Residents of Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province have staged large-scale protests against the Taliban’s decision to suspend mining activities, demanding the immediate reopening of gold-washing and small-scale mining operations. Demonstrators say the restrictions have cut off a vital source of income...
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s June 2026 visit to North Korea highlighted a major shift in Beijing’s approach to the Korean Peninsula. Unlike his 2019 trip, Chinese statements made no reference to denuclearisation, underscoring how changing regional dynamics have pushed...
Afghan Taliban forces opened fire on demonstrators in the western city of Herat on 9 June during protests against the reported detention of women and girls for alleged violations of hijab rules. Local media reported casualties, while Taliban officials...
Uzbekistan and the United States are seeking to deepen trade and investment cooperation, with talks focused on converting growing American business interest into concrete projects, jobs and economic opportunities. The discussions took place during a meeting between Saida Mirziyoyeva,...
Russia’s security services detained up to eight Muslim clerics and community representatives in May 2026, including former regional muftis and leaders linked to the Spiritual Board of Muslims (DUM), the Kremlin-backed body representing Muslims in Russia. The arrests, carried...
Afghan media executive Saad Mohseni has come under fire after saying that life in Kabul appears “very normal” under Taliban rule, prompting accusations that he was downplaying restrictions on women and helping legitimise the regime. The remarks were made...
Tajikistan and Pakistan have agreed to deepen cooperation against transnational crime, cybercrime, terrorism, and drug trafficking following talks between their interior ministers on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Bishkek on 5 June. The two...
Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to North Korea on 8-9 June, his first trip to the country since 2019. The visit highlights improving ties between Beijing and Pyongyang after a period in which North Korea...
The Taliban have enacted a new law establishing a formal system to identify, manage and, in some cases, transfer property belonging to absent or missing individuals in Afghanistan. Announced on 1 June and approved by Taliban supreme leader Mawlawi...
After being absent from public view for over two weeks, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon reappeared in a short but highly visible public engagement by sending a video congratulation to Chinese President Xi Jinping on the occasion of the Lunar...