What’s new? The rise of a local Islamic State franchise and the growing influence of a hard-line and violent protest movement known as “Labaik” that draws support mostly from Pakistan’s Barelvi majority, open a new chapter in the country’s sectarian violence, which until recently was driven largely by Deobandi groups.

Dr. Qalandar Ebad, the Minister of Public Health, has met with a number of Iranian officials and visited various health departments in Iran. In his meetings with Iranian health officials, Ebad called for cooperation in the sector between Kabul and Tehran especially in terms of Iran’s health sector models. He also said the improvement of capacity and the strengthening of […]

Afghan Minister of Commerce and Industry has said that Afghanistan should be included in the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure project. “In talks we had with China, it was mentioned that we should partner with China in the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Pakistan-Economic Corridor and other programs that China has at the international level,” Nooruddin Azizi said in […]

At least one civilian was killed and 10 others were wounded in a blast on Monday morning in PD7, Kabul police confirmed. Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said that at around 11:00 am a suicide bomber attempted to detonate explosives near the Russian embassy on Darulaman Road. “The suicide bomber was identified by security forces before reaching his target, which […]

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov late Monday after an explosion outside the Russian Embassy in Kabul killed two embassy staff members earlier in the day. In a phone call, Muttaqi assured Lavrov a thorough investigation would be carried out. He also said Kabul and Moscow should not allow such acts to undermine […]