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Central Asia

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News from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
Residents mail parcels at the General Post Office in Central in May 2025. Photo: Elson Li
Hong Kong transport

Hongkong Post’s airmail services to 24 countries affected by strikes in Middle East

Public postal service suspends airmail to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, affecting ‘services transiting through these locations’.

Pakistan

‘Managed escalation’: Pakistan-Taliban stand-off enters dangerous new phase

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Russia

Trains through the Taliban: Central Asia’s plan to bypass Russia and Iran

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Pakistan

Pakistan declares ‘open war’ with Afghan Taliban, attacks Kabul, Kandahar

The air strikes came hours after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops in what the Taliban government said was retaliation.

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Taliban security personnel stand guard near the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Friday. Photo: AFP
China airliners

China’s C909 jet gets international uplift with funding for adoptive airline

Chengdu Airlines, an affiliate of C909 manufacturer Comac, has received a capital injection to help widen the jet’s international coverage.

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Pakistan

Pakistan claim of killing 80 militants ‘false’, Taliban security source says

The Afghan Defence Ministry said ‘various civilian areas’ in eastern Afghanistan were hit, including a religious madrasa and multiple homes.

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China trade

As high-speed railways saturate China, how far can their global reach extend?

As Chinese giants eye Eurasia for new infrastructure, analysts speculate on what it will take to keep overseas projects from going off the rails in different host nations.

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A high-speed train leaves Tegalluar Station, located along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia. Photo: Xinhua
Pakistan

11 soldiers, 1 child killed in Pakistan after suicide bomber hits security post

Seven other civilians were injured in the blast, which damaged part of the compound and nearby homes.

United Nations

Opinion | More than funding, the UN needs restructuring

The UN’s financial strain is a chance to rethink its structure, cut inefficiencies and empower local work that delivers more impact.

China-Russia relations

As Central Asia builds ‘smart cities’ with China, is it moving away from Russia?

Lack of Russian involvement in the mega-projects is seen as part of a broader structural shift as the region moves ‘closer to the world’.

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Alatau in Kazakhstan is among the new future city projects in Central Asia that aim to tackle population growth and ageing infrastructure. Photo: Handout
India

‘Structural reality’: why US tariff deal cannot sever India-Russia defence ties

While the pact demands a halt to Russian oil imports, analysts say New Delhi’s military dependence on Moscow is non-negotiable.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (left) speaks with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi in December 2025. Photo: AFP
Climate change

Opinion | Why China and Europe should care about Central Asia’s water crisis

Central Asian rivers shape Eurasian trade flows, affect global food markets and contribute to geopolitical instability across the region.

Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong to formulate first 5-year plan to align with national blueprint

Task force led by Chief Executive John Lee will formulate plan, which one expert says signals greater government role in city’s development.

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What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, January 30-February 1

Indulge in an excess of tea, browse Hong Kong’s independent fashion brands, immerse yourself in Central Asian culture and more this weekend.

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PMQ’s Tea Round 2026 festival is one of five things we recommend checking out this weekend in Hong Kong. Photo: Tea Round, PMQ
Afghanistan

Why are Afghan-Tajikistan border tensions such a headache for China?

A suicide bombing at a restaurant in Kabul is just the latest sign of how Chinese citizens can become caught up in the region’s instability.

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A Chinese man and at least six Afghans were killed in a restaurant bombing in central Kabul on Monday. Photo: AFP
India

Unrest in Iran complicates India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy

India views the current Iranian government as a ‘predictable counterweight’ against Pakistan’s influence, an analyst says.

Belt and Road Initiative

China ramps up Belt and Road deals amid US competition

A 75 per cent boom in China’s Belt and Road Initiative last year will help lock in resources for the energy transition and AI rush, as well as extending the country’s global reach.

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Chinese overseas

Explosion at Chinese restaurant in Afghan capital kills 7

The Afghan branch of Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Kabul attack, saying it was carried out by a suicide bomber.

Taliban security personnel at the scene of the blast in Kabul. Photo: AFP
Belt and Road Initiative

US trade war? China had bigger plans in 2025 as ‘belt and road’ deals surged

China’s global infrastructure strategy logged a record US$213 billion of new deals in 2025, as metals projects in Central Asia soared, report finds.

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India

‘Trump’s wrath’: India’s aim to diversify trade via Iran faces tariff threat

The 25 per cent tariff against countries that trade with Iran may curtail India’s plan to develop the Chabahar port in Iran.

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Food and Drinks

First Look: Yurt, Hong Kong’s ‘first modern Central Asian restaurant’

The Kazakh founders of this SoHo restaurant eventually aim to expand it into a cultural hub, seeing an outpouring of support from the local Central Asian community.

A take on the traditional Central Asian dining space, known as dastarkhan, at Yurt in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout
Afghanistan

‘We miss our parents’: Afghanistan-Pakistan border closure leaves thousands in limbo

The colonial-era Durand Line has been largely closed since the October clashes that killed more than 70 people.

A Taliban security personnel stands guard near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing at the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province on Monday. Photo: AFP
China trade

How the ‘world’s supermarket’ rode out Trump’s tariffs – and grew even stronger

Yiwu, one of China’s biggest export hubs, was expected to take a hit from US tariffs. Instead, it has seen trade surge.

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Malaysia

Muslim businesses in China target Malaysia as global halal gateway

The growing presence of China’s Muslim entrepreneurs at a festival in Kuala Lumpur reflects their trust in Malaysia’s strong halal standards.

Xinjiang

China’s mega expressway tunnel opens in Xinjiang, halves north-south travel time

The project is the biggest of its kind in the world and is expected to help forge stronger regional and international links.

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The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel on the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is open to traffic. Photo: Xinhua
Yuan

China expands digital-yuan push to Singapore and Asean trade routes

PBOC pledges to integrate e-CNY into the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, boost adoption in Southeast Asia via China’s CIPS payment network.

A customer makes a payment using China’s digital currency, or e-CNY, at a store in Beijing. Photo: Getty Images
Ukraine war

Opinion | How the West’s sanctions against Russia are fuelling a protracted war

For hubs of transit trade from Armenia to the UAE, economic self-interest is best served by having sanctions on Russia in place indefinitely.

Food and Drinks

New restaurant Yurt brings Kazakhstan’s horsemeat tradition to Hong Kong

Horsemeat is a central part of Kazakh and Central Asian culture and, for the team at Yurt, there was no question of it not being on the menu.

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