Afghanistan



McCaul: suggestion of engaging with Taliban a slap in the face of Afghans

Khaama: Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, vehemently opposes any notion of engagement with the Taliban regime dubbing it as a direct affront to the Afghan people. His stark disapproval came as a reaction to US Charge d’Affaire
Afghan Online Press

McCaul: suggestion of engaging with Taliban a slap in the face of Afghans

Khaama: Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, vehemently opposes any notion of engagement with the Taliban regime dubbing it as a direct affront to the Afghan people. His stark disapproval came as a reaction to US Charge d’Affaires Karen Decker’s advocacy for dialogue with the Taliban, underscoring the deep-seated tensions surrounding diplomaticRead More...

‘I Can’t Tell’: Sexual Abuse At Taliban-Run Madrasahs Fuels Fear, Dropouts

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi March 10, 2024 Male students who enrolled in Taliban-run religious schools say that sexual and physical abuse has led some to end their pursuit of an education in Afghanistan. The students, all of whom were aged 10 to 17 and spo
Afghan Online Press

‘I Can’t Tell’: Sexual Abuse At Taliban-Run Madrasahs Fuels Fear, Dropouts

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi March 10, 2024 Male students who enrolled in Taliban-run religious schools say that sexual and physical abuse has led some to end their pursuit of an education in Afghanistan. The students, all of whom were aged 10 to 17 and spoke to RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity out of fearsRead More...

Afghanistan’s singing sisters defying the Taliban from under a burka

BBC: As the world was watching the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, two sisters in Kabul were among millions of women in Afghanistan who could directly feel the new regime tightening its grip on them. They decided they couldn’t just stan
Afghan Online Press

Afghanistan’s singing sisters defying the Taliban from under a burka

BBC: As the world was watching the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, two sisters in Kabul were among millions of women in Afghanistan who could directly feel the new regime tightening its grip on them. They decided they couldn’t just stand back and watch women’s freedoms being restricted, and started secretly using theRead More...

The Taliban once smashed TVs. Now it fosters YouTubers to promote its image.

WP: The Taliban-run government is fostering a thriving community of YouTube influencers and video bloggers in Afghanistan, seeking to shape a positive narrative about the country by rewarding those who have welcome viewpoints with access to stories that can d
Afghan Online Press

The Taliban once smashed TVs. Now it fosters YouTubers to promote its image.

WP: The Taliban-run government is fostering a thriving community of YouTube influencers and video bloggers in Afghanistan, seeking to shape a positive narrative about the country by rewarding those who have welcome viewpoints with access to stories that can draw millions of views online. Meanwhile, videos that are critical of the Taliban have largely disappearedRead More...

The Little-Known Story of Afghanistan’s Last Jew

News Line Magazine: Tova Moradi, who was forced to flee Kabul, recalls her religious roots, a girlhood interrupted and the love she still carries – Around sundown on Aug. 31, 2021, a minivan stopped in front of Tova Moradi’s house in Kabul, Afghanista
Afghan Online Press

The Little-Known Story of Afghanistan’s Last Jew

News Line Magazine: Tova Moradi, who was forced to flee Kabul, recalls her religious roots, a girlhood interrupted and the love she still carries – Around sundown on Aug. 31, 2021, a minivan stopped in front of Tova Moradi’s house in Kabul, Afghanistan. She had to get in as quickly and quietly as possible. AnyRead More...

UN Presses Taliban Again to End ‘Heartbreaking’ Curbs on Afghan Women

By Ayaz Gul VOA News March 8, 2024 ISLAMABAD — The United Nations warned Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities Friday that their bans on women’s education and work risk pushing the country further into deeper poverty and international isolation. The head o
Afghan Online Press

UN Presses Taliban Again to End ‘Heartbreaking’ Curbs on Afghan Women

By Ayaz Gul VOA News March 8, 2024 ISLAMABAD — The United Nations warned Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities Friday that their bans on women’s education and work risk pushing the country further into deeper poverty and international isolation. The head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, called again on the fundamentalist regime to reverseRead More...

Afghan Student Shot at University Begs Taliban to Let Girls Learn

Akmal Dawi VOA News March 7, 2024 Breshna Musazai endured 19 agonizing months in Qatar, anxiously awaiting resettlement to the United States as a refugee. Forced to flee Afghanistan just two days after the Taliban seized Kabul in 2021, Musazai found herself s
Afghan Online Press

Afghan Student Shot at University Begs Taliban to Let Girls Learn

Akmal Dawi VOA News March 7, 2024 Breshna Musazai endured 19 agonizing months in Qatar, anxiously awaiting resettlement to the United States as a refugee. Forced to flee Afghanistan just two days after the Taliban seized Kabul in 2021, Musazai found herself separated from her parents and her dreams shattered. A dull ache in herRead More...

