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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 at the Helm: Afghanistan’s Foreign Aid Crisis
By Muhammad Ahmad Khan
How can the international community ensure that aid reaches the needy without empowering the Taliban or helping them consolidate their authoritarian regime?
Trump 2.0 and the Taliban’s Afghanistan
By Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
Afghanistan, now under the Taliban, is no longer a conflict begging to be solved with a deal. It needs a more nuanced approach than the Trump administration may be capable of.
Sri Lanka’s Adani Controversy: Navigating Geopolitics, Transparency, and Sovereignty
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The NPP government has announced that it is reviewing the Adani Group’s $442 million wind power projects in Mannar and Pooneryn.
Japan and China Vie for Influence in Sri Lanka Via Soft Power Strategies
By Rathindra Kuruwita
As China refines its strategy on the Indian Ocean island, it is posing a significant challenge to Japan’s long-held influence in Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh Probes Hasina’s Niece for Corruption in Russian Nuclear Power Deal
By Mubashar Hasan
But are the allegations against the British MP politically motivated? Is the Yunus-led interim government settling scores with Hasina?
Pakistan’s Multi-Pronged Afghan Strategy
By Abdul Basit
While security concerns are important, the strategy is not security-centric but pays equal attention to diplomatic, political and economic engagement.
China’s Lesson for India on Weaponized Interdependence
By Srijan Shukla
Recent Chinese export curbs on capital goods and machinery to India amount to India’s biggest geoeconomic challenge since sanctions by the West following its successful nuclear test in 1998.
Why Politicians Are Urging Indians to Have More Children
By Snigdhendu Bhattacharya
Ethnic politics is driving politicians in India, which accounts for 18 percent of the global population, to call for stepping up the population growth rate.
Why Are Millions of People Flocking to India’s Prayagraj?
By Akhilesh Pillalamarri
This year’s Maha Kumbh Mela is particularly significant. The alignment of stars and planets is said to be the same as when drops of celestial nectar fell on the earth.
Why India’s Fence Along its Bangladesh Border Riles Dhaka
By Sudha Ramachandran
Advisers in the interim government argue that four agreements signed by the Hasina government with India are unequal.
Will Recent US Sanctions on Russian Oil Trigger an Oil Crisis in India?
By Rushali Saha
It presents India with a challenge but also an opportunity to diversify its oil imports.
Pakistan’s Human Trafficking Problem
By Marcus Andreopoulos
A recent investigation raises serious questions about the role Pakistani authorities and institutions are playing in global cases of human trafficking.
Why India and Maldives Are Reticent Over Alleged RAW Plot
By Ahmed Naish
Both governments denied allegations in the Washington Post about the Indian intelligence agency’s involvement in an aborted plot to impeach President Muizzu.
Mapping India’s Global Interests – and US Significance for New Delhi
By Krzysztof Iwanek
Can data alone map out the countries that are most important for India? To a degree – yes.
2 Recent Moves by the Indian Army Trigger Hinduization Concerns
By Snigdhendu Bhattacharya
While some see the moves as reflecting India’s greater security concerns over China, army veterans say the secular foundations of the Indian Army are being undermined.
India Strengthens its Naval Muscle Amid an Uptick in Global Uncertainty, Challenges
By Elizabeth Roche
Last week, the Indian Navy commissioned two indigenously developed warships and one submarine.
Sri Lankan President Seals Several Deals in China
By Rathindra Kuruwita
China’s Sinopec has agreed to set up an oil refinery with an investment of $3.7 billion in Hambantota.
China in Pakistan’s Power Sector: The Hidden Costs Behind Pakistan’s Energy Overcapacity
By Nishant Yadav
Contracts with Chinese power producers have left Pakistan footing a massive bill for inefficient supply – all while electricity shortfalls continue.
Will the Trump Administration Grant the Iran-Pakistan Pipeline Project a Sanctions Waiver?
By Mariyam Suleman Anees
If Pakistan does not keep its part of the pipeline agreement with Iran, it will have to shell out a potential $18 billion to Tehran.
Tiny Steps for TAPI in the Taliban’s Afghanistan
By Catherine Putz
The Taliban authorities say that around 3 kilometers of the pipeline has been completed, out of more than 770 km needed to bring Turkmen gas to the Pakistani border.
Political Outbidding in India on Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants
By Sucharita Sengupta
As elections in Delhi draw near, political parties take to anti-immigrant rhetoric and penal action.
Can Hasina’s Awami League Make a Comeback in Bangladesh’s Next Election?
By Shahadat Swadhin
The Awami League is unlikely to make a swift comeback in Bangladesh's political landscape
Will PTI’s Talks With Government Shield Imran Khan From Imprisonment?
By Umair Jamal
The former Pakistan PM’s conviction in the Al-Qadir Trust case is imminent, say government officials.
Growing Taliban-India Closeness: Should Pakistan be Worried?
By Muhammad Murad
Is Pakistan on the verge of losing its erstwhile friend, the Afghan Taliban, to its arch-rival India?