Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov published an article on the Russian-Kazakh relations in Rossiyskaya Gazeta ahead of the 8th summit of the Turkic Council, which is going to be held in Istanbul on November 12. It is not clear if the two events are connected. Right now the only thing we can say definitively is that Moscow can ill afford […]

New research by the universities of Kent, Warwick and Notre Dame (United States) has found that sex-selective abortion is lower in India districts with a Muslim state legislator, consistent with a higher reported aversion to abortion among Muslims compared to Hindus. Sex-selective abortion has dramatically increased in India in recent decades. Abortion was legalised in India in 1971 and while […]

Pakistan hosted China, Russia, and the United States Thursday for talks on Afghanistan, bringing them to Islamabad at the same time as a Taliban delegation led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who arrived Wednesday night. “We are confident that Troika Plus’s engagement with the new Afghan government will help consolidate peace and stability, promote sustainable economic development, and constrict […]

Saad Rizvi removed from terrorism watchlist, paving the way for his release from detention under deal to end weeks of deadly protests. Pakistan has removed far-right leader Saad Rizvi from its terrorism watchlist, paving the way for his release from detention under a deal to end weeks of deadly protests by his followers over alleged blasphemy. The move on Thursday […]

The Taliban reportedly held a parade recently showing off the recently-acquired United States military equipment left behind during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August. The Taliban’s parade took place in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan and featured U.S. armored Humvees and helicopters, according to Agence France-Presse. The convoy, which was parading as a celebration of inaugurating the new “Islamic […]

The U.S. joined rivals China and Russia to call on the Taliban to cut ties with terrorist groups and stop them from operating in Afghanistan after a recent spate of attacks that have been linked mostly to the Islamic State. The concerted push from these world powers and Pakistan, known as the “extended troika,” to ensure the Taliban fulfilled their […]

The representatives of China, Russia and the United States on Thursday reached consensus on various aspects of the Afghanistan issue including humanitarian situation and anti-terrorism efforts, Reuters reported. At the extended meeting of the China-U.S.-Russia consultation mechanism held in Islamabad, Pakistan, Chinese Special Envoy for Afghan affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Yue Xiaoyong, Russian Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan […]

An explosion hit a mosque in the Spin Ghar district of eastern Nangarhar province during Friday prayers, sources said. According to the sources, the blast took place in the Tereli area of the district, wounding at least 24 people. The wounded people were transferred to the local hospital for treatment. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials have confirmed the […]

Afghanistan’s Taliban said Wednesday they have rounded up nearly 600 members of the local Islamic State affiliate, known as Islamic State-Khorasan Province, since returning to power in mid-August. A spokesman for the General Directorate of Intelligence, the new name of the Afghan spy agency under Islamist Taliban rule, told reporters in Kabul that “high-ranking” commanders of IS-Khorasan were also among […]

As many as 4,000-5,000 Afghans have been crossing into Iran daily since the collapse of the former government in August and hundreds of thousands more are expected to arrive in the coming winter, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said on Wednesday. The aid group said as many as 300,000 Afghans have crossed the border since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan […]