Afghanistan



U.S.-Taliban Engagement Deepens as Haqqani Figures Quietly Shift Off Sanctions Radar

Khaama: Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting Interior Minister under the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan, continues to draw international attention as signs of evolving U.S. policy emerge. Sources close to the Haqqani network have told Afghan outlet Tolo

The Kabul Airport Bombing’s Afterlife as a Diplomatic Prop

Fazelminallah Qazizai via News Line Mag: The caption identified him as Afghan national Mohammad Sharifullah (also known as Jafar), arrested in Pakistan and handed over to the U.S. as a “top terrorist” mastermind behind the August 2021 Kabul airport bombin
Afghan Online Press

The Kabul Airport Bombing’s Afterlife as a Diplomatic Prop

Fazelminallah Qazizai via News Line Mag: The caption identified him as Afghan national Mohammad Sharifullah (also known as Jafar), arrested in Pakistan and handed over to the U.S. as a “top terrorist” mastermind behind the August 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed more than 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops. But here, in the alleysRead More...

US Eases Stance On Haqqani Network Leaders In Bid To Work With Kabul-Based Taliban

Afghanistan International: Michael Kugelman, South Asia Director at the Wilson Center, says the United States is signalling a shift in its approach to the Taliban. He believes the US is now looking to work more closely with Taliban leaders based in Kabul, sid
Afghan Online Press

US Eases Stance On Haqqani Network Leaders In Bid To Work With Kabul-Based Taliban

Afghanistan International: Michael Kugelman, South Asia Director at the Wilson Center, says the United States is signalling a shift in its approach to the Taliban. He believes the US is now looking to work more closely with Taliban leaders based in Kabul, sidelining the group’s leadership in Kandahar. According to Kugelman, the US has limitedRead More...

In Afghanistan, young women under Taliban ditch the burka for something ‘more comfortable’

AFP: Tired of burkas that cover the face, urban women under the Taliban’s ‘gender apartheid’ have adopted the abaya robe favoured in Gulf nations. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan Online Press

In Afghanistan, young women under Taliban ditch the burka for something ‘more comfortable’

AFP: Tired of burkas that cover the face, urban women under the Taliban’s ‘gender apartheid’ have adopted the abaya robe favoured in Gulf nations. Click here to read more (external link).

Uncertainty Clouds The Future Of Thousands Of Afghans Seeking US Migration

By Abubakar Siddique Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 23, 2025 For over three years, Syed Abdul Samad Muzoon, a middle-aged former Afghan security official, has lived with his wife and their teenage daughter in Pakistan to pursue immigration to the Unit
Afghan Online Press

Uncertainty Clouds The Future Of Thousands Of Afghans Seeking US Migration

By Abubakar Siddique Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 23, 2025 For over three years, Syed Abdul Samad Muzoon, a middle-aged former Afghan security official, has lived with his wife and their teenage daughter in Pakistan to pursue immigration to the United States. During Washington’s nearly two-decade-long war in Afghanistan, he worked for the Afghan security forcesRead More...

World Water Day: Climate Change Puts Afghanistan’s Glaciers at Risk

8am: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned on World Water Day that climate change threatens Afghanistan’s glaciers.  Reports from United Nations agencies indicate that Afghanistan is facing severe climate change challenge
Afghan Online Press

World Water Day: Climate Change Puts Afghanistan’s Glaciers at Risk

8am: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned on World Water Day that climate change threatens Afghanistan’s glaciers.  Reports from United Nations agencies indicate that Afghanistan is facing severe climate change challenges. Click here to read more (external link).

Afghanistan falls to Thailand in friendly ahead of Asian Cup Qualifiers

Amu: Afghanistan’s national football team suffered a 2-0 defeat against Thailand in an international friendly on Friday evening, as part of its preparations for the upcoming qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. The friendly was seen as a key warm-up fixtu
Afghan Online Press

Afghanistan falls to Thailand in friendly ahead of Asian Cup Qualifiers

Amu: Afghanistan’s national football team suffered a 2-0 defeat against Thailand in an international friendly on Friday evening, as part of its preparations for the upcoming qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. The friendly was seen as a key warm-up fixture ahead of Afghanistan’s first official qualifier match, scheduled for March 25 (5 HamalRead More...

