TOPIC

/ location

Afghanistan

Latest news and updates on Afghanistan, China relations and the Taliban's return to power after the 20-year war with the US and allies.

Capital

Kabul

Head of state

Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada

Head of government

Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada

Residents inspect the damage after what locals say was a possible drone that hit a residential house in the Sarah Gharghai area, in Quetta, Pakistan, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan

Afghan Taliban’s drone attacks on civilians ‘crossed red line’, Pakistan warns

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari says the administration in Kabul has brought ‘grave consequences upon itself’.

14 Mar 2026 - 9:30PM

War and conflict

Opinion | US-Israeli war on Iran makes a mockery of global governance rules

13 Mar 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump threatens ‘death, fire, and fury’ as US destroys 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels

11 Mar 2026 - 5:48PM

Iran

Why China sees stability in hardliner Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise to lead Iran

Continuity over change seen in cleric whom analysts anticipate could double down on policies against the US and Israel.

13 Mar 2026 - 5:12AMvideocam

A man holds a portrait of Mojtaba Khamenei following his appointment as Iran’s supreme leader by the country’s Assembly of Experts. Photo: EPA

US, Israel war on Iran

Asia sees violence, fuel rationing, queues as energy crunch over war hits

In Bangladesh a man was killed and the military has been deployed, while lines have formed elsewhere too, as many nations rely on imports.

10 Mar 2026 - 5:59PMvideocam

My Take

My Take | An America in decline will keep losing wars to weaker foes – including in Iran

When battles become a matter of choice rather than necessity or survival, US leaders have a preternatural ability to choose badly and undermine their own country.

9 Mar 2026 - 10:39AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump’s ‘feeling’-driven Iran war cops criticism for ‘arrogant’ messaging

The conflict started by the US president lacks clear rationale, stoking public opposition and economic concerns amid rising fuel prices.

7 Mar 2026 - 3:53PMvideocam

Smoke rises after an Iranian drone was intercepted over the Bahrain Financial Harbour towers in Manama on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan

Pakistan imperils its IMF rescue as Afghanistan border violence rages

Without an IMF bailout, ‘Pakistan won’t survive’, one economist says. But financial collapse wouldn’t just be Islamabad’s problem.

7 Mar 2026 - 2:00PM

Iran

How far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?

From Turkey and the Caucasus to South Asia, analysts warn the war could ignite new flashpoints along regional fault lines.

6 Mar 2026 - 6:29PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Open Questions | Iran war’s impact on China limited, scholar Pan Guang says

China’s Middle East position ‘relatively favourable’, professor says, and regional spillover from US-Israeli attacks likely to be limited to Tehran’s Shia militia allies.

6 Mar 2026 - 4:04PMvideocam

Hong Kong tourism

Hong Kong trying to secure seats on flights from Dubai for stranded residents

Carrier Emirates is planning to operate direct flights from Dubai to Hong Kong from Friday to Sunday, government says.

6 Mar 2026 - 10:49AMvideocam

Emirates aircraft remain parked on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport, with Hongkongers among those stranded and struggling to return home from the Middle East amid the escalating conflict in the region. Photo: AFP

War and conflict

Opinion | Pakistan’s forever war and the politics of exhaustion

What Pakistan needs is not war with Afghanistan but urgent efforts to fix its economy, security and divided society after disruptive decades.

4 Mar 2026 - 10:30PMvideocam

Pakistan

Pakistan aims to walk tightrope between Saudi Arabia and Iran as war flares

Islamabad has to navigate a tricky regional environment and manage the domestic blowback of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

4 Mar 2026 - 9:22PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | US war on Iran isn’t likely to go as planned

US war planners have overlooked viewing their adversary through realpolitik in the past. They now face a far more organised opponent.

3 Mar 2026 - 9:50PMvideocam

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on March 2, in Arlington, Virginia, the US. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

Pakistan

Pakistan cities under curfew after 23 die in protests over Khamenei killing

Authorities have imposed a three-day curfew in the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu, citing ‘deteriorating law and order conditions’.

3 Mar 2026 - 8:53AMvideocam

Smoke and flames rise from the UN office in Gilgit, Pakistan, after it is set ablaze by protesters on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

War and conflict

Editorial | Strikes on Iran may complicate US-China ties

No significant impact expected on China’s, or Hong Kong’s, economy from the most recent conflict in the Middle East.

