pakistan

 I don't know Bangladeshi political history well enough to evaluate the arguments, but as a primer on Bangladesh, it's well written, readable, and worth taking a glance at.  The news hook is that the Bangladeshi Supreme Court recently upheld a 5-year-old decision banning the use of religion in politics.

Additionally, I've been meaning to put a plug in for the source, Newsline, which is among the best publications I've seen out of Pakistan - if not South Asia - in a while.   Take a browse around.

WTF!!!!

I know it's one story and it's denied and I'm not supposed to be surprised by anything anymore even if it turns out true, but seriously, wtf!?  Doesn't this enrage you?  How did my government get to this point?!

Update - corrected head - apparently they don't kill people for the U.S. government - just for the Pakistani government.  They do planning of killing people for the U.S. government, according to the article. 

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday directed the federal and provincial governments to sit together and find out amicable solutions to the issues confronting eunuchs...-

The three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry issued the direction after hearing progress over its previous orders. Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed and Justice Rahmat Hussain Jafferi were the other members of the bench.

Always nice to see that neocolonial racism hasn't totally lost its will to exist in the countries it once colonised.  A French restaurant in Islamabad had a sign up that said 'Foreigners Only.' 

If they had been smart, they would have just done what Delhi establishments do and allegedly what they did before and simply discriminate without making a sign to draw attention to it. 

According to British conservative newspaper The Telegraph, the United Kingdom and the United States are leading a group of countries that have pledged $5 billion to Pakistan:

More than $5 billion (£3 billion) has already been pledged, $2.5 billion of which has been earmarked to help rebuild homes, roads, bridges, schools and hospitals decimated in the Pakistan Army's operation to break the Taliban's control over the the Swat valley....

Come support an emergency benefit concert on Wednesday, August 19th, 2009 (at 515 Malcolm X Blvd New York, NY, from 730-11pm, tickets $8 advance, $10 at the door) to raise money for Pakistani IDPs. DJ Rekha of Basement Bhangra, K-Salaam, and performances by The Kominas and AbstractVision.

Published apology in the Daily Star.  Those of us who have national allegiances could take notes on this:

We reject the Pakistani state and army's claim that these atrocities were committed in our name.