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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

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the 33rd Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, on July 23. Photo: AFP

United States

As I see it | America declares international law for thee but not for me

While the US is seeking to dismantle the International Criminal Court, it has signed a statement upholding the Hague tribunal’s South China Sea ruling.

28 Jul 2026 - 8:30PM

Central Asia

China tests Central Asian land corridors to bypass maritime chokepoints

25 Jul 2026 - 7:14AMvideocam

Sexual harassment and assault

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan removed over sexual misconduct allegations

25 Jul 2026 - 4:36AM

Ukraine war

Opinion | Russia’s grinding war in Ukraine shows the impotence of nuclear weapons

Having the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal has not helped Russia on the battlefield.

22 Jul 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

China economy

Opinion | China is growing its export channels with railways through Central Asia

Beijing is seeking to diversify its export channels as geopolitical tensions destabilise maritime trade hubs.

22 Jul 2026 - 9:13AMvideocam

Pakistan

‘Mini Kabul’ falls silent as Pakistan targets undocumented Afghans in border province

About 2.3 million Afghans – some who lived in Pakistan for decades – have been sent back since the repatriation drive began in 2023.

17 Jul 2026 - 5:15PM

Japan

‘Very worried’: US campaign against ICC leaves Japan in a bind

The initiative will make Tokyo weigh its international law commitments against its dependence on the US security umbrella, analysts say.

16 Jul 2026 - 8:00AM

The International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

US-Iran war: is Trump falling into a Vietnam ‘quagmire’?

Renewed strikes put Washington’s appetite for a prolonged war to a familiar historical test, analysts say.

16 Jul 2026 - 12:40AMvideocam

China travel

China’s economic clout boosts ‘passport power’, index finds

Chinese travellers are gaining easier access to destinations worldwide, even as they still require visas for more countries than they can enter freely.

3 Jul 2026 - 4:00PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran prepares funeral for late supreme leader killed on war’s first day

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s public funeral will begin Saturday as Iran and the US observe a fragile ceasefire.

1 Jul 2026 - 3:16PM

A mural in Tehran depicts late figures aligned with the Iranian government, all carrying the flag-draped casket of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Photo: AFP

Pakistan

36 Afghan civilians die in Pakistan air strikes, 160 injured: officials

Amid escalating tensions, the Taliban said that when residents gathered to rescue people after an initial attack, the area was struck again.

29 Jun 2026 - 5:57PMvideocam

The rubble of a ruined building stands in the village of Mandokhel in Afghanistan’s Paktia province. Photo: dpa

United States

US Supreme Court paves way for Trump’s mass deportation of Haitians, Syrians

Top court rules that the administration can strip protections from some 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians in the US.

26 Jun 2026 - 1:07PM

United States

General who was last US soldier out of Afghanistan suddenly steps down

Christopher Donahue, commanding general of US Army Europe and Africa, is the latest in nearly two dozen military leaders to depart.

25 Jun 2026 - 7:34AM

Central Asia

Afghan government workers face sack, jail after smartphone ban begins

Employees will be available only ‘via telephone calls and email’, an official says, citing an order from the supreme leader.

17 Jun 2026 - 9:36PM

A man uses smartphones in Kabul on Tuesday. Photo: EPA

Diplomacy

Opinion | How Asia can benefit from a Russia-India-China dialogue revival

Far from acting as another bloc, such a grouping could help ensure that regional competition is managed rather than reproduced.

17 Jun 2026 - 6:58AMvideocam

(From left to right) Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping hold a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019. Photo: SPUTNIK / AFP

Pakistan

Video | Pakistan conducts deadly air strikes in Afghanistan

The air strike puts an end to a month of relative calm between the two sides.

11 Jun 2026 - 4:13PM

Afghanistan after the US

‘Frightened’: Afghan women detained by Taliban in clothing crackdown

‘I saw two employees – one was carrying a whip – putting two women who were not wearing burkas into a vehicle’.

8 Jun 2026 - 10:42PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Why the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation isn’t Nato for Iran

Central Asian members in particular see bloc’s main value as preserving their sovereignty rather than enabling collective military action.

30 May 2026 - 8:08AMvideocam

Central Asia

China’s expanding footprint in Central Asia

From addressing critical water security fears to driving a regional green tech revolution, Beijing is cementing its role as an indispensable partner to Central Asia. This three-part series investigates China’s expanding influence in the region amid global geopolitical uncertainty, exploring how new investments and diplomatic ties are reshaping the Central Asian landscape.

15 Jun 2026 - 10:35AM

US, Israel war on Iran

As Iran war stokes water security fears, Central Asia could turn to China

Nations facing chronic water shortages might look to Chinese investment to upgrade their creaking Soviet-era infrastructure, observers say.

29 May 2026 - 1:54PMvideocam

Pakistan

Pakistani prime minister visits China amid ongoing Middle East peace drive

The two countries are also predicted to mark a significant diplomatic anniversary by further deepening their long-standing relationship.

24 May 2026 - 5:24PMvideocam

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is hoping to strengthen the country’s economic ties with China. Photo: AFP

Taliban

New Taliban law in Afghanistan implies that child marriage is permitted, UN says

UN says the new family code tacitly permits union with minors, despite Kabul claiming forced weddings are banned.

22 May 2026 - 2:35PM

Afghan burqa-clad women in Kabul. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

Opinion | How China is making the most of the US’ faltering global leadership

As the US’ latest foreign adventures weaken American legitimacy, the world needs a political force that can act as a neutral arbitrator.

17 May 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

US-China relations

As I see it | Beijing had already won before the Trump-Xi summit even started

There’s a lesson for the US president in Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in the early 19th century.

