Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.

After a tumultuous year, South Asia will be looking to bounce back with a smoother 2026. Unfortunately, the region enters the new year facing serious risks of political and economic instability as well as regional conflict as it grapples with the unsettling impacts of a volatile world order.

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.

After a tumultuous year, South Asia will be looking to bounce back with a smoother 2026. Unfortunately, the region enters the new year facing serious risks of political and economic instability as well as regional conflict as it grapples with the unsettling impacts of a volatile world order.

Below are five storylines to watch that will shape South Asia’s trajectory for the coming year—and perhaps beyond.

FP Live:

Every January, FP Live dedicates one episode to looking ahead at the next calendar year. What will 2026 hold in store for global politics, conflict, and the world order? Join Ravi Agrawal in conversation with Peter Baker, the New York Times’ chief White House correspondent, for the second of a two-part series looking back and ahead as a new year begins. Register now.

Every January, FP Live dedicates one episode to looking ahead at the next calendar year. What will 2026 hold in store for global politics, conflict, and the world order? Join Ravi Agrawal in conversation with Peter Baker, the New York Times’ chief White House correspondent, for the second of a two-part series looking back and ahead as a new year begins. Register now.

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Bangladesh and Nepal will hold high-stakes national elections early in 2026. Both are the first polls since mass uprisings ousted........

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