Region
South Asia

April 19, 2021
The Flickering Edge of Hope: Pakistan’s LGBTQ+ Community Battles Prejudice and Discrimination
By Saad
The beleaguered community watched neighboring India’s 2018 decriminalization of consensual homosexual relations with wistful joy.

April 17, 2021
Even as Virus Cases Soar, Nepal Re-Opens Mt. Everest
By Kamal Dev Bhattarai
Amid a second wave of COVID-19 infections, hundreds of climbers are set to scale the world’s tallest mountain.

April 17, 2021
The US Exit: Views From Afghanistan’s Civil Society
By Ritu Mahendru and Inshah Malik
With Biden’s announced timeline for full U.S. withdrawal, there’s a looming question of failed promises in Afghanistan.

April 16, 2021
Blinken in Afghanistan to Sell Biden Troop Withdrawal
By Matthew Lee
"The partnership is changing, but the partnership itself is enduring,” Blinken said during his unannounced visit to Afghanistan.

April 16, 2021
India’s Biggest Cities Shut Down as New COVID-19 Cases Hit 200K
By Ashok Sharma
The soaring cases and deaths come just months after India thought it had seen the worst of the pandemic.

April 15, 2021
Pakistan’s Police Brave Islamist Violence — Alone
By Umair Jamal
Despite being a frontline counterextremist force, the police in Pakistan suffer from an image problem – and directly bear the brunt of Islamists.

April 15, 2021
What’s Behind the Surge in Violent Islamism in Bangladesh?
By Sudha Ramachandran
Domestic political expediency, history, and ideology have made for a toxic mix in Bangladesh as it celebrates 50 years of independence.

April 15, 2021
Bangladesh’s Islamist Challenge Intensifies
By Subir Bhaumik
The violent anti-Modi protests were just the latest sign that the government's outreach to Islamist groups has backfired.

April 15, 2021
A Rohingya Girl Stuck Between Three Countries
By Rajeev Bhattacharya
The 14-year-old was about to be deported to Myanmar from India when authorities refused to admit her back. Meanwhile, she wants to be reunited with her parents in Bangladesh.

April 15, 2021
Biden Announces Plan for US Exit from Afghan War, Urges Attention to Future Challenges
By Catherine Putz
"No one wants to say that we should be in Afghanistan forever. But they insist that now is not the right moment to leave,” Biden rebuffs critics, charting a U.S. exit from its longest war.

April 14, 2021
COVID-19 Resurgence Threatens India’s Economic Recovery
By Prachi Priya and Aniruddha Ghosh
Just when there was growing optimism over India’s economic rebound, the second COVID-19 wave has come as a rude shock to businesses and consumers alike.

April 14, 2021
Afghan Civil Society Must Not Be Left Out of the Peace Process
By Samina Ansari
During the 2001 Bonn Conference, the U.N. opted for a “light footprint” that delegated its civilian development role to foreign military forces. That cannot happen again.