Kabul

8 killed as earthquake of magnitude 5.8 hits Afghanistan's Hindu Kush

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 rattled parts of northern and eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan late Friday, killing at least eight people in Afghanistan, authorities said. The region is highly seismically active, and quakes have caused thousands of deaths in recent years. Friday's earthquake had an epicentre in the Hindu Kush mountain range, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) east of the Afghan city of Kunduz, according to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center and the US Geological Survey. Hafizullah Basharat, a spokesman for the Kabul governor, said eight people were killed and a child was injured when a house collapsed on the outskirts of the capital. He said all were members of the same family. Kabul is roughly 290 kilometres (180 miles) southwest of the epicentre. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from areas closer to the epicentre. The area is remote, and it can often take several hours before local authorities can relay ...

Kabul airstrike explained: 400 dead, Afghanistan accuses Pakistan, tensions surge

A deadly airstrike in Kabul has triggered global alarm. Afghanistan says a hospital was hit, killing 400. Pakistan denies it. Here’s what we know and why this could mark a dangerous turning point.

Pakistan airstrikes on Kabul leave heavy toll, raising risk of escalation

Pakistan said it carried out 'precision airstrikes' on Taliban sites in Kabul and Nangarhar, targeting military depots and infrastructure, and accused the Taliban of making 'false claims'

'Barbaric' attack: India slams Pakistan over Kabul hospital strike

India condemned Pakistan's airstrike on a Kabul hospital that killed 400 people, calling it a barbaric act; it said the attack violates Afghanistan's sovereignty and urged global action

Pakistani airstrikes cause civilian casualties in Kabul, say Taliban and UN

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said the airstrikes in Kabul had killed at least four civilians and injured 14 in the Pul-e-Charkhi area, including women and children

Afghan Taliban open to talks after Pakistan bombs Kabul, Kandahar

Targets in the capital Kabul and the city of Kandahar, where Taliban leaders are based, were hit, signalling a stark rupture in ties between the Islamic neighbours

India upgrades its technical mission in Kabul to the status of an embassy

MEA announces upgrade of India's Kabul technical mission to embassy status, signalling a stronger diplomatic and developmental engagement with Afghanistan

India upgrades its Kabul mission to embassy to boost ties with Afghanistan

The reopening of Indian embassy in Kabul comes four years after New Delhi withdrew its officials following the Taliban takeover in August 2021

Maria Corina Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize, India to reopen embassy in Kabul,WeWork IPO #newsinamin

The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for her efforts to restore democracy and human rights in Venezuela, dashing Donald Trump’s

Afghan FM Muttaqi meets Jaishankar; says 'India has always stood by us'

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Muttaqi met S Jaishankar in New Delhi, praising India as a 'close friend' and highlighting cooperation in humanitarian aid and regional peace

India to reopen embassy in Kabul, deepen engagement with Afghanistan

Jaishankar announces upgrade of India's Kabul mission as Taliban foreign minister visits New Delhi, signalling cautious but deeper diplomatic engagement

6.0 magnitude earthquake hits eastern Afghanistan, at least 600 killed

Taliban government officials have appealed to humanitarian organisations for assistance in rescue operations across remote mountainous regions, many of which can be reached only by air

Explosion in Afghan capital kills Taliban refugee minister, 2 others

Haqqani was the most high-profile casualty of a bombing in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power and the first Cabinet member to be killed since the takeover

Afghan economy shows modest signs of growth; recovery fragile: World Bank

Afghanistan's economy is showing modest signs of growth after two years of severe contraction, the World Bank said. In its latest development update issued late Wednesday, the financial institution said modest GDP growth of 2.7 per cent was driven by private consumption. The partial recovery, coupled with falling food prices, helped to gradually improve household welfare. Before the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Afghanistan's economy relied heavily on foreign aid and corruption was rife. Their takeover three years ago sent the economy into a tailspin, as billions in international funds were frozen, and tens of thousands of highly skilled Afghans fled the country and took their money with them. Afghan's exports remained stable in 2023-24 but imports surged, creating a widening trade deficit, according to the World Bank. This deficit, exacerbated by dependence on imports for essential goods like fuel, food and machinery, could pose a risk to the country's economic ...

