahmad Sahaar told VOA the Taliban jettison anything they see as contrary to their ideology. "Anything that is against the Taliban's political and religious beliefs and narrative is banned under the Taliban," said Sahaar. The author has written more than a dozen books. One of those, "Waziristan: The Last Stand" is also on the list of banned publications. Sahaar sees the book ban as part of a larger crackdown on "women, the press and freedom of expression." Sahaar said the ban on books, though, is of little surprise. "It was evident that they would impose restrictions in many areas," he said. Alongside the book ban and restrictions imposed on women, the Taliban return has led to restrictions on freedom of expression. Media outlets work under rules that are not always clear about what can and cannot be covered, and in some cases must submit coverage for review before publication. The Taliban also imposed restrictions on printing books. An owner of a printing press in the eastern province of Nangarhar, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, told VOA that the provincial Directorate of Information and Culture instructed publishers not to print anything without prior permission. "In a meeting with publishers, the Taliban officials said that 'if you are publishing any book, you must first obtain permission from the directorate,'" said the business owner. The owner said that businesses are struggling under the Taliban, but there is an increased demand for books, particularly ones that are banned. "The Taliban's restrictions have sparked social and cultural resistance," he said, with people seeking ways to oppose the limitations, including by reading prohibited books. 'It reflects the fear' Abdul Ghafoor Lewal, an Afghan writer and former diplomat, told VOA the Taliban's actions reveal fear of any opposition. "It reflects the fear authoritarian regimes have of freedom of expression, books and knowledge," said Lewal. Khoshbo said the Taliban's ban would not stop her and other women from writing and participating in social and political life. "The Taliban can't suppress our voices by "banning books," said Khoshbo, but "women can't be erased from society and politics." https://www.voanews.com/a/author-says-ban-on-her-book-reflects-taliban-s-repression-of-women/8011004.html https://www.voanews.com/a/author-says-ban-on-her-book-reflects-taliban-s-repression-of-women/8011004.html Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:59:58 -0400 Press FreedomSouth & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Roshan Noorzai, Noshaba Ashna) Uzbekistan "has made significant progress in eliminating widespread state-imposed forced labor," according to the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights. The group is urging the Uzbek government to implement its promised reforms and create an enabling environment for freedom of association and civil society, which play a key role in monitoring and reporting violations and abuses. Click here for the full story in Uzbek. https://www.voanews.com/a/voa-uzbek-human-rights-group-urges-uzbekistan-to-uphold-reforms/8010114.html https://www.voanews.com/a/voa-uzbek-human-rights-group-urges-uzbekistan-to-uphold-reforms/8010114.html Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:54:31 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Navbahor Imamova) The Afghan Taliban have rejected Pakistan's allegation that Tuesday's deadly hostage-taking of a train was planned and directed from Afghan soil. Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Pakistan's assertions "baseless," in a statement Thursday. "We categorically reject baseless allegations by Pakistani army spokesperson linking attack on a passenger train in Balochistan province with Afghanistan," foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a statement posted on X. Militants linked with the banned Baloch Liberation Army attacked a passenger train Tuesday near Sibi, Balochistan, taking hundreds hostage. At least 21 passengers and four paramilitary troops died in the attack. The military claimed the killing of 33 terrorists. During a visit to Quetta for a high-level security meeting Thursday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told media 339 passengers were rescued. Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of the Pakistani military's media wing Inter Services Public Relations, had earlier said attackers collaborated with partners in Afghanistan. "During the operation, these terrorists were in contact with their supporters and masterminds in Afghanistan via satellite phone," Chaudhry told a private news channel as he declared the clearance operation over Wednesday night. Later, the military's media wing reiterated the assertion. "Intelligence reports have unequivocally confirmed that the attack was orchestrated and directed by terrorist ringleaders operating from Afghanistan, who were in direct communication with terrorists throughout the incident," a statement from the ISPR said. Rebutting the claim, Balkhi said Islamabad must address internal issues. "[We] urge Pakistani side to focus on resolving their own security and internal problems instead of such irresponsible remarks," the Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson said. Tuesday's attack marked a dramatic escalation in the separatist insurgency that has ravaged Balochistan for nearly two decades. The militants blew up tracks, bringing the train with nearly 450 passengers to a halt in a tunnel, where they stormed it. Survivors told VOA the attackers singled out security personnel and ethnic Punjabi passengers, shooting many. "Pakistan expects the Interim Afghan Government to uphold its responsibilities and deny use of its soil for terrorist activities against Pakistan," the military said in written comments to the media Wednesday, repeating an increasingly frequent demand. On Thursday, the spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, repeated Islamabad's stance. "We urge Afghanistan to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers, of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and cooperate with the government of Pakistan to bring all those who are concerned with this attack, including the real sponsors of terrorism, to justice," Khan told media at the weekly briefing. Balkhi rejected the allegation that Baloch separatists have put down roots across the border. "No members of Balouch opposition have presence in Afghanistan, nor have they ever had or have any links with the Islamic Emirate," Balkhi said in his post on X. The Taliban refer to their government as the Islamic Emirate. Pakistan has seen a sharp increase in terrorism in the last year, with deaths rising by nearly 45% in 2024 from the year before. The country now ranks second on the Global Terrorism Watchlist with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, an ideological offshoot of the Afghan Taliban, and the separatist Baloch Liberation Army emerging as the deadliest outfits. Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Afghanistan this week, Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, said Kabul was failing to rein in Baloch separatists. "The Kabul authorities have failed to address the threat posed to the region and beyond by other terrorist groups, such as al Qaida, the TTP and Baloch terrorists, including the BLA and the Majeed Brigade, which are present in Afghanistan," the Pakistani envoy said Monday. https://www.voanews.com/a/afghanistan-denies-link-to-train-attack-in-pakistan/8009976.html https://www.voanews.com/a/afghanistan-denies-link-to-train-attack-in-pakistan/8009976.html Thu, 13 Mar 2025 17:12:06 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Sarah Zaman) DHAKA, BANGLADESH — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is getting a first-hand look at the situation of more than 1 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as fears mount of serious aid cuts across the world following Washington's decision to shut down USAID operations. Bangladesh's foreign affairs adviser, Touhid Hossain, welcomed Guterres at Dhaka's main airport on Thursday. Guterres's four-day visit — his second to Bangladesh — is seen as crucial after the announcement of possible aid cuts by the World Food Program, or WFP, and others in the aftermath of the USAID shuttering. Bangladesh's interim government — which came to power last August after a mass uprising ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — hopes the visit will boost international efforts to mobilize aid for the Rohingya refugees and attract new global attention to their crisis. A letter from the U.N. food agency earlier this month said cuts to food rations could take effect from next month at Cox's Bazar, home to dozens of camps housing Rohingya refugees. The WFP said the food rations could be reduced to $6, from the current $12.50 per month — unless adequate funding is secured. According to WFP spokesperson Kun Li, if the WFP is unable to secure sufficient funding — $81 million to sustain operations through the end of the year, including $15 million needed for April — it will have no choice but to reduce rations starting in April. Ahead of Guterres' visit, Amnesty International urged the international community to urgently step up and deliver the necessary support to avoid the devastating impact on the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. "The funding shortfall will only exacerbate the existing desperate shortage of essential supplies and services in the camps," said Smriti Singh, regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International. "The Rohingya community in Cox's Bazar have little alternative but to rely on WFP aid," Singh said, adding that the Bangladesh government prohibits the refugees from leaving the camps and finding jobs. Guterres and Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, are to visit Cox's Bazar district on Friday. On Saturday, the two will hold talks at Yunus' office in Dhaka, the country's capital, and jointly talk to reporters afterward. Bangladesh's interim government has said that the end of USAID payments would stop other projects in the country but that funding for Rohingya refugees would continue to flow. The U.S. has been the top donor to Bangladesh for Rohingya refugees, providing the United Nations with emergency food and nutrition assistance. The U.S. usually provides almost half of the aid money spent on the humanitarian response to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, which provided about $300 million in 2024. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have lived in Bangladesh for decades and about 70,000 crossed the border from Myanmar in 2024. During fighting with the military junta, the opposition force known as the Arakan Army effectively took over the Rakhine state where Rohingya were displaced and took shelter in Bangladesh. Bangladesh says repatriation of the refugees to Myanmar, which has been accused in an international court of genocide against Rohingya, is the ultimate solution of the crisis, but complexities over verification and other diplomatic and political issues have made the future of the refugees bleak. https://www.voanews.com/a/un-chief-in-bangladesh-to-visit-rohingya-camps-as-he-pushes-for-aid-/8009479.html https://www.voanews.com/a/un-chief-in-bangladesh-to-visit-rohingya-camps-as-he-pushes-for-aid-/8009479.html Thu, 13 Mar 2025 11:20:44 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) ISLAMABAD — Passengers of a Pakistani train held hostage in the restive Balochistan province shared with VOA disturbing details of their ordeal on Wednesday as the military completed an hourslong rescue operation and killed 33 terrorists. Speaking to a private news channel, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of military’s media wing, Inter Services Public Relations, said that all hostages were rescued. Two of the passengers described to VOA harrowing moments with the Baloch Liberation Army. "They shot and killed people on the train. They said, 'Come out quietly and we will let you go.' We came outside and sat down," said Jamshed Ajmal. The militants then asked passengers of Punjabi and Saraiki ethnicity to come forward, he said. "Then they picked out police officers and tied their hands and shot them several times. At night, they picked out 10 more people and shot them," Ajmal said. "Whoever didn’t leave the train, they killed them," he said. "We planned to run away. We escaped and came to our [armed] forces." Another passenger, Allah Ditta, told VOA that he and several others ran for their lives after militants pulled them off the train. "When we saw two people quietly escape, then we all braved up and started running. Still 150 to 200 people were left sitting," Ditta said. "Some soldiers also ran and that’s when we felt brave, too, and we ran for about 2 kilometers and reached a frontier corps post." According to earlier reports, close to 200 passengers had been freed before the final push Wednesday evening. The attack The Jaffar Express, a cross-country train with roughly 450 people on board, came under a bomb and gun attack on Tuesday while passing through a tunnel near Sibi, Balochistan, on its way north to Peshawar from Quetta. Separatists belonging to the banned BLA claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan and the United States have designated BLA a terrorist group. The military spokesperson said the army, air force, paramilitary frontier corps, and commandos of the Special Services Group took part in the operation that lasted almost 30 hours. "Since terrorists were holding passengers as human shields, the operation was conducted with skill and caution," Chaudhry said, adding that snipers killed suicide bombers before forces advanced to clear the train’s nine cars. The spokesperson said no passengers were killed during the operation. However, he said 21 passengers died in the initial attack by the BLA. Four frontier corps personnel were also killed, including one during the clearance operation, Chaudhry said. A bomb disposal squad searched the area for explosives, while passengers who escaped in several directions were gathered up, he said. "This incident of Jaffar Express changes the rules of the game," Chaudhry said, warning that terrorists will not be spared. The BLA had warned a day earlier that it would execute security personnel among the hostages if the state did not release political prisons, missing persons, and what it called resistance workers held in Balochistan prisons within 48 hours. BLA surges Since last August, BLA has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks, primarily targeting security forces and workers from the eastern Punjab province, the seat of power in Pakistan. The separatist group accuses Pakistan of exploiting the rich natural resources of their impoverished province. The group also opposes Chinese investment in Balochistan, which is home to the China-funded Gwadar port and the country’s biggest yet largely unused airport. Both Pakistan and China reject claims that their joint ventures are depriving ethnic Baloch of economic opportunities and their share in the province's mineral wealth. