Deserted, dry slopes are seen in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir, on Jan. 11. (Photo by Faisal Bashir)
Climate Change

Kashmir snow crisis raises fears of upcoming water woes

Dry winter hits ski resorts hard and prompts warnings on agricultural impact

21 January 2024
Laborers stand on top of the illuminated grand temple of Lord Ram ahead of its opening in Ayodhya in India.
Your Week in Asia

India opens Ayodhya Hindu temple, BOJ meeting, Hyundai Motor earnings

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

21 January 2024
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in April 2023. The countries hope to benefit from a potential EPA. (Pool photo via Reuters)
International relations

Japan and Bangladesh to negotiate economic partnership agreement

Countries to discuss tariffs on apparel and steel to benefit both sides

21 January 2024
A customer checks flags to be used for election campaigns at a shop in Karachi on Jan. 18.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan election battle focuses on fairness, security: 5 things to know

Economy on back burner as campaign puts a new spin on old problems

20 January 2024
Afghan men under a billboard bearing the message: "Hijab is honor, not captivity" in Kabul. 
Politics

Afghan women scared to step out after Taliban arrests over hijab

Officials claim the detained broke code, but HRW says 'walls closing in' on girls

20 January 2024
A model in New York wears an upcycled, semi-oversized "sari blazer" designed by Megha Rao, who says her creations are "culturally rich and contemporary." (Courtesy of Megha Rao)
Life

Blend trend: Indo-Western fusion shines in world of fashion

Saris with a twist and other pieces win fans in Indian diaspora and beyond

20 January 2024
The World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos closed on Jan 19. (Photo by Kenji Kawase)
Davos 2024

Trump, wars in Ukraine and Gaza overshadow Asia in Davos

Eurocentric gathering shifts spotlight on conflicts in and close to home

20 January 2024
A supporter of Nawaz Sharif, the former Pakistani prime minister,  in Hafizabad on Jan.18: The country's already delayed election could be further postponed. 
Opinion

South Asia is still struggling to deliver on promise of democracy

Elections alone are not equating to grassroots empowerment

19 January 2024
A man watches a news report in Karachi after Pakistan's Foreign Ministry announced strikes inside Iran targeting separatist militants on Jan. 18.
International relations

Pakistan and Iran aim to dial down tensions as China offers mediation

Experts warn of proxy conflict in border regions after airstrikes 'shattered' trust

19 January 2024
Yamaha's push in India comes as children have had few opportunities until now to play musical instruments in public schools, where the emphasis is on academic studies. (Photo courtesy of Yamaha Corp.)
Business Spotlight

Yamaha taps school music lessons to score growth in India, Southeast Asia

World's top instrument maker offers recorders, classes in emerging markets as Japan sales slide

19 January 2024
India's women and child development minister Smriti Zubin Irani, at far left, and minister of petroleum, natural gas, housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, far right, both said India has "seized the moment" at a panel in Davos on Thursday. (Photo by Kenji Kawase)      
Davos 2024

India ministers sell bullish view at Davos as China's growth falters

South Asian nation has 'already seized the moment,' officials say

19 January 2024
A British Typhoon jet is pictured in Cyprus after striking targets in Yemen during an operation against Houthi militants targeting shipping in the Red Sea. (U.K. Ministry of Defence via Reuters)
International relations

Red Sea conflict plunges Bangladesh garment makers into the red

Surging costs and lead times dent orders, worsening already weak market

18 January 2024
Pakistani security officials conduct roadside checks in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, on Jan. 17, after Iranian airstrikes against alleged militant bases in the province.
International relations

Pakistan fires back at targets in Iran as regional tensions boil

Diplomacy in crisis after Iranian airstrikes send Islamabad 'message' on militants

18 January 2024
A closed gate at the Pakistan-Iran border in 2020, after Pakistan sealed the border following the coronavirus outbreak.
International relations

Pakistan recalls envoy from Iran after 'unprovoked' missile strikes

Iran's foreign minister says it hit militants near border; Islamabad blames incident for deaths of 2 children

18 January 2024
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 17.
Davos 2024

Taiwan is a 'powerful affirmation of democracy,' Blinken tells Davos

After rebuke from China, U.S. diplomat says cross-strait relations are concern for all

18 January 2024
The high-speed rail corridor is expected to shorten the trip between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to about two hours from roughly seven.
Transportation

Japan's Sojitz lands order for Indian high-speed rail equipment

Electrification system work set to begin for Mumbai-Ahmedabad line

17 January 2024
Indonesia's Joko Widodo toured VinFast's factory in Hai Phong, as the EV producer prepares to expand beyond Vietnam and sell cars all over Southeast Asia. (Vingroup)
Automobiles

VinFast expands EVs to Indonesia with thumbs up from Jokowi

Vietnamese carmaker's factory, ride-hail plans offer ASEAN foothold

16 January 2024
Laborers cross a India-Myanmar border bridge in 2012: New Delhi plans to revoke the visa-free regime that covers the frontier area.
Opinion

Closing of India-Myanmar border will not restore peace in Manipur

Technology can provide tools to address security and crime concerns

16 January 2024
Fishermen return from short expeditions in Ibrahim Hyderi, in Karachi. Animosity between Pakistan and India, disputed maritime boundaries, and the effects of pollution and climate change are all factors behind the arrests of seafarers, experts say. (Photo by Jamaima Afridi)
Asia Insight

Pawns in border clash, India and Pakistan fishermen desperate for change

Hundreds who were arrested for trespassing released by Islamabad as politics shift

16 January 2024
A Tesla Model Y at a December 2022 event in Bangkok. Tesla lags behind BYD in electric-vehicle market share in Thailand.
Automobiles

Tesla EV plans spur 'Musk pilgrimages' from India and Southeast Asia

Geopolitics and growing rivals cause automaker to weigh presence outside China

16 January 2024
Pakistan's caretaker government is pushing a plan to turn the IT sector into a bigger source of revenue. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters)
Economy

Pakistan faces hurdles on path to India-style tech takeoff

IT pros cite talent retention, internet shutdowns and payment limitations

15 January 2024
Major Japanese carriers ANA and Japan Airlines dropped to seventh and eighth place, respectively, in the 2023 on-time ranking by Cirium. (Photo by Kohnosuke Urata)
Travel & Leisure

Japan's airlines, Haneda slide in on-time performance ranking

Middle Eastern and Indian competitors catch up in punctuality in 2023

14 January 2024
Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India's main opposition party, Congress, is attempting to revive its fortunes against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of popular Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Source photos by Reuters) 
India elections

Indian opposition's Gandhi embarks on 6,700-km march before elections

Congress scion's second such trek targets PM Modi's decade in power

14 January 2024
An Afghan girl looks out from a car window near a refugee repatriation center in Nowshera, Pakistan: More than 500,000 refugees have so far been returned to Afghanistan. 
Opinion

Expelling Afghan refugees won't boost Pakistan's security

Mass repatriation is creating a recruitment opportunity for militant groups

14 January 2024
India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is launched on a rocket ahead of its successful landing on the moon last year. (Indian Space Research Organization)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

India eyes 12 space missions in 12 months to build on historic year

After moon landing and sun probe, ISRO prepares for first crewed flight

13 January 2024