This is such a fascinating story and it just shows how industriousness could be nurtured into entrepreneurship if given the chance. I wonder, though, if Mumbai does redevelop this slum, whether they'll build a recycling center to fill the void...

Quoted: Thousands of small-scale recycling factories in Asia's largest slum face an uncertain future amid plans to redevelop the area.

Wow, this week marks the 49th anniversary of the Dalai Lama's exile from Tibet. Some great pictures in this slide show...

Quoted: This week in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, fleeing the Chinese suppression of a national uprising in Tibet, crossed the border into India, where he was granted political asylum.

A good recap/analysis of what happened in the Pakistani elections.

Quoted: Heading into Monday's parliamentary elections, Pakistan desperately needed good news. Bombs, protests, and President Pervez Musharraf's authoritarian impulses have made almost daily headlines and created the impression of a country spiraling toward chaos.

Apparently he was somewhere around 91 years old...

Quoted: The Indian guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, credited with introducing the Beatles to ancient Hindu meditation, dies.

Just something to keep in mind when we're in Calcutta... steer clear of poultry/chicken products (in S. Asia in general) and be careful about water sources.

Quoted: The bird flu epidemic in the Indian state of West Bengal spreads closer to the capital, Calcutta, officials say.

An interview with the female suicide bomber who was convicted of attempting to assassinate the Sri Lankan prime minister. The Tamil Tigers are known for having female suicide bombers, as well as young girl soldiers.

Quoted: On the day before she set out to blow up the Sri Lankan prime minister, Menake went shopping for a sequined top to hide the vest full of explosives that would turn her into a human bomb.

Just goes to show how desperate people are to get visas. Sad but interesting.

Quoted: In Hyderabad, India, a local incarnation of the Hindu Lord Vishnu goes by a new nickname, the Visa God, as thousands come to pray for visas to go to the U.S. and other Western countries.

I wish South Asia could break this dynastic habit... I just don't see why Bhutto's 19-year-old son is most qualified to succeed her. Meanwhile, I didn't realize Bhutto had kids - I really hope he isn't assassinated as well...

Quoted: Pakistan’s largest political party picked Benazir Bhutto’s 19-year-old son to succeed her as chairman and vowed to forge ahead with elections next week.

I sort of think this writer is overstating the effect Bhutto's assassiation is going to have on Musharraf's standing (although it can't help...)

Quoted: Bhutto's assassination has diminished the Pakistani president's already low public standing. Could her death lead to his political demise?