Can the new opposition alliance oust Modi in 2024?

In this edition: Over two dozen opposition parties have set aside their differences and united to form an alliance to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP in India’s parliamentary elections next year.

Plus: The bloodshed between North and South Korea ended in a 1953 armistice. With “no clear winner,” experts say that there is little immediate chance of permanent reconciliation.

On the ground in Islamabad: Domestic sexual abuse of children is a taboo subject in Pakistan. The problem is compounded by a prevailing culture of impunity for perpetrators, activists say.

DW on YouTube: Every week we feature a long-form, Asia-focused video from DW’s YouTube channels. This week, check out “How Heidelberg University became entangled in China’s quantum strategy” from DW Documentary.

These stories and more in today’s DW Asia newsletter.

– DW Asia team

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Read Julian Ryall’s report

Both North and South Korea are marking the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that brought the three-year Korean War to an uneasy end.

The fighting claimed 3 million lives and saw US and Chinese troops clash to prop up their allies on the Korean peninsula. Even seven decades later, there is little chance of the two Koreas leaving the conflict behind.

In the South Korean city of Busan, delegations from the US and over 20 other countries that supported South Korea under the UN will take part in a ceremony to commemorate the anniversary on Thursday. The delegations will also include veterans of the conflict, which lasted between 1950 and 1953.

In turn, North Korea has invited senior members of the Chinese and Russian governments to a parade of troops and military hardware through central Pyongyang to celebrate what the regime insists was a victory.

North Korea has been ratcheting up its rhetoric and demonstrations of its military might, most recently by launching two intermediate-range missiles off its east coast on Tuesday.

Kim Dae-Jung left office in 2003 and ties between the two Koreas have continued to fluctuate. They seemed to be improving under Moon Jae-in, who was president between 2017 and 2022. That has reversed again since Yoon Seok-yeol was elected last year.

“While the Moon administration maintained neutral diplomacy between the two superpowers, the United States and China, upon coming into power, the Yoon administration chose a pro-US and anti-China stance,” Lee said.

The deterioration can be seen as a result of changes in South Korea’s foreign policy, she added, warning that chances for progress in the foreseeable future are slim.

Former intelligence officer Rah Jong-yil is also pessimistic about reducing tensions.

“South Korean politics are not stable and the North has developed a sizable military capability that includes nuclear weapons,” he said. “It does not look good.”

Read the rest of Julian’s report

Read S. Khan’s report

A recent report released by the government of Pakistan’s Punjab province laid bare the growing problem of child sexual abuse in the region.

In the first five and a half months of 2023, 1,390 such cases were reported, data from the province’s Interior Ministry showed.

Experts warn that the figure is just “the tip of the iceberg,” as many cases go unreported. 

According to the report, 959 of the reported cases involved boys, while the remaining 431 cases involved girls.

Muhammad Shahzad, a Lahore-based crime reporter, said this report doesn’t reflect the true picture, as it only showed cases reported by parents or relatives of the victims.

He said many victims of sexual abuse were either homeless children or those studying in Islamic religious schools. These are less likely to be reported.

There are about 1.5 million homeless children in Pakistan and 2.5 million in Islamic seminaries. They are all vulnerable to sexual assault, Shahzad said.

Read the rest of S. Khan’s report

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