3 Mar 2026 - 7:15AM

Middle East

Asia’s travel sector rattled by Iran attacks, fears of ‘domino effect’ slowdown

Airlines are bracing for higher oil prices, continuous flight disruptions and plunging traveller confidence.

2 Mar 2026 - 5:59PMvideocam

Pakistan

Opinion | How the Taliban can end the cycle of violence with Pakistan

Working with neighbours to combat terror groups operating in Afghanistan will ensure peace and improve the Taliban’s international standing.

2 Mar 2026 - 6:44PMvideocam

People survey a house that was damaged in the cross-border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in the Takhta-e-Pul district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on February 28. Photo: EPA

India

Friend to all, foe to none: Iran war tests India’s Middle East balancing act

New Delhi has long prided itself on being friends with everyone in the Middle East. The killing of Khamenei just made that much harder.

2 Mar 2026 - 5:26PM

Pakistan

Blasts in Kabul as Afghan government says responding to Pakistan attacks

Diplomatic efforts have failed to secure a truce between Pakistan and the Taliban, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar engaged in efforts to halt the fighting.

2 Mar 2026 - 6:10AM

Pakistan

‘Managed escalation’: Pakistan-Taliban stand-off enters dangerous new phase

With positions entrenched, mediation efforts by regional powers are unlikely to deliver a swift breakthrough, observers say.

28 Feb 2026 - 4:03PMvideocam

A Taliban fighter holds his weapon beside a Humvee after exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Momand Dara district of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

United Nations

UN rights chief slams violence against women, calls it ‘a global emergency’

Volker Turk highlights the segregation of women in Afghanistan and sex trafficking cases against US financier Jeffrey Epstein as examples.

28 Feb 2026 - 2:27PMvideocam

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk speaking at the opening of a session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last September. Photo: AFP

Pakistan

Afghanistan’s Taliban open to talks with Pakistan as ‘open war’ continues

The attacks by Pakistan come as it continues to allege that the Taliban harbours militants seeking to overthrow the Islamabad government.

28 Feb 2026 - 1:34PM

Central Asia

Trains through the Taliban: Central Asia’s plan to bypass Russia and Iran

The Soviet Union severed Central Asia’s ancient trade routes to the Indian subcontinent. The region’s modern-day leaders want them back.

2 Mar 2026 - 11:21AMvideocam

Pakistan

A tale of 2 allies: inside the deadly unravelling of Pakistan-Taliban ties

Islamabad is in an ‘open ‌war’ with Kabul due to persistent border clashes and militant attacks, straining their historic relationship.

28 Feb 2026 - 7:32PMvideocam

Pakistan

China seeks to mediate after Pakistan declares ‘open war’ on Afghanistan

Beijing calls on Islamabad and Kabul to stay calm and exercise restraint as relations between the neighbours plummet.

27 Feb 2026 - 8:11PMvideocam

Taliban security personnel keep watch for air strikes in Khost province, Afghanistan on Friday following overnight cross-border fighting with Pakistan. Photo: AFP

Pakistan

Video | Pakistan declares ‘open war’ with Taliban

Air strikes came hours after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops in what the Taliban government said was retaliation.

27 Feb 2026 - 4:55PM

Pakistan

Pakistan declares ‘open war’ with Afghan Taliban, attacks Kabul, Kandahar

The air strikes came hours after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops in what the Taliban government said was retaliation.

27 Feb 2026 - 5:06PMvideocam

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Afghanistan

Afghan Taliban’s drone attacks on civilians ‘crossed red line’, Pakistan warns

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari says the administration in Kabul has brought ‘grave consequences upon itself’.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | US-Israeli war on Iran makes a mockery of global governance rules

Trump threatens ‘death, fire, and fury’ as US destroys 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels

Why China sees stability in hardliner Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise to lead Iran

Continuity over change seen in cleric whom analysts anticipate could double down on policies against the US and Israel.

Asia sees violence, fuel rationing, queues as energy crunch over war hits

In Bangladesh a man was killed and the military has been deployed, while lines have formed elsewhere too, as many nations rely on imports.

My Take | An America in decline will keep losing wars to weaker foes – including in Iran

When battles become a matter of choice rather than necessity or survival, US leaders have a preternatural ability to choose badly and undermine their own country.

