Politics

Pakistani troops take part in combat drills. The country has been accused of providing a safe haven to Taliban militants from neighboring Afghanistan.
International relations

US urges Pakistan's cooperation on Afghan militants

Pompeo meets new premier Khan after Washington cancels $300m aid

6 September 2018
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is set to meet Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
4 September 2018
Prime Minister and the leader of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf party Imran Khan seized power in an election in July. 
Economy

Pakistan rules out possible IMF bailout funds to repay China

Officials say Islamabad examining options as it seeks way out of debt crisis

3 September 2018
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 8, 2016. 
Belt and Road

Sri Lanka sinks deeper into China's grasp as debt woes spiral

Colombo to borrow $1bn from China and issue $250mn Panda bonds before year-end

29 August 2018
Sailors aboard the Akebono, a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel. The ship called at the Sri Lankan port of Hambantota in April.
International relations

Japan makes its move in Indian Ocean power game

Defense minister tours Sri Lanka as part of drive to check China

22 August 2018
The attack took place in southwestern Balochistan Province, the heart of the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. @AFP/Jiji
Belt and Road

Terrorist attacks show Pakistan's need to reassure China on security

Suicide bombing on key part of Belt and Road may make Beijing nervous

21 August 2018
A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel enters a harbor in Manila, the Philippines. Tokyo wants to deepen security ties with other Asian nations to offset Chinese influence.
International relations

Japanese defense chief kicks off tour of India and Sri Lanka

Tokyo seeks greater security ties to curb Beijing's regional clout

20 August 2018
A freight train bound for Tehran is pictured in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in May.
Belt and Road

Turkey crisis rattles Asian nations with rising Belt and Road debts

Costly Chinese projects could leave emerging economies with a hangover

19 August 2018
Pakistanis are unlikely to give Imran Khan much time to make good on his election promises.
Politics

Imran Khan faces economic tests in Pakistan's political caldron

Former cricket star to be sworn in as prime minister on Saturday

17 August 2018
Anger over road deaths in Bangladesh spilled over into violent protests.
Politics

Violent 'moral uprising' threatens Bangladesh government

Thousands of youths protest lax road safety and lagging job growth

13 August 2018
Some question the effectiveness of the suspensions, as fresh ones are set up daily. (Getty Images)
Politics

Twitter puts foot down on fake followers in Southeast Asia

Sway over elections in Cambodia, Malaysia and Pakistan raises concerns

11 August 2018
Pakistan barely has enough foreign reserves to finance imports for two months. This container is being loaded on to the first Chinese container ship at the port of Gwadar.
International relations

Pakistan economic crisis puts Chinese investments under spotlight

Loans from Beijing tied to secrecy but IMF would likely demand transparency

10 August 2018
A street vendor sells mangos in Kathmandu, Nepal. The country's first-ever economic census aims to get an accurate picture of the business landscape.
International relations

Japan to help Asia and Africa modernize economic data

Tokyo taps soft-power assistance as alternative to China's infrastructure projects

10 August 2018
Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Imran Khan will have to choose whether to turn to the International Monetary Fund or to China for financial support.(Getty Image)
International relations

Pakistan's Khan faces tough choice: Help from IMF or China

Whoever provides financial support, spending cuts and tax hikes lie in wait

8 August 2018
Imran Khan, expected to become Pakistan's next prime minister, plans ambitious tax reform measures. 
Economy

Imran Khan walks tightrope to revamp Pakistan's tax collection

Reforms seen as essential to IMF assistance but face obstacles in parliament

6 August 2018
Imran Khan, who is expected to become the next prime minister, addresses the nation after the general election results were announced in Islamabad on July 26.
Economy

Belt and Road headache awaits Khan as Pakistan PM

Dwindling reserves and mounting debts to put new government in fiscal bind

31 July 2018
India worries that Imran Khan's nationalist tendencies can cause more tension on its heavily militarized border with Pakistan.
Opinion

India alarmed by Imran Khan victory in Pakistan

Delhi fears rising tension as military gains leverage

27 July 2018
Populist firebrand Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Justice Movement, has promised sweeping changes, but analysts remain sceptical. 
Politics

Pakistan's new leader faces uphill climb rebuilding economy

Former cricket star promises change, starting from corruption and poverty

27 July 2018
Imran Khan, who has claimed victory in Pakistan's election, will be under pressure to keep his military backers happy.
Opinion

The army is the real victor in Pakistan's election

Military muzzled established parties in favor of Khan

27 July 2018
Supporters of Pakistani politician Imran Khan, chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, celebrate projected unofficial results announced by television channels indicating their candidates' success in the parliamentary elections in Islamabad on July 25. 
Politics

Opposition's Imran Khan ahead in Pakistan election

Opponents reject early projection results in vote marred by violence

26 July 2018
A woman casts her vote at a polling station for the parliamentary elections in Islamabad on July 25. 
Politics

Five things to know about Pakistan's general election

Prospect of growing military influence casts shadow over fragile democracy

25 July 2018
A supporter of Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, waves a flag during a campaign rally on July 22 in Karachi, Pakistan.
Politics

Pakistan goes to polls as debt reckoning looms

Islamabad likely to need bailout from IMF or Beijing

24 July 2018
A Chinese national flag is affixed to a buffer stop on a railway at a freight yard in the Kazakh border town of Khorgos.
Belt and Road

China's Belt and Road stirs up local anxieties

Loans and investments ignore profits and blur economics and security

24 July 2018
Street poles are decorated with the flags and banners of political parties in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on July 23 ahead of a general election.
Opinion

Pakistan entering another phase of instability?

Elections will likely deliver either a weak coalition or unpopular majority

24 July 2018
The flags of China and Sri Lanka flutter in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in happier times. 
International relations

China unresponsive over FTA talks with Sri Lanka

Beijing possibly hoping for a return to power of the Rajapaksa clan

19 July 2018