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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 Bans Al Jazeera for Broadcasting 'Wrong' Maps of Kashmir
By Ankit Panda
The Qatari news agency received a five-day ban.
200 Years Ago, Britain Recruited South Asia's Fiercest Warriors
By Akhilesh Pillalamarri
200 years ago today, the legendary Gorkha rifles were formed.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Is Easier Said Than Done
By Akhilesh Pillalamarri
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) raises several questions in the domestic Pakistani context.
Iran and Pakistan Agree to Enhance Bilateral Trade
By Ankit Panda
Iran and Pakistan agreed to boost their trade ties, in an agreement that could yield $5 billion in trade growth.
Is Karachi’s Biggest Party on the Ropes?
By Jack Detsch
Pakistan’s MQM faces an increasingly difficult set of challenges to hold onto power in the country’s biggest city.
Does Narendra Modi Need to Watch Out for India's Communists?
By Sanjay Kumar
India's communists may begin to play a larger role in national politics than they have in some years.
Lessons for India: How the 'Mother of All Defense Deals' Crashed and Burned
By Rohan Joshi
...and what India needs to do to avoid flubs of the sort in the future.
Omar Khadr’s Fight for Freedom
By Zareen Muzaffar
Omar Khadr was captured in Afghanistan as a 15 year old and now awaits justice in Canada.
China’s Grand Plan for Pakistan’s Infrastructure
By Jack Detsch
President Xi Jinping has inked a deal with Islamabad that could provide Beijing with direct access to the Indian Ocean.
In France, Germany, and Canada, Modi Impresses
By Harsh V. Pant
Narendra Modi's time in France, Germany, and Canada showcased his shrewdness as a diplomat.
Ashraf Ghani’s Taliban Predicament
By Aryaman Bhatnagar
A resolution to the insurgency remains as elusive as ever.
35 Killed in ISIS' First Claimed Suicide Bombing in Afghanistan
By Ankit Panda
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) carried out its first major attack on Afghan soil.