James Bennett is the ABC's South Asia correspondent, based in New Delhi and covering India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Previously, James reported on federal politics at Parliament House. His ABC career began in country WA. Moving to Melbourne, James was on the ground as the Black Saturday bushfires ravaged Victoria, and reported extensively on their aftermath. On a happier note, he's also covered several Tours de France, including Cadel Evans' landmark 2011 victory. He's on Twitter: @James_L_Bennett.
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| UpdatedIndia's PM Narendra Modi has called Malcolm Turnbull to express concern over the killing of Indian-born Brisbane bus driver Manmeet Alisher, who was burnt to death at a bus stop last week.
Topics: crime, law-crime-and-justice, turnbull-malcolm, foreign-affairs, murder-and-manslaughter, india, moorooka-4105, qld, australia
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| UpdatedThe Indian brother of the bus driver burnt to death in Brisbane says his family suspects the killing was a hate crime, despite police yesterday stating there was no apparent motive for the attack.
Topics: crime, law-crime-and-justice, emergency-incidents, india, moorooka-4105, qld, australia
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| UpdatedFarmers say they are being offered infertile plots as compensation for their land as India's Government pushes ahead with its 100 smart cities idea.
Topics: world-politics, science-and-technology, urban-development-and-planning, india
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| UpdatedDespite the Indian Government's promise to cut red tape, and pleading from Australian diplomats, a long-awaited decision is still pending from India's import umpires on whether Australian-grown willow can be used to make cricket bats in India.
Topics: cricket, sport, human-interest, business-economics-and-finance, trade, india, asia, australia, healesville-3777
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Aid agencies in Afghanistan fear huge numbers of refugees sent back from Pakistan could be recruited by insurgents.
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, international-aid-and-trade, terrorism, refugees, afghanistan, pakistan
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| UpdatedIn India, Bollywood music rules supreme. But Mumbai rapper Divine is attracting a growing and diverse following with gritty songs about growing up poor.
Topics: hip-hop, arts-and-entertainment, music, community-and-society, human-interest, india, asia
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| UpdatedHuman Rights Watch says it has documented 25 instances of "kneecappings" by Bangladeshi police, and that countries like Australia should demand improvements if their co-operation is to continue.
Topics: human, police, terrorism, world-politics, bangladesh, australia
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Afghanistan's Government hopes a deal with the Hezb-i-Islami group will help persuade the Taliban to enter talks as well, but analysts have cast doubt on the peace deal warning that 15-years after entering the nation, the west's indifference toward the region risks creating safe harbour for terrorists.
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, world-politics, defence-and-national-security, afghanistan
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| UpdatedMother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, more than 5,000 strong globally, continues the soon-to-be-saint's work, caring for impoverished, ill and aging people in more than 130 countries.
Topics: community-and-society, religion-and-beliefs, religious-leaders, india, holy-see-vatican-city-state
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| UpdatedIn a place where many children work and most girls marry before adulthood, learning to surf emerges as one way to hold onto an all-too-brief childhood.
Topics: women, surfing, community-and-society, bangladesh
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Human rights group Amnesty India says charges of sedition laid against it in India are an attempt to stifle free speech.
Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, human, india, asia
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| UpdatedA military "combing" operation is underway in the south-western province of Baluchistan in the wake of the suicide attack on a Quetta hospital which killed at least 70 and left over 100 wounded.
Topics: terrorism, unrest-conflict-and-war, world-politics, pakistan, asia
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| UpdatedTwo years after the Australian National Gallery gave a stolen sculpture back to India, it remains in police storage, and the villagers awaiting its return still do not know when their prized Dancing Shiva will come home.
Topics: arts-and-entertainment, community-and-society, religion-and-beliefs, india
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| UpdatedAn Indian sprinter who made strides for female athletes who were born with excessive amounts of male sex hormones is heading to Rio. But not everyone is happy she is allowed to compete.
Topics: olympics-summer, courts-and-trials, sport, india, brazil
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| UpdatedKabul plunges into mourning after its deadliest attack for 15 years kills 80 people, injures hundreds and reignites concern IS is seeking to expand its foothold in Afghanistan.
Topics: terrorism, government-and-politics, afghanistan
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A controversial Indian Islamic televangelist, alleged by Bangladesh to have incited a terrorist involved in the Dhaka cafe attack, denies condoning jihad.
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, television-broadcasting, islam, terrorism, india, bangladesh
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The disputed Kashmir region sees its worst outbreak of separatist violence in years with at least 18 people killed, including a police officer.
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, jammu-and-kashmir, india, pakistan
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Bangladesh is confronting a new terror threat — middle and upper class university students whose radicalism remains a mystery — and as the country contemplates whether Islamic State is involved, liberal campaigners remain in hiding, fearing for their lives.
Topics: terrorism, unrest-conflict-and-war, activism-and-lobbying, murder-and-manslaughter, bangladesh
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| UpdatedAs Bangladesh mourns following its deadliest ever terror attack, officials must now confront the reality of transnational terror groups like Islamic State operating in the country, security analysts say.
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, terrorism, bangladesh
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| UpdatedOne of India's most revered and controversial yoga gurus is leading the country's effort to claim a greater slice of the global wellbeing market, selling everything from traditional remedies to noodles and shampoo.
Topics: community-and-society, religion-and-beliefs, hinduism, india
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| UpdatedBollywood celebrates a rare court decision to overrule the country's chief censor, who had sought to censor a controversial film about drug problems in the state of Punjab.
Topics: film-movies, arts-and-entertainment, india
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| UpdatedThe husband of an Australian woman who died on Mount Everest last week says he cannot yet contemplate living without his "perfect" wife, revealing new details about her death on the world's highest mountain.
Topics: death, nepal, australia, vic, melbourne-3000
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| UpdatedIndia's most popular tourist attraction, the Taj Mahal, appears to be turning green in places, triggering alarm as the famed white marble of the monument to love comes under attack from insect poo.
Topics: environment, environmental-impact, environmental-health, water-pollution, invertebrates---insects-and-arachnids, tourism, india
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| UpdatedSri Lanka's President mourns the island's "devastating loss" as the death toll from three days of torrential rain and landslides rises to 37, with more than 150 missing and rescuers still pulling bodies from the mud.
Topics: landslide, disasters-and-accidents, floods, sri-lanka, asia
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| UpdatedIn India, 330 million people across 10 states are in the grip of a crippling drought and heatwave, with one city entirely reliant on drinking water delivered daily by train.
Topics: weather, health, drought, disasters-and-accidents, india, asia