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...
China has released a new white paper on global governance, expanding President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative (GGI) and presenting Beijing as a defender of developing nations and the UN-based international order. The document also contains indirect criticism of...
Reports of rising tensions between the Taliban leadership and prominent Tajik commander Juma Khan Fateh in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province have intensified speculation about internal divisions within the movement. Media reports claim Taliban forces were deployed to parts of the...
Turkmenistan and China have launched a major gas expansion project at the Galkynysh field under a $5.1 billion agreement that will add 10 billion cubic metres (bcm) of annual production capacity. The project is expected to support Turkmenistan’s plans...
Russia’s military-technical cooperation agreement with Afghanistan has sparked concern among Chinese bloggers, who argue that the deal could alter the regional security balance, weaken China’s influence and increase tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The agreement, signed in Moscow on...