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Protests in Islamabad Over Execution of Mumtaz Qadri
Pakistanis marched through the streets of the capital city Sunday to protest last month’s hanging of a man charged with murdering a provincial governor.
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Richard Gere Talks Tough on China’s Xi Jinping
U.S. actor Richard Gere is internationally known for his film roles, but he has also been a longtime advocate for Tibetan freedom and a close friend of the Dalai Lama. In Washington this week, he attended a forum organized by the Project2049 Institute on China’s economic and political role in the international community, where he spoke to VOA about the changes he has seen under Chinese President Xi Jinping and how U.S. relations with the country have evolved.
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Vietnamese Protest as Prominent Blogger Sent to Prison
Nguyen Huu Vinh, 60, and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, 35, were sentenced to five and three years respectively for "abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state," under Article 258 of the Penal Code. Both had been detained since their arrests in 2014. Dozens came out onto the streets of Hanoi to demand their release.
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Pakistani Migrants Especially Vulnerable Under EU-Turkey Deal
Among the tens of thousands of migrants stuck in Greece, those from Pakistan are feeling especially vulnerable. An application for asylum in Europe would be unlikely to succeed, but some may not even be allowed to return to Pakistan if they don’t have the correct documentation. VOA's Henry Ridgwell reports from the Greek island of Lesbos, where he spoke to some Pakistani migrants.
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Domestic Workers from Myanmar Overworked in Thailand
In Thailand, thousands of unregistered domestic workers from Myanmar face daily abuse at the hands of their employees. But now, as Myanmar opens to reform, changes are coming slowly. Is it enough to draw back a future work force? Steve Sandford reports from Chiang Mai, Thailand.
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US Senators Call for Increased Efforts to Counter Russian, Chinese Propaganda
Two U.S. senators: Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican; and Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat; are introducing legislation aimed at countering propaganda from Russia, China and other countries. VOA News reports.
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Pond Water Brings Relief to India’s ‘Arsenic Belt’
In the 1960s, as the drilling of tube wells began in eastern India, people were advised to switch to the practice of drinking groundwater to protect themselves from cholera and other water-borne epidemics. But the switch from traditional dug wells to tube wells proved fatal in the 1990s, when a high level of arsenic contamination was detected in water from tube wells in Bangladesh and in eastern India. Now, ponds provide a safer source of water. VOA's Maaz Hussain reports.
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Pakistani Hindus Complain of Forced Conversion of Teenage Girls
Pakistan’s Hindu community complains every year dozens of girls, many of them under 18, are kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam and marry their abductors. The clerics who convert the girls say they convert of their own volition, often to marry Muslim boys. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem has taken a detailed look at this issue.
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Myanmar’s Big Bang with Giant Gongs
Gongs have been used in religious rituals in Asia since ancient times. Their composition has changed little over the centuries. But the vagarities of the modern metals market has compelled a technological innovation in Myanmar. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reports from Mandalay.
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Largest Oval Blue Diamond to Be Auctioned in Hong Kong
The largest oval blue diamond ever to appear at auction is to be sold April 5 in Hong Kong. VOA’s Julie Taboh reports on a recent press event in London that showcased the rare gemstone.
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Infants Continue to Die in Pakistan’s Drought-hit Region
Over 200 infants have died this year alone in Pakistan’s desert-like region of Tharparker. The deaths are mostly blamed on malnutrition caused by severe drought. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem traveled to the area and has filed this report.
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Fishermen Face Brunt of India Pakistan Tensions
Pakistan last week released and sent back to their countries almost 90 Indians, most of them fishermen. But hundreds of Indian and Pakistani fishermen still languish in jails on both sides charged with illegally crossing the border. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports on the men who sail the Indian Ocean in search of a catch — but who often get caught themselves.
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Myanmar’s Next President Propelled from Obscurity
Myanmar’s national lawmakers Tuesday voted to make an unelected retired bureaucrat from the National League for Democracy (NLD), Htin Kyaw, the country’s next president.
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Aung San Suu Kyi’s Nominee Moves Closer to Myanmar Presidency
In Myanmar’s lower house of parliament Friday an unelected retired bureaucrat from the National League for Democracy, Htin Kyaw, trounced the country’s current vice president, Sai Mauk Kham of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, 274 to 29, in first-round balloting to move a step closer to the presidency. It is the latest exercise in democracy as Aung San Suu Kyi’s party prepares to take the reigns of government. VOA’s Steve Herman reports.
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Aung San Suu Kyi ‘Apologizes’ for Not Becoming President
Myanmar’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which won an overwhelming number of seats in parliament during November’s general election, decided Thursday not to put forward the name of its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, for consideration as president or vice president. A clause in the military-written constitution prevents her from taking the top job because her sons have foreign citizenship. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reports from Myanmar’s parliament in the capital, Naypyitaw.