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Police clash with activists during a protest against the arrest of former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 29. Photo: EPA
US, Israel war on Iran

Fuel, food and fury: how the Iran war could topple South Asian governments

Analysts warn the crisis is threatening to spill over into wider economic and political instability.

India

India turns to ‘trusted friend’ Russia for oil supply as Iran war energises ties

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India

Here comes the ‘Mounjaro bride’: Indian pre-wedding prep includes obesity drug

Pakistan

Pakistan offers free public transport for 30 days following 40% petrol hike

The announcement of free travel for residents of Islamabad and Punjab came after people protested the steep rise in fuel prices.

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Passengers board a government bus in Islamabad on Friday. Photo: AFP
Passengers board a government bus in Islamabad on Friday. Photo: AFP
Sri Lanka

152 arrested in Sri Lanka in alleged Chinese-run cyberscam

Among those arrested in a raid on a hotel rented by Chinese men in the coastal town of Chilaw were 133 Chinese people.

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Pakistan

‘Why are we paying?’ Pakistanis face up to 54% rise in fuel prices

As the ripple effects of the Middle East war continue, the government says Islamabad will give people free public transport for 30 days.

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Pakistan

What Pakistan gains by playing peacemaker in Iran war

If Islamabad can successfully carry off the talks, it stands a chance of bringing in much-needed investments and weapon sales, analysts say.

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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) and Army Chief Asim Munir (right) meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on September 26, 2025. Photo: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Office/AFP
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) and Army Chief Asim Munir (right) meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on September 26, 2025. Photo: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Office/AFP
China-Middle East relations

China-Pakistan five-point plan to end Iran war

China and Pakistan launched an initiative to restore stability in the Middle East.

Nepal

Untouchable no more: Nepal to apologise to Dalits for first time

Nepal has banned caste discrimination, yet many Dalits still live in poverty. Can a formal state apology inspire change?

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US, Israel war on Iran

War on Iran is about to make clothes more expensive. Here’s why

Rising freight and energy costs, plus a near-blockade on synthetic fibres, are pushing prices higher.

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People shop for clothes at a market in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 16. Photo: EPA
Pakistan

Regional diplomats gather in Pakistan for talks to end Iran war

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were taking part in the talks as the US kept up strikes on Iran.

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (left) meets with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, as Pakistan hosts talks with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey to discuss regional de-escalation amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (left) meets with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, as Pakistan hosts talks with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey to discuss regional de-escalation amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
Nepal

Nepal’s ex-PM Oli arrested over alleged role in crackdown on protesters

Oli says he will fight the ‘vindictive’ arrest, as former home minister Ramesh Lekhak is also detained.

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Nepal

Balendra Shah sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister

Balendra Shah, the 35-year-old ex-rapper widely known as Balen, is Nepal’s youngest PM in decades.

Nepal

Nepal’s probe into deadly uprising finds ex-prime minister, officials ‘reckless’

The report is proposing prison sentences of up to 10 years for K.P. Sharma Oli and other top government officials.

People burn tyres during a demonstration in Kathmandu on September 9 to condemn the Nepali police’s deadly crackdown on protesters. Photo: AFP
Bangladesh

Bangladesh recovers 24 bodies after bus plunges into river

The bus had around 50 passengers, many of whom managed to escape.

Relatives of a victim mourn after a bus plunged into the Padma River while attempting to board a ferry in Rajbari, Bangladesh on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Relatives of a victim mourn after a bus plunged into the Padma River while attempting to board a ferry in Rajbari, Bangladesh on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
India

Pakistan steps in as Iran mediator while India watches from the wings

India’s ‘surprising’ silence on Iranian attacks amid uneasy ties with Tehran could affect its strategic relevance in the Gulf, analysts warn.

India

As India and US seek to reset defence ties, Iran war threatens to be wild card

An Iranian vessel’s sinking in the Indian Ocean has triggered anger in India, while New Delhi is worried about the Strait of Hormuz blockade.

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Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s refusal to host US warplanes before Iran war risks trade backlash

Trying to keep conflict at arm’s length by distancing itself from the US could bring Sri Lanka’s economy ‘to its knees’, analysts say.

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A US F-35C Lightning II prepares to land on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on March 3. It is not clear which warplanes the US asked Sri Lanka to host. Photo: US Navy/AFP
A US F-35C Lightning II prepares to land on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on March 3. It is not clear which warplanes the US asked Sri Lanka to host. Photo: US Navy/AFP
Singapore

Singapore coroner rules Indian singer Zubeen Garg’s death accidental drowning

State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said no one had forced, coerced or pushed Garg into the waters off Lazarus Island last year.

Pakistan

Pakistan PM says Islamabad ‘ready’ to host talks to end Iran war

Iran is a long-standing ally of Pakistan and Islamabad has condemned the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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India

Why India faces dilemma over Iran war while seeking ‘diplomatic flexibility’

India has to carefully navigate the fallout from the war, given its huge stakes in the Middle East, analysts say.

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Iranians stand next to damaged residential buildings in southern Tehran on March 15 amid ongoing US-Israeli attacks against Iran. Photo: EPA
Climate change

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

Nepal’s Mera Glacier is among the handful of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region that meets the World Glacier Monitoring Service’s benchmark standards. Photo: Patrick Wagnon/ICIMOD
Nepal’s Mera Glacier is among the handful of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region that meets the World Glacier Monitoring Service’s benchmark standards. Photo: Patrick Wagnon/ICIMOD
China energy security

China’s Russian oil imports spike in early 2026, but Iran war changes outlook

China’s need to bolster crude stockpiles amid rising geopolitical risks likely to have been a factor behind pre-war import surge, analyst says.

India

India steps up regional energy diplomacy, supplies Bangladesh with diesel

Being a ‘first responder’ in the current energy crisis is in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

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Pakistan

Is Pakistan building ICBMs? Non-proliferation experts dispute US warning

US fears of Pakistani ICBMs targeting America are overstated as Islamabad’s missile programme remains regional, observers say.

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Pakistan’s Shaheen-3 missile on display during a military parade in Islamabad in 2018. Photo: AP
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