Building Migrant Settlement in Anaba, Panjshir Province: Residents Claim Taliban Pursuing Ethnic Relocation

8am: Local sources in Panjshir province report that the Taliban plan to establish migrant settlements on private lands in the Anaba district. These lands, currently serving as pasturelands in the village of Anaba, are nestled amidst residents’ houses and ru
Afghan Online Press

Building Migrant Settlement in Anaba, Panjshir Province: Residents Claim Taliban Pursuing Ethnic Relocation

8am: Local sources in Panjshir province report that the Taliban plan to establish migrant settlements on private lands in the Anaba district. These lands, currently serving as pasturelands in the village of Anaba, are nestled amidst residents’ houses and rugged mountains. However, some Panjshir residents and civil society activists criticize the Taliban, accusing them ofRead More...

Taliban’s New Threat Against Critics: ‘Religion Doesn’t Allow Criticism’

8am: Taliban have extensively suppressed and tortured critics and opponents of their regime over the past two and a half years. A senior Taliban official recently warned that no one has the right to criticize this group. The Director of Invitation and Guidanc
Afghan Online Press

Taliban’s New Threat Against Critics: ‘Religion Doesn’t Allow Criticism’

8am: Taliban have extensively suppressed and tortured critics and opponents of their regime over the past two and a half years. A senior Taliban official recently warned that no one has the right to criticize this group. The Director of Invitation and Guidance at the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs under Taliban control statedRead More...

Six dead, 32 injured in traffic accident on Kabul-Kandahar highway

Ariana: Local officials in Ghazni province said a traffic accident happened late Tuesday on the Kabul – Kandahar highway in Nani area of Ghazni province leaving six people dead and 32 injured. Children and women are among the victims, officials said. Click
Afghan Online Press

Six dead, 32 injured in traffic accident on Kabul-Kandahar highway

Ariana: Local officials in Ghazni province said a traffic accident happened late Tuesday on the Kabul – Kandahar highway in Nani area of Ghazni province leaving six people dead and 32 injured. Children and women are among the victims, officials said. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban Returns Its ‘Eye For An Eye’ Justice To Afghanistan

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi and Abubakar Siddique March 5, 2024 With the recent execution of three convicted murderers in separate incidents, the Taliban has sent a very public message that its infamous “eye for an eye” approach to justice has b
Afghan Online Press

Taliban Returns Its ‘Eye For An Eye’ Justice To Afghanistan

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi and Abubakar Siddique March 5, 2024 With the recent execution of three convicted murderers in separate incidents, the Taliban has sent a very public message that its infamous “eye for an eye” approach to justice has been restored in Afghanistan. “Qisas,” or retributive Islamic punishments that can include killings at theRead More...

Extreme Weather After Mild Winter Kills Dozens In Afghanistan And Pakistan

By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi March 5, 2024 Heavy snowfall and rains have killed at least 80 people in Afghanistan and Pakistan as extreme weather conditions wreak havoc in both countries. Deluges have flooded communities and
Afghan Online Press

Extreme Weather After Mild Winter Kills Dozens In Afghanistan And Pakistan

By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi March 5, 2024 Heavy snowfall and rains have killed at least 80 people in Afghanistan and Pakistan as extreme weather conditions wreak havoc in both countries. Deluges have flooded communities and forced residents to flee in recent days, while blizzards and landslides in mountainous areas have closedRead More...

Jihadwashing? Arab Travel Influencers Promote Taliban-Run Afghanistan

Worldcrunch: Nothing can beautify life in Afghanistan under the Taliban. So how can we promote a country whose government practices terrorism against its people? That’s what Arab world influencers are doing. The Taliban has invested heavily in the male
Afghan Online Press

Jihadwashing? Arab Travel Influencers Promote Taliban-Run Afghanistan

Worldcrunch: Nothing can beautify life in Afghanistan under the Taliban. So how can we promote a country whose government practices terrorism against its people? That’s what Arab world influencers are doing. The Taliban has invested heavily in the male Arab YouTubers and influencers to promote the rosy life in Afghanistan under its rule, and theseRead More...

