The Times of Central Asia 27 February 2026
Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan on Friday following a Taliban-announced offensive against Pakistani military posts along the shared border, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two long-hostile neighbors. The Taliban has said it is open to talks.
Eurasian Times By EurAsian Times Desk
A manipulated video circulating widely on social media claims that during his historic February 25, 2026, visit to Israel, PM Narendra Modi declared that India and Israel would extend “all possible cooperation” to the Afghan Taliban regime. The clip, amplified by some journalists and social media users, portrayed this as a new India-Israel “nexus” targeting Pakistan amid escalating Pakistan-Afghan border clashes.
Prameyanews Published By : Satya Mohapatra | February 26, 2026
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu surprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi by wearing traditional Indian clothing ahead of a joint dinner. This historic trip also saw Modi become the first recipient of the prestigious Medal of the Knesset.
Το μεγαλύτερο λιμάνι της Ευρώπης προειδοποίησε ότι εκτίθεται ολοένα και περισσότερο σε γεωπολιτικούς κινδύνους που σχετίζονται με το εμπόριο με την Κίνα. Υπό το φως της πρόσφατης αντιπαράθεσης σχετικά με τον κινεζικό έλεγχο τερματικών σταθμών εμπορευματοκιβωτίων στην περιοχή, «η πραγματική οικονομική ευαλωτότητα δεν είναι ποιος μισθώνει αυτούς τους τερματικούς σταθμούς, αλλά τι υπάρχει μέσα σε αυτά τα κοντέινερ», δήλωσε ο Boudewijn Siemons, διευθύνων σύμβουλος της Port of Rotterdam Authority.
Afghanistan says ‘large-scale offensive operations’ launched; Pakistan reports inflicting ‘heavy casualties’ in border clashes. Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities say they have launched attacks against Pakistan’s military positions along their border in response to Pakistani air strikes last week, as Pakistan said its forces had retaliated.
The Times of Central Asia By Askar Alimzhanov, 26 February 2026
Amid shifting regional dynamics and an evolving global order, Uzbekistan has emerged as one of Central Asia’s most proactive diplomatic and economic actors. Since 2016, Tashkent has pursued an ambitious reform agenda at home while expanding cooperation with its neighbors and major global powers.
DW By Mark Hallam | Dharvi Vaid | Matt Ford with AFP, dpa and Reuters
Globaltimes Chen Qingqing Published: Feb 25, 2026
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Beijing on Wednesday, putting forward three suggestions for the further development of China-Germany relations and saying that the two sides need to continue promoting their all-round strategic partnership, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Αljazeera By Sarah Shamim Published On 25 Feb 2026
Asia News Network The Yomiuri Shimbun February 25, 2026
TOKYO – Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi expressed Japan’s intention to strengthen ties with 14 Pacific Island nations through such means as personnel exchanges and building a relationship based on multilayered cooperation, at the third Japan Pacific Islands Defense Dialogue which concluded on Tuesday. This year’s meeting was also attended by seven ASEAN members, including the Philippines and Indonesia, as observers. China seeks to expand its influence over the island nations by providing vast sums in so-called aid.
Oilprice By Alex Kimani - Feb 25, 2026
Saudi Arabia has started to increase its oil output as part of a contingency plan in the event the United States attacks Iran and oil flows are disrupted, Reuters reported on Wednesday, as OPEC’s biggest oil producer positions itself as a "reliable supplier" looking to take up its traditional role as a key swing producer ready to stabilize the markets if a conflict occurs. U.S. President Donald Trump recently revealed that he is considering a "limited military strike" on Iran in a bid to pressure its leaders into a new nuclear agreement. Saudi crude shipments jumped to 7.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in the first 24 days of February 2026, the highest level since April 2023.
South China Morning Post By Finbarr Berminghamin Brussels
Commissioner calls for faster trade probes and WTO reform as Brussels confronts overcapacity, subsidies and a US$424 billion deficit. The European Union’s trade chief Maros Sefcovic has railed against the bloc’s glacial trade defences, warning that years-long probes and rigid rules will not protect the bloc from China’s increasingly fierce export machine. Speaking in the European Parliament on Tuesday, Sefcovic lashed out at Beijing’s “unsustainable” trade surplus and called for an urgent overhaul of world trading rules to account for “overcapacities”, “unfair trade policies” and “state subsidies”.
The Jakarta Post AFP Beijing Tue, February 24, 2026
The spat between Asia's top two economies was sparked by comments by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November that Japan could intervene militarily in any attack on self-ruled Taiwan. China imposed export restrictions on 40 Japanese companies on Tuesday, citing national security concerns, as Beijing escalated a months-long row that has seen Chinese tourism to Japan plummet.
