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Sadia Rao

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Two scientists reading DNA genetic code
India

Collection Of DNA Spells Doom In India

-Analysis-

In 2007, the department of biotechnology in India began drafting a controversial legislative bill to collect and store the DNA information of Indian citizens in a national databank to help solve criminal cases. Since then, the measure has largely failed to move forward due to inadequate safeguards to secure this sensitive personal information. The Human DNA Profiling Bill is now back in parliament but it still does not fully address those previous concerns. I would go on to argue that this measure is even more dangerous now than it was when it was first raised a decade ago because of the current political climate in India.

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No women allowed
Japan

Five Places Around The World Where Women Are (Still) Banned

Many are up in arms after UNESCO granted a small Japanese island World Heritage Site status in June. On face value, Okinoshima Island, home to a 17th-century Shinto shrine, is a worthy World Heritage Site. But it's not what the island has that has caused controversy — rather, what it lacks: There are no women on Okinoshima. In fact, those of the "fairer sex" are forbidden to set foot on the island.

Believe it or not, there are still several places in the world where women are banned. Here is a rundown of five places, ranging from a monastic enclave in Greece to a coffee shop in Saudi Arabia, where women are not allowed to enter.

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Graduation day?
Japan

5 Strange-But-True College Courses Around The World

Congratulations to all those 2017 graduates out there. It couldn't have been easy! Elsewhere, we have gathered some examples of the wackiest college courses from around the world. If you could go back to school, which one would you pick?

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in Cairo in 2009.
Egypt

Widening Clampdown On Internet News In Egypt

CAIRO — The Egyptian government has blocked access to a total of 21 news and information websites since last Wednesday, including the original publisher of this article, Cairo-based Mada Masr. A security source cited by MENA, the country's official state news agency, said that the blocked websites were disseminating "content that supports terrorism and extremism and deliberately spreads lies."

These events are part of a longer and wider history of the state's attempt to control the Internet, a principal concern since the January 2011 revolution and one that has become apparent following the recent campaign of arrests made recently in connection with the administration of Facebook pages. The government is also currently preparing legislation to combat cyber crime.

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Screenshot of video of Farooq Ahmad Dar being used as human shield
India

A Human Shield Exposed In The Daylight Of Kashmir

One of the ugliest tactics in modern warfare has been the use of "human shields." From Serbia to Sri Lanka and Gaza, armed combatants have been accused of putting civilian lives at risk on the frontlines in order to protect themselves. If the enemy attacks innocent bystanders on site, it risks committing a grave human rights violation. But even if the 1949 Geneva Conventions rightly stipulates that the use of human shields itself constitutes a war crime, it is a practice that often remains in the shadows.

Last month, a horrifying video circulated on YouTube has brought the practice to light in an unprecedented way in Kashmir, another region long mired in conflict over disputed territory between India and Pakistan.

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