Author: Priya Saha

Topline Representatives from several countries participating in the Beijing Olympics have taken issue with China’s behavior as a host country, pointing to inhumane conditions for quarantined athletes, unreasonable isolation rules and unexplained media suppression.  BEIJING, CHINA – JANUARY 23: A security guard stands behind a barricade in an area not accessible to … [+] the general public, that will host Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Olympic Park on January 23, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images) Getty Images Key Facts On Sunday, Finland’s men’s ice hockey team coach, Jukka Jalonen, accused China of not respecting one of…

Last October, Bangladesh was rocked by one of its worst bouts of violence in years when Muslims across the country attacked hundreds of Hindu homes and temples, killing at least six people and injuring dozens of others. The attacks were sparked by two inflammatory posts that went viral on a popular platform: Facebook. In the first, a live video broadcast the alleged desecration of a Quran at a Hindu temple; in the second, a Hindu man allegedly criticised Islam. Since its founding in 2004, Facebook has been aware of the potential dangers of its platform. Its terms of service have…

Services on Sydney’s inner-west light rail network will soon resume after cracks in the trams forced their suspension, but the opposition warns the “transport saga” is not over, AAP reports. The line was closed in November after cracks were discovered in the wheel arches of all 12 tram sets. The NSW transport minister, David Elliott, says from 12 February, six trams from the eastern suburbs light rail sector will begin operating on the inner-west line at 15 minute intervals. “Services will operate between Dulwich Hill and Central Station, which is the full line,” Elliott said on Sunday. “This is better…

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told teams Saturday the league will look to bolster policies meant to encourage hiring of minorities, particularly as head coaches, and he pledged an investigation into tanking allegations raised by Brian Flores in his discrimination lawsuit against the NFL. “We will reevaluate and examine all policies, guidelines and initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, including as they relate to gender,” Goodell wrote in a memo to the league’s 32 clubs that was obtained by The Associated Press. The commissioner added that the league’s record on hiring minority coaches has been “unacceptable.” The memo came five…

The United States has rejected Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Masood Khan on allegations of his jihadist connections. He was nominated for the post in November 2021. Masood Khan’s appointment has been blocked from Washington DC and he has been virtually barred from taking charge. A letter from Pennsylvania Republican Rep. and Congressman Scott Perry in this regard has been obtained by several media outlets. Scott Perry said, President Joe Biden has asked him to stop accepting Masood Khan as Pakistan’s ambassador to the US. He described him as a jihadist and indeed a terrorist sympathizer who is working…

Rory McIlroy poses with the trophy after winning the WGC HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club on Nov 3, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird via Getty Images) In case you haven’t heard: the authoritarian government of Saudi Arabia is said to be “sportswashing” its brutal image by passing around big money to tour golfers. The definition of sportswashing is as follows: “a nation-state using a major or prestigious international sport to improve its reputation, through hosting a sporting event, the purchase or sponsorship of sporting teams, or by participation in the sport itself. At nation-state level,…

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony as people of all faiths here have been observing their respective religious festivals with liberty for long. In a message, the Prime Minister greeted the members of the Hindu community on the occasion of the Saraswati Puja. The Prime Minister said, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ensured equal rights for people of all faiths irrespective of religion, caste and creed in our constitution. Following his footstep, people of all faiths have been observing their respective religious festivals with liberty for long. She urged people…

As Bangladesh, under the magnanimous leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been relentlessly combating religious extremism, terrorism, radical Islamic militancy and drugs, it is indeed very unfortunate that US Congressman and Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory W Meeks has voiced his strong support for the Biden Administration’s designation of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and several of its officials. Congressman Gregory W Meeks in his statement said: “I believe sanctions can be most useful when they are targeted and don’t believe wholesale sanctions on Bangladesh are currently warranted”. While I express my profound gratitude to Congressman Gregory…

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told teams Saturday that the league will look to bolster policies meant to encourage hiring of minorities, particularly as head coaches, and he pledged an investigation into tanking allegations raised by Brian Flores in his discrimination lawsuit against the NFL. “We will reevaluate and examine all policies, guidelines and initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, including as they relate to gender,” Goodell wrote in a memo to the league’s 32 clubs that was obtained by The Associated Press. The commissioner added that the league’s record on hiring minority coaches has been “unacceptable.” The memo came…

AdvertisementMany people believe that the Philippines is the most Catholic country of Asia. But this has not been the case since the 1990s; Timor-Leste now has a higher percentage of Catholics. How do we explain that this shift has attracted so little attention? What is this telling us about our geopolitical and modern biases? And why does it matter to get a better sense of Asian Catholicism?The Philippines’ population is 83 percent Catholic today, compared to Timor-Leste and its 97 percent of Catholics. Casual observers might assume that the prevalence of Catholicism is due to Timor-Leste’s past as a Portuguese colony. But when Portugal left…

The puja, performed on the Vasant Panchami day every year, is celebrated across the country, mostly in educational institutions, where Hindu devotees and students seek the blessings of Ma Saraswati.Depicted as a graceful woman with a crescent moon adorning her brow, Saraswati, a mythological consort of Lord Brahma, is shown riding a swan or a peacock, or is seated on a lotus flower.On this auspicious day, Hindu children are also given their first lessons in reading and writing. In the capital, Saraswati Puja has been a tradition at Dhakeswari Temple, Siddheswari Temple, Ram-Krishna Mission, the Supreme Court premises, Jagannath Hall…

Christian Democrat politician Fred Nile reminds us that today is a significant anniversary. The liberation of Auschwitz on this day in 1945 is marked as the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The world must never forget the horrors of the Holocaust. The murderous evil of the Nazi war machine must be remembered for the sake of the persecuted and to prevent future atrocities. I saw the possessions of those who were murdered are still stored in huge storage sheds. Hair, artificial limbs, suitcases and other personal possessions. On January 27, 1945, soldiers of the…