Two years after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the militant group continues to assert its rule, citing Islamic law as the source of its legitimacy. In a recent interview, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid reaffirmed the group’s commitment to an indefinite rule based on Sharia, dismissing questions about restrictions on women’s rights and education. As Afghanistan grapples with the implications of […]

Afghanistan’s Taliban says it has captured 200 suspected militants for staging deadly cross-border attacks against Pakistan and has implemented other “concrete steps” to “neutralize” the terrorist activity, VOA learned from Pakistani officials privy to the process. The de facto Afghan rulers shared the details about the crackdown on the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, in bilateral talks they hosted last […]

What is the origin of Xi Jinping’s strongman rule? A “victorious Xi” thesis argues that Xi simply won his fight to gain power. But this raises the question of where Xi found the political support to do so. A “collective support” thesis suggests that centralized power was willingly given to Xi by the Chinese Communist Party’s collective leadership to overcome […]

George, who said he arrived on this lush island in Micronesia six months ago, lives with two other Chinese men and fierce guard dogs at an isolated site in the jungle that was used to make asphalt for a Chinese-funded road upgrade. He wouldn’t give his complete name when reporters from BenarNews and affiliate news organization Radio Free Asia visited […]

Ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh said on Thursday they were dissolving the breakaway statelet they had defended for three decades, where more than half the population has fled since Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive last week. In a statement, they said their self-declared Republic of Artsakh would “cease to exist” by Jan. 1, in what amounted to a formal capitulation to […]

Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has met with members of the Grand Mufti Council of Russia and the Imam of Moscow’s Central Mosque, Ravil Ainuddin. According to the foreign ministry, Ainuddin gave details about Muslims and religious centers in Russia and also discussed Moscow’s policy of respect for Islam, its sacred places and non-discriminatory stance towards Muslims. He […]

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid once again denied the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and says that some countries are spreading false intelligence information about Afghanistan in order to cast doubt over the progress being made in the country. Speaking at an event in Kandahar, Mujahid said Afghanistan has experienced the “bitter taste” of war for four decades […]

After a lull, the demand for Khalistan, an independent homeland for the Sikh community covering the Punjab area of India, has hit headlines in Canada, the US, and the UK. It has seen four murders in recent months, and India and Canada have expelled senior diplomats. On Sept. 18, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Indian government agents were involved […]

The India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), announced during the 2023 G20 Summit, holds significant potential for enhancing economic integration, trade, investments, and fostering cooperation among the participating countries on multiple fronts. This ambitious project aims to establish a seamless trade route connecting India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Jordan, Israel, and Europe, with the potential […]

Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai on Wednesday called on countries in the region and beyond to stop spreading “negative propaganda” against the Islamic Emirate and instead take positive steps to ensure stability in Afghanistan. Speaking at a ceremony in Kabul to mark World Tourism Day, Stanikzai reiterated that peace in Afghanistan is important for the […]