All Asia: South & Central
- Pakistan’s army vowed to avoid politics. Now it’s back in the middle.Mass protests over Imran Khan’s arrest have left a trail of destruction throughout Pakistan, and brought the integrity of the country’s most powerful institutions under fire.
- First LookEscalating crisis: Pakistan's former prime minister Khan arrestedFormer Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been arrested and appeared in a court in Islamabad, to face charges in multiple graft cases, said officials from his party. Mr. Khan claims the calls for his arrest are politically motivated by opponents.
- How one Indian couple has helped thousands of sugarcane cuttersFighting modern slavery takes courage. One couple is using every tool available – including education – to combat bonded labor in India’s mammoth sugar industry.
- The Dream Journey: Meet the friends bringing Pakistani music backThe cultural effects of an oppressive regime can linger for generations. But in Pakistan, a collective of music lovers is reviving the country’s musical heritage and spreading joy across borders.
- In Pictures: For blind musicians, Khmer culture singsA small school in southern Cambodia runs a dual-track mission: to care for orphaned children and preserve the traditional arts.
- Risky tunnel project promises security, prosperity in northern IndiaAs Delhi fast-tracks infrastructure projects near the India-China border, a new tunnel is set to bring all-weather connectivity to the long-isolated region of Ladakh.
- Monitor reporter’s trial opens: Why India treats journalists as terroristsMonitor contributor Fahad Shah’s long detention and ongoing trial raise questions about India’s approach to terrorism.
- First LookApple sets its sights on an untapped smartphone market: IndiaApple Inc. has opened a flagship store in Mumbai, India, with a second store coming soon to New Delhi, as the company moves its manufacturing out of China. About 600 million of India’s 1.4 billion people have smartphones, and the tech market is growing.
- First LookIndia will soon have the biggest population. Can its women rise, too?India will soon eclipse China to become the world’s most populous country, but the number of Indian women in the workforce has been shrinking. When women participate in the labor market, they contribute to the economy and their family’s income, experts say.
- First LookWildlife over people? Indigenous groups protest India’s Project Tiger.As India’s Project Tiger turns 50 years old and the big cat population hits 3,000, Indigenous groups are protesting. They say they are being displaced by wildlife projects that push them out of their ancestral land and ask for a say in conservation efforts.
- First LookClimate change washes away freshwater for Indian villagersRising seas from climate change is bringing saltwater into freshwater supplies in India, where less than half the population can access clean drinking water. In Chellanam increased salinity in the aquifer has forced residents to retrieve freshwater by hand.
- As India’s Project Tiger turns 50, hope for the big catOn the surface, India’s gains on tiger conservation over the past 50 years appear modest, but the momentum growing behind the big cat gives wildlife advocates hope.
- First LookMalaysia abolishes death penalty. Will other Asian nations follow?Human rights groups have applauded Malaysia’s move to abolish the mandatory death penalty, bringing possible reprieves to more than 1,300 prisoners on death row. Previously, courts had no choice but to mandate hanging as punishment for a range of crimes.
- Gandhi’s expulsion: Bad for Indian democracy, good for opposition?Critics have called the expulsion of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi an assault on the integrity of India’s democracy – but it’s also inspiring rare unity among different parties, which could sway upcoming elections.
- First LookCan public trust endure in India amid high surveillance?In India, the increased digitization of services has led to greater government surveillance and false arrests, activists say. The authorities say the surveillance is needed to curb rising crime.
- Pakistan-Khan standoff: What would justice look like to each side?A violent standoff between supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistani authorities has put pressure on the country’s legal system.
- First LookWhy did Thailand disband its Parliament ahead of elections?A government order has disestablished Thailand’s Parliament, allowing candidates to change parties closer to election day. An election with stronger candidates and more supportive parties could reduce the political influence of the country’s military.
- First LookPakistan unrest: Supporters clash with police trying to arrest KhanPolice attempts to arrest former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan have triggered two days of street clashes with supporters. Since 1947, at least seven former prime ministers of Pakistan have been arrested in various cases and tried by courts.
- First LookIndonesia breaks ground on new ‘futuristic’ capital of BorneoIndonesia is moving its capital from Jakarta to the newly unveiled Borneo. The goal is for the island to be a “sustainable forest city” that aims to be carbon neutral by 2045, but environmentalists warn there could be issues with deforestation.
- ‘Not worthy of a democracy’: Behind India’s slide on press freedomTrends of anti-media violence, censorship, and legal intimidation could have disastrous consequences for the world’s largest democracy.