India economy flounders after ‘monsoon washout’

A total impasse in India’s parliament is not only undermining the world’s biggest democracy but also deepening its economic woes as long-awaited reforms fall by the wayside. A now familiar chorus of recriminations echoed around the grandiose circular chamber on Friday as the second of the three annual sessions ended in paralysis.

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Christian girl freed in Pakistan blasphemy case

Blasphemy laws are too often abused to settle personal vendettas - rights group:

A Christian girl accused of blasphemy was released on bail in Pakistan Saturday after spending more than three weeks in jail, in a case that has sparked an international outcry. Rimsha Masih, dressed in a traditional baggy green shirt and dark-green trousers, was seen stepping out of an armoured vehicle before being whisked to a waiting helicopter to be reunited with her family.

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