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On 17 December, Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan delivered a speech using an AI-generated audio clip at a ‘virtual rally’ hosted by the PTI. Cartoon by Gihan de Chickera 
Podcast

Podcast: INDIA Opposition MPs suspended, Imran Khan’s virtual rally, flooding in Tamil Nadu and more

Your Southasia news roundup from 1 - 23 Dec 2023

Southasiasphere is our roundup of news events and analysis of regional affairs, now out every two weeks. If you are a member, you will automatically receive links to new episodes in your inbox. If you are not yet a member, you can still get episode links for free by signing up here.

In this episode, we talk about flooding in Tamil Nadu, the mass suspension of India's opposition MPs and key bills passed in the Lok Sabha, Imran Khan using AI to participate in a virtual Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rally, a large Bangladesh Nationalist Party rally ahead of Bangladesh's elections, Maldives ending a hydrographic survey of India, 56 Sri Lankans being held captive at the Thai-Myanmar border, Bhutan's upcoming national assembly elections, Myanmar overtaking Afghanistan as the world's largest opium producer and a landmark decision on caste discrimination in Nepal.

India’s massive failure to control pesticide overuse in cardamom and its spice trade

Maharashtra’s voters are reduced to choosing between two brands of odious Hindutva

Pakistan’s 26th constitutional amendment is curtailing judicial independence – Southasia Weekly #40

Pakistan’s judicial system takes an authoritarian hit

Sri Lanka, the National People's Power and women in politics – Southasia Weekly #39