All Asia: South & Central
- The ExplainerWhy are Indonesia and others moving their capitals? Three questions.
Moving capital cities can protect government institutions not only from rising seas and traffic, but also from aggrieved citizens.
- First LookSri Lanka in turmoil: Cabinet members submit mass resignations
On Sunday, all 26 members of Sri Lanka’s Cabinet handed their letters of resignation to the Prime Minister after his son, sports minister and former cabinet member, Namal Rajapaksha resigned amid growing public demonstration due to the country’s economic crisis.
- First LookPakistan PM blocks no-confidence vote, sparks political turmoil
Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan dodged a no-confidence vote expected to remove him from office by dissolving his parliament and calling for new elections Sunday. Mr. Khan’s move created a constitutional crisis and fueled international uncertainty.
- How the Ukraine war exposed education inequity in India
Thousands of Indian medical students have fled Ukraine since the war began. Why were they there in the first place?
- First LookCan schools ban hijabs? Indian court says yes.
The High Court in India’s southern state of Karnataka upheld hijab bans in schools statewide, claiming that the head-covering was not part of “essential religious practice.” Muslim students across India worry the court’s decision could set a national precedent.
- To society, they’re married. To India’s courts, they’re roommates.
Same-sex marriage is not legal in India. Queer couples are doing it anyway, making their relationship “official,” unofficially.
- Kashmir journalist Fahad Shah remains in detention: update
Fahad Shah, who writes for The Christian Science Monitor from Kashmir, India, was detained for publishing "anti-national" content.
- In northeast India, Myanmar refugees find hope in homework
India’s northeast state of Mizoram is defying the central government and allowing refugee children to enter school.
- Eileen Gu: The teenage gold medalist with geopolitical ambitions
Three years after her controversial decision to compete for China, U.S.-born skier Eileen Gu has won gold. What comes next for the rising star?
- First LookReligious identity, rights in focus as Indian schools ban hijab
Last month, Muslim students at a school in southern India were barred from entering classrooms for wearing hijab. Despite protests, more schools are now implementing similar bans, raising fears that religious freedoms may be in jeopardy.
- Monitor correspondent arrested in Kashmir
Kashmir police arrested Fahad Shah, editor of the Kashmir Walla, for 'uploading anti-national content' to the website.
- How uptick in anti-Christian violence threatens Indian democracy
With laws and mobs, Hindu nationalists are targeting Christians throughout India. The attacks raise questions about the country’s secular promise.
- First LookHumanitarian aid talks in Norway: A bid for Taliban legitimacy?
Taliban representatives plan to meet with Western nations to press for nearly $10 billion frozen by the United States and other Western countries be released as Afghans face food insecurity and a weak economy.
- How the Kazakhstan crisis reveals a bigger post-Soviet problem
Though the chaos in Kazakhstan appears to have ended, it has highlighted weak nation-states in much of Russia’s post-Soviet sphere.
- First LookAttacks on government buildings erode stability in Kazakhstan
A sudden spike in gas prices in Kazakhstan has prompted thousands to take to the streets in protest, sparking a level of unrest the county hasn’t seen since it gained independence. Here's a look at why demonstrators are angry and what it means for the country.
- First LookIslamic states try to feed Afghans without helping Taliban
As Afghanistan faces economic collapse, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation said Sunday it will set up a fund to provide humanitarian aid.
- First LookAfter year of protests, Modi to repeal Indian farm laws
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday that he will rescind an agricultural law that farmers have been protesting for over a year. The decision comes as Mr. Modi’s party gears up for elections in key states early next year.
- Why COP26 stakes are so high for India’s women
Women in rural India, facing hardship due to recent floods, exemplify the challenge of how to help the world’s poorest people adapt to climate change.
- ‘Driven by hope.’ An Afghan refugee fights to save her sisters.
Members of Afghanistan’s Hazara minority are at special risk of Taliban oppression. A Hazara refugee in Canada is ensuring they are not forgotten.
- Behind killings in disputed Kashmir, fears of Taliban spillover
A surge in killings of non-Muslims in disputed Kashmir has raised concerns of a spillover from the Taliban victory in Afghanistan.