An Afghan father and son describe the devastating effect that decades of conflict have had on their lives in a small village near Kabul

In the first of an exclusive three-part series, Observer foreign correspondent Jason Burke describes his time working in the Middle East and meeting the Taliban and al-Qaida

Of the hundreds of thousands of people who fled Afghanistan after the Russian invasion of 1979, the rise to power of the Taliban and the recent US-led invasion, some are trying to return home. Muhammed Arief tells his story

After 9/11 and witnessing the war in Afghanistan, author and Observer correspondent Jason Burke describes how he experienced the invasion of Iraq, criss-crossing the country until it became too dangerous

Iqbal Hussain opened a gallery and restaurant in Lahore to support his mother and sister, both sex workers. Despite regular threats, he continues to exhibit his paintings of the women of the Heera Mandi

Jason Burke recounts his journey to Pakistan to find clues as to why four Britons bombed London in 2005

Peace One Day founder Jeremy Gilley explains the origins of his UN-sanctioned annual ceasefire day

Mohammad Sarwar, advocate of democracy in Pakistan, wishes his friends Benazir Bhutto and Pervez Musharraf could somehow get along

As the Iowa victories of Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee take America by surprise, Suzanne Goldenberg explains why voters are keen to move on from post-9/11 fears

British journalist Jerome Starkey lives in Kabul and covers Nato's struggle against the Taliban. He talks about recent military developments