>> hello and welcome to "news week south asia." in this weeks episode -- an attempt to derail talks between india and pakistan. and minorities attacked in

pakistan. over 80 killed in a push our -- a pashawar church. days before the scheduled meeting of the indian prime minister with his pakistani counterpart, terrorists carried out a brutal attack in kashmir with an attempt to derail talks between the countries. we have a report of a twin suicide attacks. >> dressed in army uniforms, militants stormed a station. the incident happened three days ahead of a meeting between prime

minister's of india and pakistan on the sidelines of the united nations generally just general a simply. the heavily armed militants were believed to be from pakistan, but a lesser-known militant outfit claimed responsibility for the attack. they were killed after a long gunfight with security forces. >> now the oppression is over. >> pakistan-trained terrorists are constantly moving into indian territory to carry out

assaults. the people of kashmir decried the recent attack, and a complete shutdown was observed in the states. all shops and business establishments remained shut. they also held a protest rally. >> the indian prime minister strongly condemned the terror

strikes by the enemies of peace but said such attacks will not succeed in derailing efforts to resolve all problems through a process of dialogue. he said india is firmly resolved to combat and defeat such forces. india's minister said such attacks are aimed at derailing peace talks.

>> according to south asia terrorism reports, the attacks killed 128 people, including 44 personnel, in the region this year before the latest attack. >> the minority community in pakistan has once again come under attack by extremist forces. in a recent corner kick

incident, 83 people were killed and several critically injured in an attack on a church and push our -- in pashawar. the community is terrified that more attacks will take place as the government seems powerless to protect them. >> the attack happened soon after the sunday mass had ended at the all saints church in pashawar on september 22. the suicide bombers struck as confrontation -- as the congregation was streaming out of a church into a densely populated area near a market. -- located in a densely populated area near a market. the dead include 12 women and 17 children. more than 100 evil were wounded in the attack.

some 600 parishioners had attended the morning service. the attack was the deadliest so far this year. >> distraught relatives rushed to the city hospital where the injured were taken.

>> another parishioner said he had lost two family members in the blast. >> at taliban-linked militant group claimed responsibility for the bombing and said it was in retaliation for the u.s. drone strikes in pakistan. they have vowed more attacks on pakistan.

the attack triggered angry protests. christians took out rallies as the government moved to hold talks with militants. >> protests hit the streets for the second day in the pakistani city of karachi. most were enraged at the lack of

adequate security outside their villages. similar demonstrations were held by the christians in punjab. >> both sides condemn the bombing as an act of hate and war. the miniscule christian community and pakistan is split into organizations. the country's blasphemy law has been widely used to persecute

christians. pakistan has been under scandal for the lack of religious freedom in the country. over 700 people have lost their lives to religious violence since january of last year, a u.s. report said in july. >> it's time now for a break, but stay tuned after the break. the u.s. counsel targeted a renaissance-headed province. bangladesh's leader gets tried for 1971 war crimes. violence continues unabated in afghanistan. the taliban targeting foreign troops and establishments.

they targeted a u.s. consulate while a nato convoy was targeted in kandahar. we have a detailed report. >> the taliban attacked a u.s. consulate in western afghanistan with car bombs and guns on september 13, killing at least four afghans but failing to enter the compound or hurt any americans. the attacks underscored concerns about the insurgency that shows no signs of letting up as u.s.- led troops reduce their presence ahead of a full withdrawal next year. the u.s. temporarily evacuated many of its personnel to the

embassy in kabul, 400 miles to the east. it is considered one of the safest cities in the country with a strong iranian influence. the attack highlighted the taliban's reach. the militants once concentrated their activities in the east and the south, but in recent years, they have demonstrated an ability to strike with more frequency in the once peaceful north and west. three members of the afghan security forces were killed. wounded security guards were taken to the hospital for treatment.

>> the attack came two days after americans staged commemorations for the september 11, 2001, attacks, on the united dates that precipitated the war in afghanistan. exactly two years ago, insurgents staged a daring attack on the main u.s. embassy in the heart of kabul, killing at least nine people in a battle

lasting several hours as attackers fired from a construction building. >> in another incident on september 14, at least three people were killed and three wounded in a suicide attack convoys -- targeting a convoy of nato and afghan troops in a southern city of kandahar. the bomber detonated his car loaded with explosives near the convoy. a local shopkeeper described the moment of the attack.

>> insurgents often staged so- called complex attacks involving suicide bombers and fighters on targets such as nato and afghan forces and afghan government, especially in the more volatile south and east. >> bangladesh's top court recently sentenced a leader for war crimes committed in the 1971 liberation war. here is a report.

>> on september 17, the supreme court of bangladesh sentenced to form related to death for war crimes, overturning a life sentence. he was found guilty of murder, rape, and torture. so far, six party leaders have been convicted of various crimes in connection with the war. bangladesh is rejoicing. justice has almost been done against those who committed crimes against humanity during the bangladesh war for secession from pakistan in 1971.

the court recently declared bangladesh's biggest islamic party to be illegal, effectively banning it from taking part in elections. >> i am very happy from my heart and soul. i am happy. my words to our government, he has to be hanged. >> several leaders, including two from the bangladesh nationalist party, are still on trial at the international crimes tribunal, which was set up in 2010. as elections approach in the country, there is a rising demand for a speedy trial with war criminals.

opinion polls show that the war crimes trials ranked among the top three positive steps that the ruling government has taken. one bangladesh journalist said that the verdict is a victory for the victims of the war. >> we have gathered here to celebrate the victory of our movement for the trial of the war criminals and for the capital punishment of the war criminals, and finally, the supreme court has given the verdict of one of the war criminals, and he was sentenced to death.

there was the uprising of the youth of bangladesh, and it is a victory for the people of bangladesh, a victory for those of victims of the war of bangladesh. >> the people of bangladesh are demanding that war criminals should not be acquitted or pardoned and are mounting pressure on the government.

responsible for committing war crimes during the liberation war of 1971. according to estimates, 3 million people were killed. thousands of villages were ra zed, and hundreds of thousands of women raped. the people of bangladesh want the perpetrators of the war crime to be punished severely. >> pakistan is now facing the fury of terrorist it has nurtured for decades in the country. the survey, terrorists targeted some government officials. we have a report. >> a remote-controlled bomb went off on the bus carrying government employees in pashawar city of pakistan on september 22.

at least 17 people were killed in the blast, including two women. the bus was carrying at least 50 people. the bomb exploded as the bus was traveling on a main road and -- in pashawar, which lives -- lies near the tribal areas. eyewitnesses said dead and bloodied bodies were strewn all over the road immediately after the blast. the commissioner said the civil secretariat workers on board the bus were leaving and heading to a city 20 kilometers north when their vehicle blew up.

>> bomb disposal squad officials said that the bomb was placed inside a carton under the back seat of the bus and detonated through a timed device while it was moving in the city. an estimated six kilograms of explosives were used in the bomb. no group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. islamist violence has been on the rise and pakistan for the past months, undermining the prime minister's efforts to tame the insurgency by launching peace talks with the pakistani taliban. >> with that, we come to the end of this edition of "news week south asia.

will be back next week with more news, views, and analysis from the subcontinent. meanwhile, do keep writing into us. on behalf of the entire production team of "news week south asia," goodbye. 

hello and welcome back to nhk world "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. the u.s. federal reserve bank could be about to get its first female chairperson. u.s. president barack obama has nomen aifted janet yellen to succeed ben bernanke as head of the u.s. central bank. obama announced his decision at the white house. yellen and bernanke was present during the announcement. >>