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025, BLA is one of two militant groups driving a surge in violence that has pushed Pakistan to the second spot on the list of countries most affected by terrorism. According to the report, the separatist militant group and its ideological allies launched 504 attacks in 2024, compared with 116 in 2023. Deaths in these attacks surged from 88 in 2023 to 388 in 2024. Military spokesperson Chaundry claimed Tuesday's attacker were in touch with planners in Afghanistan. Islamabad has blamed several recent attacks on militants present on Afghan soil. Afghan Taliban routinely deny providing sanctuary to anti-Pakistan fighters. Murtaza Zehri of VOA's Urdu Service contributed to this report. https://www.voanews.com/a/eyewitnesses-give-harrowing-account-of-pakistan-train-attack/8009314.html https://www.voanews.com/a/eyewitnesses-give-harrowing-account-of-pakistan-train-attack/8009314.html Wed, 12 Mar 2025 22:40:11 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Sarah Zaman) As the U.S. seeks to strengthen ties with resource-rich Central Asia, the European Union is also reaching out to the region. Having adopted a new strategy for Central Asia in 2019, the bloc appears to be making renewed efforts to implement it. EU Commissioner for External Relations Jozef Sikela has begun a tour of the region ahead of an EU-Central Asia summit in Uzbekistan in April. Click here for the full story in Uzbek. https://www.voanews.com/a/voa-uzbek-eu-boosts-its-central-asia-strategy/8008733.html https://www.voanews.com/a/voa-uzbek-eu-boosts-its-central-asia-strategy/8008733.html Wed, 12 Mar 2025 19:13:40 -0400 South & Central AsiaUSAEuropewebdesk@voanews.com (Malik Mansur) NEW DELHI — India and Mauritius have upgraded their ties, say leaders of both countries — a move analysts say is aimed at increasing New Delhi’s influence in the Indian Ocean as it seeks to counter China’s expanding footprint in the region. The announcement of upgraded ties came during a two-day visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mauritius, an island nation that sits along vital seaways in the western Indian Ocean. Modi, who was chief guest at Mauritius’s National Day celebrations on Wednesday, said that the countries had elevated ties to the status of “enhanced strategic partnership.” Following talks with Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a "free, safe, secure and open Indian Ocean.” Mauritius conferred the country’s highest civilian honor on Modi, and the prime ministers signed eight pacts to boost cooperation in several sectors including maritime security. Modi announced that New Delhi would invest about $11 million in several community development projects and that India will cooperate in building a new parliament for Mauritius, calling it a gift “from the mother of democracy.” China trade with Mauritius on rise While India has long enjoyed good relations with Mauritius, where 70% of the population is of Indian origin, analysts said Modi’s visit came amid a recognition that India needs to step up its engagement with a country that is called the gateway to the Western Indian Ocean and Africa, and where Beijing’s presence has grown. “China’s rise in the island has been quite phenomenal and it is now one of the most important economic players in Mauritius,” according to Harsh Pant, the vice president of studies at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. “So, to offset that, it is necessary for India to have constant engagement with Mauritius and help them build capacities in areas such as health, education, and maritime capabilities to demonstrate that it can assist in meeting such challenges." In 2019, China signed a free trade agreement with Mauritius that went into effect in 2021. A page for Mauritius on China’s Foreign Ministry website that outlines relations states that the two have a strategic partnership. Bilateral trade between the two countries hit $1.1 billion, a 10.1% increase from the previous year, according to the website. As the region becomes a hotspot for geopolitical competition, India and China have stepped up efforts to build ties with Indian Ocean countries. Underlining India’s naval cooperation with Mauritius, an Indian navy contingent participated in the National Day parade and an Indian warship — the INS Imphal, a stealth guided-missile destroyer — paid a visit to the capital, Port Louis. Last year, India helped Mauritius build an airstrip and a jetty in Agalega — two tiny islands covering 25 square kilometers that are located north of the main island. Although Mauritius has said that the facilities are not for military use, they give India a foothold to monitor traffic in the western Indian Ocean, say analysts. “India’s construction of logistics infrastructure on Agalega Island underlines both Mauritius’s enduring geopolitical significance in the Indian Ocean and Delhi’s growing maritime stakes in regional security,” political analyst C. Raja Mohan wrote in the Indian Express newspaper. India backs Chagos handover Indian officials have also said that New Delhi would support a planned deal between Britain and Mauritius to hand over control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius that is being finalized. One of the islands on the archipelago, Diego Garcia, has been home to a joint U.K.-U.S. military base since the 1970s. British media have reported that Britain will cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands and lease back Diego Garcia from Mauritius to allow the military base to remain. “We support Mauritius in its stance on its sovereignty over Chagos, and this is obviously in keeping with our long-standing position with regard to decolonization and support for sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries,” Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri said Saturday while announcing plans that Modi will soon also visit the Maldives. Although officials have made no comment, analysts point out that India backs the continuation of the military base in Diego Garcia. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “inclined” to go along with the deal between Mauritius and Britain over the future of the base. “From New Delhi’s standpoint, it helps if there is some American presence there because it balances out the strategic realities of the region,” said Pant. https://www.voanews.com/a/india-mauritius-upgrade-strategic-ties-with-eye-on-china/8008079.html https://www.voanews.com/a/india-mauritius-upgrade-strategic-ties-with-eye-on-china/8008079.html Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:44:32 -0400 South & Central AsiaAfricaChina Newswebdesk@voanews.com (Anjana Pasricha) ISLAMABAD — Security sources said Wednesday a Pakistani military operation rescued 190 passengers and killed 30 terrorists, a day after an attack on a train in Pakistan’s restive southwestern Balochistan province. The Jaffar Express, with roughly 450 people on board, was traveling north from Quetta, Balochistan, to Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, when it came under a bomb and gun attack Tuesday. As the operation continues beyond 24 hours, the train remains blocked in a tunnel near Sibi, Balochistan since Tuesday afternoon. Authorities dispatched coffins from Quetta railway station Wednesday afternoon, expecting casualties as forces moved ahead with efforts to take control of the train. Injured in the initial attack, the driver of the train has died. At least 37 injured people are in hospitals for treatment. The Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, quickly claimed responsibility for the brazen attack. In a statement to media, the banned separatist militant group claimed to be holding more than 200 hostages, which it said were security and intelligence personnel. Without sharing details about the number of hostages or their background, security sources said Wednesday that potential suicide bombers were holding hostages in three different places. Suicide bombers are wearing suicide jackets, security sources said, adding that suicide bombers were using innocent people as human shields. Threatening to kill the hostages, BLA demanded the release of political prisoners, missing persons, and what it called resistance workers held in Balochistan prisons. In the statement released hours after the attack, the group gave authorities 48 hours to comply. Reaction Officials have not publicly responded to BLA’s demands. “The attack on Jaffar Express is an attack on national security and will be responded to with full force,” Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said, condemning the attack. