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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.
Can the Modi Government Halt India's Economic Tailspin?
By K.S. Venkatachalam
Demonetization and the GST have taken a toll. Can Modi get India's economy booming again?
The Sorry State of Pakistan's Digital Diplomacy
By Zushan Hashmi
Despite a growing online population, Pakistan's politicians have little use for the internet.
Understanding India's Consular Presence in the Southern United States
By Robert Farley
The Diplomat's Robert Farley speaks to India's top diplomat in Houston, Texas.
A House Divided: How Afghanistan's National Unity Government Is Crumbling
By Ali Malik
Identity politics in Kabul undermines U.S. objectives in Afghanistan.
First Indian Wheat Shipment Leaves for Afghanistan Via Iran's Strategic Chabahar Port
By Ankit Panda
The shipment is the first of six and represents the activation of a long-discussed trade route.
A Game of Votes in India: Gag Orders Precede Elections in Rajasthan
By Priyanka Borpujari
An ordinance and bill in Rajasthan threatens India's free press and highlights worrying trends.
Buddhism and Islam in Asia: A Long and Complicated History
By Akhilesh Pillalamarri
Demography and history explain troubled attitudes toward Islam in Buddhist-majority Asian regions today.
Don’t Be Fooled by Sri Lanka’s UN Engagement
By Taylor Dibbert
Colombo remains unserious about transitional justice.
Kashmir’s New Interlocutor: Old Wine, New Bottle?
By Gautham Ashok
Can Dineshwar Sharma finally resolve the long-simmering Kashmir insurgency?
How Will US Demands For Pakistan to 'Do More' on Terror Work?
By Umair Jamal
Taking a “conditions-based” approach, the United States wants Pakistan to do more to fight extremism.
The Myth of an Iran-Russia Alliance in Afghanistan
By Samuel Ramani
For Iran and Russia, Afghanistan is more likely to be an area of geopolitical competition than a sphere of cooperation.
Tillerson to Follow Ghani to India, After a Brief Stop in Pakistan
By Catherine Putz
On Tuesday, Afghan President Ghani visited India. On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Tillerson is to do the same.