ALEX BLOG

By Mohammad Yunus Yawar

People stand near a house damaged in what the Taliban said was a Pakistani air strike on the outskirts of Kabul

KABUL, March 13 (Reuters) - Pakistan bombed the fuel depot of private airline Kam Air near Afghanistan's Kandahar airport, the Taliban said on ‌Friday, a significant escalation in the worst conflict in years between the neighbours ‌despite China's efforts to mediate.

Following Beijing's stepped up mediation efforts, no Pakistani air strikes were reported by either ​side in over a week until the bombing in Kandahar. Ground clashes along the 2,600 km (1,600 mile) border had also tapered off, although there had been intermittent bouts of fighting.

"The company (Kam Air) supplies fuel to civilian airlines as well as to United Nations aircraft," Taliban ‌spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said.

Pakistan also ⁠carried out bombings in other areas, including the capital Kabul, with women and children among those killed as civilian homes were targeted in ⁠some locations, he said, adding that the aggression would "not go unanswered".

Pakistani security sources said the military had carried out overnight strikes on four militant hideouts in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia province, ​including one ​targeting an oil storage facility at the Kandahar ​airfield.

Afghanistan's defence ministry said it carried ‌out drone strikes in response on a Pakistani military base in the northern city of Kohat, causing heavy damage.

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Pakistan's military and information ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The fighting erupted last month with Pakistani air strikes inside Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds. Afghanistan called the strikes a violation of sovereignty as it launched ‌retaliatory attacks.

Militancy has been a bone of contention between ​allies-turned-foes Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Islamabad saying Kabul ​provides safe haven to militants executing ​attacks on Pakistan.

The Taliban, however, denies the allegation and says militancy is ‌Pakistan's internal problem.

Reuters had reported on ​Thursday that mediation efforts ​by China, which had been urging an end to the violence, had helped ease the fighting.

Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi had also said that Islamabad and ​Beijing were engaged in a "dialogue ‌process" on Afghanistan.

(Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul and Saad Sayeed ​in Bangkok; Additional reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar in Mumbai; Writing by Sakshi Dayal; ​Editing by Christopher Cushing and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

By Michael Martina, Trevor Hunnicutt, Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard

FILE PHOTO: A man walks past Taiwanese flags on a street in Taipei

WASHINGTON/TAIPEI, March 13 (Reuters) - A major U.S. arms package for Taiwan that includes advanced interceptor missiles is ready for President Donald Trump's approval and could be signed after his trip to China this month, sources briefed on the discussions said.

With a price tag ‌of about $14 billion, the arms deal would be the largest ever for the democratically governed island, which faces steadily rising military pressure from China.

Sources familiar with the ‌administration's thinking told Reuters the deal was under wraps ahead of Trump's planned trip to Beijing from March 31 to April 2 to meet President Xi Jinping, but could be announced after his return.

Xi told Trump in February ​that arms sales to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory, must be handled with "prudence."

Trump's moves to secure a favorable trade deal with China have raised concerns among some China watchers that he could curb U.S. military support for Taiwan.

But the queued arms approval suggests that the administration plans to maintain, or even increase, support. That, in turn, would ease anxiety in Taipei.

The package largely consists of PAC-3 and NASAMS air defense missiles, one of the sources said.

"As soon as the president gives the thumbs up, those are ready to be officially announced. Everything is done," said the source, ‌who, like the others, spoke on condition of anonymity, given ⁠the sensitivity of the matter.

Another $6 billion in "asymmetric" defense capabilities was also awaiting approval and could be announced in linked or subsequent packages, the source added. The source declined to specify what those capabilities are.

Trump's National Security Strategy issued last year says deterring conflict over Taiwan is a priority for ⁠Washington, "ideally by preserving military overmatch."

But Trump's comments, including a February remark to journalists that he was "talking" to Xi about Taiwan arms sales, have stirred speculation that he could scale back the long-standing U.S. practice of providing Taiwan with the means to defend itself, which is written in to U.S. law.

Last month, the New York Times reported the package had been delayed to avoid upsetting Xi ahead of Trump's China ​visit.

Nonetheless, Trump's ​arms sales approvals to the island in his second term have already surpassed the amount approved by his ​Democratic predecessor Joe Biden over four years, including an $11 billion package in ‌December for various missiles, drones, artillery and aircraft parts.

