https://www.scmp.com/rss/318216/feed South Asia's latest news, current affairs, politics and regional issues. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested on Monday a new passport and identity card so she can return from self-imposed exile in India, according to a letter seen by Reuters, her first ‌such communication since fleeing in 2024. The request marks the clearest step by Hasina to act on her plan to return to Bangladesh in December, more than two years after a deadly uprising ended her long rule, raising the prospect of fresh political and legal tensions in a country where her party... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373754/ex-bangladesh-leader-hasina-applies-passport-signal-shes-ready-homecoming https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373754/ex-bangladesh-leader-hasina-applies-passport-signal-shes-ready-homecoming Mon, 09 Nov 2026 05:07:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse In a Pakistani village nestled in rice fields, Abdul Hafeez Khoso remembers the vast industrial zones he saw in Germany when he visited to file a pioneering climate legal case. “They’re spreading pollution: up in the sky there are no borders, it can affect anywhere,” the 43-year-old said, describing areas far larger than his village of 800 people. “This is a problem for the whole world – that is why it should be resolved at the global level.” Khoso and 38 other farmers from Pakistan’s southern... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373733/pakistani-farmers-sue-german-firms-flood-damage-no-borders-sky https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373733/pakistani-farmers-sue-german-firms-flood-damage-no-borders-sky Mon, 09 Nov 2026 03:08:22 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines wants to buy more of India’s BrahMos missiles and have them adapted to its terrain, in a move analysts say signals Manila’s search for alternative arms suppliers as the US remains entangled in its Middle East conflict. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr told a security summit in New Delhi last week that his country hoped to expand on its 2022 purchase of the supersonic cruise missile arsenal to strengthen its external deterrence. Indian sources later told Reuters... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373650/philippines-seeks-bespoke-brahmos-missiles-india-island-defence https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373650/philippines-seeks-bespoke-brahmos-missiles-india-island-defence Mon, 09 Nov 2026 01:13:51 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Washington’s decision to upgrade Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets has drawn accusations of double standards from critics in India, who question why the United States is strengthening a nuclear-armed ally while waging war against Iran over its nuclear programme. Although the US$686 million military modernisation package does not include nuclear weapons, analysts say that improvements to the fighter jets’ navigation, communications and survivability could boost Pakistan’s existing nuclear strike... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373584/india-questions-us-double-standards-pakistan-secures-f-16-upgrade-deal https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373584/india-questions-us-double-standards-pakistan-secures-f-16-upgrade-deal Sun, 08 Nov 2026 08:00:36 +0000 Reuters Reuters New Delhi ranked as the world’s ⁠most polluted major ⁠city on Saturday ⁠morning, according to Swiss group IQAir, as the Indian capital faced severe pollution forecasts a day before Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. India has ordered schools in and around Delhi to offer online classes and encouraged people to work from home ahead of Diwali on Sunday, which is usually marked by the widespread use of firecrackers ⁠that further worsen the air quality. IQAir ranked Delhi ‌first for air pollution... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373637/air-indias-capital-ranked-worlds-most-polluted-eve-diwali https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373637/air-indias-capital-ranked-worlds-most-polluted-eve-diwali Sat, 07 Nov 2026 06:01:55 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Garment workers in Bangladesh, the world’s second-largest clothing exporter after China, are demanding that their wages more than double – and their protests have brought a halt to production in factories supplying global brands including H&M, Zara and Walmart. Tens of thousands of workers have marched through Dhaka and the key industrial towns of Gazipur, Ashulia and Narayanganj in recent days demanding higher pay. Protests turned violent in several hubs, with factories vandalised and roads... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373569/there-could-be-anarchy-bangladeshs-garment-unrest-threatens-economic-disaster https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373569/there-could-be-anarchy-bangladeshs-garment-unrest-threatens-economic-disaster Sat, 07 Nov 2026 05:00:06 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang Travelling through South America earlier this year, I was repeatedly reminded of China’s growing importance. At Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, I spotted the logo of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. ICBC acquired an 80 per cent stake in Standard Bank Argentina in 2012, establishing a significant presence. In Buenos Aires, my friend Diego García, a publisher, offered a useful perspective: Argentina does not have to choose between China and the United States. It should... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373154/can-china-champion-global-south-without-speaking-it https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3373154/can-china-champion-global-south-without-speaking-it Fri, 06 Nov 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s ambitious plans to construct high-speed railways, metro networks and strategic roads through the Himalayas could be hampered by China’s proposed restrictions on tunnel-boring machines, exposing a dependence on foreign technology that New Delhi may find difficult to overcome. Experts say while the curbs are unlikely to halt construction, they could slow major projects and have intensified calls for India to develop its own advanced tunnelling equipment. The restrictions also threaten to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373301/india-vows-dig-its-way-out-china-machinery-curbs https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3373301/india-vows-dig-its-way-out-china-machinery-curbs Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:30:36 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Indian naval forces freed an Iranian fishing boat and its crew of 20 hijacked off Somalia after an operation lasting more than 48 hours, India’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. The rescue of the Azini was completed on Monday in the Arabian Sea, more than 3,000km (1,860 miles) from Mumbai, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said. An official with the Puntland Maritime Police Force said Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates, confiscated their mobile phones and released them. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3373168/indian-navy-frees-hijacked-iranian-fishing-crew-somalia https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3373168/indian-navy-frees-hijacked-iranian-fishing-crew-somalia Tue, 03 Nov 2026 13:12:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An Indian tourist was killed and a New Zealand national injured when two helicopters collided and crashed while attempting to land in Nepal’s Everest region on Tuesday, police said. There are few roads in the Himalayas, and helicopters are widely used to transport tourists, climbers and supplies, as well as carry out emergency evacuations. Nepal’s challenging terrain and rapidly changing weather make aviation operations particularly hazardous. The small helicopters operated by Fishtail Air and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373136/mid-air-helicopter-collision-nepals-everest-kills-indian-tourist https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373136/mid-air-helicopter-collision-nepals-everest-kills-indian-tourist Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:52:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Suspected militants riding a motorcycle shot and killed two police officers assigned to protect polio workers during a door-to-door vaccination campaign on Tuesday in northwestern Pakistan, officials said. The drive-by shooting in Mohmand, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan, also wounded a third officer. The police officers were travelling to a nearby village to guard vaccination teams when they came under fire, police officer Ayaz Khan said. The attackers fled... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373114/2-pakistani-police-officers-guarding-polio-workers-killed-suspected-militants https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3373114/2-pakistani-police-officers-guarding-polio-workers-killed-suspected-militants Tue, 03 Nov 2026 08:45:07 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju As India seeks to expand its security cooperation with Southeast Asia by sharing its battle-tested counterterrorism expertise, defence analysts say its experience would only partly meet Asean’s needs given the differences in threat perception and domestic priorities. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made the offer at the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu on Thursday. Citing Operation Sindoor as an example of India’s counterterrorism capabilities, he offered to share... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372998/why-indias-asean-anti-terrorism-partnership-offer-may-not-be-one-size-fits-all https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372998/why-indias-asean-anti-terrorism-partnership-offer-may-not-be-one-size-fits-all Mon, 02 Nov 2026 09:38:21 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers blocked a major highway and clashed with police on Monday, demanding a monthly minimum wage more than double their current pay, as protests spread across industrial hubs. The South Asian nation of 170 million people is the world’s second-biggest garment exporter behind China, manufacturing clothes for some of the largest international brands. Hundreds of workers in Gazipur, north of the capital Dhaka, blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway, vandalising several... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372963/cheap-fashion-under-pressure-bangladeshi-garment-workers-protest-pay-hike https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372963/cheap-fashion-under-pressure-bangladeshi-garment-workers-protest-pay-hike Mon, 02 Nov 2026 07:29:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse In a sprawling palace in western India, the “queen” or Maharani of Baroda welcomes guests with fragrant rose petals, presenting torchlit dances of Hindu myths. Dressed in glittering finery, Radhikaraje Gaekwad is a queen in name only, a modern businesswoman presiding over a world her ancestors once ruled. “The key has been that we have adapted,” the 48-year-old said in her vast Lakshmi Vilas Palace, describing how India’s former royals have found new roles, from cultural ambassadors to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372920/indian-royals-carve-new-calling-decades-after-losing-their-thrones https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372920/indian-royals-carve-new-calling-decades-after-losing-their-thrones Mon, 02 Nov 2026 03:01:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Tens of thousands of volunteers helped raise 108 Buddhist stupas in Bhutan on Sunday, marking the Himalayan kingdom’s