With the eyes of the world focused on the Strait of Hormuz, what is happening between China and its neighbors is largely ignored. That’s a mistake. Analysts studying a map focus on Iran and ignore China. (Illustration by News Decoder) Southeast Asia plays an...
In North India, people are learning to co-exist with an animal that has long terrified them. A Himalayan brown bear at Deosai National Park, Skardu, Pakistan. (Photo by Nadeem Khawar.) This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s global news service. It is...
Long viewed through the lens of instability and internal crisis, the Islamic republic has emerged as a key mediator between the United States and Iran. White House photo of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir meeting with U.S. President...
The Himalayan mountains hold the largest concentration of ice and snow outside the polar regions. What happens when all that begins to melt? The Zanskar Mountain Range in Jammu Kashmir. (Photo by Timothy A. Gonsalves courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) This article was...
Frustrated with their government and inflamed by the death of an activist, mobs turn their anger on the press. The burnt exterior of Prothom Alo’s office on 20 December 2025. (Photo by Sakib Howlader courtesy of Wikimedia) This article was produced exclusively...
Tourists flock to India’s World Heritage Sites. But without a conservation plan that addresses pollution, will these historic places survive another century? Hazy, foggy, polluted view of the Red Fort (Lal Qila), a World Heritage Site made of red sandstone, in...
Sergiy Salo has spent his life performing in concert halls. But the audiences he prefers are the people who sit on public benches in the streets of Seoul. Sergiy Salo performs on the street in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Hannah Choo) I sit on a public bench in South...
To conduct new research, scholars need access to past studies. But often that costs money that many can’t afford. India is trying to fix that problem. A library has an aisle closed for subscribers. (Illustration by News Decoder) This article was produced...
Nothing is more divisive in India than religion, even though its constitution gives all citizens the right to choose and practice their faith. Muslim women voters queue up to cast their vote in the sixth round of polling in India’s national election in New...
Globally, rates of smoking are in decline. But in Indonesia, a cigarette is a measure of masculinity and hospitality. That makes it habit hard to break. A hand holds a lit cigarette. (Credit: Geri Tech, Pexels) To see blue fire that flames up as high as five meters...