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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

Malika, 25, tends to her three-year-old daughter, Kalsoum, who has symptoms of malnutrition, at Indira Gandhi children’s hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, on October 12. Photo: AP

Afghanistan after the US

19.2 million Afghans could soon face ‘acute food insecurity’

The United Nations is also warning that over four million babies and children under six will need treatment for acute malnutrition next year.

21 Oct 2026 - 3:48AM

Central Asia

In Focus | Beyond EVs and perception, how China is gaining ground in Central Asia

18 Oct 2026 - 6:16AMvideocam

Pakistan

Pakistan imposes emergency in stronghold of jailed ex-PM Imran Khan

12 Oct 2026 - 8:45AMvideocam

United States

US sanctions ICC, hours after ex-judge wins Nobel

The Trump administration has long been hostile to the court, and the move puts the US on a diplomatic collision course with European allies.

10 Oct 2026 - 1:38AM

United States

US to live-stream firing squad execution of military base shooter

Pentagon promises public viewing for Nidal Hasan in first US military execution since 1961.

9 Oct 2026 - 1:46PM

US-China relations

Hong Kong rejects US downgrade to lowest tier in human trafficking report

US cites declining prosecutions and failure to identify victims exploited in Hong Kong; city rejects downgrade as ‘entirely unfounded’.

9 Oct 2026 - 6:18AMvideocam

United States

Trump approves firing squad execution for US military base shooter

Decision sets up the first execution by the US military in decades following the Pentagon’s recommendation for 2009 shooting.

6 Oct 2026 - 5:18PM

Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. Photo: Bell County Sheriff’s Department via AP

Trip Inspiration

Discover Antwerp’s vibrant blend of Flemish art and global cultures

Antwerp may be the cradle of Flemish culture but you do not have to wander far from its spectacular railway station to discover other facets of the city: the dazzling diamond district, Belgium’s only Chinatown and a vibrant mix of multicultural influences.

6 Oct 2026 - 7:30AM

International Criminal Court

ICC unseals arrest warrants for Taliban ministers

Court in The Hague accuses Afghan leaders of crimes against humanity stemming from curbs on women.

6 Oct 2026 - 12:56PM

Pakistan

Supporters of Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan begin ‘long march’ to Islamabad

Authorities have been preparing for weeks for the arrival of demonstrators in Islamabad after the march was postponed.

5 Oct 2026 - 1:13PMvideocam

Supporters of jailed former Prime Minister and founder of the opposition Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Imran Khan, rally during a protest march to Islamabad in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Middle East

US forces set to complete exit from Iraq after 2 decades

Departure from Iraq bases seen as a boost to Iran and its allies, even as Washington wages war against Tehran.

29 Sep 2026 - 3:38PM

A military surplus shop in Baghdad. Around 2,500 US troops had been stationed in Iraq in recent years. Photo: EPA

Pakistan

Afghanistan says 28 dead fighters came from Pakistan as Islamabad denies ties

Pakistan’s information ministry rejected all allegations that its security forces or intelligence agencies are involved in Afghanistan at all.

27 Sep 2026 - 10:37PM

Pakistan

Suicide bombing at police checkpoint in Pakistan kills at least 11

About 30 others were wounded in the attack, for which the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility.

26 Sep 2026 - 9:18PM

Pakistan

Why Pakistan’s endless war on militants fails to break the cycle

Tactical wins and retaliatory strikes have not delivered peace, even as two separate insurgencies appear to be converging.

26 Sep 2026 - 1:00PMvideocam

People gather at site of a bomb attack in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, on September 18. Photo: Xinhua

Donald Trump

US prepares sanctions against the ICC: sources

Trump administration readies entity-wide measures that could severely disrupt tribunal’s war crimes probes.

21 Sep 2026 - 12:43PM

The International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan

31 dead in Pakistan after suicide bomber, gunmen attack police complex

An attacker rammed an explosives-laden car ‌into the Old Police Lines complex as officers and ⁠their families were praying in a mosque.