Between a rock and a hard place: The Hazaras in Afghanistan

orfonline.org: As the Taliban solidifies its footing in Afghanistan, we witness a significant increase in the persecution of minority communities such as the Hazaras –  Soon after coming to power, the Taliban blew up the statue of the Hazara leader Abd
Afghan Online Press

Between a rock and a hard place: The Hazaras in Afghanistan

orfonline.org: As the Taliban solidifies its footing in Afghanistan, we witness a significant increase in the persecution of minority communities such as the Hazaras –  Soon after coming to power, the Taliban blew up the statue of the Hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari in Bamiyan—a blow to any hope of moderation towards minorities. Reports aboutRead More...

Four bird hunters detained in Southwestern Afghanistan

Khaama: The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that four bird hunters have been arrested in Nimroz province and referred to court. The agency stated on Tuesday, March 5th, citing Mawlavi Habibullah Mozaheri, the head of environmental protection in
Afghan Online Press

Four bird hunters detained in Southwestern Afghanistan

Khaama: The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that four bird hunters have been arrested in Nimroz province and referred to court. The agency stated on Tuesday, March 5th, citing Mawlavi Habibullah Mozaheri, the head of environmental protection in Nimroz province, that four hunters who had hunted birds in the province a few days ago wereRead More...

Analysts: Doha Agreement ‘Flawed’ as US, Taliban Accuse One Another of Violating Terms

Roshan Noorzai Waheed Faizi VOA News March 1, 2024 WASHINGTON — Four years after the signing of the Doha agreement, the U.S. and Taliban accuse each other of violating its terms, while analysts say that the agreement was “flawed” and has had “disastr
Afghan Online Press

Analysts: Doha Agreement ‘Flawed’ as US, Taliban Accuse One Another of Violating Terms

Roshan Noorzai Waheed Faizi VOA News March 1, 2024 WASHINGTON — Four years after the signing of the Doha agreement, the U.S. and Taliban accuse each other of violating its terms, while analysts say that the agreement was “flawed” and has had “disastrous” outcomes for Afghans. “The Taliban have not fulfilled their commitments in the DohaRead More...

China Afghan Dilemma: Looking for Reward Amid Ton of Risk

Michael Hughes: The Western exit from Afghanistan left the country’s neighbors to deal with the fallout from the Taliban’s grooming of and/or inability to contain transnational terrorist activities. Beijing, likely grasping it does not have the capabiliti
Afghan Online Press

China Afghan Dilemma: Looking for Reward Amid Ton of Risk

Michael Hughes: The Western exit from Afghanistan left the country’s neighbors to deal with the fallout from the Taliban’s grooming of and/or inability to contain transnational terrorist activities. Beijing, likely grasping it does not have the capabilities to reach the growing threat of Afghan-based terrorists targeting China, figures it can at least get something fromRead More...

Taliban Detain Four Individuals in Rokha District, Panjshir Province

8am: The Hasht-e Subh Daily received confirmation on Wednesday, February 28, that the Taliban conducted the detentions in the past week, targeting residents from the villages of Dor-Khil and Marashthan in Rokha district. The apprehended individuals were subse
Afghan Online Press

Taliban Detain Four Individuals in Rokha District, Panjshir Province

8am: The Hasht-e Subh Daily received confirmation on Wednesday, February 28, that the Taliban conducted the detentions in the past week, targeting residents from the villages of Dor-Khil and Marashthan in Rokha district. The apprehended individuals were subsequently transported to Kabul. Among the three detainees whose identities have been disclosed are Rahmatullah, Atiqullah, and Rouhullah,Read More...

Iran to block border with Afghanistan with concrete wall

Khaama: The ambassador and special representative of Iran for Afghanistan stated that it is planned for the border blockade of that country with Afghanistan to be in the form of a concrete wall. Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special representative for Afghanistan, i
Afghan Online Press

Iran to block border with Afghanistan with concrete wall

Khaama: The ambassador and special representative of Iran for Afghanistan stated that it is planned for the border blockade of that country with Afghanistan to be in the form of a concrete wall. Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special representative for Afghanistan, in an interview with the Iranian news agency ISNA regarding the issue of physical blockadeRead More...