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the Ramadan attack shows, “terrorists have no link with Islam, Pakistan or Balochistan.” Freed passengers shaken by the incident told media they heard a blast and gunfire soon after the train entered a tunnel. “Don’t look back,” Shafiq-ul-Rehaman said armed men who boarded the train told passengers, ordering them to leave with their families. “We took cover under the seats,” Ghulam Nabi, another freed passenger, told media about the moments soon after the attack. Earlier, Imran Hayat, divisional superintendent railways in Quetta told VOA that 70 passengers had arrived at Paneer train station Tuesday evening, about 6 kilometers from the site of that attack. Militants said they released dozens of women, children and Baloch passengers early on. However, security sources say the military rescued all the passengers freed so far. Difficult terrain Although just around 150 kilometers from the provincial capital Quetta, the scene of the attack, located in barren mountains, is hard to reach. "So far, it's no foot on the ground," railway official Hayat told VOA, noting the inability of railway staff to reach the scene. "It's a no signal area. They [attackers] stopped the train at a spot where there is no signal support," Hayat said. Provincial spokesperson Shahid Rind, earlier, told media that security forces, a rescue train and ambulances had been dispatched. An emergency was declared at the government hospital in Sibi, to facilitate receiving the injured. BLA surges The United States and Pakistan have both designated BLA as a terrorist group. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025 released last week, Pakistan experienced a 45% increase in terrorism deaths last year, compared to 2023. That is the largest year-to-year rise in more than a decade. The BLA emerged as one of the top two militant groups driving the increase. According to the report, the separatist group and its ideological allies launched 504 attacks in 2024, compared to 116 in 2023. Deaths in the attacks surged from 88 in 2023 to 388 in 2024. The separatist group has been fighting a deadly insurgency against the Pakistani state, accusing it of exploiting the rich natural resources of the impoverished province. The group also opposes Chinese investment in Balochistan, which is home to the China-funded Gwadar port and the country’s biggest, yet largely unused airport. Both Pakistan and China reject the claims that their joint ventures are depriving ethnic Baloch from economic opportunities and their share in the province's mineral wealth. Security sources have said those involved in Tuesday's attack are based in Afghanistan. Islamabad has blamed several recent attacks on militants present on Afghan soil. Afghan Taliban routinely deny providing sanctuary to anti-Pakistan fighters. Recent attacks Since the beginning of the year, the BLA has ramped up attacks on security forces, settlers and workers, primarily from the eastern Punjab province. Earlier this month, a female suicide bomber detonated her explosive devices near a military convoy in Balochistan’s Kalat district, killing at least one security worker and injuring four others. Last month, BLA insurgents ambushed a bus transporting a paramilitary force in Kalat and killed 18 of those on board. Days later, a roadside bomb blast killed 11 coal miners in the city, while the BLA took credit for attacking a military vehicle securing a supply convoy for a mining company operated by China. Pakistani authorities reported the convoy was passing through Kalat when it came under attack, resulting in injuries to eight security personnel. Murtaza Zehri of VOA's Urdu Service contributed to this report from Quetta. https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistani-military-rescues-155-passengers-after-balochistan-train-attack/8007760.html https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistani-military-rescues-155-passengers-after-balochistan-train-attack/8007760.html Wed, 12 Mar 2025 09:16:27 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Sarah Zaman) ISLAMABAD — Militants attacked a cross-country passenger train Tuesday in Pakistan’s restive southwestern Balochistan province, taking many hostages. Authorities say the Jaffar Express was traveling north from Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, when it came under intense fire, hours after departure. The train was carrying roughly 450 passengers, when it came under attack while passing through a tunnel. The Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, quickly claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement to media, the banned separatist militant outfit said it had blown up tracks and taken more than 100 passengers hostage. It later claimed they were holding over 200 hostages. According to security sources, 104 passengers, including 58 men, 31 women and 15 children, had been rescued, while 17 injured people were shifted to a hospital. The sources said 16 terrorists had been killed. A clearance operation involving military helicopters has been going on for hours with frequent exchange of fire reported between Pakistani security and BLA militants. Emergency situation "So far, it's no foot on the ground," Imran Hayat, the divisional railway superintendent in Quetta, told VOA, about the inability of railway officials to reach the scene. "It's a no-signal area. They [attackers] stopped the train at a spot where there is no signal support," the railway official said. A train carrying security officials to beef up support had departed Quetta, Hayat added. Despite media reports, Hayat did not confirm the death of the train driver who sustained injuries during the initial attack. “Mobile and wireless signals are not working and, unfortunately, we are not able to get in touch with the crew,” railway deputy controller Muhammad Sharifullah in Quetta told VOA soon after the attack. Provincial spokesperson Shahid Rind earlier told media that security forces, a rescue train and ambulances had been dispatched. Located in barren, mountainous terrain, the scene of the attack is hard to reach. An emergency has been declared at the government hospital in Sibi to receive the injured. BLA surges According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025 released last week, Pakistan experienced a 45% increase in terrorism deaths last year, compared to 2023. That is the largest year-to-year rise in more than a decade. The BLA emerged as one of the top two militant groups driving the increase. The separatist group has been fighting a deadly insurgency against the Pakistani state, accusing the government of robbing the province of its rich natural resources. The group also opposes Chinese investment in the province. Both Pakistan and China reject the claims that their joint ventures are depriving ethnic Baloch from economic opportunities and their share in the province's mineral wealth. The United States and Pakistan have both designated BLA as a terrorist group. Security sources have said the handlers of Tuesday's attack are based in Afghanistan. Islamabad has blamed several recent attacks on militants present on Afghan soil. Afghan Taliban routinely deny providing sanctuary to anti-Pakistan fighters. Recent attacks Since the beginning of the year, the BLA has ramped up attacks on security