In a victory for universities and foreign students, US President Donald Trump's administration has dropped its order to deny visa status to those taking only online classes because of the COVID-19 pandemic
Across Oceans, the Same Light, the Same Spirit -Indian Festivals Without Borders
New York City made Diwali a public school holiday in 2023, acknowledging the festival's importance to a significant section of its population. Deepavali was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2025. These reflect how a festival rooted in India's civilisational traditions has found an increasingly visible place in the global cultural calendar.
They Left for a Better Life, Not to Die in War: Trafficking Bangladeshi Youths into Russia's War Against Ukraine
Fortify Rights and Truth Hounds documented more than 100 Bangladeshis recruited into the Russian military and reported at least 34 deaths in their March 2026 investigation. Separately, Prothom Alo reported on October 21 that at least 54 Bangladeshis had reportedly died after travelling to Russia for work and becoming involved in the war over the preceding three years.
When a Migrant Worker Suffers Injury Abroad: A Shared Information Support System Regionally Will Help Returnees
Regional cooperation could begin with practical comparisons. Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and other labour-sending countries can exchange working solutions without pretending their systems or bilateral agreements are identical.
The Power, Potential, and Unrealised Promise, of South Asia
South Asia, for all its faults and constraints, is the fastest-growing economic region in the world this year. It is also home to the Commonwealth’s largest three countries in terms of population, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, representing just under two billion citizens, the majority under 30-years old.
More on South Asia Diaspora, Migrant Worker and Global Indians
Biden plan to liberalise immigration to US, reduce wait times for green cards
In a plan that seeks overall to liberalise immigration to the US and increase the number of immigrants. former Vice President Joe Biden, who is to be the Democratic Party candidate for president, has announced an immigration agenda that will end the country-wise green card caps for employment visas so that wait times stretching to decades can be reduced if he is elected
Nepalese women in dilemma over temple visits
The month of Shrawan, considered holy in the Hindu culture, will begin tomorrow. Shrawan Sakranti, the first day of the month, is marked by worshipping Lord Shiva, which continues throughout the month
Future of Kapoor ancestral home in Pakistan hangs in balance
The ancestral home of Bollywood’s popular Kapoor family, located in the heart of Peshawar, is on the brink of being lost
The lost temples of Karachi
"You are free to go to your temples… in this State of Pakistan," said Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on the eve of Independence
Indian-origin leader elected Suriname president
Chandrikapersad Santokhi has been elected the president of Suriname by the Latin American country's National Assembly, according to media reports
Community schools in Nepal reach students through radio programmes
Dhulabari Secondary School, a model community school in Jhapa, has been running online classes for the students from grades seven to 10 since June 21
Pakistanis sing 'Vande Mataram' alongside Indians in London protest against China
Pakistanis singing Indian national song is rare. But Sunday saw quite a few of them joining hundreds of Indians, literally hand in hand, in a protest organised outside the Chinese Embassy in London
International sex-work racket busted in Bangladesh
The Criminal Investigation Department has claimed to have arrested the ringleader and two members of a syndicate that has been trafficking thousands of girls and forcing them into sex work
Of Minnette, Le Corbusier and Plastic Emotions: Colombo's lockdown badinage
Taking a respite from the dull election campaign and social distancing due to COVID-19 pandemic, Colombo's elite is currently fascinated with a fictionalized biography of Sri Lanka’s first female architect Minnette de Silva, who passed away in 1988 when she was 80 years old
India's megastar Amitabh Bachchan tests COVID-19 positive, hospitalised
Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan was admitted to Nanavati Hospital on Saturday evening. On Twitter, the actor confirmed that he has tested COVID-19 positive
Maha Ganeshotsav: Ganpati idols to be only 2 or 4 feet tall
The Maharashtra government on Saturday issued guidelines restricting the height of Ganesh idols, and containing other stringent regulations, for the 11-day Ganeshotsav festival starting from August 22
Second underwater museum in Sri Lanka declared open in Trincomalee
Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva declared open Sri Lanka’s second underwater museum which was constructed off the Sandy Bay beach in Trincomalee on 10th July 2020
The fate of Bangladesh's pottery artisans hangs in the balance
The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to artisan pottery in Bangladesh. A vast majority of the factories are facing work-order cancellations while many have been denied payment
Hilsa glut in Barishal
With the doom and gloom surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic slowly subsiding, the west bank of Barishal's Kirtankhola river in Bangladesh has started to see increased activity
