Afghanistan is grappling with a looming humanitarian crisis; 55 percent of the population is facing emergency levels of food insecurity this winter—9 million of whom are on the verge of starvation. As approximately 80 percent of Afghans’ livelihoods are tied directly or indirectly to agriculture, the nexus of the drought, economic collapse, insecurity, displacement, and the pandemic have culminated in […]

Several countries are returning, or planning to return, their diplomats to Afghanistan, signaling growing engagement with the Taliban leadership. The issue of whether the Taliban is formally recognized as the legitimate government of Afghanistan is of declining practical significance. Engagement with the Taliban will further facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid to the Afghan people, despite operational challenges posed by […]

Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have concluded their first joint naval exercise, Indonesia’s navy said on Saturday, as the region faces rising tensions with China. The three-day exercise off the coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island aimed at increasing interoperability between the ASEAN member states and the Russian navy in the strategic maritime area. It comes amid […]

Several European countries are working on opening up a joint diplomatic mission in Afghanistan that would enable their ambassadors to return to the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday. Western countries have been grappling with how to engage with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) after they took power in Afghanistan in mid-August. The United States and other […]

Pakistan’s foreign minister called on Saturday for a fresh effort to stop neighboring Afghanistan sliding further into crisis as he announced an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) later this month. The meeting of foreign ministers from Islamic countries will be held in Islamabad on Dec. 19, with delegations from the European Union and the so-called P5 […]

For years, Facebook has prohibited the Taliban from using its platform under its counter-terrorist and hate group community standards. Although the Taliban remains blocklisted, recently revealed internal memos show that the company has allowed certain exceptions, mostly for the armed group’s Ministry of Interior, following its takeover as the de facto government of Afghanistan. According to The Intercept, Facebook contradicted […]