Afghanistan: The US has been involved in delicate negotiations with the Taliban for some time now, with full support from the US military. Go here for a brief update.
Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic state, and the Hazaras, of Bamyan Province, are physically distinct from the Pashtuns and Tajiks and Uzbeks. Since the Hazaras are Shi'ite Muslims in a largely Sunni country, they have been the object of not just discrimination, but ethnic cleansing during the reign of the Taliban. Go here for a good overview of the Hazaras, from the National Geographic.
Here is a piece by Ben Skinner on Bamyan Province, the home of the Hazara ethnic group and of Afghanistan's only female governor.
Bamyan is where the ancient Buddhas were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Go here for a video.
One of the under-reported stories out of Afghanistan is the threat posed by the increasing poppy production. Here is an amazing piece from Radio Free Europe on addiction in Afghanistan. (The RFE video can be found here.)