ambitious plans for a “mindfulness” city aimed at driving economic growth. The 15-metre tall solid towers – sacred Buddhist monuments found across the Himalayas – stretch along 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) of riverbank near the Indian border, at the site of the future Gelephu Mindfulness City. More than 40,000 volunteers took part in building the structures as “a physical form of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372902/bhutan-builds-108-stupas-mindfulness-city-tourism-push https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372902/bhutan-builds-108-stupas-mindfulness-city-tourism-push Sun, 01 Nov 2026 13:30:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters Thousands protested in Delhi on Sunday to demand the resignation of India’s election chief over a revision of voter lists, the latest in more than a month of ‌opposition demonstrations challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Led by Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi, Sunday’s protesters say the controversial revision benefits Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Analysts say the protests and growing support for the opposition form the worst crisis for Modi since he came to power in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372886/indian-opposition-unites-demand-modi-electoral-chiefs-resignation https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372886/indian-opposition-unites-demand-modi-electoral-chiefs-resignation Sun, 01 Nov 2026 10:13:07 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s new high-altitude combat tank was designed to go where its heavier armoured fighting vehicles cannot: the thin mountain air, narrow roads and small bridges along its disputed border with China. In its base configuration, the Zorawar weighs some 25 tonnes – light enough to be flown all the way to the Line of Actual Control – but a push to make it strong enough to withstand high-calibre autocannon fire could add an extra seven tonnes to that loadout. Reports of renewed stand-offs between... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372762/armour-vs-altitude-indias-light-tank-dilemma-along-china-border https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372762/armour-vs-altitude-indias-light-tank-dilemma-along-china-border Sun, 01 Nov 2026 08:00:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nearly 200 nations have struck hard-fought agreements at a UN biodiversity summit, but the outcome was accompanied by disappointment over missed opportunities to address humanity’s destructive toll on nature. Delegates cheered on Friday as crucial texts were approved in overtime but the celebrations were tempered by acrimonious debates and regret over limited progress on some of the most contentious issues. The Cop17 summit in Armenia sought to revive a landmark commitment to halt and reverse... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3372839/200-nations-cop17-commit-biodiversity-goals-amid-missed-opportunities https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3372839/200-nations-cop17-commit-biodiversity-goals-amid-missed-opportunities Sat, 31 Oct 2026 11:16:20 +0000 Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey In the Land of the Rising Sun, Bangladesh looks forward to a new dawn. The hope that comes with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to Japan goes beyond the deals signed or the financial support expected. It shows a country that has emerged from authoritarian rule and wants to turn its new political voice into bigger economic chances and freedom of choice. For a government chosen by the people, foreign policy must answer one question: how does it make life better for the people who gave it... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3372553/both-japan-and-china-can-help-bangladesh-reach-its-full-potential https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3372553/both-japan-and-china-can-help-bangladesh-reach-its-full-potential Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji In recent weeks, Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has frequently taken to the streets – joining protest marches, staging sit-ins at police stations and confronting authorities over alleged abuses of power and corruption. Often trading the formal attire traditionally worn by India’s political elite for a T-shirt and jeans, Gandhi’s high-visibility participation in grass-roots demonstrations has drawn wide attention as he seeks to place himself at the forefront of a growing movement of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372772/indias-rahul-gandhi-takes-modi-can-grass-roots-defiance-win-votes https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372772/indias-rahul-gandhi-takes-modi-can-grass-roots-defiance-win-votes Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:53:57 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Japan’s push to expand industrial and port cooperation with Bangladesh could transform the South Asian country into a regional trade gateway, analysts say, connecting markets in Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific while diversifying Dhaka’s economic ties. The plan was announced during Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s official visit to Japan this week. Rahman welcomed Tokyo’s pledge of US$6 billion in investment over the next five years, which could help revive an economy hit by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372449/japans-us6-billion-port-plan-aims-revive-bangladeshs-bruised-economy https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372449/japans-us6-billion-port-plan-aims-revive-bangladeshs-bruised-economy Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:00:24 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China said it would seek India’s help to “maintain peace and stability in the border areas” after new stand-offs in a long-disputed region threatened to undermine improved relations. “We hope that India will work with China in the same direction by jointly implementing the common understandings between the two sides,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a daily media briefing on Monday. China “strictly abides by the relevant agreements”, he said. Guo also said that China... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372433/china-seeks-indias-help-defusing-border-tensions https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372433/china-seeks-indias-help-defusing-border-tensions Wed, 28 Oct 2026 09:13:41 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India has emerged as a major exporter of ammunition and other weapons to Europe since the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia war, but analysts caution that New Delhi has yet to secure a lasting foothold in Europe’s defence market. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh cited a Bloomberg report last Friday stating that India had become the third-largest arms exporter to Europe under the “ReArm Europe” initiative – also known as Readiness 2030 – largely because of ammunition demand. Bloomberg, citing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372348/can-india-turn-wartime-ammo-sales-lasting-european-defence-ties https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372348/can-india-turn-wartime-ammo-sales-lasting-european-defence-ties Wed, 28 Oct 2026 04:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ferocious winds and torrential rain lashed India’s southeastern coast as Cyclone Arnab made landfall on Wednesday, forcing nearly 100,000 people to evacuate their homes in two states, authorities said. Arnab hit Andhra Pradesh as a “very severe cyclonic storm”, with winds of 125-135km/h (78-84 mph) and gusts reaching 150km/h, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. A storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 ‌metres (5-8 feet) above normal tide is very ⁠likely to ⁠inundate low-lying areas of the state... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372365/100000-evacuated-india-cyclone-arnab-makes-landfall-southeast-coast https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372365/100000-evacuated-india-cyclone-arnab-makes-landfall-southeast-coast Wed, 28 Oct 2026 01:58:16 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Immigration restrictions, rising living costs and strains in US-India relations are testing support for President Donald Trump among some Indian-Americans who backed the Republican Party in 2024, analysts say, ahead of November’s midterm elections. A survey released in August by AAPI Data and Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote found that 66 per cent of Indian-American respondents favoured Democratic candidates for the US House of Representatives, compared with 18 per cent for Republicans.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372349/why-indian-american-support-trump-slipping-midterms https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3372349/why-indian-american-support-trump-slipping-midterms Wed, 28 Oct 2026 01:30:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters A court in India has ordered the ⁠takedown of an online documentary posted by Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and billionaire Gautam Adani of cronyism, after Adani Enterprises sued, calling it defamatory. Adani’s flagship firm, Adani Enterprises, told the High Court in the eastern city of Kolkata that the documentary, which garnered millions of views on social media in recent days, was riddled with false content and had prompted ‌inquiries from some... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372312/indian-court-orders-documentary-modi-tycoon-adani-removed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372312/indian-court-orders-documentary-modi-tycoon-adani-removed Tue, 27 Oct 2026 10:55:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The villagers who first spotted the five baby orangutans in a casuarina forest in India in early September were puzzled by their reddish hair and unfamiliar faces. The three males and two females, aged six to eight months – were left on a plantation in eastern India’s Odisha, over 2,700km (1,700 miles) from their native rainforests in Borneo and Sumatra, evidence of a growing illicit trade of apes being trafficked into India. They are now at an Indian zoo, where keepers reportedly have been... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372133/discovery-baby-orangutans-india-exposes-booming-illegal-pet-trade https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3372133/discovery-baby-orangutans-india-exposes-booming-illegal-pet-trade Mon, 26 Oct 2026 07:06:05 +0000 Zhou Xiaoming Zhou Xiaoming The anxiety gripping Seoul is palpable. Under US pressure, South Korea signed a US$350 billion investment deal last November for a 10-percentage-point tariff reduction, billing it as a strategic alliance. Barely a year on, the facade has crumbled. Last month, US President Donald Trump announced a US$200 billion tranche of the deal with no South Korean official present. Blindsided, Seoul restated its “commercial viability” clause. Trump’s response was blunt. “If they don’t want to do it, that’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371802/seouls-useless-placation-warning-all-us-trade-partners https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371802/seouls-useless-placation-warning-all-us-trade-partners Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Fiercely proud of its culinary traditions, India is increasingly open to foreign influences, with French cooking schools attracting students eager to make their mark on the country’s growing fine-dining sector. “Ten or 15 years ago, there were far fewer young people dreaming of becoming chefs,” said Aabhas Jain, director of bakery and pastry training at Ecole Ducasse, a French culinary school also