Afghanistan Times

KABUL – Pakistan and Afghanistan are set to hold trilateral talks with China in Beijing next week. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will travel to the Chinese capital on Monday, where he is scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang, according to ARY News. Afghanistan’s interim …

KABUL – Afghanistan and Russia have signed five significant memoranda of understanding (MoUs) covering transportation, trade, and energy cooperation during the 16th Kazan Forum in Tatarstan. The agreements were formalized by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk and Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. The MoUs aim to …

KABUL — In a stark warning that underscores the fragility of Afghanistan’s humanitarian infrastructure, Andrew Saberton, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has announced that 500 of the 900 UNFPA-supported health centres in Afghanistan are at risk of shutting down due to a $102 million cut in …

KABUL – A senior United Nations official has warned that Afghanistan is facing a worsening maternal health crisis, with a mother dying every two hours from preventable pregnancy or childbirth complications, as vital health services are halted due to aid cuts. Andrew Saberton, deputy executive director of the United Nations …

By Alisha Dutta NEW DELHI – The United Nations has launched an inquiry after reports surfaced of Rohingya refugees being forced off an Indian naval vessel into the Andaman sea. The body has announced the appointment of a UN expert to inquire into the “unconscionable, unacceptable acts” and urged the …

KABUL – In a significant geopolitical shift, Russia and Afghanistan’s Taliban have initiated a collaborative effort to combat the growing threat of ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), marking a rare convergence of interests between the two historically adversarial entities. Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly acknowledged the Taliban as a “trusted ally” in …

KABUL – Following the May 10 ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Afghan trucks carrying perishable goods crossed into India through the Attari-Wagah border on Friday, ending a 22-day-long stalemate that had stranded over 150 vehicles. The trucks, loaded with dry fruits, were among dozens stuck between Lahore and Wagah since …

KABUL – Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar held his first direct conversation with Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Thursday, marking the highest-level contact between the two nations since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. The two top diplomats discussed “ways and means of taking cooperation …

KABUL — The Taliban said Tuesday it is prepared to hold talks with the United States regarding the return of thousands of Afghan refugees, after Washington announced it will revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans this summer. In a statement posted to social media, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for …

KABUL – In a significant geopolitical shift, the Taliban has intensified its engagement with Iran’s Chabahar Port, signaling a decisive move to reduce Afghanistan’s reliance on Pakistan for trade and transit. Officials from the Islamic Emirate say the decision is aimed at diversifying trade routes and asserting Afghanistan’s sovereign foreign …