Canada rejects IEA request to take over Afghanistan embassy in Ottawa

Ariana: Ottawa has rebuffed the Islamic Emirate’s [Taliban] attempt to take control of Afghanistan’s embassy and consulates in Canada, local media reported on Monday. The government, in fact, did not even respond to the IEA’s 2022 letter, said Global Af
Afghan Online Press

Canada rejects IEA request to take over Afghanistan embassy in Ottawa

Ariana: Ottawa has rebuffed the Islamic Emirate’s [Taliban] attempt to take control of Afghanistan’s embassy and consulates in Canada, local media reported on Monday. The government, in fact, did not even respond to the IEA’s 2022 letter, said Global Affairs Canada spokesman Jason Kung, Ottawa Citizen reported. “Canada does not recognize the Taliban (IEA) asRead More...

Taliban sets sights on making Afghanistan a global cricketing power

WP: During the Taliban’s first stint in power in the 1990s, its disdain for many sports meant that Kabul’s main stadium drew some of its biggest crowds on the days it was used for public executions. But since seizing control in Kabul a second time in 2021
Afghan Online Press

Taliban sets sights on making Afghanistan a global cricketing power

WP: During the Taliban’s first stint in power in the 1990s, its disdain for many sports meant that Kabul’s main stadium drew some of its biggest crowds on the days it was used for public executions. But since seizing control in Kabul a second time in 2021, the Taliban has turned to making Afghanistan intoRead More...

US Announces Tech, Academic Opportunities to Empower Afghan Women

Akmal Dawi VOA News February 27, 2024 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced new partnership programs designed to empower Afghan women in the face of Taliban suppression of women’s rights in Afghanistan. Speaking at a meeting of the U.S.-f
Afghan Online Press

US Announces Tech, Academic Opportunities to Empower Afghan Women

Akmal Dawi VOA News February 27, 2024 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced new partnership programs designed to empower Afghan women in the face of Taliban suppression of women’s rights in Afghanistan. Speaking at a meeting of the U.S.-founded group called the Afghan Women Economic Resilience Summit (AWERS), Blinken said Microsoft and LinkedInRead More...

Woman imprisoned by brother for 25 years dies just five months after rescue

Ariana: A woman who was imprisoned in a dark room for 25 years in Kabul died on Monday, just five months after being rescued by police. The woman, Nikbakht, had been held by her brother in appalling conditions but was rescued after neighbors in district 10 ti
Afghan Online Press

Woman imprisoned by brother for 25 years dies just five months after rescue

Ariana: A woman who was imprisoned in a dark room for 25 years in Kabul died on Monday, just five months after being rescued by police. The woman, Nikbakht, had been held by her brother in appalling conditions but was rescued after neighbors in district 10 tipped off the authorities about her plight in SeptemberRead More...

Polio Inoculation Campaign Kicks Off In 21 Afghan Provinces

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi February 26, 2024 An extensive polio vaccination campaign started on February 26 in 21 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, the country’s Health Ministry said. The Taliban-controlled ministry’s spokesman, Sharaf Zama
Afghan Online Press

Polio Inoculation Campaign Kicks Off In 21 Afghan Provinces

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi February 26, 2024 An extensive polio vaccination campaign started on February 26 in 21 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, the country’s Health Ministry said. The Taliban-controlled ministry’s spokesman, Sharaf Zaman, said the four-day-long campaign aims to inoculate 7.6 million children under the age of five. Zaman asked local religious leaders to cooperate withRead More...

Afghan Girls Banned From Contacting Media In Eastern Province

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi February 25, 2024 The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has reported that Taliban police authorities in the eastern Khost Province have banned girls from contacting local radio and television channels and warned local media
Afghan Online Press

Afghan Girls Banned From Contacting Media In Eastern Province

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi February 25, 2024 The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has reported that Taliban police authorities in the eastern Khost Province have banned girls from contacting local radio and television channels and warned local media outlets not to accept phone calls from girls. Regional security head Abdul Rashid Omari cited the potential for spreading immorality asRead More...

Sexual Slavery by the Taliban: What Lies Beneath the Skin of the City?

8am: On the first day, Faizullah sexually assaulted me. On that same day, several other Taliban militants came and assaulted too. I’ve been here for more than two months now. So far, over a hundred Taliban militants have sexually assaulted me and other wome
Afghan Online Press

Sexual Slavery by the Taliban: What Lies Beneath the Skin of the City?

8am: On the first day, Faizullah sexually assaulted me. On that same day, several other Taliban militants came and assaulted too. I’ve been here for more than two months now. So far, over a hundred Taliban militants have sexually assaulted me and other women and girls. Most of them are Arabs, Pakistanis, and Chechens. ThereRead More...

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