forces, settlers and workers primarily from the eastern Punjab province. Earlier this month, a female suicide bomber detonated her explosive devices near a military convoy in Balochistan’s Kalat district, killing at least one security personnel and injuring four others. Last month, BLA insurgents ambushed a bus transporting a paramilitary force in Kalat and killed 18 of those on board. Just days later, a roadside bomb blast killed 11 coal miners in the city, while the BLA took credit for attacking a military vehicle securing a supply convoy for a mining company operated by China. Pakistani authorities reported the convoy was passing through Kalat when it came under attack, resulting in injuries to eight security personnel. VOA Urdu's Murtaza Zehri in Quetta contributed to this report. https://www.voanews.com/a/militants-attack-train-take-hostages-in-pakistan-s-balochistan/8006651.html https://www.voanews.com/a/militants-attack-train-take-hostages-in-pakistan-s-balochistan/8006651.html Tue, 11 Mar 2025 22:17:23 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Sarah Zaman) SINGAPORE — Only seven countries met World Health Organization air quality standards last year, data showed on Tuesday, as researchers warned that the war on smog would only get harder after the United States shut down its global monitoring efforts. Chad and Bangladesh were the world's most polluted countries in 2024, with average smog levels more than 15 times higher than WHO guidelines, according to figures compiled by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir. Only Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Estonia and Iceland made the grade, IQAir said. Significant data gaps, especially in Asia and Africa, cloud the worldwide picture, and many developing countries have relied on air quality sensors mounted on U.S. embassy and consulate buildings to track their smog levels. However, the State Department has recently ended the scheme, citing budget constraints, with more than 17 years of data removed last week from the U.S. government's official air quality monitoring site, airnow.gov, including readings collected in Chad. "Most countries have a few other data sources, but it's going to impact Africa significantly, because often times these are the only sources of publicly available real-time air quality monitoring data," said Christi Chester-Schroeder, IQAir's air quality science manager. Data concerns meant Chad was excluded from IQAir's 2023 list, but it was also ranked the most polluted country in 2022, plagued by Sahara dust as well as uncontrolled crop burning. Average concentrations of small, hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 hit 91.8 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/cu m) last year in the country, slightly higher than 2022. The WHO recommends levels of no more than 5 mg/cu m, a standard met by only 17% of cities last year. India, fifth in the smog rankings behind Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, saw average PM2.5 fall 7% on the year to 50.6 mg/cu m. But it accounted for 12 of the top 20 most polluted cities, with Byrnihat, in a heavily industrialized part of the country's northeast, in first place, registering an average PM2.5 level of 128 mg/cu m. Climate change is playing an increasing role in driving up pollution, Chester-Schroeder warned, with higher temperatures causing fiercer and lengthier forest fires that swept through parts of Southeast Asia and South America. Christa Hasenkopf, director of the Clean Air Program at the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute (EPIC), said at least 34 countries will lose access to reliable pollution data after the U.S. program was closed. The State Department scheme improved air quality in the cities where the monitors were placed, boosting life expectancy and even reducing hazard allowances for U.S. diplomats, meaning that it paid for itself, Hasenkopf said. "(It) is a giant blow to air quality efforts worldwide," she said. https://www.voanews.com/a/only-seven-countries-met-who-air-quality-standards-in-2024-data-shows/8006336.html https://www.voanews.com/a/only-seven-countries-met-who-air-quality-standards-in-2024-data-shows/8006336.html Tue, 11 Mar 2025 02:12:46 -0400 Climate ChangeEast AsiaAfricaSouth & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) The Central Asia Program at George Washington University recently had a special exhibition for Central Asian women and art during the International Women's Day celebrations. Carpets and other items woven by Afghan women at home sell well in U.S. markets, businesspeople who spoke to VOA said. One vendor said online sales aren’t bad. Click here for the full story in Uzbek. https://www.voanews.com/a/voa-uzbek-empowering-central-asian-craft-makers-and-artists-/8005967.html https://www.voanews.com/a/voa-uzbek-empowering-central-asian-craft-makers-and-artists-/8005967.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 19:51:54 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Navbahor Imamova) LONDON — Britain is seeking to finalize a deal on handing sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after U.S. President Donald Trump said last month that he was “inclined” to support the deal. However, critics say the agreement could threaten the security of a joint U.S.-U.K. military base on the islands amid fears of China’s close ties with Mauritius. Many of the original inhabitants of the islands who were forcibly expelled to make way for the base on Diego Garcia in the 1960s and 1970s are also critical of the agreement and say their voices have been ignored. British colony The Chagos Islands, officially known as the “British Indian Ocean Territory,” are one of the last vestiges of the British Empire. They comprise more than 60 islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the largest of which is Diego Garcia. Britain officially took ownership of the archipelago from France after the defeat of French leader and Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815. The islands were administered from Mauritius, which argues it was illegally forced to give up the Chagos Islands in return for its own independence from Britain in 1968. In an advisory opinion in 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled “... the process of decolonization of Mauritius was not lawfully completed when that country acceded to independence.” The judges added that Britain is under an obligation “to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible.” Sovereignty negotiations Negotiations between Britain and Mauritius on ceding sovereignty have been going on for several years. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, has sought to finalize the agreement since winning power in July last year. Speaking to British lawmakers last month, Starmer said a deal was vital to secure the future of the U.S. military base. “This is a military base that is vital for our national security. A number of years ago, the legal certainty of that base was thrown into doubt. … Without legal certainty, the base cannot operate in practical terms as it should. That is bad for our national security and it’s a gift to our adversaries,” Starmer said on Feb. 5. British media report that Britain will cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands and pay Mauritius around $116 million a year for 99 years to lease back Diego Garcia and allow the military base to remain, with an option to extend the lease for another 40 years. However, neither Britain nor Mauritius have confirmed any details, and the agreement is yet to be finalized. Trump approval During a visit by Starmer to the White House last month, Trump said that he was “inclined” to approve the deal. “I have a feeling it's going to work out very well. They're talking about a very long-term, powerful lease, a very strong lease, about 140 years actually. That's a long time, and I think we'll be inclined to go along with your country,” Trump told Starmer during the visit on Feb. 27. The proposed deal also has the backing of India, which has close political and security ties to Mauritius. