Pakistan

Rayan's production of shoes has almost doubled in Bangladesh in recent years to around 12,000 pairs annually.
Business trends

In Bangladesh, the sewing and stitching run in high gear

Fast Retailing, Yondoshi, others keen to grow output in the South Asian country

17 January 2018
Rohingya refugees line up for a daily essentials distribution at Balukhali camp, near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
17 January 2018
Bhutan’s economy is among Asia’s fastest growing, but private companies like Gagyel Lhundrup Weaving Centre lack sufficient access to capital. (Courtesy MyBhutan.com)
Economy

Private equity comes to Bhutan

Local companies in need of capital to expand in fast-growing economy

16 January 2018
Myanmar police officers walk near the border with Bangladesh in the town of Taungpyoletwea. The short bridge behind them separates the two countries. (Photo by Hiroshi Kotani)
15 January 2018
Bank Rakyat Indonesia has little lending exposure to carbon-intensive sectors and boasts one of the world's highest return on capital in its sector.
Stocks

Socially responsible Asian companies are a better bet

Addressing environmental, social and governance concerns brings higher returns

15 January 2018
FNSS, a joint venture between Turkey's Nurol Holding and the U.K.'s BAE Systems, unveiled a medium-weight tank co-developed with Indonesia’s PT Pindad during the Istanbul Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul in May 2017. (Photo by Sinan Tavsan)
International relations

Turkey steps up arms sales to South and Southeast Asia

Ankara seeks to diversify as tensions rise in traditional Middle East markets

12 January 2018
Indian students in Gauhati hold hands by the Brahmaputra River on Dec. 11 during a protest over its contamination.
Economy

Brahma Chellaney: Water shortages pose a threat to Asia's peace and stability

Soaring demand and climate change are exacerbating a fraught situation

11 January 2018
An aerial view of the Haveli Bahadur Shah LNG power plant in Jhang, Pakistan
International relations

Russia seeks new gas markets in South Asia as sanctions bite

Moscow agrees pipeline deal with Pakistan and develops fields with India

8 January 2018
An aerial view of Male, the Maldives' capital. The island country recently approved a trade deal with China.
Politics

Maldives tests India's foreign policy 'red lines'

Deteriorating relations pose challenge to New Delhi as Beijing widens influence

2 January 2018
Refugees can cause environmental concerns in neighboring countries in addition to being economic and political problems.
Politics

Rohingya crisis highlights risk of 'weaponizing' refugee flows

Bangladesh bears brunt of Myanmar's refugee exodus, though real costs may emerge later

31 December 2017
Supporters of an Islamist party shout slogans at a protest in Islamabad on Nov. 27. Pakistani the protesters announced they would end their sit-in after the country's justice minister agreed to step down.
Politics

Pakistani army behind deadly November protests, critics charge

Military accused of scheming to oust justice minister, weaken government

31 December 2017
Indian students in Gauhati hold hands by the Brahmaputra River on Dec. 11 during a protest over its contamination.
Politics

Water shortages could trigger Asia conflicts

A number of factors threaten environmental stability and spur climate change

30 December 2017
The Bank of Korea has joined the U.S. Federal Reserve in reversing the unconventional easy-credit policy once led by the Fed and other central banks.
Looking ahead 2018

QE unwinding is more dangerous than it appears

Asia's emerging markets remain dependent on central bank liquidity

26 December 2017
Elementary school students in Bandung, Indonesia learn math using Surala Net's gamelike online software.
Education

E-learning software company Surala enlists ninjas' help to grow in Asia

Japanese startup passes first big market test with TSE Mothers listing

22 December 2017
Nikkei illustration
Economy

China has India surrounded in their new Great Game

One after another, Beijing is pulling South Asian governments into its orbit

21 December 2017
Nikkei illustration
Asia Insight

China has India surrounded in their new Great Game

Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan -- Beijing is pulling South Asia into its orbit

19 December 2017
Left alliance candidate Krishna Bahadur Rai celebrates poll success at City Hall, Kathmandu, on Dec. 9. (Getty Images)
Politics

Nepali voters choose left alliance in rebuke to India

Pro-China tilt at polls underlines erosion of New Delhi's influence

15 December 2017
Rohingya refugees wait for food supplies at the Nayapara camp in the Cox's Bazar region of Bangladesh.
Rohingya crisis

Rohingya death toll in Myanmar attacks tops 6,700, aid group says

Doctors Without Borders also criticizes return proposal as premature

15 December 2017
Members of Nahdlatul Ulama, a large Indonesian Muslim group, protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Dec. 8. (Photo by Simon Roughneen)
Politics

Trump's Jerusalem move sparks a backlash in Southeast Asia

Indonesia, Malaysia a lead chorus of criticism as Muslims protest US decision

14 December 2017
The secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Yousef bin Ahmad al-Othaimeen, right, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, center, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attend a news conference following the OIC meeting in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Politics

Asia's Muslim nations want East Jerusalem seen as Palestinian capital

Calls are response to US recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital

14 December 2017
Buddhist monks protest the visit of a U.N. official in Yangon on Jan. 16, 2015. According to local media reports, they were angry that the international organization had urged the government to give members of the Rohingya minority citizenship.
The Big Story

Religious extremism poses threat to ASEAN's growth

Aided by social media, hardliners gain mainstream support

13 December 2017
A Twitter logo is seen in front of a computer screen displaying an Islamic State flag. Twitter says it has shut down tens of thousands of terrorism-related accounts.
Politics

Ugly social media wars fueling intolerance in Asia

Similar tactics are cropping up across different areas and different faiths

13 December 2017
Caring for Rohingya refugees is likely to cost Bangladesh $1 billion or more annually and burden the country's development budget.
Politics

Bangladesh faces growing strain in Rohingya crisis

Dhaka must be cautious over ties with China

13 December 2017
Rohingya refugees cross a stream Tuesday from Bangladesh to a no man's land at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
Politics

UN official urges accountability for Rohingya 'ethnic cleansing'

Security Council meets to discuss ongoing crisis

13 December 2017
The Bangladesh central bank building in Dhaka
Politics

Philippine lender hurls allegations at Bangladeshi central bank

RCBC wonders if Bangladesh is covering up details of big cybertheft

12 December 2017