Politics

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. left, speaks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during a signing ceremony in Beijing, in April.
8 September 2019
Workers load garbage into a dump truck at a trash dump teeming with plastic bags in Islamabad. 
Environment

Pakistan moves to ban plastic bags

Urgent tweet prompts government action, but experts warn results may take years

6 September 2019
Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh: more than 700,000 members of the ethnic Rohingya live in sordid makeshift refugee camps. 
Opinion

Rohingya refugees should press Myanmar for their own state

Self-government in Rakhine could persuade them back from Bangladesh

4 September 2019
Members of various radical Sikh organisations shout pro-Khalistan slogans and brandish swords in Amritsar, Punjab state on June 6.
Opinion

Pakistan will regret stirring up Sikh nationalism in India

Supporting Khalistan will backfire on Islamabad, also vulnerable to insurgencies

3 September 2019
Some analysts said that U.S. President Donald Trump's intervention has been used by both India and Pakistan to cement their positions. (Source photos by Reuters)
Comment

How Trump triggered the Kashmir turmoil

US president's possible intent to stabilize South Asia had opposite effect

31 August 2019
The Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir has been under a military clampdown since New Delhi scrapped its special constitutional status on Aug. 5.
International relations

India and Pakistan tug-of-war in South Asia grows over Kashmir

As smaller nations try to avoid trouble, experts see New Delhi having the edge

30 August 2019
From left, Naypyidaw, Putrajaya and Astana (source photo from Reuters)
Politics

A short history of relocating capitals in Asia

Indonesia's move has precedents in places such as Myanmar and Malaysia

30 August 2019
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor project held in November 2018.
Kashmir turmoil

Pakistan backs India's Sikh separatists as Kashmir tensions rise

New Delhi's worried over Islamabad's renewed push for an independent 'Khalistan'

29 August 2019
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, left, and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. (Source photo from Reuters and Nikkei)
International relations

India and Pakistan's Kashmir dispute stirs nuclear fears

Rhetoric intensifies as rivals rush toward sea-based launch capability

28 August 2019
Singapore plans to keep water at bay by building giant seawalls.
Opinion

Asia's megacities must learn from Indonesia's capital move

Few others can afford Singapore's pricey climate crisis plan

27 August 2019
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the younger brother of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, greets supporters in Colombo on Aug. 11. His promise of "ensuring security" is a message that is resonating with Sri Lanka's majority Sinhalese-Buddhist community.
Politics

Sri Lankan strongman eyes presidency in upcoming elections

Former leader Rajapaksa's brother vows security after Easter bombings

23 August 2019
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives his Independence Day speech on Aug. 15, in which he insisted that scrapping the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was necessary for the region's development.
International relations

Kashmir looms over Modi's trip to France and Middle East

Indian PM makes countermove as Pakistan vows to take dispute to Hague

22 August 2019
Stream article image
International relations

Trump steps in to defuse India-Pakistan tensions over Kashmir

President's calls to Modi and Khan set stage for US-led cooling of tensions

20 August 2019
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has strongly condemned India's recent downgrading of Kashmir's status from a state with some autonomy to two territories.
Belt and Road

Kashmir issue puts Pakistan's Belt and Road projects on fast track

China will be pleased, but may not offer more than sympathy over disputed land

18 August 2019
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan deliver Independence Day speeches in their respective countries.
International relations

Modi and Khan spar over Kashmir in national day speeches

Indian leader claims achievement while Pakistani side declares readiness to fight

16 August 2019
Large swaths of the Kashmir region have remained in a communications blackout since Aug. 5.
International relations

India's stature helps mute responses to Kashmir power grab

Pakistan seeks Security Council meeting but Russia has already backed the move

14 August 2019
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoyed a landslide electoral victory in May, but building economic gloom is already casting a shadow over his government's second term. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
The Big Story

Modi seeks reforms to India's stuttering economy

Landslide victory gives reelected prime minister a second chance at 'Modinomics'

14 August 2019
Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrate in Ahmedabad after the government scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on Aug. 5.
The Big Story

Empowered by reelection, Modi moves to absorb disputed Kashmir

Tensions leap but Islamabad lacks means to retaliate, says expert

14 August 2019
Narendra Modi visits Sri Lanka in June 2019: if connectivity initiatives have to succeed, "we must also build bridges of trust," said Modi.
Opinion

India responds to Belt and Road Initiative with infrastructure push

New Delhi does not want China to dominate its backyard so has started spending

13 August 2019
The assistance Sri Lanka received from many nations during its civil war is making it difficult for Colombo to favor one of them, the U.S.
International relations

US-Sri Lanka military negotiations hit a roadblock

Colombo flustered as it balances its relations with China, India and Japan

11 August 2019
Indian security force personnel stand guard outside a mosque during restrictions following the scrapping of the special constitutional status for Kashmir by the Indian government, in Jammu on Aug. 9. 
International relations

China raises alarm over Kashmir with Tibet and Xinjiang in mind

Beijing backs Pakistan, asserting its interests as India strips region of its autonomy

11 August 2019
Abrogating article 370 has far-reaching implications for India's social and political compact with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Opinion

Scrapping Kashmir's special status is a dangerous gamble for India

The downgrade is likely to inspire violence and shift country's character

9 August 2019
Indian paramilitary soldiers check the bag of a man during curfew in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, on Aug. 8.
Politics

India's Modi vows to rid Kashmir of terror and hold local elections

PM addresses nation days after his government revoked region's special status

9 August 2019
Solar panels could provide an efficient option in tropical nations requiring significant new generating capacity.
Opinion

Asia is the right place for a US 'Green New Deal'

Funding environmentally friendly projects would curb emissions and provide BRI alternative

7 August 2019
The government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moved to scrap the special status given to Kashmir, which was implemented after India's independence in 1947.
Kashmir turmoil

Five things to know about Kashmir's special status

India's decision to revoke the region's autonomy irks Pakistan

6 August 2019