Page 24 - Afghanistan

Over 15 million people suffer from food insecurity in Afghanistan: Report

It further stated that 2.7 million people in Afghanistan are facing famine, reported TOLO News

Taliban believe their rule open-ended, ban on female education to continue

The Taliban view their rule of Afghanistan as open-ended, drawing legitimacy from Islamic law and facing no significant threat, their chief spokesman said in an interview marking the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the country. He also indicated a ban on female education will remain in place. Zabihullah Mujahid brushed aside any questions from The Associated Press about restrictions on girls and women, saying the status quo will remain. The ban on girls attending school beyond sixth grade was the first of what became a flurry of restrictions that now keep Afghan women from classrooms, most jobs and much of public life. The Taliban seized power on August 15, 2021, as US and NATO forces withdrew from the country after two decades of war. To mark the anniversary, Tuesday was declared a public holiday. Women, largely barred from public life, didn't take part in the festivities. In the southern city of Kandahar, the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban, military personnel

Water Wars: Conflict Between Iran and Afghanistan

Afghanistan and Iran are locked in a water dispute over the Helmand River, a critical source of drinking water, irrigation and fishing for both countries.

30% booksellers in Afghanistan shut shop due to lack of good market: Report

Abdul Wodod Mukhtarzada, member of commission, said that the booksellers have also complained about high taxes which are difficult to pay as their business has witnessed a decline

Afghanistan sees 70% fall in manufacturing activities due to power shortage

The decline in manufacturing activities occurred due to severe power shortages, which led to the loss of thousands of jobs for the local people

Amid Afghanistan-Iran water dispute, Taliban prepares suicide bombers

After two decades fighting the US, Taliban leaders now find themselves sparring with neighbors as the realities of global warming hit home

Amid humanitarian crisis, UN to cut aid to 21 million in Afghanistan

The 3.2 billion US dollar plea to aid almost half of the Afghan population has received less than 25 per cent of its funding more than halfway through the year

UN official criticizes ban on women's education in Afghanistan by Taliban

Garnier in a press conference said the UN and the international community's pressure on Taliban is "critical" owing to the country's restrictions on girls' education

10 injured after 5.5-magnitude earthquake strikes east China's Shandong

A 5.5-magnitude earthquake jolted Pingyuan County of Dezhou City in Shandong Province at 2A shallow earthquake resulted in injuries to at least 10 people and the collapse of numerous buildings, CGTN reported citing a report by the US Geological Survey (USGS). The quake was centred 26 kilometres south of Dezhou city in Shandong province, at a depth of 10 kilometres. Earlier, on Saturday, an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 jolted Afghanistan, the National Center for Seismology reported.The earthquake struck at 21:31:48 IST, at a depth of 181 kms.According to NCS, the epicentre of the quake was at Latitude: 36.38 and Longitude: 70.77."Earthquake of Magnitude:5.8, Occurred on 05-08-2023, 21:31:48 IST, Lat: 36.38 & Long: 70.77, Depth: 181 Km, Location: Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan," the NCS tweeted.There were no reports of casualties or material damage in the quake.

Taliban-run Afghanistan calls for removal of sanctions in meeting with US

Taliban-appointed acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Muttaqi on Saturday left Kabul for Qatar to meet with US special envoy for Afghanistan

UN to reduce food aid, cash payments to Afghanistan amid 'funding crisis'

Carl Skau, the Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Program said apart from Afghanistan, these countries include Syria, Yemen, and West Africa

29.2 mn projected to need humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan: UNICEF

Afghanistan's recession has been exacerbated by drought-like conditions, floods, insecurity, harsh winters, political and economic instability, and displacement

47 died, 57 injured in flash floods in 11 provinces of Afghanistan

Wardak province has experienced its deadliest natural disaster with 32 deaths, including 23 in the Jalrez district early, as per the provincial director for the Natural Disaster Management Authority

