Pakistan

Nepal's new Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli treads a tightrope between India and China, which are both jostling for influence over the small, landlocked country.
International relations

Nepal's prime minister walks tightrope on India visit

Courted by Delhi and Beijing, Oli wants to extract investments from both

5 April 2018
K.P. Sharma Oli lights a candle at an event in Kathmandu in 2016 marking the first anniversary of an earthquake in the capital that killed nearly 9,000 people. (Photo by Yuji Kuronuma)
Politics

Who is Sharma Oli?

Veteran communist leader rose from prison to prime ministership in Nepal

5 April 2018
Exiled Tibetans rally in New Delhi last August to show their support for India in the Doklam standoff.
Politics

Brahma Chellaney: China carries out a stealthy war in the Himalayas

India flounders as Beijing works to steadily change the status quo

29 March 2018
A Chinese construction worker at the site of a Chinese-backed hotel complex in Colombo in October 2015
The Big Story

Is China's Belt and Road working? A progress report from eight countries

Beijing's infrastructure push clouded by project delays and mounting debt

28 March 2018
Massive traffic jams like this are a daily occurrence in Jakarta. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Only bigger public investment can ease Asia's infrastructure shortages

Private funding is too small to close the gap in transport, energy and telecoms

27 March 2018
A floating storage regasification unit for carrying LNG cruises the waters near Karachi, Pakistan.
Commodities

New Asian importers shaking up world LNG market

China's consumption also growing, Asia now accounts for 70% of global demand

22 March 2018
While foreign buyers have pressured Bangladeshi companies to stop using underaged workers in apparel factories, local toy factories target the domestic market. (Photo by Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Business

Bangladesh is becoming a toy-making powerhouse

Once reliant on Chinese imports, the country is now on the cusp of being an exporter itself

22 March 2018
While foreign buyers have pressured Bangladeshi companies to stop using underaged workers in apparel factories, local toy factories target the domestic market. (Photo by Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Economy

Bangladesh replaces Chinese toys with local products

Domestic manufacturing surges to meet rising demand and cultural tastes

21 March 2018
Puppets from the Ehelepola Kumaraya play, the story of a nobleman's son resisting a Sinhalese king influenced by the colonizing British (Photo by Rajpal Abeynayake)
Arts

Masks and puppets tell Sri Lanka's ancient tales

Local performers battle to keep traditional art forms relevant

18 March 2018
Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena, left, meets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Abe's official residence in Tokyo.
International relations

Japan and Sri Lanka to step up maritime cooperation

Abe seeks to counter China with health and infrastructure assistance

15 March 2018
Sri Lanka's southern port of Hambantota was leased to China in 2017 to ease the country's debt servicing burden. (Photo by Yuji Kuronuma) 
International relations

Sri Lanka's silent port reveals China's ever tighter grip

Attempts at fiscal discipline strengthen Beijing's hand

14 March 2018
Myanmar authorities are building military bases and roads over the ruins of Rohingya villages, according to an Amnesty International report.
International relations

Myanmar military bases built atop Rohingya ruins: Amnesty report

'Land grab' intended to erase evidence of crimes, rights group says

13 March 2018
Soldiers of Sri Lanka's Special Task Force walk past damaged houses after a clash between two communities in Kandy district, Sri Lanka on March 8, 2018.
Politics

Buddhist mobs threaten Sri Lanka's fragile ethnic peace

State of emergency declared over anti-Muslim violence

11 March 2018
Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli
International relations

China and India court new Nepali leader

Railways seen to be next area of contention for superpowers

8 March 2018
A woman shows her finger after voting in national elections in the Philippines. The Southeast Asian nation ranks above the global average in women in parliament.
Politics

Once a world leader, Asia now trails in women lawmakers

Philippines, Laos and China among best in terms of females in parliament

8 March 2018
A Chinese sailor signals Russian ships as a Chinese-Russian joint naval drill concludes off Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China.
Politics

China puts the US Navy on notice with far-flung ports and big guns

Xi's drive to become a maritime superpower echoes European imperialism

8 March 2018
U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift speaks to reporters in Tokyo on March 6. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
China People's Congress 2018

China's economic coercion worries retiring US Navy commander

Rules-based order pushed aside by repressive powers in Indo-Pacific

7 March 2018
A Pakistani official hoists a national flag during the country's Independence Day. (Getty Images)
International relations

'Gray-listing' pushes Pakistan further into China's orbit

Watchdog's move to sap South Asian nation of non-China cash

6 March 2018
An image of Earth taken by the Tricom-1R microsatellite using Canon digital camera equipment. (Photo courtesy of the University of Tokyo)
Japan-Update

Laos and Nepal to ride Japan's microsatellites into space

University project will expand telecommunications coverage to monitor environments

5 March 2018
President Maithripala Sirisena waves to supporters after addressing them at an election rally. (Courtesy Sri Lankan President's Office)
International relations

Japan to roll out the red carpet for Sri Lankan president

Abe looks to support Sirisena as a counterweight to Beijing

3 March 2018
A ship departs a port in Zhanjiang, China, in July for Africa's Djibouti to dispatch members of the People's Liberation Army to man a military base there.
Politics

Brahma Chellaney: China is ensnaring vulnerable states in debt traps

The Maldives is just the latest nation at risk from Beijing's maneuvering

1 March 2018
A Chinese sailor signals Russian ships as a Chinese-Russian joint naval drill concludes off Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China.
China People's Congress 2018

China puts US Navy on notice with far-flung ports and big guns

Xi's drive to become a maritime superpower echoes European imperialism

27 February 2018
Careem hopes to recruit female drivers in Saudi Arabia after they can begin driving in June.
Business

Dubai-based Careem seeks to double ride-hailing network

Uber's regional rival sets itself apart by catering to local sensitivities

23 February 2018
The site of a Chinese-financed project to build a bridge connecting the Maldivian capital of Male with a nearby airport island (Photo by Yuji Kuronuma)
Politics

China debt puts the Maldives at risk of 'land grab,' ex-leader warns

Former president says Male government has opened the door to a takeover

22 February 2018
An aerial view of Male, the Maldives' capital.
Politics

Beijing hits back at criticism of its Maldives policy

Foreign ministry blasts 'land grab' allegations as 'absurd'

22 February 2018