• Incidents rising along 1,350-kilometre Tajik-Afghan border.
• Attacks have killed guards, Chinese workers.
• Tajikistan urges Taliban curb cross-border militancy.

Tajikistan officials on Sunday said they “neutralised” four “terrorists” who crossed over from neighbouring Afghanistan in an area where deadly incidents have been on the rise in recent weeks, state media reported.

Tajikistan, in Central Asia, shares a mountainous border with Afghanistan and has had tense relations with the Afghan Taliban regime.

According to Tajik security services cited by the state-owned Khovar news agency, “four terrorists were neutralised” after they refused to put down arms in the southern Khatlon region.

Tajik authorities have reported at least five deadly incidents on the mountainous border, which is some 1,350 kilometres (840 miles) long, since November.

An AFP count using official data found that 16 people have been killed in total.

These include Tajik border guards, Chinese workers and what Dushanbe calls “smugglers” and “terrorists”.

After attacks on Chinese nationals in November, Tajik authorities urged the Afghan Taliban regime to take measures to prevent destabilisation of the volatile border region, where drug traffickers and militant groups are active.

Unlike other Central Asian leaders who are strengthening ties with the Taliban, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon — in power since 1992 — openly criticises Afghanistan’s authorities.

He has urged the Taliban to respect the rights of ethnic Tajiks, estimated to represent around a quarter of Afghanistan´s population.

But Tajikistan is also taking steps towards cooperation with Kabul, through electricity supplies, the opening of border markets and meetings between Taliban and local Tajik officials.

Relations between the two nations took a hit after five Chinese nationals were killed, and several were wounded in two separate attacks along Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan in late November and early December.

According to a UN report in December, a militant group, Jamaat Ansarullah, “has fighters spread across different regions of Afghanistan” with a primary goal “to destabilise the situation in Tajikistan.”

Dushanbe has previously voiced concerns about the presence in Afghanistan of members of Daesh in Khorasan.

Claudia Winkleman exuded power couple vibes as she was spotted with her husband, Kris Thykier for a date night at swanky French Mediterranean restaurant Maset in Marylebone, London on Friday. 

The Traitors host, 54, sensation put on a united front with her rarely-seen partner, 54, appearing in high spirits after celebrating her 54th birthday with a intimate meal.

For the occasion, Claudia looked stunning in a black high-collar cape coat, teamed with fitted black leggings that displayed her slim figure.

She completed her gorgeous look with black leather knee-high boots, accessorising her look with statement blue fingerless gloves.

The TV star looked radiant, flashing a broad smile for the cameras as the couple made their way to a waiting taxi.

Meanwhile, her film producer husband looked sharp in a black suit, paired with a crisp white shirt and a smart blue tie.

Claudia met her husband through mutual friends in 2000, and they married later that year.

They keep their relationship out of the spotlight, but they have been married for over two decades, sharing three children and working in the entertainment industry.

The date night out comes just a day after Claudia celebrated turning 54 with Jools Holland and singer Mika, and shared an update on Instagram. 

Finn Wolfhard took centre stage during Saturday Night Live’s return to TV following a brief holiday break.

The 23-year-old actor and musician made his debut as the show’s host on January 17, with A$AP Rocky joining him as the evening’s musical guest.

However, what was understandably the standout moment of the latest episode was when Wolfhard’s Stranger Things co-stars crashed his opening monologue.

Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo appeared onstage to support the Netflix star’s hosting stint, his first high profile appearance since the popular series ended at the year’s turn.

Following his opening remarks, and a brief cameo by SNL castmate Marcello Hernandez, the It actor introduced “the new me” — a playful attempt at becoming a “man”, with his time as a child star long over.

“Stranger Things is over and I’m not a kid anymore,” Wolfhard made the announcement, which was quickly followed by his co-stars stepping into the camera lens and declaring, “And neither are we!”

The three actors then followed a bit of banter by toasting to Wolfhard’s hosting debut, with the former child star announcing, “And to us, child stars, who are now ready to do adult films,” to great laughter and applause.

Finn Wolfhard first rose to prominence after appearing on Stranger Things, initially released in 2016 and concluded on December 31, 2025. While the actor soon branched out into a successful acting career with appearances in two It films, the Ghostbusters franchise, and more.

He additionally boasts a fledgling musical career, something he said he plans to focus on more after the conclusion of his commitment to the Netflix hit.