Pakistan

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
No professional actors were used in the sly and very funny 2015 film "Thithi" ("The Rite").
Life

Top 10 South Asian films to stream during lockdown

For those confined by coronavirus, our pick of the best movies available at a click

1 May 2020
A still from a music video by art-punk duo Garam Anday, formed by Karachi-based filmmaker Anam Abbas and medical student Areib Usman. (Courtesy of Garam Anday)
Life

Pakistan's women rockers stick to their guns

Female musicians are defying gender stereotypes in the Islamic republic

30 April 2020
Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, greets Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Beijing, in November 2018. Khan must balance ties with Beijing and acting to protect public health in Pakistan.
Belt and Road

Pakistan moves to save face as coronavirus hits Belt and Road

Government's order for work to resume a bid to foster China ties, analysts say

22 April 2020
Volunteers stand with hand sanitizer and masks, to offer to people, as a preventive measure against the coronavirus, from a stall setup by an NGO for awareness, at the premises of the St John Cathedral in Peshawar, Pakistan on March 15. 
Coronavirus

Pakistan seeks China's help as it shows solidarity on coronavirus

Some experts skeptical on Beijing's ability to help out Belt and Road partners

23 March 2020
Rescue workers wearing masks and protective clothing check a man's temperature during a mock drill on handling suspected carriers of coronavirus in Peshawar, Pakistan on March 2.
Coronavirus

Pakistan's fragile health care system raises coronavirus anxiety

People angered by weak quarantine procedures and inadequate testing

13 March 2020
A locust invasion has caused a food crisis in Ethiopia.
Society

Locust swarms form dark clouds over South Asia food security

Beijing tells authorities to prepare for possible invasion

4 March 2020
There are plans to make the port city of Gwadar, near the Gulf of Oman, into a smart metropolis of 2 million, but the city's 85,000 current residents already struggle with poor electricity and water supplies.
Belt and Road

Pakistan's Belt and Road port has Singapore-size goal

Gwadar's development plan, with a lack of funds and resources, stirs skepticism

2 March 2020
G7 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Chantilly, France, July 17, 2019.
Your Week in Asia

G-20 finance ministers, Nissan shareholders and a China-ASEAN meeting

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

17 February 2020
A doctor walks out of an isolation ward at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center in Karachi that was set up as a preventative measure following the coronavirus outbreak.
Coronavirus

Stuck in Wuhan: Pakistani students' cry for help falls on deaf ears

Islamabad fears nation's medical facilities cannot handle coronavirus patients

13 February 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
Growth in demand is outstripping that of production, putting upward pressure on cinnamon prices.
Commodities

Cinnamon prices rise in a world thirsty for chai and lattes

Beloved spice also finds its way into skin care products and toothpaste

5 February 2020
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Jan. 30 that Phnom Penh's decision not to evacuate students from Wuhan is a form of "soft diplomacy."
Coronavirus

Hun Sen offers Wuhan visit, while Pakistan resumes China flights

Beijing's clout generates measured responses to the virus crisis with some allies

4 February 2020
When Chinese markets last traded on Jan. 23, the Shanghai Composite Index tumbled 2.8%, its worst single-day drop since May. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets are due to reopen on Monday.
Your Week in Asia

Chinese markets reopen, RCEP talks and India rate decision

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

2 February 2020
Kalika chief Nicholas Pandey expects Nepal to prosper from economic stability and Chinese investment. 
Interview

Nepal's Kalika Group riding high on Chinese investment

China-India rail link among major BRI infrastructure projects

2 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
Airport officials wear masks as they wait to help passengers after having their temperatures taken at Bandaranaike International Airport, Sri Lanka, on Jan. 24.
Coronavirus

Wuhan coronavirus spreads to Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Germany

Patient in Cambodian city of Sihanoukville is a tourist from China

28 January 2020
Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Jan. 21.
Coronavirus

Wuhan coronavirus confirmed in Malaysia, Australia and Nepal

Japan declares third infection in woman who traveled from Wuhan

25 January 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
Two months after meeting with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, left, the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced a new citizenship law that threatens a mass exodus of Muslims to Bangladesh.
International relations

Bangladesh fears Rohingya-like crisis over India citizenship law

Tensions mount as many Indian Muslims fear detention or deportation

16 January 2020
Yatri Motorcycles' V2 model runs off a 30 kW engine powered by a 6 kW battery and will be built in Nepal (Courtesy of Yatri Motorcycles).
Startups

Nepali startup to roll out country's first electric motorbike

Yatri Motorcycles plans to tackle fuel pollution with home-built two-wheelers

15 January 2020
U.S. President Donald Trump, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Pakistan is trying to distance itself from U.S.-Iran tensions, not only to avoid getting caught up in violence but also to keep the Belt and Road infrastructure projects on track. (Photos by Reuters, AP)
Iran tensions

US-Iran tensions challenge Pakistan's balancing act

Islamabad aims to avoid angering Shiites as it protects Belt and Road projects

13 January 2020