Afghan Opposition Marks Nowruz With Renewed Calls To Resist Taliban Rule

Afghanistan International: Several Afghan opposition leaders used Nowruz to urge unity and resistance against the Taliban. They called for an end to “tyranny and oppression” and pledged to work towards a democratic and inclusive government. Abdul Rashid D
Afghan Online Press

Afghan Opposition Marks Nowruz With Renewed Calls To Resist Taliban Rule

Afghanistan International: Several Afghan opposition leaders used Nowruz to urge unity and resistance against the Taliban. They called for an end to “tyranny and oppression” and pledged to work towards a democratic and inclusive government. Abdul Rashid Dostum, former vice president and leader of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, said in his Nowruz messageRead More...

Taliban Systematically Restricts Minorities’ Rights & Services, Says Rights Group

Afghanistan International: Rawadari, a human rights organisation, has exposed widespread violations against ethnic and religious minorities in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. In its latest report, the group accuses the Taliban of deliberately denying minoriti
Afghan Online Press

Taliban Systematically Restricts Minorities’ Rights & Services, Says Rights Group

Afghanistan International: Rawadari, a human rights organisation, has exposed widespread violations against ethnic and religious minorities in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. In its latest report, the group accuses the Taliban of deliberately denying minorities access to government services, infrastructure projects, and humanitarian aid. In Badakhshan, no infrastructure projects have been carried out in Ismaili-majority areas,Read More...

Afghanistan ranks last in World Happiness Report

Ariana: Afghanistan has ranked last out of 147 countries in the 2025 edition of the World Happiness Report released Thursday. Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year. Denmark, Iceland and Sweden followed Finlan
Afghan Online Press

Afghanistan ranks last in World Happiness Report

Ariana: Afghanistan has ranked last out of 147 countries in the 2025 edition of the World Happiness Report released Thursday. Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year. Denmark, Iceland and Sweden followed Finland in the ranking. According to the new World Happiness Report, Afghanistan lost approximately 2.7Read More...

Undocumented Afghans In Iran Face Uncertain Future Amid New Restrictions

By Abubakar Siddique and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi March 21, 2025 Millions of Afghans in Iran face an uncertain future as Tehran prepares to implement sweeping restrictions that will cut off access to health care, education, housing, and other essential serv
Afghan Online Press

Undocumented Afghans In Iran Face Uncertain Future Amid New Restrictions

By Abubakar Siddique and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi March 21, 2025 Millions of Afghans in Iran face an uncertain future as Tehran prepares to implement sweeping restrictions that will cut off access to health care, education, housing, and other essential services for undocumented immigrants. The new policy, set to take effect on March 21, has leftRead More...

Barred From Studying By Taliban, Afghan Woman Uses Tech Skills To Keep Power Running

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi March 19, 2025 Under the Taliban, Afghan women can’t study at universities or work in most jobs. But 22-year-old Zahra Ali has created a small business that brings in an income and provides a much-needed resource to her ne
Afghan Online Press

Barred From Studying By Taliban, Afghan Woman Uses Tech Skills To Keep Power Running

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi March 19, 2025 Under the Taliban, Afghan women can’t study at universities or work in most jobs. But 22-year-old Zahra Ali has created a small business that brings in an income and provides a much-needed resource to her neighbors. At her home workshop in Kabul, she builds rechargeable battery packs that helpRead More...

Widespread Corruption and Discrimination in Baghlan Education Directorate: ‘All Persian Speakers Are Infidels’

8am: The Taliban, despite their claims of combating administrative corruption and ethnic discrimination, have engaged in widespread corruption within government institutions and have significantly fueled ethnic bias. Findings from a report by the Hasht-e Sub
Afghan Online Press

Widespread Corruption and Discrimination in Baghlan Education Directorate: ‘All Persian Speakers Are Infidels’

8am: The Taliban, despite their claims of combating administrative corruption and ethnic discrimination, have engaged in widespread corruption within government institutions and have significantly fueled ethnic bias. Findings from a report by the Hasht-e Subh Daily regarding the Education Directorate of Baghlan Province reveal that the principal of a school in Central Baghlan has labeledRead More...

