Data shows a sustained rise in Baloch separatist violence in Pakistan since 2018, culminating in record attacks and fatalities in 2025, with January 2026 already elevated, even before the weekend’s attacks. Source ACLED

CNN Investigation reveals US M-16s guns, used in Pakistani Taliban attack on cadet college South Waziristan in November, 2025, had “made different journeys from US weapons manufacturers and military installations to branches of Afghan security forces, years before US withdrawal.”

As Bangladesh heads to the polls this Thursday, ⁦ACLED⁩ unpacks the key violence trends so far, and the risks to a peaceful transition. acleddata.com/report/banglad…

Weapons & Women: the changing face of insurgency in Balochistan The BLA's growing use of women in suicide missions reflects a deliberate propaganda strategy to expand its social reach, analysts say, as authorities flag access to sophisticated weapons. Asif Shahzad & I report:

Pleasantly surprised to see Mike Atherton quote from my September 2025 piece in Cricket et al on India and Pakistan. Hard to disagree with what he writes here.

‘In the end, you feel blank’ - Women workers in rural communities in India describe having to watch hours of abusive content to train AI and the trauma of moderating violent and pornographic content for global tech companies theguardian.com/global-develop…

In ACLED’s latest insight, we warned of anti-Pakistan armed groups becoming increasingly active to compensate for Afghanistan’s weaknesses vis a vis Pakistan when it comes to conventional warfare. That has already started to happen - acleddata.com/expert-comment…

Exclusive: US Marines opened fire on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate over the weekend, two US officials said — a rare use of force at a diplomatic post that could sharply escalate tensions in the country amid widespread protests over the killing of

Beyond SL, would also irk India, which sees itself as the security provider in the Indian Ocean region and from where the ship was returning after a naval exercise, and China, which has steadily expanded its presence here and relies heavily on these maritime trade routes

The U.S. military is responsible for a strike against an Iranian Navy warship off Sri Lanka's coast, three officials tell Reuters. W/Phil Stewart

Think of it slightly differently. If the same ship was close to Chinese waters, and coming from a PLAN fleet review, would the US have dared to blow the ship out of the waters? The answer is no. But it does so for India, and that tells you all you need to know about the Modi govt

Closer to home, RSP looks to be heading towards a sweeping victory in Nepal’s parliamentary polls. This profile of Balen by GAURAV POKHAREL and Pranaya Rana’s brilliant Substack, Kalam Weekly, are essential reading!

And it would then be open season for armed groups on both sides. When the Kurram clashes referenced here escalated, ISKP also issued a call to arms to counter the Zainabiyoun Brigade threat.

Our assessment of who is most vulnerable to the Iran energy shock:

Some stories get under the skin and stay with you longer than you expect. The story of Alsama Project, listening to Maram and Wissal, Mohammad Kheir and Richard Verity: economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/cr… Cricket in the time of war may be a euphemism for some of us at the moment. But

Beyond all the commentary, and trying to find rationality in the actions of irrational men, it is these voices that need to be heard the loudest. ‘It didn’t matter whose child I rescued’: parents of Iran school bombing victims describe their worst day theguardian.com/global-develop…

For days, there's been a question in our minds: Is Mumbai's LPG crisis quietly pushing migrant workers to head home? Construction sites are running. Factories are open. The city offered no clear answer. So my colleague Ishika Gupta did something simple, but hard... 🧵(1/7)

Another in a fantastic series of reports by Reuters on how Pakistan led the ceasefire efforts

I write with Carnegie Endowment Carnegie South Asia that debates over democratic backsliding in South Asia, while important, need to be complemented by a renewed focus on how militaries exercise power and influence in Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and even Nepal: carnegieendowment.org/research/2026/…

Nearly a year after one of the most intense India-Pakistan confrontations in decades, new risks for security forces & civilians in Jammu and Kashmir continue to threaten regional peace. Our latest analysis maps the shifting landscape of militant activity: acleddata.com/report/jammu-a…