Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan over two years ago, a mental health crisis among Afghan women has been exacerbated, including a sharp rise in suicides, according to recent statistics. Edicts issued by Taliban authorities severely curtailing women’s rights and their participation in public life, as well as the harsh enforcement of those laws, have contributed to the despair felt […]

People in Sabah and Sarawak have long talked about leaving the Federation of Malaysia but mainly behind closed doors with occasional public outbursts of their historical grievances. It has gone no further than that because the federal constitution does not provide for secession, and those making an attempt to secede can be charged under the Sedition Act. The latest public […]

The recent Tehrik Taliban Pakistan (TTP) incursion on 6 September into the Chitral district near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and unreported terrorist attacks on Pakistan’s army convoy in the Bannu district, and also in Bajaur alarms security concerns not just in Pakistan but in the whole South Asian region. TTP claimed to have captured various army posts, causing casualties of Pakistan […]

For decades, Afghanistan has been marred by conflict, instability, and unrest, with profound implications not only for its own people but also for neighboring countries like Pakistan. Achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan is crucial for regional stability, economic development, and international security. This article explores the advantages of peace in Afghanistan, particularly for Pakistan, while highlighting the importance of addressing […]

The Taliban have enabled some terrorist groups and reined in others, elevating longstanding concerns for U.S. policy. Two years into Taliban rule, the question of whether Afghanistan would once again become a safe haven for international terrorism remains alive. Longstanding fears were affirmed a little over a year ago, when the U.S. government located al-Qaeda leader Aimen al-Zawahiri in Kabul, […]

As Russia’s relationship with the West has deteriorated, the Kremlin’s view of the Taliban has changed. But substantive economic cooperation will be hard to achieve. Russia is one of just a handful of states in the world actively seeking to strengthen its relationship with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. While Afghanistan’s rulers, the Taliban, are still formally designated a banned […]

Oil prices rose on Friday as renewed global supply concerns from Russia’s fuel export ban counteracted fears that slowing economies and high interest rates could crimp demand, Reuters reported. Brent futures were up 78 cents, or 0.84%, at $94.08 a barrel by 1443 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) futures rose by $1.02, or 1.14%, to $90.65 a […]

Kabul residents have expressed their concern over the increase in fuel and gas prices, saying that a liter of gasoline has jumped to 80 afghanis and that a liter of gas to 60. If industry and commerce ministry does not control the prices, people will face many problems, they said. The residents meanwhile say these days the price of fuel […]

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West has met with officials of a number of countries and organizations on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Following meeting with Japan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Kansuke Nagaoka, West said on Twitter that Japan is a “stalwart supporter of the Afghan people, active diplomatically, and generous in its […]

With the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2021, the security situation in Afghanistan has become even more uncertain. Pakistan, like other neighboring countries, has concerns about the potential for instability and the spillover of violence into its territory. It has sought to engage with the new Afghan leadership under Taliban regime to protect its interests and […]