Afghan community in India demands more consular staff, assistance from MEA

A lone former diplomat, who has continued to stay in India, has somehow kept the Afghan Mission/Consulates running

6 killed, over 13 injured after suicide bomber detonates in Afghan capital

Police in the Afghan capital say a suicide bomber carried out an attack Monday, killing at least six people and injuring 13 others. The blast took place in the southwestern Qala Bakhtiar neighborhood in Kabul, said Khalid Zadran, spokesman for the Kabul police chief. The dead included one woman, he said, while 13 people were wounded, all of them civilians who were taken to a hospital for treatment. A police investigation is underway. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. The Islamic State group's affiliate, a major rival of the ruling Taliban, has carried out previous attacks on schools, hospitals, mosques and Shiite areas throughout the country. The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 during the chaotic departure of U.S. and NATO troops after 20 years. Despite initial promises of a more moderate stance, the Taliban gradually reimposed a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or Shariah, as they did during their previous rule of Afghanistan from 1

Taliban working to attract tourists to Afghanistan despite challenges

Around 30 men are crammed into a Kabul classroom, part of the debut student cohort at a Taliban-run institute training tourism and hospitality professionals. It's a motley crew. One student is a model. Another is 17 and has no job history. The students vary in age, education level and professional experience. They're all men Afghan women are banned from studying beyond sixth grade and they don't know anything about tourism or hospitality. But they are all eager to promote a different side of Afghanistan. And the Taliban are happy to help. Afghanistan's rulers are pariahs on the global stage, largely because of their restrictions on women and girls. The economy is struggling, infrastructure is poor, and poverty is rife. And yet, foreigners are visiting the country, encouraged by the sharp drop in violence, increased flight connections with hubs like Dubai, and the bragging rights that come with vacationing in an unusual destination. The numbers aren't huge they never were but ..

Failures of Biden govt in planning drove fall of Kabul: Top ex-US generals

The top two US generals who oversaw the evacuation of Afghanistan as it fell to the Taliban in August 2021 blamed the Biden administration for the chaotic departure, telling lawmakers that it inadequately planned for the evacuation and did not order it in time. The rare testimony by the two retired generals on Tuesday publicly exposed for the first time the strain and differences the military leaders had with the Biden administration in the final days of the war. Two of those key differences included that the military had advised that the US keep at least 2,500 service members in Afghanistan to maintain stability and a concern that the State Department was not moving fast enough to get an evacuation started. The remarks contrasted with an internal White House review of the administration's decisions found that President Joe Biden's decisions had been "severely constrained" by previous withdrawal agreements negotiated by former President Donald Trump and blamed the military, saying to

Islamic State group claims responsibility for minibus explosion in Kabul

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a minibus explosion in the Afghan capital late Saturday that killed at least two people. Fourteen others were wounded in the attack in Kabul's western Shiite neighbourhood of Dashti Barchi, according to police spokesperson Khalid Zadran. The Sunni militant group said its members detonated an explosive device on the bus carrying Shiite Muslims, whom they called disbelievers, in a statement released shortly after the explosion Saturday. It was the first attack in the country in 2024. The Dashti Barchi area of Kabul has been repeatedly targeted by the Islamic State group's affiliate in Afghanistan. The group has carried out major assaults on schools, hospitals, and mosques, and has also attacked other Shiite areas across the country. In November, in the same area of Kabul, the IS claimed responsibility for a minibus explosion in which seven people were killed and 20 others were wounded. On October 26, four people were killed and seve

Bus explodes in Afghanistan, killing at least 2 civilians and wounding 14

A minibus exploded in a mostly Shiite Muslim neighbourhood in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, killing at least two civilians and wounding 14 others, a Taliban official said Saturday, the first attack in the country in 2024. Police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion took place in the western part of the city, in the Dashti Barchi area. The cause remained unknown, but police launched an investigation, he said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State group's affiliate in the region has in the past targeted Shiite schools, hospitals, and mosques in the same area. Last week during a press conference in Kabul, Taliban Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said there had been a 90 per cent decrease in attacks by the IS affiliate in the past year. The IS affiliate has been a major rival of the Taliban since the latter seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021. IS militants have struck in Kabul, in northern provinces and especially whereve