China’s economic growth targets and macroeconomic policies formulated at its annual parliamentary meetings the “Two Sessions” face the challenge of policy adjustment in just one month later. In this year’s government work report, the GDP growth target is set at about 5.5%. There will be more than 11 million new urban jobs expected to be created. The yearly surveyed urban […]

Clashes on Afghanistan’s border with both Pakistan and Iran signify an end to the relative wary regional calm that has prevailed since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul. Pakistan perceives that the Taliban de facto authorities of Afghanistan are sympathetic to Pakistani militants that threaten Pakistan’s stability. Any tensions with Afghanistan reduce Pakistan’s ability to use the Taliban and […]

Islamabad: The United States wants to continue working with Pakistan in areas of mutual interests including border security and counterterrorism. “We value our bilateral relationship,” Ned Price, the US Department of State spokesperson, said at a press briefing on Thursday. “We want to continue to work together in areas where we do have mutual interests with our Pakistani partners. That […]

Afghanistan continued to face a severe liquidity crisis this quarter with access to physical bank notes constrained and banks facing major liquidity challenges due to declining economic activity, lack of trust in the banking center among Afghans, and an inability to transact internationally. The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan (SIGAR) said in its latest quarterly report that Da Afghanistan […]

Uzbekistan has emerged as a key interlocutor with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), engaging with Kabul on a wide range of issues but without officially recognizing the new government. In doing so, it has enabled Uzbekistan to explore new opportunities for economic cooperation with Afghanistan without upsetting the international community, VOA reported Friday. Ismatulla Irgashev, special representative to Uzbek […]

The United States is giving Ukraine 16 Mi-17 helicopters that Washington had procured for the former Afghanistan government, a US watchdog agency said Wednesday. According to the latest Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report, the US Department of Defense (DOD) notified Congress in January that it intended to give the Ukrainian government five of the Russian-built helicopters, which […]

Millions of Afghans are now experiencing intense food shortages following the collapse of the former government and Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) takeover in August. As Muslims around the world celebrated Eid-Uk-Fitr, experts say that for most Afghans, it was simply another day of struggle to put food on the table. According to the United Nations, 97 percent of Afghans […]

The UN secretary-general says journalists and media workers are facing increasing politicisation of their work and growing threats to their freedom. On World Press Freedom Day on Tuesday, Antonio Guterres called for respecting the journalists’ rights and ensuring their protection. “The day shines a spotlight on the essential work they do, bringing those in power to account, with transparency, often […]

Recent ISIS-K attacks in Balkh and Kunduz indicate its increase in power in northern Afghanistan The Taliban are finding it’s much more difficult being the governing authority of Afghanistan than it was waging an insurgency campaign against the previous internationally backed government of Ashraf Ghani. Since taking Kabul in August 2021, the Taliban have had to consolidate power and assert […]

The UN Security Council has condemned “in the strongest terms” the continued terrorist attacks targeting civilians in Afghanistan. In a statement issued by the council, the UNSC condemned the recent attacks, including the attack against the Mawlawi Sekander mosque in Kunduz on April 22 which killed more than 25 people, and the attack against the Khalifa Sahib mosque in Kabul […]