Politics

Asif Ali Zardari, right, greets Pakistan's newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the legislature on March 3. Zardari was elected president on March 9.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan 'survivor' Asif Zardari wins presidency, capping tense polls

Resistance to granting PTI-backed lawmakers reserved seats called 'mockery' of law

9 March 2024
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, left, meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Canberra on Feb. 29. The two countries are enhancing security cooperation. (AAP via Reuters)
Comment

U.S. allies in Indo-Pacific tremble at prospect of Trump return

Middle powers Japan, Philippines and Australia explore security cooperation

9 March 2024
India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar speaks at the Raisina Roundtable in Tokyo on March 7. (Photo by Nanami Sato) 
International relations

India's top diplomat calls for more Japanese investment

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar says countries should deepen business ties

7 March 2024
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a rally at a stadium in Srinagar on March 7.
Politics

Modi makes first Kashmir visit since ending region's special status in 2019

Indian PM comes bearing multimillion-dollar farm, tourism programs ahead of elections

7 March 2024
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar speaks with Nikkei at his office in New Delhi, ahead of a visit to Japan. (Photo by Satoshi Iwaki) 
Interview

India's top diplomat points to 'new phase' in Japan defense ties

Jaishankar weighs in on awkward relations with China, Pakistan, Maldives

6 March 2024
Sri Lanka's garment industry is striving to climb the value chain with a focus on sustainability, as the government seeks a green economic renaissance. 
Asia Insight

Sri Lanka cultivates sustainable fashion for an economic revival

Government and garment makers aim to catch green wave to boost competitiveness

5 March 2024
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, center, is congratulated at BJP headquarters after the party retained control of Uttar Pradesh in the 2022 state assembly election.
Opinion

Indian Supreme Court ruling is a blow against crony capitalism

Party donations have surged behind veil of anonymity

4 March 2024
Shehbaz Sharif, pictured at a climate summit in Egypt, has been elected Pakistan's prime minister for the second time after the controversial Feb. 8 polls.
Pakistan elections

Shehbaz Sharif elected Pakistan's PM for second time

New government faces fierce opposition from Imran Khan's allies after rocky polls

3 March 2024
Zomawi sells essentials along a road to India's Manipur, after fleeing her village in Myanmar amid the country's civil war. (Photo by Greeshma Kuthar)
International relations

Myanmar-India border residents trapped between two wars

New Delhi ends free cross-border movement as suspicion swirls in strife-torn Manipur

2 March 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin still presides over economic growth despite U.S.-led efforts to isolate his country. (Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters)
International relations

Cracks in G20 let Russia grow trade with China and India

Western sanctions have failed to hobble Russian economy

1 March 2024
Pakistan's National Assembly has reopened under controversial circumstances, following elections the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan claims were rigged.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan National Assembly opens as election disputes mar proceedings

Coalition poised to elect Shehbaz Sharif as PM amid fight over seat allocations

29 February 2024
Since 1998, the WTO has kept a moratorium on taxing digital products and services, but emerging economies are pushing back. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters) 
International relations

WTO digital tax freeze in spotlight as India, others rue lost revenue

Tariff-free status of streaming and other e-services up for debate again in Abu Dhabi

28 February 2024
Protesters in Lahore on Jan. 19 condemn Iran's attack on targets in Pakistani border areas: Public pressure played into both governments' actions. 
Opinion

Clash with Pakistan shows Iran must take its neighbors more seriously

Tehran should focus on frontier security rather than rely on cross-border strikes

28 February 2024
Indian authorities have thrown up concrete barricades to block protesting farmers headed for Delhi. (Photo by Abrar Fayaz)
Politics

India's massive farmer protests spark police brutality claims

Modi government denies abuse allegations months before national elections

28 February 2024
Journalists attend a news conference in Kabul in January 2023.
Afghanistan turmoil

No pictures: Afghanistan journalists fear clampdown on visual reporting

Taliban official tells media personnel to focus on growing beards

27 February 2024
A flight deck crew member directs a shipment to the USS Abraham during a 2019 replenishment-at-sea in the Arabian Sea. (Garrett LaBarge/U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters)
Defense

U.S. seeks closer defense supply chain ties with Japan, India: official

'A strong industrial base is a deterrent' as China presents 'pacing threat'

27 February 2024
Maryam Nawaz arrives for a provincial assembly session in Lahore on Feb. 26, before her election as chief minister of Punjab province.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif passes torch as daughter Maryam elected Punjab chief

'Inexperienced' politician takes high-stakes role atop most populous province

26 February 2024
India has ambitious plans to develop the largely unspoiled Andaman and Nicobar Islands, creating a new hub for trade and tourism.
Environment

India's plan to turn isles into own 'Hong Kong' riles environmentalists

Critics fear Nicobar development will wipe out forests and indigenous tribes

26 February 2024
People walk through a crowded market in Mumbai. India will announce gross domestic product in the October-December quarter on March 1.
Your Week in Asia

Cobra Gold military exercise, South Korean birth rate, India GDP

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

25 February 2024
A Hindu devotee prays near the Lord Ram temple after its inauguration in Ayodhya on Jan. 22.
Politics

India's Ram Temple spotlights rise of religious boomtowns

Property prices soar as Modi's Hindu nationalism drives infrastructure buildups

24 February 2024
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus speaks to reporters after being granted bail in Dhaka on Jan. 28. Many critics believe Bangladesh's government is using the power of the law to discredit a man once seen as a potential political rival.
Politics

Bangladesh's Nobel winner Yunus fights for legacy as legal screws tighten

After office seized, 83-year-old widely seen as target of political vendetta

24 February 2024
A portrait of former Pakistani army chief Raheel Sharif on a truck in Peshawar in 2023: The army has been downgraded in the public's estimation.
Opinion

Pakistan's army was the clear election loser

Defiant votes for Imran Khan's PTI reflect resentment of military interference

23 February 2024
Pakistan former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, left, and ex-President Asif Zardari are expected to reprise their roles after their parties struck a power-sharing deal. (Source photos by Reuters and AP)
Pakistan elections

Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Zardari, the duo poised to grab Pakistan's reins

Power-sharing deal ends deadlock as PML-N and PPP face treacherous task of governing

22 February 2024
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol used to work for OPEC but has been vociferous in demanding a complete halt to new oil and gas investment across the globe. (Ritzau Scanpix via Reuters) 
Opinion

India should rethink push to join International Energy Agency

Divergence in priorities will leave country marginalized in rich-nation club

22 February 2024
Google will prepare a production line for its high-end Pixel 8 Pro smartphone in southern India as it looks to tap the country's massive market.
Supply Chain

Google plans to begin Pixel phone production in India in Q2

Search engine giant joins Apple, Samsung in tapping big South Asian market

22 February 2024