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to travel to Mauritius on Tuesday as chief guest on the country’s national day, the anniversary of its independence from Britain. Modi is expected to discuss upgrading India’s defense ties with the island nation. China concerns Politicians in Britain and the United States, however, have expressed concerns over potential security implications of handing sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius amid a growing threat from China in the region. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary for Britain’s Conservative opposition party, described the proposed plan as “a strategic disaster for Britain” that represented “an appalling betrayal of the British people.” Members of Britain’s Shadow Cabinet are responsible for scrutinizing the policies and actions of the government but have no executive power. U.S. Senator James Risch, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in October that the proposed deal “gives in to Chinese lawfare and yields to pressure from unaccountable international institutions like the International Court of Justice at the expense of U.S. and U.K. strategic and military interests.” “The U.S. and our allies must take a long-term approach when it comes to making decisions that affect our strategic competition with China, or we will all lose,” Risch told Politico. China’s burgeoning economic relationship with Mauritius makes the African island nation vulnerable to influence from Beijing, noted Evan Fowler of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. “Given the complexity of the situation there, actually having a deal that secures the base is good. However, having a deal doesn't mean just accepting any deal. China has significant investments. Mauritius owes China quite a lot. China has quite a clear record of using debt … to seek political advantage. “That area is strategically important to us because it's a way for us to project power,” Fowler told VOA. “And the Chinese understand this, too. The Chinese have already been active militarily around the Chagos Islands.” Chagossians ‘voiceless’ After their expulsion, many Chagossians settled in Mauritius. Thousands also came to Britain, with many choosing to settle in the town of Crawley, south of London. Frankie Bontemps and Maxwell Evenor are second-generation Chagossians whose parents were forced out of their homeland in the 1960s. They are part of the group “Chagossian Voices,” which seeks to assert the rights of the exiled population. “Once again we are ignored,” Bontemps told VOA. “People are discussing the future of our homeland without us. We feel like history is repeating itself. We feel voiceless, powerless, because we are being abused again — I would say by Mauritius, by the U.K., along with the U.S.” Many Chagossians argue Mauritius has never had a rightful claim to their homeland — and object to Britain’s proposed deal to cede sovereignty. “We now find ourselves — our very own identity, our very own self — being given to someone else by a made-up policy without asking us,” Evenor told VOA, adding that there could be no historical link between the Chagos Islands and Mauritius “because it's 2,000 kilometers away.” “We are still colonized. We are the last colony of Africa,” Evenor said. Diego Garcia The exiled Chagossians have been told that under the terms of the deal with Mauritius, they would be able to return to outer islands in the Chagos archipelago — but not to Diego Garcia, which would remain off-limits. However, infrastructure on the outer islands is almost non-existent, according to Bontemps, who said that most Chagossians would accept living next to the military base on Diego Garcia. “I think most of us, we don't have anything against that base. We know the geopolitical importance. We know about the China threat, or whoever,” Bontemps told VOA. “We want to live on our ancestors’ land. As well, the base will be a source of work for us.” https://www.voanews.com/a/8005869.html https://www.voanews.com/a/8005869.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 17:46:09 -0400 South & Central AsiaEuropewebdesk@voanews.com (Henry Ridgwell) The Chagos Islands are one of the last vestiges of the British Empire. They are currently home to a key U.S. military base. But under pressure from the United Nations, Britain looks set to hand sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius. Critics say the deal would compromise the security of the region in the face of a growing threat from China, as Henry Ridgwell reports from London. https://www.voanews.com/a/british-plan-to-cede-chagos-islands-to-mauritius-raising-security-concerns/8005889.html https://www.voanews.com/a/british-plan-to-cede-chagos-islands-to-mauritius-raising-security-concerns/8005889.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 17:43:11 -0400 EuropeSouth & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Henry Ridgwell) NEW DELHI — Dozens of Tibetan protesters clashed with police outside the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi on Monday as Tibetans living in exile marked the 66th anniversary of their uprising against China that was crushed by Chinese forces. As in past years, police blocked the protesters from entering the embassy and briefly detained some of them after wrestling them to the ground. Hundreds also marched in the north Indian town of Dharamshala, the seat of the exiled Tibetan government and home of Dalai Lama, their 89-year-old spiritual leader. Separately, about a hundred Tibetan women gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, an area designated for protests close to Parliament. The protesters shouted anti-China slogans, carried Tibetan flags and played the national anthems of Tibet and India. India considers Tibet to be part of China, although it hosts the Tibetan exiles. The 1959 independence uprising was quelled by the Chinese army, forcing Dalai Lama and his followers into exile in India. Many had their faces painted in colors of the Tibetan national flag. The demonstrators observed a minute of silence to remember Tibetans who lost their lives in the struggle against China. Monks, activists, nuns and schoolchildren marched across the town with banners reading, "Free Tibet" and "Remember, Resist, Return." Penpa Tsering — the president of the Central Tibetan Administration, as the exiled Tibetan government calls itself — accused China's leadership of carrying out a "deliberate and dangerous strategy to eliminate the very identity of the Tibetan people." "This marks the darkest and most critical period in the history of Tibet," Tsering told the gathering. "As we commemorate the Tibetan National Uprising Day, we honor our brave martyrs, and express solidarity with our brothers and sisters inside Tibet who continue to languish under the oppressive Chinese government." The Tibetan government-in-exile in India accuses China of denying the most fundamental human rights to people in Tibet and trying to expunge the Tibetan identity. China claims Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, but the Tibetans say the Himalayan region was virtually independent until China occupied it in 1950. The Dalai Lama denies China's claim that he is a separatist and says he only advocates substantial autonomy and protection of Tibet's native Buddhist culture. https://www.voanews.com/a/tibetans-scuffle-with-police-outside-the-chinese-embassy-in-india-as-they-mark-uprising-anniversary-/8005442.html https://www.voanews.com/a/tibetans-scuffle-with-police-outside-the-chinese-embassy-in-india-as-they-mark-uprising-anniversary-/8005442.