South Asia
Protests as Bangladesh executes Islamist leader
Protests swept through Bangladesh after the government executed Abdul Quader Mollah of Jamaat-e-Islami party for crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
Tag: struggle within Islam
Greater Middle East
Syria: new chemical revelations; aid cut to rebels
The US ironically announces a halt in aid to the Syrian rebels on the same day that the UN concludes there have been multiple chemical attacks in the country this year.
North Africa
Beyond Benghazi: Libya faces converging crises
The death of a US national in Benghazi thrust Libya briefly into the news—as lawless militias, ethnic conflicts and labor strife daily claim lives across the country.
Afghanistan
Afghan penal code to include stoning for adultery?
Afghanistan’s Justice Ministry has proposed new provisions to the nation’s penal code that allow for stoning as punishment for adultery, Human Rights Watch reported.
South Asia
Pakistan: sectarian strife mars Ashura
Celebrations of Muharram, the Shi’ite holy month highlighted by the Ashura festival, saw sectarian violence that left several dead across Pakistan.
Afghanistan
Musharraf granted bail in Red Mosque killings case
Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf was granted bail in a criminal case relating to the death of a radical cleric in a raid he ordered on Islamabad’s Red Mosque.
Afghanistan
Women’s freedom icon rocks Kabul peace concert
Aryana Sayeed, a popular singer and TV personality facing death threats for refusing to wear the hijab, performed at a Kabul "Peace Concert," organized by youth groups.
South Asia
Bangladesh political strike follows labor unrest
A general strike called by the Islamist opposition has shut down much of Bangladesh—weeks after garment workers walked off the job and burned factories.
Iran
Iran hangs 16 after Baluch border clash
Sixteen accused militants were hanged in Iran’s Baluchistan province—in apparent retaliation for the deaths of at least 14 border guards in an ambush just the night before.
Afghanistan
Malala Yousafzai: still a hero!
Malala Yousafzai has not been co-opted by international accolades, as evidenced by her protests against US drone strikes—to President Obama’s very face.
Greater Middle East
Egypt: clashes in Cairo, insurgency in Sinai
While the new deadly street clashes in Cairo made international news, near-daily insurgent attacks on Eyptian security forces in the Sinai Peninsula continue with little notice.
Afghanistan
Pakistan stock market soars on terror wave
Over the past year of growing violence and chaos in Pakistan, the Karachi Stock Exchange surged more than 44%, placing it among the world’s top-performing stock markets.