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The Pulse
South Asia is a story of promise and peril where Asia’s conflicting forces of modernity and reaction meet head on. Home to a multitude of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions, The Diplomat's regional correspondents and experts will provide the insight you need to navigate one of the world's most consequential regions.
Why Aircraft Crash So Often in Nepal
By Santosh Sharma Poudel
Airline operators and government agencies rarely comply with safety regulations. Their ties with politicians shield them from scrutiny.
Sri Lanka Says Debt-restructuring Talks Making Progress
By Bharatha Mallawarachi
India has already given the necessary assurances to the IMF. Other bilateral creditors, including China, have not yet but Sri Lanka says there’s progress in the ongoing discussions.
Afghanistan’s Kamal Khan Dam and the Helmand River Treaty
By Ikramuddin Kamil
Neither the Helmand River Treaty nor customary international law denies Afghanistan the right to construct dams over the Helmand River.
Pakistan Arrests Senior Leader From Ex-PM Imran Khan’s Party
By Munir Ahmed
Police said that Fawad Chaudhry was arrested on a complaint by the Election Commission of Pakistan that he had intimidated election officials.
India Eyes Sri Lanka’s Renewable Energy Sector
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The island does not have an energy policy and deals, which are often done secretly, are controversial.
India, Egypt to Promote Trade and Investment, Fight Terrorism
By Ashok Sharma
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi is in New Delhi as the chief guest of India's Republic Day parade.
BBC Film on PM Modi’s Role in 2002 Riots Draws Indian Government Ire
By Sheikh Saaliq and Krutika Pathi
The government has blocked the broadcast of the film in India and banned people from sharing clips on social media, citing emergency powers under its IT laws.
India is the World’s Most Populous Country: What it Means
By Akhilesh Pillalamarri
Despite its many massive problems, this is a country that is bursting forth with dynamism, ideas, diversity, and change.
Pakistan Pursues Oil Deal With Russia
By Umair Jamal
Despite Western sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. has not openly objected to Pakistan buying oil from Moscow.
Sri Lanka’s Steep Climb Out of the Economic Abyss
By Luke Hunt
Colombo is still waiting on Beijing’s approval for debt restructuring.
Sinking Joshimath May Submerge India’s Hydropower Ambitions in the Himalayas
By Snigdhendu Bhattacharya
Large-scale land subsidence in the pilgrimage town has prompted widespread resistance to the construction of dams.
Big Powers Battle for Influence in Bangladesh
By Shafi Md Mostofa
The South Asian country is being courted by the U.S., Russia, and China among others, and officials are making a beeline to Dhaka.