Looks like disinformation, fake news and propaganda is winning amid the confrontation and tensions between India and Pakistan.

Is South Asia now on the brink of a nuclear showdown? Pakistan is likely to Respond to the Indian attacks, which might swiftly spiral into unprecedented escalation.

The Indian armed forces have confirmed it targeted nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir as part of “Operation Sindoor”.

I report on Mahrang Baloch, a doctor from #Balochistan. Her transformation from being a victim of the #Pakistan's oppression of #Baloch nationalists to becoming an icon for Balochistan's rights is remarkable. www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-m...

Russian-Occupied Ukrainian Regions Key To Ending War, Says US Envoy Witkoff www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-ru...

A new immigration policy in Iran is depriving undocumented Afghans of accessing healthcare, education and even housing. #RFE #Afghanistan

My Latest: Iran is denying undocumented immigrants access to healthcare, education and housing. This policy is part of Tehran's efforts to pressure the over 4 million Afghan refugees and immigrants currently living in the country to return to Afghanistan. www.rferl.org/a/iran-afgha...

My Latest: Iran is denying undocumented immigrants access to healthcare, education and housing. This policy is part of Tehran's efforts to pressure the over 4 million Afghan refugees and immigrants currently living in the country to return to Afghanistan. www.rferl.org/a/iran-afgha...

I report on why attacks targeting security forces are increasing in frequency and lethality in #Pakistan’s #Balochistan Province, where a separatist militant group has adopted new tactics amid the absence of a political track to address the insurrection. www.rferl.org/a/violence-p...

Pakistani Troops, Baluch Separatist Fighters Face Off Over Train Hostages www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-b...

I wrote a profile for the Baloch Liberation Army recently. Today it has claimed to have hijacked a train in #Pakistan's restive southwestern province of #Balochistan. www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-b...

Armenian Minority Living In Fear After Violence Rocks Syria www.rferl.org/a/armenian-m...

I report on how the arrest of an Islamic State-Khorasan (#IS-K) militant who is suspected of helping plan an attack against the U.S. forces in #Afghanistan in 2021 marks an upturn in strained ties between #Washington and #Islamabad. #Pakistan #USA www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-a...

My latest: One in three Afghans is already going hungry. The loss of donor funding, particularly U.S. assistance, could hit the most vulnerable Afghans hard. Some aid workers even fear famine-like conditions if the country loses humanitarian aid dollars. storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ef7f...

Deadly Blast Rocks Pro-Taliban Seminary In Pakistan www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-s...

I report on why #SaudiArabia is hosting groundbreaking talks between #Russia and the #UnitedStates to end the war in #Ukraine. Experts see it as part of Riyadh’s effort to expand ties with Washington while staying away from President #Trump’s plan for the #Gaza Strip. www.rferl.org/a/saudi-arab...

I report on why #SaudiArabia is hosting groundbreaking talks between #Russia and the #UnitedStates to end the war in #Ukraine. Experts see it as part of Riyadh’s effort to expand ties with Washington while staying away from President #Trump’s plan for the #Gaza Strip. www.rferl.org/a/saudi-arab...

A new law in #Pakistan that criminalizes online disinformation is raising concerns of subjectivity and abuse @rferl.org.web.brid.gy @siddiquea.bsky.social www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-e...

Pakistan Cracks Down On Free Speech Online www.rferl.org/a/33297599.h...

I report on why journalists in #Pakistan are up in arms against a draconian overhaul of #PECA law. The amendments, widely condemned by human rights and press freedom watchdogs, empower the government to punish anyone for spreading vaguely defined fake news. www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-e...

I write about how the #Palestinian group #Hamas has survived #Israel’s 15-month war in the #Gaza Strip. The militant group is replenishing its ranks now, although restocking its weapons supplies will be more difficult. www.rferl.org/a/hamas-isra...

I write about how the #Palestinian group #Hamas has survived #Israel’s 15-month war in the #Gaza Strip. The militant group is replenishing its ranks now, although restocking its weapons supplies will be more difficult. www.rferl.org/a/hamas-isra...

I report on why journalists in #Pakistan are up in arms against a draconian overhaul of #PECA law. The amendments, widely condemned by human rights and press freedom watchdogs, empower the government to punish anyone for spreading vaguely defined fake news. www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-e...

Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim in Syria on first visit by Arab head of state since Assad downfall www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...

Syria’s new government ends Russian lease of Tartous port www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

@thecynicist.bsky.social: "Weakening Hamas’s core leadership and destroying Gaza is going to fuel other types of militancy.” www.rferl.org/a/middle-eas...

