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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.
Sri Lanka’s Defense Cooperation with India: Strengthening Ties or Strategic Dependence?
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Exposing a large segment of a country's military officers to the thinking and training of a foreign power, especially one so near, can have significant consequences.
Modi’s Crackdown on Foreign Journalists Is a Problem for the West
By Mohamed Zeeshan
By restricting and even evicting foreign journalists, the government is closing an important channel of dialogue and exchange with the West.
Maldives Braces for Austerity to Avert Debt Crisis
By Ahmed Naish
Credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded the Maldives to “junk” status, casting doubt on the country’s ability to meet “substantial upcoming external debt-servicing obligations.”
Pakistan’s Azm-e-Istehkam Operation: Old Wine in a New Bottle?
By Abdul Basit
The counterterrorism campaign is loud on rhetoric, low on substance and offers nothing substantive to stem the rising tide of militancy in Pakistan.
The Incredible Success, and Hope, of Afghanistan’s Cricket Team
By Grant Wyeth
The team’s rise is extraordinary given the chaos embroiling Afghanistan over the past four and a half decades. Cricket represents a rare spot of hope for a troubled country.
India-US Technology Ties Deepen Amid New Washington Consensus
By Rahul Jaybhay
While India was uneasy about fully adopting the old Washington consensus in the 1980s, Delhi has embraced the new consensus, engaging in initiatives and collaborations that ensure reduced dependency on China.
Modi Government Begins Third Term on Combative Note
By Kavita Chowdhury
The BJP, despite diminished numbers, rode rough-shod over the opposition to elect the controversial Om Birla as speaker of the house.
How Nepali Cricket Is Becoming a Beacon of Hope and Soft Power
By Shishir Bhatta
Despite a lackluster performance at the latest T20 World Cup, Nepal’s cricket is poised for rapid growth.
PM Hasina’s Delhi Visit Energizes Bangladesh-India Relations
By Aaqib Md Shatil
Energy connectivity with Nepal and Bhutan via India can help Bangladesh reduce dependency on fossil fuel.
India’s President Inaugurates Newly Elected Parliament
By Ashok Sharma
She listed fast-tracking economic reforms and boosting small and medium-size enterprises to create jobs as a key agenda of the new government.
Ecological Disasters in Sikkim: A Skewed Security-Development Balance in the Himalayas?
By Stanzin Lhaskyabs and Rahul Ganguly
Developmental and security projects, such as the construction of dams and roads, are contributing to the uptick in deadly natural disasters.
Sri Lanka Reaches Debt Restructuring Deal With Bilateral Creditors, Including China and India
By Bharatha Mallawarachi
The deal is expected to reopen the doors to bilateral transactions and the resumption of foreign projects that stalled when the island nation defaulted.