Afghanistan News

UN chief says ‘not right time’ to engage with Taliban

An international conference on Afghanistan organised by the United Nations has ended in Qatar's Doha with no formal acknowledgment of the Taliban. At the end of the meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was not the right time for him to directly engage with the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan.

Taliban official to meet Pakistan, China FMs

A United Nations Security Council committee has agreed to allow the Taliban’s interim foreign minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, to travel to Pakistan from Afghanistan to meet with Pakistani and Chinese top diplomats, according to reports.

UNSC calls on Taliban to ‘swiftly reverse’ crackdown on Afghan women’s rights

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously condemned a ban by the Taliban on Afghan women working for the UN in Afghanistan, calling on the Taliban leaders to “swiftly reverse” a crackdown on the rights of women and girls.

Taliban claim Daesh leader behind Kabul airport bombing killed

Taliban fighters have killed the senior Daesh group leader behind the fatal suicide bombing outside the Kabul airport in August 2021, according to the father of a United States Marine killed in the attack who was briefed on Tuesday by military officials.

UN says Taliban recognition not a focus of Afghanistan meeting in Qatar

A UN-convened meeting on Afghanistan next month in Qatar will not focus on the possible international recognition of the Taliban administration, a UN spokesperson has stressed after comments by the deputy UN chief sparked concern and confusion over the issue.

UN floats recognition of Taliban ahead of Qatar meeting

The UN secretary general Antonio Guterres is convening an international meeting on Afghanistan in May in Qatar's Doha, where envoys will seek a "durable way forward" for the war-torn nation, his spokesman has said.

Watchdog warns US money could be diverting to Taliban

The watchdog for US assistance to Afghanistan has warned lawmakers that American aid to the country could be flowed to the Taliban as he accused the administration of President Joe Biden of stonewalling his efforts to investigate.

UN: Afghanistan’s economy on verge of collapse

Nearly 34 million Afghans are living in poverty and the country’s economy is on the brink of collapse, a new UN report has warned.

UN says ready for “heartbreaking” Afghan withdrawal

The United Nations is ready to take the “heartbreaking” decision to pull out of Afghanistan in May if it can’t persuade the Taliban to let local women work for the organization, the head of the UN Development Program has announced.

WHO reports 167 infant deaths daily in Afghanistan

The Afghan branch of the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the alarm over the infant mortality rates in the country. WHO says around 170 babies die each day in Afghanistan.

Iran, China, Russia, Pakistan FMs discussed Afghanistan’s woes in Samarkand

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian of Iran says he held four-way talks with his counterparts from China, Russia and Pakistan over Afghanistan’s problems on the margins of a regional summit of the crisis-hit country’s neighbors in Uzbekistan.

Afghanistan ranks 4th in 2023 crime rate: Report

Afghanistan is ranked fourth on the list of countries with the highest crime rate in 2023, according to a report by the World Population Review (WPR).

Biden admin. blames chaotic Afghan withdrawal on Trump

The US government has defended its decision to pull American troops out of Afghanistan, blaming it on the administration of former president Donald Trump. A report released by the government agencies says the 2021 exit highlighted that Washington must better prepare for “high-risk scenarios” in the future.

UN says Taliban prohibit women from working for United Nations in Afghanistan

A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres has stated that the Taliban are banning Afghan women from working for the United Nations in the country, the latest curtailment of women’s rights since the group took over Afghanistan in 2021.

Iran’s special envoy: Shia Muslims in good interaction with Taliban

Iran’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Hassan Kazemi Qomi says Shia Afghans are interacting with the Taliban rulers of their country positively.

Quake rocks Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, over a dozen killed

At least 13 people have been killed and hundreds injured after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit areas across Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the tremor felt as far as the Indian capital New Delhi.

One killed, several injured in Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif blast

An explosion during an award ceremony for journalists in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif has killed at least one person and wounded five others, a Taliban police spokesman has confirmed.

Taliban governor of Balkh Province killed in bomb attack

An explosion in Afghanistan’s northern Balkh Province has killed three people, including its Taliban governor, police have confirmed.

Biden administration spending more on Ukraine than in Afghanistan: Report

The United States has sent more military assistance to help Ukraine fight against Russia than Washington spent annually to fight its own war in Afghanistan, according to a report.

Taliban seeking to use abandoned US military bases as ‘special economic zones’

Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership is set to use military bases abandoned by the United States during its 2021 withdrawal from the war-ravaged country as ‘special economic zones’ for businesses as part of a drive to support economic self-sufficiency, a top Taliban official has stated.

Iran: Extra-regional meddling in Afghanistan fuels insecurity in broader region

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani warns against attempts by the US to fuel insecurity in Afghanistan, saying the meddling of extra-regional parties in Afghanistan will spread insecurity to the entire region.

US imposes visa restrictions on Taliban officials

The US has announced additional visa restrictions on the Taliban regime in response to thei bans on women's rights in Afghanistan.

UNSC members call on Taliban to reverse restrictions on Afghan women

Several members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) have urged the Taliban to end its repressive treatment of women in Afghanistan and respect their rights.

Blast outside Afghan foreign ministry in Kabul causes casualties

An explosion outside Afghanistan's foreign ministry in the capital Kabul on Wednesday caused a number of casualties, a Taliban official has confirmed.

Afghan aid at risk due to Taliban restrictions on women: UN

The United Nation’s lead humanitarian coordinator has warned that UN-supplied aid cannot continue if the Taliban do not lift their ban on women working for humanitarian aid agencies in Afghanistan.

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