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Taiwan's parliament authorised the government on Friday to sign contracts for four weapons systems included in that $11-billion package ahead of lawmakers' formal spending approval, to ensure the deal met a signing deadline.

Analysts say U.S. administrations going back decades have timed weapons approvals for Taiwan around sensitive political engagement with Beijing.

China's foreign ministry said in a statement to Reuters that the government's "opposition to U.S. arms sales to China's Taiwan region is consistent and unequivocal."

China, which considers Taiwan its own territory, regularly demands that the U.S. stop selling it weapons.

In response to questions to the White House, a senior U.S. official confirmed more weapons approvals were in the works.

"Arms sales are working their way through the process. There is no change ‌to our policy with respect to Taiwan," the official said.

CLOSELY WATCHED IN TAIPEI

Two Taiwan sources familiar with ​the matter said that Washington has repeatedly assured them of its support.

But the upcoming summit has been a source ​of uncertainty.

Beijing was seeking to delay U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and has ​been trying to create a better atmosphere ahead of the summit, including by toning down military pressure on the island, another Taiwan source familiar with ‌the matter said.

"We have confidence in Trump, though. Beijing has underestimated the ​strategic vision of the White House," the source ​said.

Taiwan's defense ministry told Reuters that its arms procurement projects have completed "preliminary coordination" with the U.S. side, and the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency has provided information on items to be purchased and delivery schedules.

Taiwan's defense ministry said in January that an arms deal with the U.S. covering four items was in the offing, but said it could ​not give details before they were provided to the U.S. Congress, ‌the usual process for approval of such sales.

The U.S. State Department has said it supports increased defense spending by the island. Raymond Greene, Washington's top diplomat ​in Taiwan, said in January that the U.S. was "fully committed to delivering critical systems as quickly as possible."

(Reporting by Michael Martina Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington and ​Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Andy Sullivan, Don Durfee and Matthew Lewis)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A Sydney business consultant was convicted Friday of breaking Australia'sforeign interference lawsby providing reports to two people he should have suspected were Chinese spies.

Alexander Csergo, 59, is only the second person to be convicted under Australian laws against covert interference and espionage thatangered Chinawhen they were legislated in 2018.

The jury that heard the trial in New South Wales District Court in Sydney found Csergo should have suspected that a man and woman he knew only as Ken and Evelyn were working for China's ministry of state security.

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He was found guilty of the charge of reckless foreign interference and was released on bail for the weekend to return to court Monday, when prosecutors will argue for him to be placed in custody. He faces a potential prison term of up to 15 years when he is sentenced.

Csergo's lawyers argued he used open-source information as research. He also lied to the suspected spies about interviewing several individuals includingKevin Rudd, the former prime minister who is currently Australia's ambassador to the U.S.

Csergo was working in Shanghai as a communications and technology consultant in 2021 when he was approached through the professional network platform LinkedIn by Evelyn, who said she was from a Chinese think tank.

He provided handwritten reports to Evelyn and Ken in return for cash on topics including defense, security, politics and mining. Subjects included theAUKUStrilateral partnership in which Britain will help provide Australia with a fleet of submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology.

By Felix Light and Mariya Gordeyeva

ALMATY, March 13 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan holds a referendum on Sunday on a new constitution that some critics say could allow President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to ‌remain in charge of Central Asia's largest economy beyond his current term limit of 2029.

Tokayev, ‌a former diplomat who has maintained good relations with Russia, the U.S. and China, has called the referendum "a truly historic moment" ​that moves Kazakhstan, an energy and minerals giant, away from a "super-presidential" system towards a greater separation of powers.

But some analysts say the draft retains an excessively powerful presidency.

"[It] significantly increases the powers of the head of state and does not create a system of checks and balances," said political analyst Dosym Satpayev.

The proposal merges ‌parliament's two chambers into one and ⁠restores the post of vice-president, abolished in 1996, who would be picked by the president.

Kazakh presidents would remain limited to a single term of seven years, a ⁠change Tokayev himself introduced in 2022.

Tokayev, 72, has said he will step down in 2029, but some observers say a new constitution could reset his term limit, a tactic used by the leaders of several other ex-Soviet ​republics, ​including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

RETURN TO THE UN?

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Referring to ​a rumour widespread in Kazakhstan that Tokayev ‌may run for the post of United Nations secretary-general this year, Satpayev said the vice-presidency would allow Tokayev to anoint a successor before leaving office early.

