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People buy vegetables at a market in the old quarters of New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
India

India overtakes Japan as world’s fourth largest economy, eyes top 3 by 2026

Government data shows India’s GDP at US$4.18 trillion, with projections it will surpass Germany by 2026 despite global trade challenges.

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Extreme weather

Asia’s year of costly climate disasters spurs calls for ‘decisive action’

Bangladesh

Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia dies after prolonged illness

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Bangladesh

Will Tarique Rahman’s return to Bangladesh ease tensions, restore stability?

Rahman could help consolidate the BNP’s position as the dominant electoral force, while tempering a volatile political climate, analysts say.

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Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and Bangladesh Nationalist Party‘s acting chairman, addresses supporters during a rally after his arrival in Dhaka on Thursday. Photo: AFP
Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and Bangladesh Nationalist Party‘s acting chairman, addresses supporters during a rally after his arrival in Dhaka on Thursday. Photo: AFP
Nepal

Ex-rapper to run for Nepal PM after youth-led protests

Two popular leaders form an alliance ahead of Nepal’s March 5 elections.

Nepal

Nepal probes illegal matchmaking as China cautions citizens over ‘bride buying’

Officials say online brokers are promoting Nepali women to Chinese men, prompting detentions and official warnings.

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India

Indian rice could become costlier for US amid Trump’s tariff threat

Experts warn of wider repercussions, including efforts by importers to divert shipments and renewed strain in US-India trade talks.

A worker gathers rice grain with a broom in a grain market at Mansa in the northern state of Punjab, India, in November. Photo: Reuters
A worker gathers rice grain with a broom in a grain market at Mansa in the northern state of Punjab, India, in November. Photo: Reuters
India

As India’s US$70 million obesity drug market bulges, so does price war

Pharmaceutical giants like Lilly and Nordisk are battling for dominance in India’s weight-loss market with price cuts and early launches.

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Bangladesh

Aspiring Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman welcomed home after 17 years abroad

The political heavyweight is to lead the BNP through an election after ex-premier Sheikh Hasina’s exit following a student-led uprising.

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India

Duopoly of Air India, IndiGo to face challenge from 2 new airlines

The approval for Al Hind Air and FlyExpress to operate in India comes amid mounting calls to challenge the dominance of Air India and IndiGo.

Aircrafts queue up on the tarmac before taking off at Mumbai airport. Photo: AFP
United States

Trump’s US$100,000 H-1B visa fee upheld by judge, as lottery system ends

The US awards 85,000 H-1B visas annually via lottery, with Indian nationals accounting for nearly three-quarters of recipients.

US President Donald Trump displays an executive order creating the “Trump Gold Card” and introducing a fee of US$100,000 for H-1B visas in the Oval Office in September. Photo: TNS
US President Donald Trump displays an executive order creating the “Trump Gold Card” and introducing a fee of US$100,000 for H-1B visas in the Oval Office in September. Photo: TNS
India

Indian doctor suspended, charged after allegedly assaulting patient

Dr Raghav Narula is accused of speaking disrespectfully to a patient at a hospital in Shimla, but has denied wrongdoing in the confrontation.

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India

India’s new law to fuel energy needs, drive nuclear power growth

The new law, which will end years of near-exclusive state control, could unlock stalled investment and boost nuclear capacity, analysts say.

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India

India’s gem exports defy US tariffs as Asia, Middle East demand grows

Shipments rose 19.64 per cent year on year to US$2.51 billion in November, reflecting a successful diversification push, analysts say.

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A salesman checks the quality of a diamond necklace through a magnifier at a jewellery store in Chennai. India is the world’s largest exporter of diamonds due to its dominance in gem cutting and polishing. Photo: AFP
Nepal

Nepal’s plan to tackle uphill task on Mount Everest: clean up waste

Over the years, the authorities have removed a mountain pile of trash and the bodies of climbers on the world’s highest peak.

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A Nepalese sherpa collecting garbage left by climbers at an altitude of 8,000 metres during the Everest clean-up expedition at Mount Everest in 2010. Photo: AFP
A Nepalese sherpa collecting garbage left by climbers at an altitude of 8,000 metres during the Everest clean-up expedition at Mount Everest in 2010. Photo: AFP
India

India’s partial visa suspension signals unease over Bangladesh’s recent unrest

India halted visa services from its Chittagong mission after violent protests, underscoring its concern over security and stability.

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India

Why India to Europe trade corridor is stalling even as talks continue

A key hurdle hampering the progress of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor is the lingering uncertainty over Gaza.

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Australia

Bondi Beach attack sparks global misinformation crisis, and AI-driven hate

A leading counterterrorism expert warns that ‘agentic AI’ and political point-scoring are fuelling a toxic symbiosis between extremists.

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A memorial is seen on the footbridge used in the Bondi Beach attack in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday. Photo: EPA
A memorial is seen on the footbridge used in the Bondi Beach attack in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday. Photo: EPA
China travel

China eases visa rules for India, tapping into US$21.6 billion travel market

Indian nationals will now be able to apply for Chinese visas online as Beijing and New Delhi gradually move to normalise economic ties.

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US-ally trade wars

Mexico’s 50% tariff shock shuts Asia’s North American trade bypass

A tariff wall will soon separate protected partners like CPTPP members Singapore and Malaysia from exporters facing a shutout.

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India

India overhauls controversial rural jobs scheme despite opposition walkout

The scheme increases guaranteed workdays but shifts funding to states, as opposition cries foul over the changes.

Unemployed youths fill application forms to access job openings outside an “employment van” in Hyderabad in 2021. Photo: AFP
Bangladesh

Violence erupts in Bangladesh after shot leader of youth uprising dies

Sharif Osman Hadi was attacked by assailants in Dhaka and airlifted to a hospital in the city state, where he succumbed to his injuries.

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A protester reacts to the camera near the offices of the Prothom Alo newspaper, which were set on fire by angry protesters in Dhaka on Friday. Photo: AP
A protester reacts to the camera near the offices of the Prothom Alo newspaper, which were set on fire by angry protesters in Dhaka on Friday. Photo: AP
India

‘Not able to breathe’: denial, deflection, dodgy data worsen India’s air crisis

‘Fed up’ citizens and experts demand honest action to tackle pollution that causes 1.5 million additional deaths every year in India.

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Bangladesh

Bangladeshi politician’s threat targeting India’s northeast deepens row

His claim of Delhi’s election interference comes days after a leader of the 2024 uprising in Bangladesh was shot in Dhaka.

India

Delhi battles severe pollution with traffic bans, work-from-home order

Every winter, Delhi’s air pollution surges as cold air traps vehicle, construction, and crop-burning emissions, causing severe health risks.

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Vehicles move on a road amid heavy smog near New Delhi, India on Monday. Photo: EPA
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