Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.

It has been a rough year for South Asia, which has suffered surging terrorism, economic stress, diplomatic tensions, natural disasters, and the deleterious impacts of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Predictably, the biggest stories from South Asia in 2025—some surprising, some less so—are mostly downers. But in a few cases, 2026 could be a year of significant change.

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.

It has been a rough year for South Asia, which has suffered surging terrorism, economic stress, diplomatic tensions, natural disasters, and the deleterious impacts of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Predictably, the biggest stories from South Asia in 2025—some surprising, some less so—are mostly downers. But in a few cases, 2026 could be a year of significant change.

Below are five stories that defined the region this year.

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The year began with India-Pakistan ties relatively stable, thanks in large part to a border truce in effect since February 2021. But in April, militants killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.........

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