As the United States pivots to Asia, disputes over territories in the South China Sea have escalated tensions and threatened regional stability.

China’s recent push to renew the Six Party Talks, stalled since 2008, has raised hopes for progress on the peninsula despite worries that Pyongyang may have restarted its old nuclear reactor.

Several high-profile sexual assault cases in India have sparked a national debate over women’s rights and the need for social reform in a rapidly modernizing country.