South Asia

Nepal and Bangladesh are delaying LDC graduation. Now comes the hard part. 

By Nischal Dhungel

Both countries would need to use any delay in exiting “least developed country” status to advance structural changes to their economies.

ASEAN does not need decoupling. It needs coordinated resilience.

By Nik Foster

If the group of Southeast Asian nations does not craft its own path of economic resilience, then it will end up importing the industrial policies of its larger neighbors.

Strategic Litigation Project Quarterly Newsletter: Responding to emerging crises

By Gissou Nia

The latest updates on the Strategic Litigation Project's work advancing human rights and accountability.

India’s AI playbook: From talent incubator to AI leader

By Trisha Ray

India’s AI talent ecosystem is rapidly growing but faces structural gaps.

A network of corridors is the only reliable hedge against Middle East chokepoint disruptions

By Afaq Hussain, Maisoon H. Kafafy

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor was proposed in September 2023. Progress stalled shortly after, in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel. With the economic cost now clear of reliance on maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, the proposed network of road and rail corridors linking Europe and India through the Middle East has taken on even greater relevance.

The global energy crisis and its impacts on Asian emerging economies

By Phillip Cornell

The Strait of Hormuz energy crisis poses a stress test for import-dependent, emerging economies in Asia, forcing difficult trade-offs.

India’s energy security at a crossroads: The Hormuz crisis and an opportunity for US-India cooperation

By Paul Stahle

The Iran crisis has exposed India's energy vulnerabilities but opens an opportunity for a stronger trade partnership between the US and India.

How terrorism imperils Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts

Pakistan has never been closer to ending polio, but frontline health workers are operating inside one of the world's most violent security environments.

As Russian losses mount in Ukraine, Putin seeks more foreign fighters

By Marc Goedemans, Katherine Spencer

With no end in sight to the invasion of Ukraine, Putin is looking to recruit more foreign fighters to counter heavy Russian losses while avoiding a politically risky mobilization, write Marc Goedemans and Katherine Spencer.

The global push for local-currency cross-border payments is intensifying

By Hung Tran

More than one hundred countries now operate instant payment systems, and growing efforts to link them are reshaping how cross-border transactions get settled in local currencies.