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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.
Banning Fireworks on Diwali: A Window Into Money and Politics in India
By Prashant Waikar
What looks like an eminently sensible decision, given the extremely polluting effects of fireworks, has become a politically contentious issue.
Radical Leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi is Dead – But His Ideology Will Live On in Pakistan
By Umair Jamal
Leader of a right-wing party with pull, Rizvi’s death will not diminish extremist politics in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Khan on ‘Historic’ First Visit to Afghanistan
By Associated Press
The uneasy neighbors are trying to turn the corner from a relationship marked by suspicion and downright hostility toward a partnership for peace in the region.
Sinhalese Leviathan: How Gotabaya Rajapaksa Is Remaking Sri Lanka
By Thamil Venthan Ananthavinayagan
With the Rajapaksa brothers at the helm, majoritarian politics threatens to morph into militant nationalism in Sri Lanka.
How Arnab Goswami Came to Embody Everything that Ails Indian Media
By Priyam Marik
The fire-breathing television anchor’s arrest and release earlier this month throws spotlight on the unhealthy nexus between politicians and journalists in India.
Rape Cases Surge in Nepal, Activists Question Death Penalty
By Bansari Kamdar
While awareness about sexual violence in Nepal has increased, activists still face an uphill battle.
How the Trump Administration Set Afghanistan Up to Fail
By Sohrab Azad
The Trump administration has left Biden few options in Afghanistan, and the Taliban aren’t going anywhere.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: Diplomatic Repercussions for Pakistan
By Shahid Hussain
While Nagorno-Karabakh is over 2,000 kilometers from Pakistan’s borders, its conflicts may have a lasting effect on Pakistan’s diplomacy.
UN Official Warns of Humanitarian Disaster If Afghan Talks Fail
By Associated Press
"If this peace effort collapses then we could see a big humanitarian disaster in the country, that is for sure," said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
What Explains the Timing of Pakistan’s Anti-India Dossier?
By Umair Jamal
Islamabad has come forward with evidence about India’s role in spreading terrorism in Pakistan. That might be a politically smart move.
The Biden Administration Needs to Junk Trump’s Deal With the Taliban
By Carlo J.V. Caro
A Taliban controlled by Pakistan is a threat to regional and global security.
India’s Ruling Party Narrowly Wins in Bihar
By Krzysztof Iwanek
What do the Bihar elections tell us about the direction of Indian national politics?