South and central Asia – War Watch

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Sri Lanka brings in four-day week to eke out stocks of oil and gas hit by Iran war
ByHannah Ellis-Petersen South Asia correspondent March 16, 2026

Effective closure of strait of Hormuz also affecting Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, which have brought in crisis measuresSri Lanka is introducing a shorter four-day working week to preserve its shrinking fuel and gas reserves, as the Middle East confl…

Read More Sri Lanka brings in four-day week to eke out stocks of oil and gas hit by Iran war
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‘Bit of treachery’: US attack on IRIS Dena undermines Indian security ties
ByHannah Ellis-Petersen in Dubai and Aanya Wipulasena in Colombo March 15, 2026

Defence analyst says torpedo strike is a ‘humiliation’ for Modi’s government that disregarded a US defence partnerMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe distress call came in to Sri Lanka’s maritime rescue coordination centre just after 5am. The ship in …

Read More ‘Bit of treachery’: US attack on IRIS Dena undermines Indian security ties
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US grants waiver to allow India to buy Russian oil amid Iran war
ByReuters March 6, 2026March 6, 2026

‘Stopgap measure’ designed to keep oil flowing into global market as Middle East crisis disrupts crude shipmentsBusiness live – latest updatesThe US has temporarily allowed India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea in an effort to keep global sup…

Read More US grants waiver to allow India to buy Russian oil amid Iran war
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Iran denies responsibility for Azerbaijan drone strike – video
ByMiddle East and north Africa | The Guardian March 5, 2026

A drone has struck the only airport in Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave bordering Iran. A second fell close to a school in a nearby village, Azerbaijan’s defence ministry said. The strike would be the first Iranian attack on a Caucasus state since th…

Read More Iran denies responsibility for Azerbaijan drone strike – video
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Sri Lanka evacuates crew from Iranian navy vessel days after warship was destroyed by US
ByHannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi and Aanya Wipulasena in Galle March 5, 2026March 5, 2026

Urgent request to dock is submitted by vessel after US submarine sank Iranian warship in same area on TuesdayMiddle East crisis – live updatesSri Lanka has evacuated 208 crew members from an Iranian navy vessel that made an emergency request to dock, a…

Read More Sri Lanka evacuates crew from Iranian navy vessel days after warship was destroyed by US
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Pete Hegseth | Petrol prices | South and central Asia | Sri Lanka | Trump administration | US military | US news | US politics | US-Israel war on Iran | World news

US submarine sinks Iranian warship as conflict spreads beyond Middle East
ByHannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi and Aanya Wipulasena in Colombo March 4, 2026March 4, 2026

Frigate goes down off Sri Lanka as Washington and Israel step up their offensive and promise to hit ‘deeper’ targets in IranMiddle East crisis – live updatesA torpedo fired by a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the south coast of Sri Lanka as t…

Read More US submarine sinks Iranian warship as conflict spreads beyond Middle East
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The Taliban are burning musical instruments in the name of morality. It is an assault on all culture
ByTom Service February 25, 2026

The sounds of Afghan history are being erased to prevent music’s ‘moral corruption’ of the Afghan people. We can help keep Afghanistan’s music alive. Plus, Eliane Radigue’s deep listening, and the brilliance of Sinners’s scoreThe horrors of the Taliban…

Read More The Taliban are burning musical instruments in the name of morality. It is an assault on all culture
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Displacement Film Fund review – Cate Blanchett masterminds short film collection that brims with life and intensity
ByPeter Bradshaw January 30, 2026

Rotterdam film festivalA set of shorts by film-makers from Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine, Syria and Somalia are shocking, funny and mysterious in equal measureWith considerable chutzpah and elan, and in her capacity as producer and UNHCR Goodwill ambassad…

Read More Displacement Film Fund review – Cate Blanchett masterminds short film collection that brims with life and intensity
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Women behind the lens: six of our most striking images from 2025
ByGuardian staff January 7, 2026

A few of our favourite photographs taken by women from the global south and capturing moments of everyday life and art Continue reading…

Read More Women behind the lens: six of our most striking images from 2025
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‘Even in the most unlikely places there is beauty’: stories of hope from newsrooms around the world
ByGuardian staff December 31, 2025

From the construction worker who won a place at medical school to an art exhibition in a country with no galleries, we asked journalists for their most optimistic tales of the yearFounder of the Migration Story, India Continue reading…

Read More ‘Even in the most unlikely places there is beauty’: stories of hope from newsrooms around the world