A monthlong protest has engulfed in Gwadar, the flagship Belt and Road Initiative port project in Pakistan, clouding prospects for more Chinese investment. (Source photo by Reuters and AP)
Belt and Road

Belt and Road sit-in at Pakistan port shows no sign of ending

Monthlong protest engulfs Gwadar, casting doubt on long-term investments

16 December 2021
The only answer is to find a way to tell the whole truth to everyone without triggering a panic or a feel of despair.
Opinion

Think of our businesses and families as threatened ballrooms

Most people who live in the moment refuse to see the dangers

15 December 2021
A plantation laborer in Mizoram's Kolasib District with palm oil fresh fruit bunches. (Photo by Varsha Torgalkar)
Environment

India's palm oil ambitions for northeast frontier stir concern

Opponents fear environmental degradation if monoculture is promoted

11 December 2021
Parag Agrawal, newly named Twitter CEO: his appointment led to both celebration and soul searching in India. (Photo courtesy of Twitter) 
Opinion

New Twitter CEO highlights struggle to halt India's brain drain

A record 600,000 citizens gave up their nationality between 2017 and 2021

8 December 2021
Airport staffers carry the arriving remains of Priyantha Kumara, a Sri Lankan slain by a mob in Pakistan's Punjab Province on Dec. 3, at Bandaranaike International Airport on Dec. 6.
International relations

Lynching of foreigner threatens economic recovery in Pakistan

Sri Lankan factory manager was accused of blasphemy by a mob

7 December 2021
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. 
Your Week in Asia

Modi-Putin meeting, Summit for Democracy, China WTO anniversary

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

5 December 2021
A model of the Beidou satellite network, pictured in Beijing in September 2020: China's navigation system, an alternative to GPS, provides both civilian and military capabilities to Pakistan.
Opinion

Pakistan's cautionary tale of digital dependence on China

Beijing is successfully exploiting the need for connectivity in developing countries

3 December 2021
Shoppers at a street market in Istanbul on Nov. 18. The country's annual food price inflation came to 27.4% in October.
Commodities

Extreme food prices slam inflation-ridden Turkey and Sri Lanka

Vegetables vanish from dinner tables as price index soars 27%

3 December 2021
Millions of Afghans are facing food insecurity or worse as winter approaches. (Photo by Kanika Gupta)
Afghanistan turmoil

Afghanistan food crisis prods India, Pakistan to cooperate on aid

Archrivals close to arranging emergency transport of 50,000 tons of Indian wheat

2 December 2021
People shop at a crowded market in Mumbai on Oct. 28, ahead of a Hindu festival as COVID restrictions have eased.
Economy

India's GDP expands 8.4% in July-Sept. as COVID recedes

Vaccine rollout and eased restrictions aid recovery but omicron looms

30 November 2021
Stream article image
Asia Insight

China-Pakistan Belt and Road Initiative hits buffers

Disagreements, terrorism and COVID-19 stymie CPEC projects

30 November 2021
A flight information board at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, pictured on Aug. 16: India has other motives for keeping the air bubbles in place.
Opinion

Narendra Modi should stop using COVID to protect Indian airlines

Current approach is a throwback to the old command and control mentality

29 November 2021
The stock market in Sri Lanka continues to climb despite a disconcerted public beset with rising prices and shortages of daily goods. (Source photo by AP) 
Market Spotlight

Sri Lankan stocks soar even as economic alarm bells ring

Market tops 11,000 for first time as rupee sinks to new low

29 November 2021
Israel displays the Iron Dome missile interceptor at the Bangalore Aero-India air show. New Delhi is keen to gain access to Israel's advanced military technology.
International relations

India, Israel aim to boost ties through defense tech and trade

Two sides are resuming long-stalled talks on free trade agreement

28 November 2021
A maze of crude oil pipes and valves at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Freeport, Texas, pictured in June 2016: frustrated customers do not make for good business anywhere in the world.
Opinion

Tapping strategic oil reserves will never tame OPEC and its allies

Crude producers should nonetheless refrain from punishing buyer countries

27 November 2021
A charging station in Liuzhou, pictured on Sept. 6: policymakers need to ensure that electricity grids are carbon-neutral.
Opinion

Electric vehicles are not the greenhouse silver bullet many think

Increased EV usage will lead to higher emissions in fossil-fuel reliant countries

25 November 2021
Air India planes are parked at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Aug. 30: Tata must correct past mistakes and do justice to the iconic yet unloved Indian brand.
Opinion

To remake Air India, Tata Group should revive carrier's luxury past

How new owners can turn around the troubled airline it founded in the 1930s

24 November 2021
A screen displays leaders of the BRICS nations, clockwise from top left, Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping, Cyril Ramaphosa and Jair Bolsonaro attending the 13th BRICS summit via video link on Sept. 9: strongmen tend to be weak where it matters most.
Opinion

Why the BRICs nations have not turned the world upside down

Grouping was never ready for today's crop of leaders

24 November 2021
Narendra Modi and BJP decided to cut their losses.
Opinion

Modi's retrograde move to spike farm laws will set back reform

Decoding the politics behind government's surprise decision

23 November 2021
Delegates talk during COP26 in Glasgow on Nov. 13: the action plan suggests there are still some significant hurdles.
Opinion

Are governments even capable of halting global warming?

Private sector researchers and investors have an arguably bigger role to play

19 November 2021
The Taj Mahal, one of India's most popular attractions, reopened to local tourists in June. Businesses in the area look forward to a recovery of sales with the return of foreign tourists.
Coronavirus

India to reopen for tourists Monday as it eases COVID restrictions

Good news for the hospitality sector comes as infections fall, vaccination picks up

14 November 2021
Demonstrators protest during COP26 in Glasgow on Nov. 3: the alphabet soup of standards and information opens the door to greenwashing.
Opinion

Asia must join effort to develop sustainability disclosure standards

Tackling corporate greenwashing requires global participation

8 November 2021
Narendra Modi delivers a speech at COP26 in Glasgow on Nov. 2: India's declaration of 2070 as the net-zero target year is both cautious and optimistic.
Opinion

Why the world should applaud Narendra Modi's 2070 net-zero target

Good reasons why India needs more time than other large greenhouse gas emitters

5 November 2021
The Adani Group is already on the path toward net-zero.
Opinion

We need conversations at COP26, not lectures

How to balance energy needs with the task of combating climate change

30 October 2021
A police officer checks an Indian passport during a border check at the German-Austrian border in June 2018: a holder of a poor country passport invariably faces hurdles when trying to travel.
Opinion

Passport stigma traps poor country citizens at home

Developing world travelers face hurdles that rich nation never have to face

29 October 2021