Politics

The Discord leaks have thrown a spotlight on the diplomatic positioning of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government between the U.S. and China. (Source photos by AP) 
International relations

Pakistan faces more 'difficult choices' after pivot-to-China leak

Discord memo underscores Islamabad's growing frustration with U.S.

8 May 2023
Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign ministers including Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, second from left, and India's S. Jaishankar, fifth from left, pose for photos in Goa, India, on May 5.
International relations

India talks tough on terrorism as it hosts SCO foreign ministers

Pakistan's top diplomat present in person for Jaishankar's thinly veiled jabs

6 May 2023
Rohingya refugees gather in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, in 2022, five years after fleeing Myanmar. Whether they will return as authorities hope remains unclear.
Myanmar Crisis

Rohingya refugees visit Myanmar in repatriation push

Trip from Bangladesh a first since violence sparked exodus from Rakhine in 2017

6 May 2023
Global business leaders and investors gathered at the annual Milken conference in Los Angeles from April 30 to May 3. 
Business trends

India, Indonesia CEOs woo global investors as 'China plus one' options

Emerging Asia's other big economies vie for attention at Milken Conference

5 May 2023
A newspaper vendor in Haridwar, northeastern India. Most mainstream media in the country are now owned by wealthy businessmen with ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says Reporters Without Borders.
Media & Entertainment

India media freedom under attack from pro-Modi supporters: report

Reporters Without Borders lists North Korea, China, Vietnam as worst offenders

3 May 2023
A billboard with India's G-20 logo promotes the Srinagar smart city project in Jammu and Kashmir. (Photo by Quratulain Rehbar)
G20 Summit

India gears up for Kashmir G-20 talks opposed by Pakistan, China

Security forces on high alert after terrorist attack that killed five Indian soldiers

3 May 2023
People gather to receive sacks of free flour at a distribution point in Peshawar, Pakistan, on March 30. The government blames smugglers for compromising its efforts to ease food shortages.
Afghanistan turmoil

Pakistan cracks down on food smuggling to Afghanistan

Islamabad targets black market between crisis-hit neighbors to ease inflation

30 April 2023
From left: Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attend the SCO meeting in New Delhi on April 28.
International relations

India sends Pakistan a message, Russia slams West at SCO meeting

Moscow's defense minister urges 8-member bloc to tighten military ties

28 April 2023
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh meet in New Delhi. (Indian Ministry of Defence via Reuters)
28 April 2023
An oil tanker and bulk carrier are seen near the Russian port of Nakhodka in December.
International relations

Pakistan eyes economic relief from Russian oil imports due in May

Delicate diplomacy, refining capacity and forex payments pose challenges

27 April 2023
Outreach efforts toward developing nations cannot be easily separated from the politics of power, with countries such as Japan and India vying for prominence with China.
Asia Insight

India pushes 'Global South' goals on to G-20 agenda

Grouping of less industrialized countries remains loosely defined

25 April 2023
Rescuers search for garment workers trapped in the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza building on April 24, 2013.
Politics

Bangladesh's Rana Plaza survivors suffer joblessness 10 years on

Many live in pain as advocates continue to push for greater safety, labor rights

24 April 2023
The Yuan Wang 5, seen by India as a spy ship, is welcomed to Chinese-run Hambantota International Port in Sri Lanka on Aug. 16, 2022.
Opinion

India now has to face strategic consequence of Myanmar's isolation

Signs suggest China has leveraged influence to put spy station on remote island

21 April 2023
A police officer stands guard as government workers collect digital census data in Peshawar, Pakistan, on March 1.
Politics

Pakistan census sparks outcry as Karachi count 'doesn't make sense'

Experts blame flawed digital process; embattled government faces new protest risk

21 April 2023
Rahul Gandhi, center, a senior leader in India's main opposition Congress party, arrives to file his appeal in a Gujarat court on April 3.
Politics

Gandhi plea to suspend conviction in Modi surname case rejected

Indian opposition leader's election hopes take a hit; appeal heads to high court

20 April 2023
Tigers in India's Ranthambore National Park: The latest census released this month shows the country's tiger population reached 3,167 in 2022, after five decades of conservation efforts.
Politics

India's Modi and rivals claw for credit over Project Tiger success

Prime minister's safari adds to drama of bitter state election in Karnataka

19 April 2023
Narendra Modi intends to seek a third term as India's prime minister in a general election next spring.
Politics

India's Modi faces 3 potential snags in reelection effort

Sluggish economy, unemployment and crackdown on opposition seen as concerns

19 April 2023
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Bangladesh's first such facility, is seen under construction west of Dhaka in February. 
International relations

Bangladesh finds way to pay Russia for nuclear plant: with yuan

Using China's currency to skirt bank restrictions could irk Western partners

17 April 2023
Representatives from across the region meet at the fourth Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan meeting, held in Uzbekistan on April 13. (Photo courtesy of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Afghanistan turmoil

China, Russia, Pakistan, others push Afghan Taliban on terrorism

At Uzbekistan meeting, wary neighbors display unity against spillover threats

17 April 2023
Apple is getting ready to open the doors to its first directly run store in India on Tuesday.
Your Week in Asia

Apple's first India store, China GDP, Taiwan display show

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

16 April 2023
Khusboo, left, a 30-year-old mother, sits near her shanty near Delhi's Pragati Maidan, where India is due to host Group of 20 leaders later this year. (Photo by Quratulain Rehbar)
Politics

Delhi's poor brace for impact of G-20 makeover

Indian capital's 'beautification' expected to squeeze out slum and street dwellers

16 April 2023
A study found that India's lower house functioned for less than 46 hours out of its scheduled 133 during the latest budget session, while the upper house clocked just 32 out of 130.
Politics

Indian Parliament disruptions leave little time for legislating

Study finds houses functioned for a fraction of scheduled hours in latest session

15 April 2023
A snow-laden pass in Tawang in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh: China, which claims the state as Zangnan, recently announced it was renaming 11 places within it.
International relations

India shores up China border strategy with 'Vibrant Villages'

Nearly $600m infrastructure plan counters Beijing's 'well-off society' hamlets

14 April 2023
People stand in line to receive sacks of free flour at a distribution point in Peshawar, Pakistan, on March 30.
Inflation

Pakistan inflation hits record 35% as IMF talks drag on

Sharif government struggles with economic crisis after a year in power

13 April 2023
A rendering shows Bangladesh's Japan-backed Matarbari port complex upon completion. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida aims to build a regional "industrial value chain" in cooperation with India as well. (Image courtesy of JICA)
International relations

Bangladesh deep-sea port promises strategic anchor for Japan, India

New Delhi's influence in Dhaka helps foil Chinese plans for similar foothold

12 April 2023