VOA

India Restores Some Internet In Kashmir After Nearly Six Months

Nearly six months after India imposed a communications blackout in Indian Kashmir, internet services were partially restored on January 25, but the region’s seven million residents will still have no access to social media.

Girls Bike For Their Rights In Pakistan

In Karachi, Pakistan, girls rarely ride bicycles -- and when they do, they attract hostile stares and insults from strangers. But one NGO wants to push back against social norms and help girls have the fun, freedom, and confidence that comes with riding a bike. (VOA)

Senior U.S. Diplomat In Pakistan Amid Warmth In Mutual Ties

A senior American diplomat began a four-day official visit to Pakistan on January 19 amid warming bilateral relations that have followed meetings last year between President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Independence Drive: Afghan Women Get Behind The Wheel

Since the fall of the Taliban government in 2001, Afghan women have gradually gained more freedoms, including driving a car. One woman has turned her skill at the wheel into a business and her own declaration of independence.

China-Built Pakistani Port Begins Handling Afghan Transit Trade

Pakistan’s newly opened southwestern Gwadar seaport has begun handling transit cargo headed to and from landlocked Afghanistan, marking a significant outcome of Islamabad’s multi-billion-dollar collaboration with China.

Fresh Protests As Iranian President Calls Flight Downing An 'Unforgivable Error'

There have been fresh protests in Tehran more than three days after the Iranian authorities admitted they accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner on January 8, killing 176 people. Meanwhile, in a televised speech, Iranian President Hassan Rohani called for a special court to be set up to investigate the tragedy and promised that those responsible would pay. Social-media videos were vetted by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, but their authenticity could not be independently verified.

Iranians Protest After Airplane Downing

Anti-government protests were filmed in Iranian cities on January 11 and 12. University campuses appear to be the centers of growing anger at the government after the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps acknowledged downing a Ukrainian passenger jet in error.

Taliban Says US-Iran Dispute Will Not Harm Afghan Peace Process

The Taliban said it believes escalating military tensions between the United States and Iran are unlikely to hurt the insurgent group's negotiations with Washington aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan.

Iran-U.S. Tensions: Calls For Revenge And Restraint

The killing of a top Iranian general in a U.S. drone strike has leaders, diplomats, and analysts around the world on edge, wondering where this might lead.

Pakistan Stresses Neutrality As Thousands Protest Killing Of Soleimani

Ghani To Remain As Afghan President, Preliminary Results Suggest

Incumbent Afghan President Ashraf Ghani won a second term in the September 28 election according to preliminary results announced on December 22. Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan Chairwoman Hawa Alam Nuristani said that Ghani had earned more than half of all votes.

Pashtun Rights Group Applauds U.S. For Sanctioning Former Police Officer

The leader of a prominent rights group in Pakistan has welcomed the United States’ decision this week to sanction a former Pakistani law enforcement official for human rights violations.

Esper: U.S. Troop Drawdown In Afghanistan 'Not Necessarily' Tied To Taliban Deal

China Hits Back At U.S. For Criticizing Corridor Project With Pakistan

China and Pakistan have urged the United States "to sift fact from fiction" before questioning their bilateral infrastructure development program, which Beijing is funding under its global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Trump Suggests Peace Talks With Afghan Taliban Back on Track

U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated peace negotiations with the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan are back on track and vowed again to withdraw American troops from the country.

U.S. Takes Notice As More Islamic State Branches Back New Leader

The latest wave of endorsements for new Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi has U.S. intelligence officials taking notice.

Pakistan, Afghanistan Accuse Each Other of Harassing Diplomats

Outcry Over Syringes And Medical Waste On Pakistani Beach

Authorities in Karachi, Pakistan, have promised a cleanup after Shaniera Akram, wife of cricket legend Wasim, tweeted a video of syringes and medical waste on the seafront.

Saving Pakistan's Rare Vultures Egg By Egg

Conservationists at a zoo in Lahore, Pakistan, are trying to bolster numbers of the critically endangered Oriental white-backed vulture, after a drug used for livestock killed many of the birds.

U.S. Quietly Reduces Troop Force In Afghanistan By 2,000