Taliban bans beauty salons in Afghanistan despite UN concern, protests

The Taliban announced Tuesday that all beauty salons in Afghanistan must now close as a one-month deadline ended, despite rare public opposition to the edict. Sadiq Akif Mahjer, spokesman for the Taliban-run Virtue and Vice Ministry, did not say whether it would use force against salons that do not comply. The ruling is the latest curb on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls following edicts barring them from education, public spaces and most forms of employment. The Taliban said it decided to ban beauty salons because they offered services forbidden by Islam and caused economic hardship for the families of grooms during wedding festivities. Its earlier announcement of a one-month deadline for salons to wind down their businesses led to a rare public protest in which dozens of beauticians and makeup artists gathered in Kabul, the capital. Security forces used fire hoses and tasers and shot their guns into the air to break up the protest. The ban also drew concern from

Heavy rains in Afghanistan unleash flash floods that kill 12 people

Heavy flooding from seasonal rains in Afghanistan has killed at least 12 people and left dozens missing, according to a Taliban spokesman and local officials. Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Sunday that around 40 people are missing after the flash flooding late Saturday night in the Jalrez district of Maidan Wardak province, west of Kabul. He added that all relevant authorities have been ordered to provide necessary assistance to the people in the affected areas. The provincial governor's office in a statement said that hundreds of homes are either damaged or destroyed and the missing people are believed to be under the rubble of collapsed homes. The statement also said that hundreds of hectares of agricultural land were washed out and destroyed and the highway between the capital Kabul and the central Bamiyan province is also closed due to the floods.

Beauty salons banned for neglect of guidelines: Afghanistan's ministry

Following ban on women's beauty salons in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue said they were banned because they neglected to bring into effect the guidelines provided by the ministry

Magnitude 4.6 earthquake strikes Afghanistan, no casualties reported yet

An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 has jolted Afghanistan on Sunday, the National Center for Seismology reported.It toook place at 08:46:16 IST, at a depth of 165 Km.According to NCS, the epicentre of the quake was found at Latitude: 36.50 and Longitude: 71.02, respectively."Earthquake of Magnitude:4.6, Occurred on 23-07-2023, 08:46:16 IST, Lat: 36.50 & Long: 71.02, Depth: 165 Km ,Location: Afghanistan," the NCS tweeted.No reports of casualties or material damage are known yet.

Afghan Taliban asks Pakistan govt to pursue peace talks with TTP: Report

The Afghan Taliban has asked the Pakistan government to initiate another round of negotiations with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terror group, with a top leader in Kabul telling Islamabad that it should prefer peace over war, a media report said on Saturday. Pakistan's latest efforts aimed at seeking action against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) by Kabul could not make headway, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. Pakistan dispatched its special envoy to Kabul this week on a three-day trip to convey a clear message that Afghanistan's Taliban-led interim government will have to take decisive action against the TTP, blamed for a number of major terror attacks in the country. Ambassador Asad Durrani met with Afghanistan's Acting Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and other officials during his trip. But the Afghan Taliban told him after a series of meetings that Pakistan should pursue the path of peace ...

Taliban uses tasers to break up Afghan women protesting beauty salon ban

Dozens of Afghan women protested a beauty salon ban on Wednesday after the Taliban ordered their closure nationwide. Security forces used fire hoses, tasers and shot their guns into the air to break up the protest. The Taliban said earlier this month they were giving all salons in Afghanistan one month to wind down their businesses and close shop, drawing concern from international officials worried about the impact on female entrepreneurs. The Taliban say they are outlawing salons allegedly because they offer services forbidden by Islam and cause economic hardship for grooms' families during wedding festivities. The ruling came from the Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada the latest curb on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls, following edicts barring them from education, public spaces and most forms of employment. In a rare sign of public opposition to Taliban orders, dozens of beauticians and makeup artists gathered in the capital of Kabul to protest the ban. W

China increases Afghanistan investment but faces terrorism challenges

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs position paper on Afghanistan stated that China would "do its best" to support Afghanistan's reconstruction and development