A toddler was trampled to death as a crowd surged near the Kabul airport, and many residents who aided America remain in hiding, fearing they will be killed by their new rulers. On Saturday morning, a former interpreter for an American company in Kabul plunged into a mass of humanity outside a gate at the Kabul airport with her family […]

Local sources in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan on Saturday said that public uprising forces had retaken three districts from Taliban control. The districts are Pul-e-Hesar, Banu and Deh Salah. Sources said there are reports of heavy casualties on both sides. This is the first instance of such fighting after the Taliban took control of Kabul following the fall […]

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Thursday that the Taliban wants friendly relations with all countries around the world, especially the United States, and that they have not been hostile towards any country. Speaking at a ceremony held to mark the 102nd anniversary of independence from British influence, Mujahid also called on the people to work with them in order to […]

Afghanistan is seeking international assistance in terms of rebuilding the country after years of occupation by foreign troops, Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban Political Office in Qatar, said Thursday. In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Shaheen expressed pleas for help in terms of restoring various sectors in Afghanistan. “We have just come out of from one […]

Who are the Taliban? We still see this question floating around a fair amount on social media and online. People also tend to confuse them with al-Qaeda. Now that the Taliban have taken over Afghanistan at a lightning pace over the last two weeks they claim to have been “reformed.” Hallelujah! Can I get an “Amen!” Yeah. Right. Not As […]

The collapse of the US’s position in Afghanistan has limited read-across to its relations with its NATO and Asian allies. But it is a stark reminder of the constraints on the UK as a global power. This is a desperate time for the people of Afghanistan, as they await their fate under Taliban rule. While too much international aid has […]

There are several reasons for the collapse of the Afghan army, but a duplicitous US negotiation with the Taliban was the most potent, and the insurgents exploited the uncertainty brilliantly. President Joe Biden’s claim that the Afghan army ‘did not have the resolve’ to fight for its own country would seem to be true following its disintegration. But it is […]

Protests against Taliban rule in Afghanistan spread to several cities ahead of the first Friday prayers since the militant group took control last Sunday. In Kabul, around 200 people gathered at one protest on Thursday, the country’s independence day, before Taliban fighters dispersed them violently. Several people were killed in Asadabad after the Taliban fired on a crowd waving Afghan […]

Good afternoon, NATO Foreign Ministers have just met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. What we have witnessed in recent days is a tragedy for the people of Afghanistan. The situation remains very difficult, and unpredictable. Ministers discussed a number of different issues. First, the continuing evacuation of people from Allied and partner countries, and Afghans who worked with us. […]

In journalism proverb, Afghanistan is a convenient shelter, the writer’s fantasy island from topical issues at home. In the current deluge of news from that country, however, that proverb appears to have lost its meaning. There’s no need for escape to Afghanistan; the traffic is the other way, while Afghanistan’s mythical status is being supplanted by lies, damned lies. One […]