19 Sep 2026 - 1:45PM

Canada

Ex-Canada PM Chretien tells US: ‘never mistake our generosity for weakness’

His pointed message was issued in Gander, the Canadian town that sheltered thousands of stranded Americans after the September 11 attacks.

12 Sep 2026 - 2:27PM

United States

Americans mark 25 years since 9/11 attacks amid enduring grief, reflection

Nearly 3,000 people were killed on the day that has shaped US society for decades, influencing its foreign policy and domestic politics.

12 Sep 2026 - 1:30AM

Flowers are left at the memorial during the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11 attacks in New York on Friday. Photo: AFP

Italy

Emma Bonino, Italy’s activist politician, dies aged 78

Bonino was a passionate advocate for social justice and gender equality who deliberately courted controversy to advance her many causes.

11 Sep 2026 - 5:30PM

United States

On This Day | America faces ‘darkest hour’ as 9/11 attacks unfold in 2001 – SCMP archive

Two hijacked planes destroyed the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, leaving thousands dead and a nation in shock.

11 Sep 2026 - 10:30AM

United States

US judge approves order to force-feed suspect who attacked troops

Accused gunman Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been hospitalised since July after refusing food.

1 Sep 2026 - 12:52PM

National Guard members patrol near the Washington Monument on November 28, 2025, two days after two troops were shot near the White House. Photo: AP

SCO

What to expect as China’s Xi Jinping attends SCO summit in Bishkek

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s 25th anniversary summit expected to offer clues to China’s ambitions for a more multipolar Asia, analysts say.

31 Aug 2026 - 2:57PMvideocam

Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov (right) welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to the capital Bishkek ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Photo: AFP

Japan

Why Japan is walking on eggshells over US sanctions on ICC judge

Tokyo has to tread ‘extremely lightly’ on the issue to avoid jeopardising the US security umbrella on which it relies, analysts say.

21 Aug 2026 - 8:00AM

Cambodia

Declining aid threatens landmine clearing efforts in Southeast Asia

Aid cuts and shifting geopolitical priorities leave Cambodian and regional demining groups struggling to remove deadly wartime relics.

19 Aug 2026 - 12:35PM

United States

US sanctions International Criminal Court chief Tomoko Akane

Senior ICC lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who was on the prosecution team that sought an arrest warrant for Israeli PM Netanyahu, was also targeted.

19 Aug 2026 - 3:13PM

Japanese Judge Tomoko Akane, President of the International Criminal Court, delivers a speech at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo in June 2024. Photo: AFP

Hollywood

Meet Jill Wagner, who plays Bobby in Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness

The actress studied acting under the Yellowstone creator years before she helped create the spy thriller, which also stars Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman.

18 Aug 2026 - 6:17PM

Jill Wagner plays Bobby, a CIA special activities division operative, in Taylor Sheridan’s spy thriller Lioness. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

Pakistan

Pakistan border sees 724 humanitarian trucks enter Afghanistan

Nearly 14 million Afghans are facing acute hunger after deadly earthquakes last year, several climate-related disasters this year and the return of millions of refugees.

16 Aug 2026 - 8:03PM

China-Middle East relations

Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan Mecca pact ‘far from’ Nato-style defence alliance

Observers say diverging strategic interests and a weak mutual security capacity will be the main challenges facing the agreement.

13 Aug 2026 - 6:55PMvideocam

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Afghanistan

19.2 million Afghans could soon face ‘acute food insecurity’

The United Nations is also warning that over four million babies and children under six will need treatment for acute malnutrition next year.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}In Focus | Beyond EVs and perception, how China is gaining ground in Central Asia

Pakistan imposes emergency in stronghold of jailed ex-PM Imran Khan

US sanctions ICC, hours after ex-judge wins Nobel

The Trump administration has long been hostile to the court, and the move puts the US on a diplomatic collision course with European allies.

US to live-stream firing squad execution of military base shooter

Pentagon promises public viewing for Nidal Hasan in first US military execution since 1961.