Trump’s ‘feeling’-driven Iran war cops criticism for ‘arrogant’ messaging

The conflict started by the US president lacks clear rationale, stoking public opposition and economic concerns amid rising fuel prices.

Pakistan imperils its IMF rescue as Afghanistan border violence rages

Without an IMF bailout, ‘Pakistan won’t survive’, one economist says. But financial collapse wouldn’t just be Islamabad’s problem.

How far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?

From Turkey and the Caucasus to South Asia, analysts warn the war could ignite new flashpoints along regional fault lines.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Open Questions | Iran war’s impact on China limited, scholar Pan Guang says

China’s Middle East position ‘relatively favourable’, professor says, and regional spillover from US-Israeli attacks likely to be limited to Tehran’s Shia militia allies.

Hong Kong trying to secure seats on flights from Dubai for stranded residents

Carrier Emirates is planning to operate direct flights from Dubai to Hong Kong from Friday to Sunday, government says.

Opinion | Pakistan’s forever war and the politics of exhaustion

What Pakistan needs is not war with Afghanistan but urgent efforts to fix its economy, security and divided society after disruptive decades.

Pakistan aims to walk tightrope between Saudi Arabia and Iran as war flares

Islamabad has to navigate a tricky regional environment and manage the domestic blowback of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Opinion | US war on Iran isn’t likely to go as planned

US war planners have overlooked viewing their adversary through realpolitik in the past. They now face a far more organised opponent.

Pakistan cities under curfew after 23 die in protests over Khamenei killing

Authorities have imposed a three-day curfew in the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu, citing ‘deteriorating law and order conditions’.

Editorial | Strikes on Iran may complicate US-China ties

No significant impact expected on China’s, or Hong Kong’s, economy from the most recent conflict in the Middle East.

Asia’s travel sector rattled by Iran attacks, fears of ‘domino effect’ slowdown

Airlines are bracing for higher oil prices, continuous flight disruptions and plunging traveller confidence.

Opinion | How the Taliban can end the cycle of violence with Pakistan

Working with neighbours to combat terror groups operating in Afghanistan will ensure peace and improve the Taliban’s international standing.

Friend to all, foe to none: Iran war tests India’s Middle East balancing act

New Delhi has long prided itself on being friends with everyone in the Middle East. The killing of Khamenei just made that much harder.

Blasts in Kabul as Afghan government says responding to Pakistan attacks

Diplomatic efforts have failed to secure a truce between Pakistan and the Taliban, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar engaged in efforts to halt the fighting.

‘Managed escalation’: Pakistan-Taliban stand-off enters dangerous new phase

With positions entrenched, mediation efforts by regional powers are unlikely to deliver a swift breakthrough, observers say.

UN rights chief slams violence against women, calls it ‘a global emergency’

Volker Turk highlights the segregation of women in Afghanistan and sex trafficking cases against US financier Jeffrey Epstein as examples.

Afghanistan’s Taliban open to talks with Pakistan as ‘open war’ continues

The attacks by Pakistan come as it continues to allege that the Taliban harbours militants seeking to overthrow the Islamabad government.

Trains through the Taliban: Central Asia’s plan to bypass Russia and Iran

The Soviet Union severed Central Asia’s ancient trade routes to the Indian subcontinent. The region’s modern-day leaders want them back.

A tale of 2 allies: inside the deadly unravelling of Pakistan-Taliban ties

Islamabad is in an ‘open ‌war’ with Kabul due to persistent border clashes and militant attacks, straining their historic relationship.

China seeks to mediate after Pakistan declares ‘open war’ on Afghanistan

Beijing calls on Islamabad and Kabul to stay calm and exercise restraint as relations between the neighbours plummet.

.css-rcruog{color:#C79A00;}Video | Pakistan declares ‘open war’ with Taliban

Air strikes came hours after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops in what the Taliban government said was retaliation.

Pakistan declares ‘open war’ with Afghan Taliban, attacks Kabul, Kandahar

The air strikes came hours after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops in what the Taliban government said was retaliation.

Opinion | US-Israeli war on Iran makes a mockery of global governance rules

Open Questions | Iran war’s impact on China limited, scholar Pan Guang says

Video | Pakistan declares ‘open war’ with Taliban