Tajikistan reach Asian Cup knockouts, China on brink of exit

Debutants Tajikistan struck twice late on to beat Lebanon 2-1 and reach the Asian Cup knockout rounds on Monday but China’s hopes are hanging by a thread after defeat to Qatar.- China on brink – Qatar defeated a blunt China 1-0 and the Chinese must now hope for a miracle — that their two points is enough to qualify as one of the four best third-placed teams.

Iran’s sudden strikes show just how perilous region has become

Iran’s war has been a web of shadow wars. It sits at the fulcrum of what it calls an “axis of resistance”, the alliance of Tehran-backed groups dotting the region, from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, to the Houthis in Yemen, and well-armed groups in both Iraq and Syria. Most have been designated as terrorist entities by some Western states.