A Kazakh diplomatic source told Reuters that Tokayev, who headed the UN's Geneva office in 2011-2013, is considering both being a candidate for secretary-general and seeking a possible second presidential term.

Tokayev has said he does not want to return to the UN.

State-approved pollsters say ‌a large majority backs the new constitution, while public opposition ​to it has been subdued.

The vote comes at a fraught ​time for Kazakhstan, whose economy is closely intertwined ​with Russia's, and which has suffered from the Ukraine war fallout.

Economic growth has ‌accelerated but so has inflation, hitting 11.7% in ​February, while interest rates ​are at 18%, a record high. A tranche of tax rises has deepened discontent.

Asya Tuligenova, who sells horsemeat, a Kazakh delicacy, at a bazaar in the commercial capital Almaty, said traders ​were shouldering rising costs to avoid ‌passing them on to consumers.

"We're kind of afraid. If we raise prices, it will be ​difficult for our regular customers."

She did not say whether she would vote on Sunday.

(Reporting ​by Felix Light and Mariya GordeyevaEditing by Gareth Jones)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The U.S. military says a KC-135 refueling aircraft supporting operations against Irancrashed in western Iraqand rescue operations are underway.

Alaska-Russian Jets

TheU.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said the crash followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in "friendly airspace," and that the other plane landed safely.

Here's what is known so far about the tanker, which is the fourth publicly acknowledged U.S. aircraft to crash during the war against Iran:

The KC-135 is a long-serving tanker plane

The KC-135 Stratotanker is a U.S. Air Force aircraft used to refuel other planes in midair, allowing them to travel longer distances and maintain operations longer without landing. The plane is also used to transport wounded personnel during medical evacuations or conduct surveillance missions, according to military experts.

Based on the same design as the Boeing 707 passenger plane, the tanker has been in service for more than 60 years, supporting the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps as well as allied aircraft, according to an Air Force description. The aging plane is set to be phased out as the air force receives a full complement of next-generation KC-46A Pegasus tankers.

Despite upgrades over the years, the KC-135s' age has fueled concern about their reliability and durability.

"The last of these planes were produced in the 1960s," said Yang Uk, a security expert at South Korea's Asan Institute for Policy Studies. He added that the transition to the KC-46A has progressed more slowly than expected.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the Air Force last year had 376 KC-135s, including 151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard and 62 in the Air Force Reserve.

A basic KC-135 crew has three people: a pilot, co-pilot and boom operator. Nurses and medical technicians are added in aeromedical evacuation missions.

Refueling typically happens at the back of the plane, where the boom operator is located. A fuel boom is lowered to connect with fighters, bombers or other aircraft. On many of the planes, the boom operator works lying face down while looking out of a window on the underside of the plane.

Some KC-135s can also refuel planes from pods on their wings. The tankers also have room above the fuel stores to carry cargo or passengers if needed.

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Refueling tankers could play an increasingly important role if the Iran war drags on, as U.S. aircraft may need to fly longer missions to pursue Iranian forces retreating deeper into the country, said Yang.

Cause of crash and condition of crew not immediately known

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties from the crash in Iraq. A U.S. official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the developing situation, said the plane was carrying at least five crew members.

A second U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the other plane involved in the incident was also a KC-135. Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., wrote on X that the other plane landed safely in Israel.

The U.S. Central Command did not elaborate on the circumstances of the crash, but said it "was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire."

Yang said it would be rare for a refueling tanker to be downed by enemy fire because such operations are usually conducted in the rear of combat zones.

The crash came after three U.S. F-15E fighter jets were mistakenly downed last weekby friendly Kuwaiti fire.

Past accidents

KC-135s have been involved in several fatal accidents. The most recent happened on May 3, 2013, when a KC-135R crashed after takeoff south of Chaldovar, Kyrgyzstan while taking part in the war in Afghanistan.

In that crash, the crew experienced problems with the plane's rudder, according to a U.S. Air Force investigation. While they struggled to stabilize the plane, the tail section broke away and the plane exploded midair, killing all three crewmembers onboard.

The most serious mid-air collision involving the plane happened in 1966, when a B-52 bomber carrying nuclear bombs struck a tanker near Palomares, Spain.

The accident caused the tanker to crash, killing four onboard. The disaster led to an extensive decontamination effort to clean up nuclear material dispersed when conventional explosives in the hydrogen bombs detonated after hitting the ground.

