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

A police officer gestures to a vehicle at a check post near Faisal Masjid on Sunday, as Pakistan tries to convene a tentative second phase of peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

What the US-Iran ‘fight-talk’ dynamic means before their ceasefire ends

Meanwhile, China expresses ‘concern’ over America’s interception of Iranian-flagged cargo ship in Gulf of Oman.

20 Apr 2026 - 7:32PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Pakistan has the world’s attention. Now it must focus inwards

14 Apr 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Xinjiang

Why has China mapped out a third new county in Xinjiang on its western frontier?

11 Apr 2026 - 3:46PMvideocam

Australia

Decorated Australian soldier faces 5 murder charges in Afghan war crime probe

Roberts-Smith reportedly kicked an unarmed Afghan civilian off a cliff and drank out of a prosthetic leg of a man who was gunned down.

7 Apr 2026 - 2:06PM

Former member of Australia’s elite Special Air Service regiment Ben Roberts-Smith leaves the Federal Court in Sydney on May 1, 2025 .Photo: AFP

United Nations

Afghan mother demands answers after son dies in Pakistani hospital bombing

Human rights groups have called for an independent investigation into the March 16 strike on a drug treatment centre that killed 411.

6 Apr 2026 - 9:14AMvideocam

Central Asia

Afghanistan wants US$10 billion in trade deals with Central Asia

Central Asia’s typical trade routes through Russia are hampered by heavy sanctions, while the Taliban is trying to trade with the world despite international sanctions.

5 Apr 2026 - 9:26PM

Earthquakes

Afghan boy sole survivor after quake kills 8 in refugee family back from Iran

The group, who recently returned to live in a tent near Kabul, died when a wall collapsed on them, their toddler the only one left alive.

4 Apr 2026 - 8:21PMvideocam

A man digs in the ruins of a building after a fatal earthquake in Kabul province, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua

US, Israel war on Iran

In a time of war, Chinese museums are a safe haven for ancient treasures of Iran

Cultural exchanges established with the Middle East are underscoring China’s role as a safe harbour for vulnerable global heritage.

4 Apr 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

United States

Hegseth ousts army’s top uniformed officer, even as US wages war on Iran

Chief of Staff Randy George has been asked to take early retirement, in the latest of over a dozen firings of top generals and admirals.

3 Apr 2026 - 6:55AMvideocam

Pakistan

What Pakistan gains by playing peacemaker in Iran war

If Islamabad can successfully carry off the talks, it stands a chance of bringing in much-needed investments and weapon sales, analysts say.

1 Apr 2026 - 7:20PMvideocam

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) and Army Chief Asim Munir (right) meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on September 26, 2025. Photo: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Office/AFP

War and conflict

Opinion | How selective outrage over Iran war exposes the limits of realpolitik

From Iran to Afghanistan, the cold logic of ruthless pragmatism ensures human life and welfare are always the biggest casualties.

1 Apr 2026 - 5:30AM

People hurry past damaged residential buildings in southern Tehran, on March 27. Photo: EPA

US, Israel war on Iran

China, Pakistan launch five-point plan to ease Iran crisis, push ceasefire

Beijing backs Islamabad’s mediation push as both call for truce, Hormuz reopening and talks to restore regional stability.

1 Apr 2026 - 2:40AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Opinion | Why India is quietly deepening its engagement with the Taliban

New Delhi’s courtship of Kabul is powered by realpolitik as the imperatives of security, strategy and connectivity converge.

31 Mar 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war and rogue drones force European aviation safety rethink

As the Middle East conflict clogs flight corridors between Asia and Europe, EASA chief warns of ‘hybrid warfare’ risks.

30 Mar 2026 - 2:28PM

A Boeing 747 plane takes off from Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month. Photo: EPA

Taliban

Afghanistan releases detained US citizen after more than a year

Researcher Dennis Coyle, 64, was arrested in January 2025 on ‘violations of Afghanistan’s applicable laws’.

25 Mar 2026 - 2:28AM

US citizen Dennis Coyle (middle) waits at the airport in Kabul on Tuesday after the Taliban released him. Photo: AFP

Climate change

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

21 Mar 2026 - 3:00PM

Pakistan

Video | Pakistan to pause Afghan strikes for Eid

The decision was made at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

19 Mar 2026 - 11:43AM

Pakistan

Pakistan announces 5-day pause on Afghan strikes for Eid

The temporary ceasefire comes after Monday’s hospital strike, the deadliest in an escalating conflict between the two neighbours.

19 Mar 2026 - 11:43AMvideocam

An Afghan man walks next to the site where a drug rehabilitation centre was destroyed in an air strike in Kabul on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

War and conflict

Video | Survivors recount deadly air strike on Kabul drug rehab hospital

Afghanistan says 400 killed In hospital strike, Pakistan denies targeting civilian sites.