I report on how the 15-month war in #Gaza has profoundly altered the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape. #Iran and #Russia, once dominant forces, have suffered severe setbacks, while #Israel, #Turkey, #Egypt, and #Qatar have all expanded their influence. www.rferl.org/a/middle-eas...

My latest: Sixty #Afghans are killed or maimed by landmines every month. This number is set to rapidly increase as #demining agencies lose international funding to clear unexploded weapons left behind during the four decades of war in #Afghanistan. www.rferl.org/a/afghanista...

Good piece by @siddiquea.bsky.social www.rferl.org/a/pakistani-...

Exodus Of Doctors Leaves Afghans Scrambling For Treatment www.rferl.org/a/afghanista...

Pakistan Slides Into New 'Era Of Terrorism' www.rferl.org/a/pakistani-...

Pakistan Slides Into New 'Era Of Terrorism - not sure why analysts keep talking about a 'new era' when terrorism has been significant for decades in the region #terrorism www.rferl.org/a/pakistani-...

I report on why #Pakistani security forces suffered the deadliest year in a decade. Its #Taliban policy has backfired, as well as the military’s reliance on brute force. Residents of the regions most affected by #terrorism say the state has failed them. www.rferl.org/a/pakistani-...

I report on why, despite launching intense attacks on #Yemen’s #Huthi rebels, #Israel has yet to surmount the challenges of geography and a lack of actionable intelligence to go after the secretive group, which is part of #Iran’s so-called axis of resistance. #Houthi www.rferl.org/a/yemen-isra...

Islamic State militants are trying to exploit the security vacuum following the fall of the Assad government in #Syria. Experts and officials are warning that the group could revert to its signature violent tactics to reestablish a foothold. #ISIS www.rferl.org/a/islamic-st...

#Pakistan is clamping down on the use of #VPNs, a move that activists say is designed to further stifle free speech and dissent. “The VPN crackdown is the latest example of Pakistan's push for digital control,” said one #digitalrights activist. www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-i...

The #Taliban’s takeover of #Afghanistan in 2021 has fueled a mass exodus of professionals, including #doctors. A severe shortage of doctors has left millions of Afghans with limited or no access to #healthcare services. www.rferl.org/a/afghanista...

#Afghanistan's #Taliban and #Pakistan face difficult choices as they struggle to deal with the Pakistani Taliban. #TTP www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-a...

#Syria's new Islamist rulers, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have swiftly moved to distance themselves from how the #Taliban is ruling #Afghanistan. The HTS leader has promised to allow women's education and pledged to form an inclusive government. www.rferl.org/a/syrian-isl...

The suspect, a U.S. Army veteran who died in a shootout with police officers, was identified by the F.B.I. as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, a U.S. citizen. The truck had an Islamic State flag, weapons and a “potential” improvised explosive. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01...

Pakistani Shi'ite, Sunni Leaders Reach Peace Deal To End Regional Clashes www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-l...

interesting read: after #Pakistan, #Afghanistan cross-border shelling and many civilian casualties: "islamabad, afghan #Taliban locked In stalemate over pakistani militants" www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-a...

I report on renewed tensions between #Pakistan and the Afghan #Taliban. The erstwhile allies are in a deadlock over what to do about the Tehrik-e Taliban #Pakistan (#TTP). Both face difficult choices as they face off over the Pakistani Taliban. www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-a...

I report on how the #Taliban’s takeover of #Afghanistan in 2021 has fueled a mass exodus of doctors. The shortage of medical professionals has left millions of Afghans with limited or no access to health-care services. www.rferl.org/a/afghanista...

I write about why #Syria's new Islamist rulers, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have swiftly moved to distance themselves from how the #Taliban is ruling #Afghanistan. Its leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has promised to allow women's education. www.rferl.org/a/syrian-isl...

The blockade of #Parachinar has taken a significant toll on civilians. Shi'a residents of the city are struggling to obtain everyday essentials and medicines. Some nearby Sunni villages have been unable to leave their communities for fear of attacks. www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-s...

I report on the worsening humanitarian situation in #Parachinar. The mostly Shi’ite city in northwestern #Pakistan has been cut off from the rest of the Sunni-majority country because of deadly sectarian clashes that have seen hundreds killed this year. www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-s...

Pakistani Military Courts Sentence 25 People For 2023 Unrest www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-t...

In this week's newsletter, I discuss why a Taliban minister has criticized the extremist group for muzzling the free press in Afghanistan. Abbas Stanikzai says harassment by his government prevents Afghan journalists from doing their jobs "courageously." www.rferl.org/a/afghanista...