Rohingya refugees walk along a road at the Balukhali camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, in 2019. Dhaka says it cannot handle another influx as it already hosts over a million Rohingya people.
Myanmar Crisis

Bangladesh resists growing calls to accept more Rohingyas from Myanmar

Pressure builds as war rages next door, U.N. appeals on humanitarian grounds

21 February 2024
News coverage of Pakistani strikes in Iran on Jan.18, two days after Tehran said it attacked militant bases in Pakistan.
Opinion

New Pakistan PM's foreign policy must focus on trade, not insurgents

Country cannot afford confrontational stance with three neighbors at once

20 February 2024
Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), demand free and fair election results in Karachi on Feb. 17.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan's anti-Imran Khan coalition stuck on power-sharing formula

Fears of emergency rule grow as PML-N and PPP struggle to form government

20 February 2024
A crude oil tanker in Russia. Russia accounted for around 30% of India's oil imports in 2023.
Trade

Indian imports of Russian oil drop to lowest in a year

Oil minister cites prices, says New Delhi has 'already diversified'

20 February 2024
A demonstrator attends a protest in New Delhi in March 2020, amid turmoil over the passage of the citizenship act. Years later, the law has yet to be implemented, but the ruling party has signaled it wants to move the process forward.
Politics

India's contentious citizenship law on 'front burner' as polls near

Analysts see act, criticized as anti-Muslim, as being used to shore up Modi's base

18 February 2024
Chinese and Pakistani flags fly in Islamabad to mark 10th anniversary celebrations for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in July 2023. 
Pakistan elections

Pakistan vote elevates Belt and Road critic in key port of Gwadar

Activist wins provincial seat; analysts say China may have to heed complaints

18 February 2024
Minister of Education and Skills Development Dimple Thapa is the only woman in Bhutan's 10-member cabinet. (Ministry of Education and Skills Development)
Opinion

It is up to Bhutan's women to preserve their place in politics

Country's parties say few qualified females are willing to run for office

18 February 2024
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina meets Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Feb. 17.
International relations

Hasina meets Zelenskyy as Bangladesh and the West mend fences

U.S. eases pressure on Dhaka for democracy, eyeing Russia and China

17 February 2024
Protesters demand free and fair elections in Jamshoro, in Pakistan's province of Sindh, on Feb. 16. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party has called for separate nationwide protests, as it claims recent elections were rigged.
Pakistan elections

Imran Khan allies call Pakistan-wide protests over alleged vote rigging

Influential leader Fazal ur Rehman's tilt toward PTI raises alarm for Sharif camp

17 February 2024
Farmers rest in tractors and trolleys at Shambhu, a border crossing between Punjab and Haryana states, on Feb. 16. They have been aiming to reach the capital to push for better crop prices and other demands.
Politics

Indian farmers to defer protest march to Delhi ahead of next talks

Modi minister notes 'positive' discussions after clashes with drones and tear gas

16 February 2024
In striking down electoral bonds, India's Supreme Court asked "whether the elected would truly be responsive to the electorate if companies which bring with them huge finances and engage in quid pro quo arrangements with parties are permitted to contribute unlimited amounts."
Politics

India's top court lifts veil on political funding: 5 things to know

Decision to strike down electoral bonds gives opposition ammunition before elections

16 February 2024
Nonfossil fuel now accounts for 43% of India's total power generation capacity, the country's ambassador to France said.
International relations

India can become major global hub for renewable energy, envoy says

Ambassador to France calls on IEA to expand in Asia, Africa and Latin America

16 February 2024
Analysts see India's potential inclusion in the Paris-headquartered International Energy Agency as a step forward for the global transition to cleaner power.
Energy

IEA confirms membership talks with India as Modi promises benefits

France, U.S. and others lend support for including 'central' player in energy transition

15 February 2024
Indian Prime Minister Modi, left, shakes hands with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 13. (UAE Presidential Court via Reuters)
International relations

India's Modi woos UAE and Qatar to counter China in Middle East

New Delhi advances push for competing economic corridor to Europe

15 February 2024
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks in Lahore on Feb. 13. He is poised to return to power after being nominated as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's candidate, backed by a new coalition.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan coalition nominates Shehbaz Sharif to be next PM

Power-sharing still contentious, Imran Khan's opposition set to exert strong pressure

14 February 2024
PTI supporters in Peshawar block a highway to the capital on Feb. 13 in protest against the election results.
Opinion

Pakistan's election was supposed to end deadlock. It failed

Country needs stable national government to tackle economic crisis

14 February 2024
Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, complains to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia in November 2022. 
International relations

Canada's China, India strategies need to be interest-driven: think tank

Too much emphasis on domestic values can miss the bigger picture, experts say

14 February 2024
Farmers climb a police barricade during a protest in Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi on Feb. 8.
Politics

Delhi on alert as farmers' protest pressures Modi ahead of elections

India's opposition backs growers' demands on crop prices, loan waivers, pensions

13 February 2024
Supporters of Pakistan's imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan protest the election results in Karachi on Feb. 11. Independents backed by Khan's party won the most seats but two other parties are better positioned to form a coalition government.
Pakistan elections

Imran Khan's rivals eye deal to share Pakistan prime ministerial term

Election-leading PTI vows no cooperation as tough economic test awaits

13 February 2024
Sheikh Hasina takes the oath of office for a fourth consecutive term as Bangladeshi prime minister in Dhaka on Jan 11. 
Comment

Bangladesh, a bastion of female empowerment, lags on democracy

PM Hasina's economic record marred by growing political suppression

13 February 2024
Women disembark from a train in Mumbai, India. The government is renewing a push to promote women's rights in the workplace and address the labor force's skewed gender ratio.
Politics

Modi makes pre-election push to empower India's women

Critics see advisory to boost workforce participation as a sop to voters

12 February 2024
Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif cheer outside the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz office in Lahore on Feb. 9.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan elections draw sharp critiques from U.S. and Europe

Islamabad 'surprised by negative tone,' says polls were successful

12 February 2024
A woman walks under high-tension power lines near a coal-fired power plant in New Delhi.
Energy

IEA and India to start membership talks as Asian energy use rises

Agency also plans first regional base in Singapore amid push for green transition

11 February 2024
A portrait of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan is seen amid flags of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the religious party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) as protesters demand free and fair election results in Karachi on Feb. 10.
Pakistan elections

Pakistanis protest elections as Khan, Sharif camps claim they can govern

Facing limited options despite strong showing, PTI pushes tampering allegations

11 February 2024
Tourists walk along Mount Lavinia beach in Colombo. The country aims to significantly increase annual visitor arrivals.
Travel & Leisure

Sri Lanka eyes tourism boom in 2024 via slick ads, digital nomads

India-Maldives spat offers new chance to build on last year's promising results

10 February 2024