Hong Kong rejects US downgrade to lowest tier in human trafficking report

US cites declining prosecutions and failure to identify victims exploited in Hong Kong; city rejects downgrade as ‘entirely unfounded’.

Trump approves firing squad execution for US military base shooter

Decision sets up the first execution by the US military in decades following the Pentagon’s recommendation for 2009 shooting.

Discover Antwerp’s vibrant blend of Flemish art and global cultures

Antwerp may be the cradle of Flemish culture but you do not have to wander far from its spectacular railway station to discover other facets of the city: the dazzling diamond district, Belgium’s only Chinatown and a vibrant mix of multicultural influences.

ICC unseals arrest warrants for Taliban ministers

Court in The Hague accuses Afghan leaders of crimes against humanity stemming from curbs on women.

Supporters of Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan begin ‘long march’ to Islamabad

Authorities have been preparing for weeks for the arrival of demonstrators in Islamabad after the march was postponed.

US forces set to complete exit from Iraq after 2 decades

Departure from Iraq bases seen as a boost to Iran and its allies, even as Washington wages war against Tehran.

Afghanistan says 28 dead fighters came from Pakistan as Islamabad denies ties

Pakistan’s information ministry rejected all allegations that its security forces or intelligence agencies are involved in Afghanistan at all.

Suicide bombing at police checkpoint in Pakistan kills at least 11

About 30 others were wounded in the attack, for which the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility.

Why Pakistan’s endless war on militants fails to break the cycle

Tactical wins and retaliatory strikes have not delivered peace, even as two separate insurgencies appear to be converging.

US prepares sanctions against the ICC: sources

Trump administration readies entity-wide measures that could severely disrupt tribunal’s war crimes probes.

31 dead in Pakistan after suicide bomber, gunmen attack police complex

An attacker rammed an explosives-laden car ‌into the Old Police Lines complex as officers and ⁠their families were praying in a mosque.

Ex-Canada PM Chretien tells US: ‘never mistake our generosity for weakness’

His pointed message was issued in Gander, the Canadian town that sheltered thousands of stranded Americans after the September 11 attacks.

Americans mark 25 years since 9/11 attacks amid enduring grief, reflection

Nearly 3,000 people were killed on the day that has shaped US society for decades, influencing its foreign policy and domestic politics.

Emma Bonino, Italy’s activist politician, dies aged 78

Bonino was a passionate advocate for social justice and gender equality who deliberately courted controversy to advance her many causes.

On This Day | America faces ‘darkest hour’ as 9/11 attacks unfold in 2001 – SCMP archive

Two hijacked planes destroyed the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, leaving thousands dead and a nation in shock.

US judge approves order to force-feed suspect who attacked troops

Accused gunman Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been hospitalised since July after refusing food.

What to expect as China’s Xi Jinping attends SCO summit in Bishkek

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s 25th anniversary summit expected to offer clues to China’s ambitions for a more multipolar Asia, analysts say.

Why Japan is walking on eggshells over US sanctions on ICC judge

Tokyo has to tread ‘extremely lightly’ on the issue to avoid jeopardising the US security umbrella on which it relies, analysts say.

Declining aid threatens landmine clearing efforts in Southeast Asia

Aid cuts and shifting geopolitical priorities leave Cambodian and regional demining groups struggling to remove deadly wartime relics.

US sanctions International Criminal Court chief Tomoko Akane

Senior ICC lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who was on the prosecution team that sought an arrest warrant for Israeli PM Netanyahu, was also targeted.

Meet Jill Wagner, who plays Bobby in Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness

The actress studied acting under the Yellowstone creator years before she helped create the spy thriller, which also stars Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman.

Pakistan border sees 724 humanitarian trucks enter Afghanistan

Nearly 14 million Afghans are facing acute hunger after deadly earthquakes last year, several climate-related disasters this year and the return of millions of refugees.

Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan Mecca pact ‘far from’ Nato-style defence alliance

Observers say diverging strategic interests and a weak mutual security capacity will be the main challenges facing the agreement.

In Focus | Beyond EVs and perception, how China is gaining ground in Central Asia