Schreck reported from Bangkok. AP writers Ben Finley and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed.

BERLIN (AP) — A gay Muslim influencer in Berlin hosted an inclusive Ramadan dinner, gathering friends who are Muslim and Christian, queer and straight, German and immigrant, to promote acceptance across faiths and identities.

Germany LGBTQ Ramadan

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No one can be "too queer" to belong, said Ali Darwich, a 33-year-old German with Palestinian and Lebanese roots who posts as @alifragt on Instagram and TikTok.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Two high-quality polls have surveyed Americans twice since the U.S. first attacked Iran on Feb. 28, giving the ability to see if opinion has shifted since the war first started.

One poll found opinion not shifting, the other found an increase in those saying strikes should continue, but that was still a minority opinion. Andbothfound that nearly two-thirds said that President Donald Trump has not clearly explained the goals of U.S. military involvement in Iran.

AnIpsos pollconducted March 6-9 found 29% of Americans approving of the U.S. strikes in Iran and 43% disapproving, 14 points underwater. Those opinions are almost identical to aReuters/Ipsos pollconducted February 28-March 1 that found 27% approving and 43% disapproving, 16 points underwater. Large shares said they were unsure both times: 26% now and 29% earlier.

The more recent poll found 66% of Republicans approving of the strikes, up from 55% previously. Approval among independents was also up, from 19% to 23%. Democrats' opinions barely budged.

ANew York Times analysisfound that U.S. support for strikes in Iran is lower than it has been for the beginning of previous conflicts.

Ipsos' polling also found more Americans have heard about the strikes now than immediately after the U.S. first hit Iran. Now, 51% say they have heard "a lot" about the U.S. military strikes against Iran, up from 29% previously.

Majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents said they had heard a lot about the strikes in the most recent poll.

The current Ipsos poll also finds 6 in 10 Americans saying that U.S. military involvement in Iran will "go on for an extended period of time" compared with just over one-third who said U.S. military involvement in Iran will "end pretty quickly in a matter of weeks."

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Nearly two-thirds (64%) said Trump has not clearly explained the goals of U.S. military involvement in Iran. Two-thirds (67%) said they expect gas prices to get worse over the next year as a result of U.S. military action in Iran and about half (49%) said that the action in Iran will have a mostly negative impact on their own personal financial situation.

AWashington Post pollconducted March 6-9 found a larger minority of Americans saying the U.S. should continue strikes on Iran than in aMarch 1 poll they conducted. The most recent poll found 34% of Americans saying the U.S. should continue strikes, up from 25% on March 1. A larger share, 42%, said in the recent poll the U.S. should "stop strikes at this time," down from 47% the day after strikes began. The more recent poll found 24% saying they were unsure; it was 28% in the previous poll.

Support for continuing strikes was up among Republicans (from 54% to 66%) and independents (from 16% to 27%). A 71% majority of Democrats said stops should strike, down slightly from 76% earlier.

The Post poll also found Americans largely split between support and opposition for the U.S. military campaign against Iran, 42% to 40%, with another 17% saying they were unsure. Most other polling has found more Americans opposed to the strikes rather than in support of them.

Its previous poll, taken right after the strikes began, found a larger 52% in opposition, but that poll asked about "President Trump ordering airstrikes against Iran," and the inclusion of Trump's name in poll questions often influences respondents' opinions. More now say they are unsure than they did in the initial poll (9%).

The Post also found nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) saying Trump had not clearly explained the goals of the U.S. military, not a shift from their previous poll. About as many (63%) said the number of U.S. military casualties in the conflict has been unacceptable given the goals and the costs of the war.

TheIpsos pollwas conducted March 6-9, 2026, among 1,021 U.S. adults using Ipsos' KnowledgePanel and has an overall margin of sampling error of +/- 3.4 percentage points. The earlierReuters/Ipsos pollwas conducted Feb. 28-March 1 among 1,282 U.S. adults and has an error margin of +/- 2.8 percentage points.

TheWashington Post pollwas conducted March 6-9, 2026, among 1,005 U.S. adults using SSRS's Opinion Panel and has an overall margin of error of +/- 3.6 percentage points. The earlierPost pollwas conducted March 1 among 1,003 U.S. adults and has an error margin of +/- 3.4 percentage points.