18 Mar 2026 - 9:57PM

Taliban

‘People were burning’: 400 dead after Pakistan strikes hit Kabul hospital

Pakistan rejected the accusation, saying its air strikes on eastern Afghanistan did not hit any civilian sites.

18 Mar 2026 - 10:02PMvideocam

United States

Afghan asylum seeker dies in ICE custody, US advocacy group says

Mohommad Nazeer ⁠Paktyawal, who had worked with the US military in Afghanistan, died ⁠in Texas after his arrest on Friday, AfghanEvac said.

16 Mar 2026 - 4:27AM

Police at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas, Texas. On Sunday, an Afghan immigrant died in ICE custody less than 24 hours after ‌being detained in Dallas. 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

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

War and conflict

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

Inevitably, the world will be split between those committed to peace and harmony, and those who want to fight to secure dominance.

13 Mar 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

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

After reports of mine-laying in the Strait of Hormuz, the US unleashes its ‘most intense’ day of strikes on Iran since the war began.

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

People wait to refuel their vehicles near a fuel station in Dhaka on Monday. Bangladesh launched fuel rationing on Sunday. Photo: AFP

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

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Afghanistan

What the US-Iran ‘fight-talk’ dynamic means before their ceasefire ends

Meanwhile, China expresses ‘concern’ over America’s interception of Iranian-flagged cargo ship in Gulf of Oman.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Pakistan has the world’s attention. Now it must focus inwards

Why has China mapped out a third new county in Xinjiang on its western frontier?

Decorated Australian soldier faces 5 murder charges in Afghan war crime probe

Roberts-Smith reportedly kicked an unarmed Afghan civilian off a cliff and drank out of a prosthetic leg of a man who was gunned down.

Afghan mother demands answers after son dies in Pakistani hospital bombing

Human rights groups have called for an independent investigation into the March 16 strike on a drug treatment centre that killed 411.

Afghanistan wants US$10 billion in trade deals with Central Asia

Central Asia’s typical trade routes through Russia are hampered by heavy sanctions, while the Taliban is trying to trade with the world despite international sanctions.

Afghan boy sole survivor after quake kills 8 in refugee family back from Iran

The group, who recently returned to live in a tent near Kabul, died when a wall collapsed on them, their toddler the only one left alive.

In a time of war, Chinese museums are a safe haven for ancient treasures of Iran

Cultural exchanges established with the Middle East are underscoring China’s role as a safe harbour for vulnerable global heritage.

Hegseth ousts army’s top uniformed officer, even as US wages war on Iran

Chief of Staff Randy George has been asked to take early retirement, in the latest of over a dozen firings of top generals and admirals.

What Pakistan gains by playing peacemaker in Iran war

If Islamabad can successfully carry off the talks, it stands a chance of bringing in much-needed investments and weapon sales, analysts say.

Opinion | How selective outrage over Iran war exposes the limits of realpolitik

From Iran to Afghanistan, the cold logic of ruthless pragmatism ensures human life and welfare are always the biggest casualties.

China, Pakistan launch five-point plan to ease Iran crisis, push ceasefire

Beijing backs Islamabad’s mediation push as both call for truce, Hormuz reopening and talks to restore regional stability.

Opinion | Why India is quietly deepening its engagement with the Taliban

New Delhi’s courtship of Kabul is powered by realpolitik as the imperatives of security, strategy and connectivity converge.

Iran war and rogue drones force European aviation safety rethink

As the Middle East conflict clogs flight corridors between Asia and Europe, EASA chief warns of ‘hybrid warfare’ risks.

Afghanistan releases detained US citizen after more than a year

Researcher Dennis Coyle, 64, was arrested in January 2025 on ‘violations of Afghanistan’s applicable laws’.

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Pakistan to pause Afghan strikes for Eid

The decision was made at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

Pakistan announces 5-day pause on Afghan strikes for Eid

The temporary ceasefire comes after Monday’s hospital strike, the deadliest in an escalating conflict between the two neighbours.

Video | Survivors recount deadly air strike on Kabul drug rehab hospital

Afghanistan says 400 killed In hospital strike, Pakistan denies targeting civilian sites.

‘People were burning’: 400 dead after Pakistan strikes hit Kabul hospital

Pakistan rejected the accusation, saying its air strikes on eastern Afghanistan did not hit any civilian sites.

Afghan asylum seeker dies in ICE custody, US advocacy group says

Mohommad Nazeer ⁠Paktyawal, who had worked with the US military in Afghanistan, died ⁠in Texas after his arrest on Friday, AfghanEvac said.

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’.

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

Inevitably, the world will be split between those committed to peace and harmony, and those who want to fight to secure dominance.

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

After reports of mine-laying in the Strait of Hormuz, the US unleashes its ‘most intense’ day of strikes on Iran since the war began.

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.

Opinion | Pakistan has the world’s attention. Now it must focus inwards

Video | Pakistan to pause Afghan strikes for Eid