Nowruz: Celebrating Nature’s Renewal Across 10 Countries , Including Afghanistan

Khaama: The way Nowruz is celebrated varies across Afghanistan. In Mazar-e-Sharif, the “Jahenda Bala” ceremony and the Gul Surkh festival are popular, while in Herat, people often visit nature reserves and gardens. In Kabul, making ‘Samanak’ and prepa
Afghan Online Press

Nowruz: Celebrating Nature’s Renewal Across 10 Countries , Including Afghanistan

Khaama: The way Nowruz is celebrated varies across Afghanistan. In Mazar-e-Sharif, the “Jahenda Bala” ceremony and the Gul Surkh festival are popular, while in Herat, people often visit nature reserves and gardens. In Kabul, making ‘Samanak’ and preparing ‘Haft Mewa’ are notable traditions. Despite these regional differences, visiting friends, exchanging new year greetings, and wishingRead More...

Surging Opium Prices and Trafficking: Taliban’s Alleged Ties to Drug Cartels

8am: The United Nations has reported in a recent assessment that the price of one kilogram of opium in Afghanistan has increased tenfold compared to previous years. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) stated in its report that following the Taliban’s b
Afghan Online Press

Surging Opium Prices and Trafficking: Taliban’s Alleged Ties to Drug Cartels

8am: The United Nations has reported in a recent assessment that the price of one kilogram of opium in Afghanistan has increased tenfold compared to previous years. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) stated in its report that following the Taliban’s ban on opium cultivation, the price of this substance has sharply risen,Read More...

Former Taliban Detainee Alleges Forced Stripping, Abuse & Photography In Prison

Afghanistan International: Former Taliban detainee Nadia Sadat told Afghanistan International that she was stripped naked and subjected to abuse in prison. She claimed that Taliban officials took photos and videos of her during interrogations. Sadat was detai
Afghan Online Press

Former Taliban Detainee Alleges Forced Stripping, Abuse & Photography In Prison

Afghanistan International: Former Taliban detainee Nadia Sadat told Afghanistan International that she was stripped naked and subjected to abuse in prison. She claimed that Taliban officials took photos and videos of her during interrogations. Sadat was detained for protesting in Mazar-i-Sharif and for speaking to the media about the closure of schools and universities forRead More...

Iran deports over 300 Afghan refugees daily from Khorasan Razvi

Khaama: Iran is deporting over 300 Afghan migrants daily from Khorasan Razavi, as the government intensifies efforts to manage undocumented migration. In both Iran and Pakistan, pressure on Afghan refugees has been increasing, even as migration from Afghanist
Afghan Online Press

Iran deports over 300 Afghan refugees daily from Khorasan Razvi

Khaama: Iran is deporting over 300 Afghan migrants daily from Khorasan Razavi, as the government intensifies efforts to manage undocumented migration. In both Iran and Pakistan, pressure on Afghan refugees has been increasing, even as migration from Afghanistan continues. Click here to read more (external link).

Mansouri Wins Silver at Belgium Open Taekwondo Championship

Tolo News: Former Afghan national taekwondo athlete Farzad Mansouri has won a silver medal at the Belgium Open taekwondo championship. The Belgium Open featured taekwondo athletes from around the world. Mansouri competed as part of the World Taekwondo Federat
Afghan Online Press

Mansouri Wins Silver at Belgium Open Taekwondo Championship

Tolo News: Former Afghan national taekwondo athlete Farzad Mansouri has won a silver medal at the Belgium Open taekwondo championship. The Belgium Open featured taekwondo athletes from around the world. Mansouri competed as part of the World Taekwondo Federation’s Refugee Team. Click here to read more (external link). More Sports News Afghanistan to Host InternationalRead More...

Trump: The US Should Not Have Lost Bagram Airbase

Tolo News: US President Donald Trump, speaking at the Department of Justice, once again referred to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as the “most embarrassing” day in American history. According to Trump, the US was interested in keeping Bagram Airbase
Afghan Online Press

Trump: The US Should Not Have Lost Bagram Airbase

Tolo News: US President Donald Trump, speaking at the Department of Justice, once again referred to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as the “most embarrassing” day in American history. According to Trump, the US was interested in keeping Bagram Airbase due to its strategic proximity to China, but now, he claims, China controls the base.Read More...

Every Two Hours A Woman Dies During Childbirth In Afghanistan

Farangis Najibullah, Mustafa Sarwar and Abdul Hamid Hakimi Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 15, 2025 Every two hours. That’s how often a woman dies during childbirth in Afghanistan. The staggering maternal mortality rate is one of the highest in th
Afghan Online Press

Every Two Hours A Woman Dies During Childbirth In Afghanistan

Farangis Najibullah, Mustafa Sarwar and Abdul Hamid Hakimi Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 15, 2025 Every two hours. That’s how often a woman dies during childbirth in Afghanistan. The staggering maternal mortality rate is one of the highest in the world. And under the repressive rule of the Taliban, the situation is only getting worse.Read More...