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:56:34 -0400 East AsiaSouth & Central AsiaChina Newswebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) AHMEDABAD, India — Hundreds of roofs in the informal settlements of India's western Gujarat state have been painted in a reflective, white coating over the last two months to try to keep their occupants cooler as the hottest time of year approaches. The effort, which involves 400 households in Ahmedabad, is part of a global scientific trial to study how indoor heat impacts people's health and economic outcomes in developing countries - and how "cool roofs" might help. "Traditionally, home is where people have come to find shelter and respite against external elements," said Aditi Bunker, an epidemiologist at the University of Heidelberg in Switzerland who is leading the project, supported by the UK-based Wellcome Trust. "Now, we're in this position where people are living in precarious housing conditions, where the thing that was supposed to be protecting them is actually increasing their exposure to heat." As climate change has made India's summers more extreme, Ahmedabad has suffered temperatures in excess of 46 C (115 F) in recent years. In the Vanzara Vas slum in the Narol area of the city, which has more than 2,000 dwellings, most of them airless, one-room homes, residents that are part of the project, such as Nehal Vijaybhai Bhil, say they have already noticed a difference. "My refrigerator doesn't heat up anymore and the house feels cooler. I sleep so much better and my electricity bill is down," said Bhil, whose roof was painted in January. Across the world, heatwaves that, prior to the industrial revolution, had a 1-in-10 chance of occurring in any given year are nearly three times as likely, according to a 2022 study in the journal Environmental Research Letters. By painting roofs with a white coating that contains highly reflective pigments such as titanium dioxide, Bunker and her team are sending more of the sun's radiation back to the atmosphere and preventing it from being absorbed. "In a lot of these low socioeconomic homes, there's nothing to stop the heat transfer coming down — there's no insulation barrier from the roof," Bunker said. Before joining Bunker's experiment, Arti Chunara said she would cover her roof with plastic sheets and spread grass over them. Some days, she and her family sat outside for most of the day, going into the house only for two to three hours when the heat was bearable. The trial in Ahmedabad will run for one year, and scientists will collect health and indoor environment data from residents living under a cool roof - and from those who do not. Other study sites are in Burkina Faso, Mexico and the island of Niue in the South Pacific, spanning a variety of building materials and climates. Early results from the Burkina Faso trial, Bunker said, show that cool roofs reduced indoor temperature by between 1.2 C in tin- and mud-roofed homes, and 1.7 C in tin-roofed homes over two years, which subsequently lowered residents' heart rates. https://www.voanews.com/a/indian-slums-get-cool-roofs-to-combat-extreme-heat/8004901.html https://www.voanews.com/a/indian-slums-get-cool-roofs-to-combat-extreme-heat/8004901.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 03:58:46 -0400 South & Central AsiaClimate Changewebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) MUMBAI, India — India allowed the export of 100% broken rice, the government said in a notification late on Friday, after inventories reached a record high at the start of February, nearly nine times the government's target. Exports of 100% broken rice could help reduce stocks in the world's biggest exporter and enable poor African countries to secure the grain at lower prices, as well as support Asian animal feed and ethanol producers that rely on the grade. India had banned exports of 100% broken rice in September 2022 and then imposed curbs on exports of all other rice grades in 2023 after poor rainfall raised concerns over production. However, as the supply situation improved after the country harvested a record crop, New Delhi removed curbs on exports of all grades except 100% broken rice. "Now that broken rice exports are allowed, we anticipate exporting around 2 million tons of this grade in 2025," said B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters' Association (REA). India exported 3.9 million metric tons of broken rice in 2022, mainly to China for animal feed and to African countries such as Senegal and Djibouti for human consumption. Broken rice is a byproduct of milling, and African countries prefer this grade because it is cheaper than other grades. Indian broken rice is currently offered at $330 per metric ton, compared to approximately $300 from rival suppliers like Vietnam, Myanmar, and Pakistan, said Himanshu Agrawal, executive director at Satyam Balajee, a leading rice exporter. "However, these competing countries have limited stocks. As their stocks deplete, buyers will switch to India, and exports will pick up in coming months." State granary reserves of rice, including unmilled paddy, totalled 67.6 million tons as of Feb. 1, compared to the government's target of 7.6 million tons, data compiled by the Food Corporation of India showed. https://www.voanews.com/a/india-allows-exports-of-broken-rice-to-cut-stockpiles/8004881.html https://www.voanews.com/a/india-allows-exports-of-broken-rice-to-cut-stockpiles/8004881.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 02:00:24 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) KARACHI, PAKISTAN — Two Pakistani women sit together on a couch, rehearsing their lines while a director scrutinizes them. Waiting off camera for his scene is the male lead, an actor blessed with Bachelor hair and fine bone structure. Also out of sight: the Islamabad homeowners, who are holed up in a separate room and whose furniture and knickknacks will be seen by millions of viewers — many from the society that has been their country's neighbor and uneasy sparring partner for much of the past century. This is the set of the Pakistani drama Adhi Bewafai, or Half Infidelity — one of what some in other nations would call "soap operas." But these dramas, it turns out, are not just for Pakistanis. Realistic settings, natural dialogue and almost workaday plots about families and marriages make Pakistani dramas a hit with viewers at home and abroad — especially in the neighboring country that split with Pakistan in 1947 and is its nuclear archrival today: India. Television, it seems, is succeeding where diplomacy sometimes can't. A glimpse into life across the border Several thousand people work in Pakistan's drama industry; the country produces between 80 to 120 shows a year, each one a source of escapism and intrigue. They offer Indians a tantalizing glimpse into life across the border — and manage to break through decades of enmity between the two governments. Maheen Shafeeq, a research associate at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad, says there is effectively no relationship between the two governments. Each government is fixed on a single issue it cannot move past — for India, it's terrorism; for Pakistan, the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. "The governments are very much opposed to each other," she says. "They don't agree what they should talk about." Although it's difficult for Indians to visit Pakistan, where these shows are filmed, they faithfully follow the plot twists and turns through platforms like YouTube, ZEE5, and MX Player. For those of a certain generation, however, it wasn't always so easy to