Transitional authorities grapple with bureaucracy filled with phantom jobs, pervasive graft and culture of obedience
Also in this newsletter: How to protect critical undersea cables
Afghan regime’s push for legitimacy has been undermined by US reach into heart of Kabul
Biden announces he authorised drone strike to ‘remove him from the battlefield once and for all’
Appointments dash hopes for promise of inclusivity as hardline group secures pivotal jobs in Taliban administration
Islamabad worries that militants will spark a refugee crisis and embolden terrorists
Western officials warn Afghanistan risks becoming a magnet for foreign fighters again
Joe Biden’s miscalculation will haunt the rest of his presidency
The withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan on the anniversary of 9/11 will be seen as a victory for their cause
Macron says forces will focus on fight against Islamists filling void left by regional governments
Longtime Republican Zalmay Khalilzad leads Biden efforts to end America’s longest war
HTS rebrands itself as the moderate face of Islamist militancy in opposition stronghold Idlib
Speech an apparent move to derail attempts by the new Biden administration to resume talks with Tehran
Alleged accomplices of terrorists who rampaged through newspaper’s offices and supermarket in court
Daniel Pearl was tortured and killed in 2002 in case that sparked global outrage
Modi’s Hindu nationalism could push alienated Muslims into violence, warn analysts
Trapped between a closed border and advancing forces, opponents of the Assad regime face a humanitarian crisis
Qasim al-Rimi was target of US counter-terrorism strike last month
The Assad regime is trying to ensure a Sunni-majority population cannot be recreated
A ‘mini-me’ administration will follow at the White House
One of the world’s poorest nations at the centre of international efforts to fight jihadis
It is only a matter of time before a more virulent strain emerges if states keep blundering in the Middle East
Move signals Kabul’s willingness to make concessions for an end to the 17-year war
An extraordinary book on the human cost of the Syrian conflict
Rebels repel ground assault on pocket of resistance but air strikes continue
