Uzbeks

After a short honeymoon, are Iran-Taliban relations deteriorating?

Iran and the Taliban appeared to have reached some degree of regional understanding. But it turned out to be a short-lived optimism with Tehran showing signs of unease.

What role did US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad play in the Taliban's victory?

Questions surround Khalilzad, an enigmatic diplomat who presided over US failures in Iraq and now the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan.

How international actors laid the groundwork for Taliban rule

The current regional balance of power, in which Russia and China see the Taliban as the lesser of two evils, and a hasty US withdrawal helped the group march across Afghanistan, experts say.

Will God 'punish us' if we don't make Russian an official language?

Russian interference in Uzbekistan has led for a push to adopt Russian as an official language, but the move is having the opposite effect.

Can Uzbekistan's new leader reform the country?

If the Uzbek president wants genuine reform of religious freedoms in the country, he faces a steep uphill battle.