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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.
Taliban Warns Pakistan About Hosting US Military Bases
By Umair Jamal
The coming weeks and months will reveal the exact role the United States envisions for Pakistan in Afghanistan after the U.S. military withdrawal is complete.
Bangladesh Journalist’s Arrest Highlights Growing Curbs on Press Freedom
By Asif Muztaba Hassan
Investigative reporter Rozina Islam was arrested on charges of espionage many consider dubious.
Sri Lanka’s Problem With Women in Power
By Lihini Ratwatte
The first woman to be appointed as a deputy inspector general of police was removed from office just six months later.
Nepal’s President Announces Fresh Elections Amid Continuing Political Upheaval
By Arun Budhathoki
The decision comes amid regional geopolitical churn and a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. How Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli navigates both will determine his future.
Over 6,000 Myanmar Nationals in India’s Northeast
By Rajeev Bhattacharya
Local reports from Mizoram and Manipur put the number of refugees at close to 7,000.
Australia Closes Its Embassy in Kabul, Others Scale Back
By Tameem Akhgar
Embassies in the Afghan capital are located in a so-called Green Zone, considered the most heavily protected.
The Gory Symbolism of a Terrorist Attack on a Palestine Rally in Balochistan
By Kunwar Khuldune Shahid
While Pakistanis were united in their outrage over abuses by Israel, few spare a word for the systemic oppression closer to home.
China Completes New Highway Near De Facto Border With India
By Sudha Ramachandran
The highway will enable the People’s Liberation Army to mobilize troops and military equipment faster overland to the Line of Actual Control.
The Implications of the US Troop Withdrawal for Afghan Women
By Saman Rizwan
If guarantees of preserving progress in women’s rights are not included in any potential political settlement, they remain prone to reverses.
COVID-19 Second Wave Highlights India’s Barriers to Global Aid
By Kriti Upadhyaya
Policy impediments are hampering potentially life-saving partnerships.
Don’t Write Off Indian Vaccine Diplomacy Yet
By Krzysztof Iwanek
An alliance between Western technology and Indian manufacturing capabilities may still be crucial to produce cheap vaccines for the world.
Signs of Rift Between Military and Prime Minister Imran Khan in Pakistan
By Umair Jamal
Khan and his party’s handling of the key Punjab province may have irked the Pakistan army.