Page 3 - Taliban

WHO urges Taliban to let female aid workers help quake-hit Afghan women

After a deadly earthquake killed 2,200 in eastern Afghanistan, the WHO said women need female doctors, but Taliban rules stop female aid workers from travelling freely

Rescuers race to find Afghan quake survivors as death toll crosses 1,400

The United Nations warned of an exponential rise in casualties from a major earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, as the Taliban said the death toll passed 1,400 on Tuesday, with more than 3,000 people injured. The figures provided by Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid were just for the province of Kunar. Sunday night's powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck several provinces, causing extensive damage. It flattened villages and trapped people under the rubble of homes constructed mostly of mud bricks and wood that were unable to withstand the shock. Rough terrain is hampering rescue and relief efforts, forcing Taliban authorities to air-drop dozens of commandos to evacuate the injured from places where helicopters cannot land. Aid agency Save the Children said one of its teams walked for over 12 miles (19 kilometers) to reach villages cut off by rock falls, carrying medical equipment on their backs with the help of community members. An aftershock of 5.2 magnitude clos

Trump cuts funding for Afghan resettlement programmes, sparks criticism

Congressional statistics show nearly 60,000 Afghans in Afghanistan are still awaiting asylum case reviews, while more than 170,000 remain in the queue for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs)

To Lose a War: How the US slowly lost its way in Afghanistan conflict

A gripping account of two decades in Afghanistan, tracing the Taliban's fall, America's missteps, and the enduring human cost in Jon Lee Anderson's To Lose a War

US, Pak to deepen bilateral cooperation to tackle leading militant groups

Pakistan and the US have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation to tackle leading militant groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and the Taliban. It transpired during their bilateral counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad on Tuesday, a day after the US designated the Pakistan-based BLA a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. The dialogue was co-chaired by Nabeel Munir, Pakistan's Special Secretary for the UN, and Gregory D. LoGerfo, the Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the US Department of State. According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism in "all its forms and manifestations". Both delegations underscored the critical importance of developing effective approaches to terrorist threats, including those posed by Balochistan Liberation Army, ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, it stated. Reaffirming the "long-standing partnership" between Pakistan and

Taliban has suppressed Afghan women's rights, says US SIGAR report

According to the report, the US allocated only around $342 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in fiscal year 2025, a sharp drop from over $968 million in 2023

Pakistan renews deportation drive, forces thousands of Afghans to border

Millions of Afghans have fled into Pakistan over the past several decades due to conflict and instability, including hundreds of thousands who arrived after the Taliban returned to power in 2021

Pakistan urges social media platforms to block banned militant accounts

Pakistan on Friday urged global social media companies to take action to block hundreds of accounts allegedly run by outlawed militant groups that Islamabad claims spread propaganda and glorify insurgents in the South Asian country. According to Pakistan's Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States have been using X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram to promote violence in Pakistan. Chaudhry, who spoke to reporters at a news conference, urged the tech companies to remove or disable these accounts, as well as those run by supporters of the militant groups. Deputy Law Minister Aqeel Malik, who also spoke at the news conference, said Pakistani investigators have identified 481 accounts associated with the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and the Balochistan Liberation .

Over 1.1 million Afghans deported from Iran, UN rushes aid amid crisis

In response to the worsening crisis, Tom Fletcher, the UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator, has allocated $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to assist returnees from Iran

Germany deports 81 Afghan nationals, 2nd flight since Taliban's return

Germany deported dozens of Afghan nationals to their homeland on Friday, the second time it has done so since the Taliban returned to power and the first since a new government pledging a tougher line on migration took office in Berlin. The Interior Ministry said a flight took off Friday morning carrying 81 Afghans, all of them men who had previously come to judicial authorities' attention. It said in a statement that the deportation was carried out with the help of Qatar, and said the government aims to deport more people to Afghanistan in the future. More than 10 months ago, Germany's previous government deported Afghan nationals to their homeland for the first time since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to step up deportations of asylum-seekers. New Chancellor Friedrich Merz made tougher migration policy a central plank of his campaign for Germany's election in February. Just after he took office in early May, the government stationed more

Man held in Bangladesh for suspected ties to Pak-based militant group

Md Foysal reportedly travelled to Afghanistan via Pakistan and recruited others for extremist activities

ICC issues warrants for Taliban leaders over persecution of women, girls

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants Tuesday for the Taliban's supreme leader and the head of Afghanistan's supreme court on charges of persecuting women and girls since seizing power nearly four years ago. The warrants also accuse the leaders of persecuting other persons non-conforming with the Taliban's policy on gender, gender identity or expression; and on political grounds against persons perceived as allies of girls and women.' The warrants were issued against Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhunzada and the head of Afghanistan's Supreme Court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani.

