The outlawed Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility Tuesday for a rare overnight attack in Islamabad that killed a police officer and wounded two others. Police officials said two gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on a security checkpoint near one of the city’s busy markets late on Monday. They say the ensuing shootout killed both the assailants. “The gunfire by terrorists […]

In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, aid groups are overwhelmed by the starving. More than half the population, the United Nations has warned, won’t get enough to eat this winter. The biggest problem isn’t a lack of food. Rather, it’s the disappearance of what had been the lifeblood of the Afghan economy — Western cash. As fears of a humanitarian disaster mount, the […]

Five months after the Taliban seized Kabul, Afghanistan’s new rulers are stepping up their campaign to gain control of the country’s embassies abroad, most of which continue to be run by diplomats appointed by the former, U.S.-backed government. No foreign capital has formally recognized the Taliban. And nearly all of the country’s 65 diplomatic missions still fly the flag of […]

Afghanistan Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund has reiterated calls by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) for the new Afghan government to be recognized by the international community. Addressing the one-day “Afghanistan Economic Conference” on Wednesday in Kabul, Akhund stated that Islamic countries should take the lead in recognizing the IEA. He added that the IEA has been able […]

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan, said Tuesday that “based on Sharia principles”, education opportunities should be provided for both men and women in the country. In a meeting with Afghan university lecturers, Baradar stated that higher education is critical in terms of meeting the needs to develop the country. He noted the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan […]

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said on Tuesday the US government was still dealing with the issue of Afghan helicopters parked in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan but indicated the aircraft would not be returned to Afghanistan. Addressing a press conference, Kirby said: “We’re still working out the — the disposition of — of those helicopters. “I think it’s safe to assume […]

In a bid to address the major humanitarian crisis Afghanistan is facing, the European Union has launched projects worth €268.3 million ($304 million) that focusses on maintaining education, sustaining livelihoods, and protecting public health. According to a statement issued by the UN, the funding is being channelled through United Nations agencies working in Afghanistan and benefits the Afghan population directly. […]