keep up. Kaveri Sharma, a writer in the Indian city of Patna, recalls her mother-in-law and aunt jiggling antennas in the 1980s and 1990s in hopes of catching a signal from Pakistan's state broadcaster, PTV. It's how Sharma first realized that the country next door was a drama powerhouse. It inspired her to discover the shows for herself years later, even going on to watch them with her own daughter. "They feel familiar, but they are also a break from our own lives," Sharma says. "I don't see any differences between the two countries. Everything is relatable. I see Karachi and think that it could be Lucknow or Patna. What happens on the shows could happen to me or my friends." She had heard only negative things about Pakistan since childhood — that it was the enemy that would take everything from India. The TV dramas have added subtlety and detail to this image for her. She would love to visit, but is unlikely to get the opportunity. So she explores Pakistan through the locations, malls, offices, streets and restaurants depicted on the small screen. The names of popular Karachi neighborhoods roll off her tongue. Sharma, like Bibi Hafeez in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad and Punita Kumar in the central Indian city of Raipur, raves about the dramas' universality of themes, the strong characterization and the emotional range. "Pakistani characters are not only heroes or villains. They have shades to them, and that is very human," says Kumar, who chanced upon a Pakistani drama through a chunky videocassette when she was a teenager living in the northern Indian city of Aligarh. It was love at first watch. "They captivated me. We got a cable connection that offered PTV. Then YouTube came and I realized I could search for whatever drama I wanted. I haven't taken a stop," she said. "We get exposure to Pakistani life in the scenes, but the struggles the characters have with their relatives are ones I would have with my own." Pakistani TV veteran Khaled Anam is delighted by Indians' enthusiasm for the country's serials and the barriers they help erode. "What Bollywood is to India, dramas are to Pakistan," says Anam, who is based in Karachi and has worked as an actor since the 1980s. He has appeared in many dramas, including the ratings smash Humsafar (Life Partner). India's productions go big, while Pakistan's are more low key India dominates the movie market in South Asia and beyond, with big stars and bigger budgets. Pakistanis have been exposed to Bollywood films for decades, although the prevailing hostile political climate means they can't watch them in movie theaters. The bans are mutual, though. India, like Pakistan, restricts content from across the border in movie theaters and TV channels. And while India is no slouch when it comes to TV production, it doesn't offer viewers what Pakistan does, according to Anam: simplicity, depth of writing and a limited number of episodes. "There are 15-minute flashbacks in Indian serials. (The characters) are decked out and dolled up. It's a fantasy world. The shows go on forever. Everything is 'DUN dun dun!'" says Anam, mimicking a dramatic musical riff and shaking his hands. The actors on the couch in Islamabad are rehearsing lines about a woman who is disrespectful and so, according to one of them, is an unsuitable marriage prospect. The delivery and grammar could be heard in virtually any South Asian household. "Pakistanis are generally emotional people, and that is in their dramas also," says Islamabad-based director Saife Hassan. "It would take me less than two minutes to explain the plot of the super-duper hit Kabhi Main, Kabhi Tum (Sometimes Me, Sometimes You). It's about the emotions between a husband and wife." Hassan, who began his TV career in the 1990s, says Indians frequently comment on his social media pages and send him direct messages about his work. He even recalls Indian viewers praying for the recovery of a character who was in a coma. Hassan would love to see more homegrown dramas make it onto platforms like Netflix, as some Indian shows have with great success. But he wonders whether international audiences would understand and connect with Pakistani stories or lives: "The way we think is different from the West. Our shows are not driven by events. They are driven by emotions." There is also a lack of raunch in Pakistani dramas, which are family-friendly with little to no vulgarity, violence, or even action. Indians, therefore, are a natural audience for Pakistani dramas, Hassan says. "They are our people. They are like us. They eat like us," he says. "I love India, and I love Indians. They have grown out of this animosity."  https://www.voanews.com/a/in-tense-relations-with-india-pakistani-tv-dramas-build-bridges-/8003424.html https://www.voanews.com/a/in-tense-relations-with-india-pakistani-tv-dramas-build-bridges-/8003424.html Sun, 09 Mar 2025 14:25:20 -0400 South & Central AsiaArts & Culturewebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) KATHMANDU — Thousands of supporters greeted Nepal's former king in capital Kathmandu on Sunday and demanded his abolished monarchy be reinstated and Hinduism brought back as a state religion.  An estimated 10,000 supporters of Gyanendra Shah blocked the main entrance to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport as he arrived from a tour of western Nepal.  "Vacate the royal palace for the king. Come back king, save the country. Long live our beloved king. We want monarchy,” the crowds chanted. Passengers were forced to walk to and from the airport.  Hundreds of riot police blocked the protesters from entering the airport and there was no violence.  Massive street protests in 2006 forced Gyanendra to give up his authoritarian rule, and two years later the parliament voted to abolish the monarchy as Gyanendra left the Royal Palace to live the life of a commoner.  But many Nepalis have grown frustrated with the republic, saying it has failed to bring about political stability and blaming it for a struggling economy and widespread corruption. Nepal has had 13 governments since the monarchy was abolished in 2008.  Rally participants said they were hoping for a change in the political system to stop the country from further deteriorating.  “We are here to give the king our full support and to rally behind him all the way to reinstating him in the royal throne,” said Thir Bahadur Bhandari, 72.  Among the thousands was 50-year-old carpenter Kulraj Shrestha, who had taken part in the 2006 protests against the king but has changed his mind and now supports the monarchy.  “The worst thing that is happening to the country is massive corruption and all politicians in power are not doing anything for the country,” Shrestha said. "I was in the protests that took away monarchy hoping it would help the country, but I was mistaken and the nation has further plunged so I have changed my mind."  Gyanendra has not commented on the calls for the return of monarchy. Despite growing support for the former king, Gyanendra has slim chances of immediately returning to power.  He became the king in 2002, after his brother and family were massacred in the palace. He ruled as the constitutional head of state without executive or political powers until 2005, when he seized absolute power. He disbanded the government and parliament, jailed politicians and journalists and cut off communications, declaring a state of emergency and using the army to rule the country.  https://www.voanews.com/a/thousands-in-nepal-want-monarchy-back-as-public-frustration-with-politics-grows/8004339.html https://www.voanews.com/a/thousands-in-nepal-want-monarchy-back-as-public-frustration-with-politics-grows/8004339.html Sun, 09 Mar 2025 11:53:06 -0400 South & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)