UN adopts resolution on Afghanistan's Taliban rule despite US objections

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Monday over US objections calling on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers to reverse their worsening oppression of women and girls and eliminate all terrorist organizations. The 11-page resolution also emphasises the importance of creating opportunities for economic recovery, development and prosperity in Afghanistan, and urges donors to address the country's dire humanitarian and economic crisis. The resolution is not legally binding but is seen as a reflection of world opinion. The vote was 116 in favour, with two the United States and close ally Israel opposed and 12 abstentions, including Russia, China, India and Iran. Since returning to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures, banning women from public places and girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade. Last week, Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban's government. Germany's UN Ambassador Antje Leendertse, whose count

India abstains from UN resolution on Afghanistan, calls for end of terror

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on Afghanistan to uphold human rights, adhere to international law and take decisive action against terrorism amid a worsening humanitarian crisis

Iran mass expels Afghan refugees, raising alarms for women under Taliban

Iran's deportation of 250,000 Afghans, many of them women, has sparked a humanitarian crisis as returnees face deadly heat, Taliban restrictions, and limited support at overcrowded border crossings

'Pakistan in no hurry to recognise Taliban govt, will act in self-interest'

Pakistan is in no hurry to recognise the Afghan Taliban government, and any decision will be made keeping the country's interest in mind, officials here have said. The remarks came days after Russia became the first country to officially recognise the Taliban's rule. Moscow's decision, some observers feel, may be a prelude to other regional countries finally embracing the Taliban. However, officials in Pakistan told The Express Tribune newspaper that the decision of Russia was not a surprise, as Moscow for some time had indicated they would reconcile with the fact that the Taliban were now in charge and there was no other option but to accept their rule. The Russian decision also stems from the fact that greater engagement with the Taliban government would help address the terrorist threat and advance its geostrategic interests. We, of course, will take a decision keeping in view our interest. I can tell you there is no hurry, said a Pakistani official when asked whether Islamabad

Russia becomes 1st country to recognise Taliban's rule in Afghanistan

Russia on Thursday became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban's government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021, after Moscow removed the group from its list of outlawed organisations. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had received credentials from Afghanistan's newly appointed Ambassador Gul Hassan Hassan. The official recognition of the Afghan government will foster productive bilateral cooperation, the ministry said in a statement. Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry called it a historic step, and quoted Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as welcoming the decision as "a good example for other countries. The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Since then, they have sought international recognition while also enforcing their strict interpretation of Islamic law. While no country had formally recognised the Taliban administration until now, the group had engaged in high-level tal

Tourists trickling into Afghanistan, Taliban govt eager to welcome them

By plane, motorbike, camper van and even on bicycles, tourists are beginning to discover Afghanistan, with solo travellers and tour groups gradually venturing into a country that until recently was wracked by war. And the country's Taliban government, which seized power more than three years ago but has yet to be formally recognised by any other nation, is more than happy to welcome them. The Afghan people are warm and welcoming and wish to host tourists from other countries and engage with them, Deputy Minister of Tourism Qudratullah Jamal told The Associated Press in an early June interview. Tourism brings many benefits to a country. We have considered those benefits and aim for our nation to take full advantage of them. A potentially lucrative industry Tourism is a vital, multi-billion-dollar industry for many countries. Afghanistan's isolation on the international stage, largely because of the Taliban's restrictions on women and girls, has left much of its 41 million people m

Donald Trump floats the idea of regime change in Iran after US bombings

As President Donald Trump floats the idea of regime change in Tehran, previous US attempts to remake the Middle East by force over the decades offer stark warnings about the possibility of a deepening involvement in the Iran-Israeli conflict. If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? Trump posted on his social media site over the weekend. The came after the US bombed Iran's nuclear sites but before that country retaliated by firing its own missiles at a US base in Qatar. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday insisted that Trump, who spent years railing against forever wars and pushing an America first world view, had not committed a political about-face. The president's posture and our military posture has not changed, she said, suggesting that a more aggressive approach might be necessary if Iran refuses to give up their nuclear program or engage in talks." Leavitt also suggested that a new governme

Taliban offers amnesty, urges Afghans in exile to return home safely

A top Taliban official said on Saturday that all Afghans who fled the country after the collapse of the former Western-backed government are free to return home, promising they would not be harmed if they come back. Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund made the amnesty offer in his message for the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice. The offer comes days after US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping travel ban on 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The measure largely bars Afghans hoping to resettle in the United States permanently as well as those hoping to go to the US temporarily, such as for university study. Trump also suspended a core refugee programme in January, all but ending support for Afghans who had allied with the US and leaving tens of thousands of them stranded. Afghans in neighbouring Pakistan who are awaiting resettlement are also dealing with a deportation drive. Almost a million have left Pakistan since October