A newly emerged anti-Taliban armed group briefly seized the district headquarters of Yaftal in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province after launching an overnight attack on 16–17 July, according to multiple Afghan media outlets. The Taliban confirmed the assault, saying security...
India has strengthened defence cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 6–11 July visits to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, highlighting a strategy to expand regional partnerships amid competition with China and uncertainty over the role of...
Ten years after an international tribunal rejected China's sweeping South China Sea claims, Beijing has expanded its legal, diplomatic and media efforts to reinforce its position. Alongside continued activity in disputed waters, China is increasingly relying on government papers,...
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for 2,036 attacks against Pakistan's security forces between January and June 2026, reporting 4,463 casualties. The figures mark a sharp increase from previous years, with the group's attack claims more than quadrupling since...
A severe heatwave has swept across Central Asia, with temperatures exceeding 40C in several countries and prompting authorities to introduce emergency measures to protect public health, infrastructure and essential services. Governments have closed kindergartens, restricted heavy vehicle traffic, increased...
Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed Beijing's support for Belarus' sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity after talks with Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka in Beijing on 29 June. The meeting came shortly after Lukashenka held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin,...
The World Bank has approved a $300 million grant for the second phase of Tajikistan’s Roghun hydropower project, providing new funding for the country’s largest power generation asset. The financing will support construction works, equipment installation, and environmental and...
India and Pakistan have intensified their dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), with both countries reaffirming opposing positions on the agreement. India says the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan takes credible action against terrorism, while Pakistan insists...
The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) says it has expanded its guerrilla campaign into eastern Afghanistan, claiming three attacks against Taliban positions in Nuristan, Laghman and Nangarhar provinces since 24 June. The move marks the group's first claimed operations in...
Afghanistan's Taliban-run Ministry of Defence says it carried out drone strikes against alleged Islamic State (IS) and other militant bases in Pakistan, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the two neighbours. Pakistan denied the claims, stating that only...