The archive
Every explainer, newest first. Each page has the key numbers, every source, our own analysis and the full transcript.
· Cybersecurity
On 25 October we tried to open the websites of seven central banks in South Asia. Six opened. No hack was reported; the sites that went dark were switched off on purpose, after two critical flaws were found in PHP.
· Everest
Every foreign climber pays Nepal $15,000 to climb Everest. We followed one permit through Nepal's own records, then the rest of the bill, the people who do the climbing, and the mountain's own bill.
· Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is nowhere near South Asia, yet seven months of disruption put Sri Lankan drivers on fuel quotas, cut factory hours in Bangladesh and pushed up prices from Karachi to Kathmandu.
· Ganges
India and Bangladesh have split the dry-season Ganges at Farakka under one treaty since 1996. It was signed for 30 years, and it runs out on 12 December 2026.
· Remittances
Nepalis working abroad sent home Rs 2.36 trillion last year, more than the government spent. Where the money goes, why it matters, and what happens if it stops.