operating in India. “But with the rise of social media … today’s students have greater ambitions in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371991/french-cooking-schools-fuel-fine-dining-dreams-indias-young-chefs https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371991/french-cooking-schools-fuel-fine-dining-dreams-indias-young-chefs Sat, 24 Oct 2026 02:15:05 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Recent youth-led protests in New Delhi and other cities in India have fuelled allegations that they are connected to unrest in France and elsewhere in Europe, with an influential Hindu nationalist organisation warning of foreign forces seeking to destabilise societies. While analysts caution against concluding that foreign interference played a role in demonstrations in India, they say protesters in Europe and India share similar concerns, reflecting their mounting anger that education and hard... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3371963/economic-fears-fuel-protests-india-france-social-contract-breaks-down https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3371963/economic-fears-fuel-protests-india-france-social-contract-breaks-down Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:24:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United Nations’ climate loss and damage fund moved to provide US$20 million in aid sought by flood-stricken Nepal – the first time it has set aside money for any country – in a key test of the body’s credibility. In an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, the fund’s board agreed to earmark the modest sum for the Himalayan country, which was hit in August by tsunami-like floods triggered by a climate-induced ice and rock avalanche that killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371840/nepal-set-receive-first-ever-us20-million-payout-un-climate-damage-fund https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371840/nepal-set-receive-first-ever-us20-million-payout-un-climate-damage-fund Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:58:07 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India’s planned acquisition of four large amphibious warships would strengthen its ability to support naval logistics and humanitarian missions across the Indian Ocean, with security experts saying their value depends on how the navy could effectively utilise them during a crisis. The Indian Navy has invited bids for four landing platform docks (LPDs), each with a displacement of more than 30,000 tonnes. Indian Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar said at a media briefing on Monday that a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3371775/india-seeks-expand-navys-reach-4-amphibious-warships https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3371775/india-seeks-expand-navys-reach-4-amphibious-warships Thu, 22 Oct 2026 09:00:12 +0000 Tang Meng Kit Tang Meng Kit Last month, the US published the fine print of a US$686 million upgrade deal for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets. The deal is for data link systems, new encryption gear and a refit that keeps the jets flying until 2040. The notice says Pakistan can protect the technology to “substantially the same degree” as the US government. The Pakistan Air Force is also the only declared interested buyer of China’s J-35 stealth fighter, a generational leap in technology. The Chinese jet first flew at the Zhuhai... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371561/pakistan-and-us-factor-china-looks-sell-its-j-35-stealth-jets https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371561/pakistan-and-us-factor-china-looks-sell-its-j-35-stealth-jets Wed, 21 Oct 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India’s Jamnagar this week – home to the world’s largest oil refining complex – signals energy cooperation as the anchor for bilateral ties even as broader policy friction frays relations, according to analysts. On Tuesday, Rubio indicated that India’s largest private company, Reliance Industries, which owns the Jamnagar oil refinery complex, will buy more Venezuelan oil. “India is a refining superpower. They have the capability to refine heavy crude.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3371651/why-us-secretary-state-rubio-skipping-delhi-indian-oil-refinery https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3371651/why-us-secretary-state-rubio-skipping-delhi-indian-oil-refinery Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:30:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Laddli Khatun pulled one document after another from a yellow bag, desperately hoping one would be enough to keep her name on India’s electoral rolls. As the world’s largest democracy overhauls its voter lists, millions like Khatun are scrambling to re-establish their credentials, despite having voted before. Critics and opposition parties say the exercise risks mass disenfranchisement, and those removed fear wider citizenship repercussions. More than 133 million names – including 28 million... