Latest Updates

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 …

KABUL — Russia is hosting high-level talks with Taliban officials in Kazan this month, aiming to finalize comprehensive agreements on mineral extraction, energy transit, and infrastructure development. This move underscores Moscow’s intent to strengthen its engagement with the Taliban regime, despite international concerns over human rights violations. Afghanistan’s Acting Industry …

KABUL – In a move already drawing sharp criticism and likely legal challenges, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday announced the end of deportation protections for approximately 9,000 Afghan nationals living in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). These individuals were among the roughly 80,000 Afghans …

KABUL – Security threats emanating from Afghanistan dominated the agenda of the 41st meeting of the Working Group on Afghanistan under the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the bloc announced Monday. Participants expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, particularly the …

KABUL – Afghanistan is confronting a new wave of instability as critical shortages ripple across the country in the wake of collapsing international aid—putting millions at risk and raising fears that recently returned refugees could be forced to flee once again. With almost all U.S. assistance now halted, Afghan families …

KABUL — Former members of Britain’s elite Special Forces have given BBC Panorama harrowing eyewitness accounts of alleged war crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan, including the execution of children and detainees by SAS and SBS troops. In the most damning testimony yet, over 30 former soldiers broke years …

KABUL – The Taliban authorities have imposed a nationwide ban on chess in Afghanistan, citing concerns that the game encourages gambling, which is prohibited under their strict interpretation of Islamic law. This decision is part of a broader pattern of restrictions on recreational and cultural activities since the Taliban’s return …