Shashank Bengali is a foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, covering South Asia. He has reported from more than 50 countries and covered wars on three continents. He currently lives in Mumbai, India.

RECENT STORIES

In Myanmar, hatred for Rohingya Muslims runs so deep that one diplomat called them 'ugly as ogres' -- and got promoted
The savage treatment of the Rohingya stems from a virulent ethnic and religious nationalism promulgated for decades by the military, and spread easily via social media across a country with some of the lowest education levels in Southeast Asia.

U.S. airstrikes rise sharply in Afghanistan -- and so do civilian deaths
Operating under looser restrictions on air power that commanders hope will break a stalemate in the war, U.S. fighter planes this year dropped 3,554 explosives in Afghanistan through Oct. 31, the most since 2012.

The Marines returned to Helmand province. Is their mission a blueprint for Trump's Afghanistan strategy?
Marine advisors have revitalized Afghan forces during a sustained government offensive that has pushed the Taliban away from major towns and highways in the strategic southern province.

Bangladeshi surfer girls go against the cultural tide
Surfing has helped eight girls ages 11 to 14 reclaim a piece of their childhood. It is a sport that conjures up freedom, verve and sunlit horizons — attributes not usually associated with the life of a young girl in Bangladesh.

Searching for the next NBA sensation in the world's 2nd most populous nation
The NBA has stepped up efforts to find a homegrown star to carry its banner in a country where less than half of 1% of the population plays basketball.