All Asia: South & Central
- Suicide bombings in Afghanistan highlight difficult task ahead for US, NATO
The Taliban claimed responsibility for a twin suicide bombing today in Kandahar that killed at least 22 people. Officials say controlling suicide attacks in Afghanistan is near impossible.
Locals turn against Taliban in eastern AfghanistanTaliban-forced school closures and attacks have presented a big problem in Afghanistan. Residents in Andar are rebelling against the Taliban, but that doesn't mean that they are siding with the government.
UN sees significant drop in Afghan civilian casualtiesCivilian casualties are down in Afghanistan, according to the UN. Analysts say this has to do with the a drop in insurgent attacks and may be a sign of better US-Afghan coordination.
Nepal's political process derailed, againAfter years of delay, critics blame Nepal's dominant Maoist party for the impasse, in an attempt at ramming through a more radical constitution.
- FocusDeradicalizing boys in Pakistan
Pakistan's Sabaoon organization is working to reintegrate child soldiers trained to be suicide bombers back into society.
Pakistani official: Position to soften on NATO supply lineAn assistant to the Prime Minister says the country will show flexibility on the issue after NATO clearly expressed its displeasure in Chicago.
In Afghanistan, NATO exit plan raises concerns about stabilityNATO plans to transition security control to Afghan forces over the next two years, but many Afghans question their ability to hold the gains that have been made.
- Why Pakistan still hasn't reopened NATO supply lines
The government of Pakistan is facing domestic political pressure to keep NATO's supply routes to Afghanistan closed, while the US resists apologizing or paying a high per truck fee.
- Pakistan bans Twitter, citing blasphemous content
Activists see the government's claims of blasphemy as a convenient excuse to rein in free-wheeling conversations on the social media site ahead of elections.
Afghanistan after the US: What's next?Challenges in Wardak Province, west of Kabul, are a mirror of those the Afghan government will face as US and NATO pull back from reconstruction and aid funding in the next two years.
Afghan insurgent attacks down: A sign of widening Taliban fractures?An independent monitoring group says insurgent attacks in Afghanistan are down 43 percent compared with this time last year.
Pakistan's price: US to pay $365 million more a year to reopen supply linesA US-Pakistan deal to reopen a key NATO supply route through Pakistan, closed for nearly six months, would raise the cost of the war effort in Afghanistan by about $365 million annually.
- Second Afghan peace broker assassinated
Gunmen killed a senior member of Afghanistan's High Peace Council Sunday morning, in yet another signal that some elements within the insurgency are against talks.
Bin Laden raid one year later: Pakistan's Army untouchedThe US Navy SEAL operation that killed Osama bin Laden last May threw the Pakistan Army into international disrepute. But in Pakistan, the Army has rebounded.
Obama's agreement with Karzai in Afghanistan short on specificsIn a move that both signals the close of the Afghan war and extends the US commitment here until at least 2024, President Obama visited Kabul to sign a strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan.
With blast, Taliban respond to Obama: 'You need to focus on leaving'The Taliban detonated a car bomb around dawn, shortly after Mr. Obama gave a speech invoking 'a new dawn' with the signing of a US-Afghanistan strategic partnership agreement.
What the death of Osama bin Laden means for AfghanistanThe killing of bin Laden did not end the Afghan war. But it did highlight for the US the usefulness of using military bases there for striking jihadi leaders in Pakistan.
For Pakistanis, bin Laden death anniversary sparks ... nothingPolls show that Pakistanis are ambivalent about the Al Qaeda leader, and view his death as a foreign issue. Religious parties, however, may use anti-US sentiment in upcoming elections.
Maldives, hailed as democracy poster child, turns to Islamist fundamentalismThe tropical Maldives, recently held up as a victory for democracy, has taken a nosedive, says its ousted president. He is now looking for international help.
Osama bin Laden's family deported to Saudi Arabia. Case closed?Osama bin Ladens three wives and 11 children left Pakistan early Friday, closing an awkward chapter for Pakistan, but leaving unanswered questions about complicity of Pakistani state.