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371589/indias-voter-roll-overhaul-fuels-citizenship-fears-what-if-they-ask-us-leave https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371589/indias-voter-roll-overhaul-fuels-citizenship-fears-what-if-they-ask-us-leave Wed, 21 Oct 2026 04:46:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Machines whirred around Siddiqui as her vision blurred and her heart hammered. The garment factory on the outskirts of Karachi was sweltering. The room was packed with sweating fellow workers and huge industrial equipment that radiated heat. The air felt thick with the humidity of this summer’s monsoon. Siddiqui, who asked to be identified only by surname, felt like she was suffocating. Concerned colleagues called over her supervisor. “The supervisor said, ‘Just complete this work,’” the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371571/inside-scorching-pakistani-factories-making-clothes-global-fashion-brands https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371571/inside-scorching-pakistani-factories-making-clothes-global-fashion-brands Wed, 21 Oct 2026 02:08:05 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The coming launch of India’s largest-ever initial public offering (IPO) will test investor confidence in the country’s leading telecoms operator, Jio Platforms, the digital arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries. Jio’s public share offer on Wednesday comes close on the heels of an escalating row between Ambani and Elon Musk. The SpaceX founder has accused the Indian industrialist of using monopolistic influence to block Starlink’s entry into India – a charge Reliance has denied,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371536/indias-record-us108b-jio-ipo-tests-market-faith-musk-rivalry-heats https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371536/indias-record-us108b-jio-ipo-tests-market-faith-musk-rivalry-heats Tue, 20 Oct 2026 11:43:36 +0000 Syed Munir Khasru Syed Munir Khasru A country need not run out of money to find itself in a debt crisis. It only has to run short of US dollars to pay for its energy. At the recent International Monetary Fund-World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, the IMF, which expects global economic growth of 3.1 per cent this year and 3.4 per cent the next, cautioned that energy-importing and lower-income economies face a harder road, even as those riding the artificial intelligence boom fare relatively well. According to the World Bank’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371271/energy-shock-could-spark-asias-next-debt-crisis https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371271/energy-shock-could-spark-asias-next-debt-crisis Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji After completing a master’s degree in data science at Pace University in New York in May last year, Tarun returned to India in October, saying frequent changes in US visa rules and employer sponsorship requirements had made it difficult for him to find a job in the world’s largest economy. Tarun, who is from the southern Indian city of Tirupati, felt returning home was a more prudent move than pursuing a job in the US indefinitely. “I got a job within one month here [Bengaluru] with an American... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371404/calls-grow-india-lure-tech-talent-home-us-tightens-job-curbs https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3371404/calls-grow-india-lure-tech-talent-home-us-tightens-job-curbs Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:57:16 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India has a soaring ambition to modernise its air force, built around a fleet of domestically developed fighter jets. Yet production of these aircraft has been hampered by engine delays and other bottlenecks that defence analysts say could limit its ability to fight future air wars. On October 11 at an airbase in Jodhpur, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh strapped into a Tejas jet for the last time. It was his final fighter sortie before retiring later this month and he flew it in an Indian-built jet... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3371177/india-needs-more-fighter-jets-it-cannot-build-them-fast-enough https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3371177/india-needs-more-fighter-jets-it-cannot-build-them-fast-enough Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan’s counterterrorism campaign against Taliban insurgents risks being undermined by public resentment, following the dismissal of the opposition-led administration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. According to a statement issued by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office after an emergency cabinet meeting last Sunday, the decision to impose temporary federal rule was necessitated by the “provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism”. The KP... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3371202/pakistan-risks-deeper-instability-political-feud-threatens-counterterrorism-efforts https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3371202/pakistan-risks-deeper-instability-political-feud-threatens-counterterrorism-efforts Sun, 18 Oct 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse At least 19 people were killed and two dozen more injured on Saturday in eastern India after a stampede that occurred during sudden rainfall at a Hindu religious gathering, officials and Indian media said. West Bengal’s Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari told reporters the fatalities included a seven-year-old girl, adding that 25 other people were injured outside a pavilion “in a stampede” at the Hindu festival of Durga Puja in the city of Kolkata. “Six bodies have so far been identified,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371278/19-dead-25-hurt-stampede-india-religious-festival https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371278/19-dead-25-hurt-stampede-india-religious-festival Sat, 17 Oct 2026 23:31:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India’s youth-led Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke was released from detention on Saturday, a day after his arrest during a police crackdown on protests against the election authority. Dipke, 31, was detained Friday in New Delhi as he headed to join a rally that the CJP protest movement had called in the capital’s central Connaught Place district. He walked out of a police station on Saturday afternoon waving to the media and giving a thumbs up as he was driven away. “Abhijeet Dipke... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371274/cockroach-party-founder-released-indian-police https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371274/cockroach-party-founder-released-indian-police Sat, 17 Oct 2026 17:48:50 +0000 dpa dpa At least 10 tourists have been killed in a fire at a seaside resort in the southeastern Bangladeshi district of Cox’s Bazar, the country’s largest travel destination, officials said on Saturday. Dolon Acharya, an officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defence department, said the fire broke out in the morning at Tuptup Resto and Resort at Patuartek beach. The flames gutted the entire facility. The scene is located more than 320km (199 miles) southeast of the capital Dhaka. Acharya said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371264/bangladesh-tourist-resort-fire-kills-10 https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371264/bangladesh-tourist-resort-fire-kills-10 Sat, 17 Oct 2026 11:18:20 +0000 Reuters Reuters Despite ⁠tens of thousands of security personnel deployed to stop them, youth protesters in India scaled barricades last ⁠week, chanted anti-government slogans and scuffled with police officers trying to drag them away. “Long live the revolution,” shouted one young man before police bundled him into a bus. Street protests in India this year are likely to be higher than at any time in the past decade, the independent Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project has said, as dissent mounts... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371244/modi-under-pressure-indias-youth-protests-rise-highest-level-decade https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371244/modi-under-pressure-indias-youth-protests-rise-highest-level-decade Sat, 17 Oct 2026 07:13:37 +0000 Reuters Reuters Police detained India’s ‘cockroach’ movement founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday, student leaders and supporters on Friday as hundreds poured into central Delhi, waving the national flag and demanding the resignation of India’s election chief. The youth-led ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP), opposition groups and student organisations have held almost daily protests this month demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over a revision of voter lists that critics ⁠say favours... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371196/indian-police-detain-cockroach-movement-leader-ahead-new-delhi-protest https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371196/indian-police-detain-cockroach-movement-leader-ahead-new-delhi-protest Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:06:11 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Digangana Mukherjee, a mother of a six-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy, has banned television at her home in the Indian city of Mysore because she does not want her children to become addicted to watching content on screen. A year ago, when her son’s school started using a smart classroom board that streamed online content, she and her husband decided to enrol him in a school where teachers used chalk on a slate board, and the pace of lessons was slower. Now, she is happy that the Indian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3371153/indias-proposed-social-media-ban-under-18s-wins-parents-backing https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3371153/indias-proposed-social-media-ban-under-18s-wins-parents-backing Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Mia Nurmamat Sylvia Ma,Mia Nurmamat Talk of global decoupling from China has persisted for years, as has speculation that emerging economies such as India and Vietnam could soon replace it as the “world’s factory”. But for Indian hardware engineer Neeraj Arora, the growth of India’s electronics manufacturing industry has not eliminated the need to source components from China. Instead, it has changed the nature of those imports. A decade ago, Arora imported finished phone chargers from the world’s second-largest economy. Today,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3371027/china-decoupling-paradox-why-world-still-needs-its-manufacturing-machine https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3371027/china-decoupling-paradox-why-world-still-needs-its-manufacturing-machine Thu, 15 Oct 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Canada and Singapore are among the countries that remain committed to strengthening trade ties with China, despite growing global fragmentation and a push by governments towards greater self-sufficiency, officials from both countries said on Wednesday at an economic forum in New Delhi. Canada’s minister of international trade Maninder Sidhu said China was the country’s second-largest trading partner and highlighted opportunities for cooperation in areas where the two economies had complementary... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3370999/canada-singapore-reaffirm-china-trade-ties-amid-global-push-self-sufficiency https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3370999/canada-singapore-reaffirm-china-trade-ties-amid-global-push-self-sufficiency Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:30:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indian authorities have asked Bollywood actor ⁠Imran Khan to ⁠leave the country by ⁠the end of the month, saying he breached immigration laws after joining a protest against the election commission chief, local media reported on Thursday. Khan, 43, is a US ‌citizen, the Indian Express newspaper reported. Under Indian law, foreigners’ participation in political protests may be treated as a violation of immigration and visa rules. Khan was given until October 28 to leave the country, the Times of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371005/us-born-bollywood-actor-imran-khan-told-leave-india-over-political-protest-local-media https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3371005/us-born-bollywood-actor-imran-khan-told-leave-india-over-political-protest-local-media Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:00:44 +0000