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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.
India Sees China at Sea: On Sarangi’s ‘Maritime Corridors in the Indo-Pacific’
By Krzysztof Iwanek
Subhasish Sarangi’s book will serve as a good primer on India’s attempts to counter China in the Indian Ocean.
International Aid Reaches Flood-Ravaged Pakistan
By Munir Ahmed
The exceptionally heavy monsoon rains that triggered flash floods across the country have come at a time when the country is facing one of its worst economic crises.
Imran Khan Pushing Hard for Early Elections
By Umair Jamal
Pakistan’s former PM is confident that free and fair polls would bring him back to power.
Sri Lanka Signals Its Unreliability as a Partner Yet Again
By Rathindra Kuruwita
It has repeatedly scrapped deals and flip-flopped on decisions with an array of partners, including India, Japan, China and Russia.
In Bilkis Bano’s Fate, Lies the Future of Indian Muslims
By Tarushi Aswani
She was gang raped in 2002. But her assailants, who were convicted and awarded life imprisonment, now walk free.
Government Cracks Down on Myanmar Refugees in Indian Border State
By Rajeev Bhattacharyya
The arrest of scores of Myanmar nationals seems aimed at deterring others from entering Manipur.
Nepal’s Ad Hoc Policies Toward China
By Santosh Sharma Poudel
Nepal's foreign policy establishment needs to reach a consensus on what constitutes actions against the interest of its neighbors.
Ayman al-Zawahiri’s Killing Could be a Blessing in Disguise for the Taliban
By Saman Rizwan
The high-profile killing is a rude awakening call for the Taliban to reconsider their ties with al-Qaida – and could empower less hardline elements of the ruling group.
Pakistan Court Summons Ex-PM Khan in Contempt Case Next Week
By Munir Ahmed
A conviction against Khan, who is to appear before the Islamabad High Court on August 31, would mean disqualification from politics for life.
Bangladesh Parties Turn to Political Opportunism as Elections Draw Close
By Shafi Md Mostofa
With Islamists displaying support for secular celebrations and secular parties burnishing their Islamist credentials, is Bangladesh heading toward political syncretism or hybridization?
Seven Decades After It Was Abolished, ‘Untouchability’ Continues to be Practiced in India
By Kavita Chowdhury
The recent killing of a Dalit child for drinking water out of a pot meant for upper caste people lays bare the extreme discrimination, exclusion, and violence that Dalits suffer.
Police File Terrorism Charges Against Pakistan’s Imran Khan
By Munir Ahmed
The charges came over a speech he made recently, vowing to sue police officers and a judge over the alleged torture of a close aide.