Life moves fast. News moves faster. This week, Pakistan test-fired a nuclear-capable short-range missile, while Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani insisted the country was unaware of Osama bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad. Meanwhile, India’s Supreme Court ordered the government to do away with Hajj subsidies.
Missile wars. Following in the footsteps of North Korea and India, Pakistan test-fired a missile of its own Thursday. The short-range missile, capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, marked the country’s second test in two weeks. The global community is said to be keeping a close eye on Pakistan’s nuclear efforts. (TIME)
Supreme Court vs. Hajj. India’s Supreme Court ordered the government to end a program the provides subsidies to Muslims for Hajj, the holy pilgrimage. But Muslims are reportedly fine with the ruling, having not been in favor of the subsidy to begin with. The program began in 1973 when India abolished sea travel as a means of making Hajj. (Voice of America)
Osama who? Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani maintained his stance that authorities were complicit in sheltering Osama bin Laden in his Abottabad compound. Speaking after the one-year anniversary of bin Laden’s death, Gilani attributed Pakistan’s oversight on the issue to a universal “intelligence failure”. (NY Daily News)
Haywire over Hillary. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s comments about globally acclaimed microlender Grameen Bank while visiting Bangladesh have been met with adversity. A senior Bangladeshi minister called her remarks “unwarranted”, referring to Clinton’s charge that the work of both Grameen and its former head Muhammad Yunus should not be undermined by government actions. (CNN)
A trial’s denouement. A trial that captivated India for four years came to court on Friday, as a couple in Delhi stand trial for the murder of their teenager daughter and domestic servant. Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, both successful dentists, have maintained their innocence since the 2008 incident. But speculation has been rife that the couple killed 13-year-old daughter Aarushi for potential sexual relations with the household’s Nepalese servant. (AFP)
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Sabrina Siddiqui is the editor-in-chief of Divanee.com.