Economy

A family wait outside a railway station in New Delhi on June 1: COVID-19 has laid bare the weakness of South Asia's economies.
Opinion

South Asia risks coronavirus lost decade

India and Pakistan's poor disease management will cost them dearly

17 June 2020
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina spoke to her Swedish counterpart, Stefan Lofven, who assured her that garment buyers would honor purchase agreements. (Nikkei collage/Akira Kodaka)
Trade

Bangladesh goes to bat for textile industry as buyers scrap orders

Trade group teams up with rights lobby for 'battle' with European partners

31 May 2020
Repatriated overseas Filipino workers arrive at an airport after weeks of quarantine in Pasay City on May 26: they send home more than $35 billion annually.
Opinion

Coronavirus shock exposes Asian governments' addiction to remittances

Money which overseas workers send home has prevented needed reforms

28 May 2020
Indians wait to board a repatriation flight from Kuwait International Airport in Kuwait City, on May 9: There are reports that more than 400,000 Indians worldwide are trying to return home. © AFP/Jiji
Coronavirus

Coronavirus wrecks South Asian migrant livelihoods in Middle East

Some 900,000 stranded workers to test health care systems and economies

20 May 2020
The superstorm Amphan is expected to passes through Kolkata with winds off up to 120 kph.
Natural disasters

Cyclone forces mass evacuation from India and Bangladesh coasts

First superstorm in 20 years adds to challenges amid COVID-19 pandemic

20 May 2020
Despite stellar economic growth over the past decade, many Bangladeshis have no safety nets and economic survival outweighs COVID-19 concerns. 
Asia Insight

Coronavirus risks pushing millions of Bangladeshis back into poverty

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership severely tested by food and income setbacks

12 May 2020
A doctor tests a patient for the coronavirus in Dharavi, one of Asia's largest slums, at the outset of India's nationwide lockdown, which has failed to conquer the novel coronavirus.
Coronavirus

India and Pakistan's 'red zones' keep COVID-19 trajectory on rise

New Delhi modifies strategy as stringent lockdown fails to flatten curve

7 May 2020
Rickshaw pullers in Dhaka, most of whom are sole providers for their families, are suffering as the number of passengers declines sharply, pictured on Apr. 20.
Opinion

Bangladesh poor, Rohingya refugees most at risk from COVID-19

Country's health system already struggling before coronavirus

29 April 2020
Women carry relief supplies provided by local authorities amid the coronavirus outbreak in Dhaka on April 2.
Economy

Bangladesh seeks IMF lifeline after record stimulus package

Cash infusion may not be enough to cushion blow from COVID-19 crisis

10 April 2020
Foreign students in Japan are allowed to work in unskilled-labor positions, such as convenience store work, for up to 28 hours per week. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) 
Japan immigration

Japan intensifies crackdown on student visa overstayers

Number of countries subject to stricter checks to increase tenfold

11 February 2020
Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu is at present the only gateway for air passengers visiting Nepal. (Photo by Yuji Kuronuma)
Economy

Nepal's new airport threatens 2.4m trees, angering greens

Government pushes on with $1.3bn project to handle flood of foreign tourists

5 February 2020
A worker stands next to robotic arms in a factory in Zhangjiakou, China: robots often supplement and support humans rather than replace them.
Opinion

Asia's economies must learn to accommodate rise of robots

Technology can complement humans but it can also eliminate their jobs

5 February 2020
People walk by a banner aimed at raising awareness of the coronavirus in Islamabad. Pakistan, as of Saturday, does not have a confirmed case of the infection. 
Coronavirus

Coronavirus fears freeze Belt and Road projects in Pakistan

Opposition politicians slam government for not evacuating citizens from Wuhan

1 February 2020
Gotabaya Rajapaksa (in red), Sri Lankan president and former wartime defence chief, with his brothers including Mahinda Rajapaksa (left), former president, waves at his supporters in Colombo during the campaign for the November 2019 presidential election.
International relations

Sri Lanka faces EU ire after government breaks UN war obligations

Rajapaksa's stance risks country losing favored trade status with European bloc

25 January 2020
Despite the fanfare surrounding use of Gwadar port for trade with Afghanistan, experts say the facility has a long way to go before China sees any return on its investment.
Belt and Road

Beijing-backed Pakistan port opens as hub for Afghanistan trade

Gwadar challenges Indian interests in region, but China's ROI remains unclear

23 January 2020
Pakistan's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Muhammad Hammad Azhar talks to the Nikkei Asian Review in Tokyo. (Photo by Yuichi Shiga)
Interview

Belt and Road corridor to boost Pakistan economy: minister

Azhar says free trade agreement with Beijing will also help

8 January 2020
Narendra Modi has embarked on implementing his party's core political projects and he will continue on this track in 2020.
Opinion

2020 look ahead: Politics and protectionism to dominate Indian economy

Slowing growth needs corporate kick-start, but Modi only offers distractions

2 January 2020
Vietnamese residents take photos as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un goes past in Hanoi on Feb. 26.
Photos

2019 in pictures: Looking back at a year of celebrations, confrontations and more

A selection of striking images from across Asia, and the stories behind them

29 December 2019
A man stands on the back of a vehicle carrying sacks of onions in the ancient Nepalese city of Bhaktapur. India has banned onion exports in response to flooding, forcing Nepal to turn to China for supplies.
18 December 2019
An activist sets on fire an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir on International Human Rights Day in Karachi, Pakistan, on Dec. 10.
Kashmir turmoil

Kashmir conflict takes toll on India and Pakistan economies

Business groups step up calls to improve economic ties

14 December 2019
A laborer whose name is excluded from the final list of the NRC stands at a construction site of a detention center in Assam on Sep. 1: the real challenge is what India is going to do with the people who do not make it on to the NRC.
Opinion

India's citizenship changes are immoral and self-defeating

Making it harder for Muslims to become citizens risks global backlash

13 December 2019
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has been cheering a brighter economic picture, but high interest rates threaten to put a damper on growth.
Economy

Khan boasts of Pakistan's economic revival despite slow demand

Cheap currency reduces current-account deficit, but interest rate stays high

12 December 2019
Port City Colombo, part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, has given Sri Lanka hope that the project will eventually grow into "South Asia's premier residential, retail and business destination." (Photo courtesy of CHEC Port City Colombo)
Belt and Road

China grips Sri Lanka with artificial island off Colombo

Development and legal framework draw 'one country, two systems' comparison

12 December 2019
Aerial view of Shanghai: urban planning cannot simply stop at the city limits.
Opinion

Asia must rethink its cities to make the most of urbanization

Detailed maps, better transport and affordable homes are vital for growth

11 December 2019
An elephant walks past tourist safari jeeps at Kaudulla national park in Habarana, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 6, 2019.
Economy

Sri Lanka awaits winter tourists to revive terror-hit sector

Some flights resume, bringing hope of earlier-than-expected recovery

6 December 2019