15 May 2026 - 8:43PMvideocam

India

Iran’s ‘anti-American’ rhetoric tests India’s balancing act at Brics meeting

Foreign Minister Araghchi seeks the bloc’s backing against US pressure in New Delhi, but India likely to prioritise de-escalation and trade.

14 May 2026 - 1:22PMvideocam

India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (right) shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi during the Brics meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan

Pakistani Taliban splinter group claims suicide attack, 14 police dead

A suicide bomber and several gunmen detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a police station in Bannu, a district bordering Afghanistan.

10 May 2026 - 6:57PMvideocam

A destroyed police armoured at the site of a suicide attack in Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua

Fifa

Fifa says Afghan women’s team can play in tournaments without Taliban approval

Fifa Council agrees to amend federation’s rules at meeting in Vancouver, opens door to potential LA Olympics qualifying campaign.

29 Apr 2026 - 1:27PM

China-Middle East relations

China’s calls to open Hormuz show the limits of its ties to Iran, experts say

While Beijing has long seen Tehran as a useful partner, the nation is not crucial to its Middle East strategy, analysts argue.

28 Apr 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

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Afghanistan

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}As I see it | America declares international law for thee but not for me

While the US is seeking to dismantle the International Criminal Court, it has signed a statement upholding the Hague tribunal’s South China Sea ruling.

China tests Central Asian land corridors to bypass maritime chokepoints

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan removed over sexual misconduct allegations

Opinion | Russia’s grinding war in Ukraine shows the impotence of nuclear weapons

Having the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal has not helped Russia on the battlefield.

Opinion | China is growing its export channels with railways through Central Asia

Beijing is seeking to diversify its export channels as geopolitical tensions destabilise maritime trade hubs.

‘Mini Kabul’ falls silent as Pakistan targets undocumented Afghans in border province

About 2.3 million Afghans – some who lived in Pakistan for decades – have been sent back since the repatriation drive began in 2023.

‘Very worried’: US campaign against ICC leaves Japan in a bind

The initiative will make Tokyo weigh its international law commitments against its dependence on the US security umbrella, analysts say.

US-Iran war: is Trump falling into a Vietnam ‘quagmire’?

Renewed strikes put Washington’s appetite for a prolonged war to a familiar historical test, analysts say.

China’s economic clout boosts ‘passport power’, index finds

Chinese travellers are gaining easier access to destinations worldwide, even as they still require visas for more countries than they can enter freely.

Iran prepares funeral for late supreme leader killed on war’s first day

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s public funeral will begin Saturday as Iran and the US observe a fragile ceasefire.

36 Afghan civilians die in Pakistan air strikes, 160 injured: officials

Amid escalating tensions, the Taliban said that when residents gathered to rescue people after an initial attack, the area was struck again.

US Supreme Court paves way for Trump’s mass deportation of Haitians, Syrians

Top court rules that the administration can strip protections from some 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians in the US.

General who was last US soldier out of Afghanistan suddenly steps down

Christopher Donahue, commanding general of US Army Europe and Africa, is the latest in nearly two dozen military leaders to depart.

Afghan government workers face sack, jail after smartphone ban begins

Employees will be available only ‘via telephone calls and email’, an official says, citing an order from the supreme leader.

Opinion | How Asia can benefit from a Russia-India-China dialogue revival

Far from acting as another bloc, such a grouping could help ensure that regional competition is managed rather than reproduced.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Video | Pakistan conducts deadly air strikes in Afghanistan

The air strike puts an end to a month of relative calm between the two sides.

‘Frightened’: Afghan women detained by Taliban in clothing crackdown

‘I saw two employees – one was carrying a whip – putting two women who were not wearing burkas into a vehicle’.

Why the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation isn’t Nato for Iran

Central Asian members in particular see bloc’s main value as preserving their sovereignty rather than enabling collective military action.

China’s expanding footprint in Central Asia

As Iran war stokes water security fears, Central Asia could turn to China

Nations facing chronic water shortages might look to Chinese investment to upgrade their creaking Soviet-era infrastructure, observers say.

Pakistani prime minister visits China amid ongoing Middle East peace drive

The two countries are also predicted to mark a significant diplomatic anniversary by further deepening their long-standing relationship.

New Taliban law in Afghanistan implies that child marriage is permitted, UN says

UN says the new family code tacitly permits union with minors, despite Kabul claiming forced weddings are banned.

Opinion | How China is making the most of the US’ faltering global leadership

As the US’ latest foreign adventures weaken American legitimacy, the world needs a political force that can act as a neutral arbitrator.

As I see it | Beijing had already won before the Trump-Xi summit even started

There’s a lesson for the US president in Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in the early 19th century.

Iran’s ‘anti-American’ rhetoric tests India’s balancing act at Brics meeting

Foreign Minister Araghchi seeks the bloc’s backing against US pressure in New Delhi, but India likely to prioritise de-escalation and trade.

Pakistani Taliban splinter group claims suicide attack, 14 police dead

A suicide bomber and several gunmen detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a police station in Bannu, a district bordering Afghanistan.

Fifa says Afghan women’s team can play in tournaments without Taliban approval

Fifa Council agrees to amend federation’s rules at meeting in Vancouver, opens door to potential LA Olympics qualifying campaign.

China’s calls to open Hormuz show the limits of its ties to Iran, experts say

While Beijing has long seen Tehran as a useful partner, the nation is not crucial to its Middle East strategy, analysts argue.

As I see it | America declares international law for thee but not for me

Video | Pakistan conducts deadly air strikes in Afghanistan