South China Morning Post - South Asia

Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to rally support for Tehran’s war against the US during the Brics foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, amid a fragile ceasefire with its adversary. India, which holds the Brics chair this year, is hosting the gathering from the expanded bloc that now includes Iran and the United Arab Emirates – countries at odds ov...

Summer hit South Asia early this year. April saw above average temperatures and the mercury is expected to reach unbearable highs this month. We are also bracing for a “super El Nino”, where a combination of increased heatwaves and highly variable weather patterns are expected to push urban zones, agricultural systems and public health to their limits. South Asia, especially par...

Asian migrant workers in the Gulf are testing stablecoins as a backup channel for sending money home, as the Iran war heightens fears that the risk of US sanctions could disrupt remittances that millions of families and several Asian economies rely on. Remittances from these workers account for 3 per cent to 5 per cent of gross domestic product in several emerging markets – in N...

Bangladesh’s once-praised family planning system is buckling under severe contraceptive shortages, raising fears of a rise in unplanned pregnancies in one of the world’s most densely populated countries. For decades, the South Asian nation was hailed as a success for slashing birth rates through an expansive state-backed family planning programme that sent field workers door to ...

India’s travel industry fears that an appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to avoid unnecessary foreign travel will squeeze new bookings after inflationary pressure knocked down summer overseas inquiries by as much as 15 per cent, industry and analysts say. The pullback is set to hit the peak season for outbound tourism, when affluent families ‌seek cooler locations in Europe ...