Pakistan’s Blame Game Over BLA Train Attack

Michael Hughes: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif admitted Pakistan’s ties to the Afghan Taliban have come back to haunt Islamabad. Although, for many, this is like saying the sky is blue, it is quite a development when such a statement emanates from a Pakistan
Afghan Online Press

Pakistan’s Blame Game Over BLA Train Attack

Michael Hughes: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif admitted Pakistan’s ties to the Afghan Taliban have come back to haunt Islamabad. Although, for many, this is like saying the sky is blue, it is quite a development when such a statement emanates from a Pakistani official. The timing of the admission, of course, is too little, tooRead More...

Author says ban on her book reflects Taliban’s repression of women

Roshan Noorzai Noshaba Ashna VOA News March 14, 2025 WASHINGTON — When Naveeda Khoshbo published her book of political analysis in 2019, she received widespread praise and recognition. For many, “it was the first time that they were reading a book wr
Afghan Online Press

Author says ban on her book reflects Taliban’s repression of women

Roshan Noorzai Noshaba Ashna VOA News March 14, 2025 WASHINGTON — When Naveeda Khoshbo published her book of political analysis in 2019, she received widespread praise and recognition. For many, “it was the first time that they were reading a book written by a young woman,” she said. So, when she received a text message fromRead More...

Why is India quietly boosting ties with Afghanistan’s Taliban?

Nikkei: The alternative policy of shunning Afghanistan’s rulers would virtually ensure less Taliban concern about anti-India terrorism and allow Chinese and Pakistani influence to grow unchecked. A pivot completely in the other direction, whereby India
Afghan Online Press

Why is India quietly boosting ties with Afghanistan’s Taliban?

Nikkei: The alternative policy of shunning Afghanistan’s rulers would virtually ensure less Taliban concern about anti-India terrorism and allow Chinese and Pakistani influence to grow unchecked. A pivot completely in the other direction, whereby India might become the first state to diplomatically recognize the Taliban, would also be a mistake since it would compromise NewRead More...

Pak PM Blames Security Challenges On Past Support For Taliban

Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has blamed the country’s ongoing security challenges on past alignment and support by some Pakistani officials for the Afghan Taliban. He made these remarks three days after the hostage c
Afghan Online Press

Pak PM Blames Security Challenges On Past Support For Taliban

Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has blamed the country’s ongoing security challenges on past alignment and support by some Pakistani officials for the Afghan Taliban. He made these remarks three days after the hostage crisis on the Jaffar Express train, during a meeting with officials in Balochistan. Click here to read more (externalRead More...

Pakistan Army Blames Afghan-Based Militants For Balochistan Train Attack

Afghanistan International: The Pakistan Army has claimed that the mastermind behind the Jaffar Express train attack in Balochistan was operating from Afghanistan. On Wednesday, army spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry announced that the hostage rescue operatio
Afghan Online Press

Pakistan Army Blames Afghan-Based Militants For Balochistan Train Attack

Afghanistan International: The Pakistan Army has claimed that the mastermind behind the Jaffar Express train attack in Balochistan was operating from Afghanistan. On Wednesday, army spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry announced that the hostage rescue operation had been completed, with all Baloch separatist militants killed. Chaudhry stated that the attack was planned and directed by BalochRead More...

Afghanistan needs a ‘new narrative,’ opposition leaders say

Amu: Three prominent opponents of the Taliban—Mohammad Yunus Qanooni, Atta Mohammad Noor, and Latif Pedram—have called for a “new narrative” to shape Afghanistan’s future, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive political structure. Speaking in a
Afghan Online Press

Afghanistan needs a ‘new narrative,’ opposition leaders say

Amu: Three prominent opponents of the Taliban—Mohammad Yunus Qanooni, Atta Mohammad Noor, and Latif Pedram—have called for a “new narrative” to shape Afghanistan’s future, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive political structure. Speaking in a virtual discussion hosted by Noor’s faction of the Jamiat-e-Islami party, Qanooni, a senior figure in the National Resistance CouncilRead More...

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