Afghanistan

Russian lawmakers advance Bill removing terrorist designation for Taliban

The lower house of the Russian parliament gave initial approval Tuesday to a long-discussed bill that would set the stage for Moscow to remove the designation of the Taliban in Afghanistan as a terrorist group. Under the bill passed by the State Duma in the first of three required readings, the official terrorist designation of an organisation could be suspended temporarily by a court. The legislation also needs to be approved by the upper house and signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law. The Taliban were put on Russia's list of terrorist organisations in 2003, and any contact with such groups is punishable under Russian law. At the same time, Taliban delegations attended various forums hosted by Moscow. Russian officials have shrugged off questions about the seeming contradiction by emphasising the need to engage the Taliban to help stabilise Afghanistan. The Soviet Union fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with Moscow withdrawing its troops in 1989. Since the

Afghan economy shows modest signs of growth; recovery fragile: World Bank

Afghanistan's economy is showing modest signs of growth after two years of severe contraction, the World Bank said. In its latest development update issued late Wednesday, the financial institution said modest GDP growth of 2.7 per cent was driven by private consumption. The partial recovery, coupled with falling food prices, helped to gradually improve household welfare. Before the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Afghanistan's economy relied heavily on foreign aid and corruption was rife. Their takeover three years ago sent the economy into a tailspin, as billions in international funds were frozen, and tens of thousands of highly skilled Afghans fled the country and took their money with them. Afghan's exports remained stable in 2023-24 but imports surged, creating a widening trade deficit, according to the World Bank. This deficit, exacerbated by dependence on imports for essential goods like fuel, food and machinery, could pose a risk to the country's economic ...

Taliban's anti-begging laws: Afghan women detail rape, torture in prison

Afghan women detained under the Taliban's anti-begging laws describe horrific abuse, including rape and forced labor, after being arrested for begging to feed their children

Taliban detained journos over 250 times in Afghanistan since takeover: UN

In a reply accompanying the report, the Taliban-led foreign ministry denied having arrested that number of journalists and added that those arrested had committed a crime

Russia vows stronger ties with Afghanistan, says US should help rebuild

Taliban leaders asked Shoigu to help them ease the pressure imposed by US sanctions against the Kabul government

More aid workers have been killed in 2024 than in any other year, says UN

Bloodshed in the Middle East has been the single-biggest cause of the 281 deaths among humanitarians globally this year

700 kg drugs seized mid-sea: Gujarat ATS, NCB, Navy conduct joint op

The Gujarat coast continues to struggle with its reputation as a key entry point for drug smuggling into India, driven by its proximity to Pakistan, a transit hub for narcotics from Afghanistan

India takes tentative steps toward improving ties with Taliban-led govt

India closed its embassy in Kabul in August 2021 and has since then limited its engagement with the country to providing occasional humanitarian aid

Afghan community in India demands more consular staff, assistance from MEA

A lone former diplomat, who has continued to stay in India, has somehow kept the Afghan Mission/Consulates running

Donald Trump picks Afghanistan vet Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor

The person familiar requested anonymity to discuss the selection. Waltz's congressional office did not immediately respond to requests for comment

Taliban appoints Ikramuddin Kamil as acting consul in Mumbai Afghan mission

The Taliban regime has appointed Ikramuddin Kamil as the acting consul in the Afghan mission in Mumbai, Afghan media has reported. It is the first such appointment made by the Taliban set up to any Afghan mission in India. There was no immediate comment from the Indian side on the appointment that came. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has announced the appointment of Kamil as the acting consul in Mumbai, the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources. "He is currently in Mumbai, where he is fulfilling his duties as a diplomat representing the Islamic Emirate," it said. The appointment is part of Kabul's efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with India and enhance its presence abroad, the media outlet said. Kamil holds a PhD degree in international law and previously served as the deputy director in the department of security cooperation and border affairs in the foreign ministry, it said. He is expected to facilitate consular

Afghanistan attends UN climate talks for first time since Taliban's return

Afghanistan's first delegation at United Nations climate talks since the Taliban's return to power in 2021 has arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan on Monday in a bid to garner support for climate action in the climate-vulnerable nation. Matuil Haq Khalis, who's head of the country's environment protection agency, told The Associated Press that Afghanistan is among the worst affected nations by climate change and needs the world's support to deal with extreme weather like erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts and flash floods. All the countries must join hands and tackle the problem of climate change, said Khalis, speaking through a translator. Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with a recent assessment by climate experts ranking it the sixth most climate vulnerable country in the world. In March this year, northern Afghanistan was hit by heavy rains resulting in flash floods, killing over 300 people. Climate scientists have found that extreme rainfall has gotten 25 pe

Govt official meets Afghan minister, offers use of Chabahar Port for trade

In a significant move, an Indian delegation met Afghanistan's acting Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob and offered the use of Chabahar Port in Iran to businesses in his country, and also discussed extending humanitarian assistance to Kabul. The delegation was led by J P Singh, the Joint Secretary of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division in the External Affairs Ministry. During a weekly media briefing here, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said that apart from Mohammad Yaqoob, the delegation also met with former President Hamid Karzai and other senior ministers, along with the heads of UN agencies. "They had discussions on India's humanitarian assistance, also how the Chabahar Port can be utilised by the business community in Afghanistan for transactions and for export and import and any other thing that they would like to do," Jaiswal said in response to a question. India does not recognise the Taliban regime that has been ruling Afghanistan since 2021. I

Afghan women banned from hearing other women's voices in new Taliban rule

Taliban's latest decree further limits women's freedom by barring them from reciting prayers aloud, even in the presence of other women

China may offer Taliban tariff-free trade to get closer to its resources

Selling Afghanistan's lithium, copper and iron deposits to the world's biggest commodities buyer would help Taliban prop up their ailing economy, which United Nations says has 'basically collapsed'

Pakistan logs 40th polio case in 2024: Why it fails to curb this endemic?

An infectious disease, Polio can cause crippling paralysis among young children. It has been virtually eradicated from the world, except for Pakistan and Afghanistan

Brics Summit: PM Modi, Iran Prez discuss Chabahar Port, West Asia conflict

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iran's President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian discussed regional connectivity and West Asia conflict. PM Modi also extended a formal invitation to Pezeshkian to visit India

Vistara flight denied Afghan airspace after bomb scare, returns to Delhi

When Afghan airspace officials were notified of the 'non-specific' bomb threat, they refused permission for the Vistara flight to pass through

Survivors grapple with aid cuts, Taliban a year after massive Afghan quake

People had just seconds to flee their homes when the terrifying sound of earth cracking open reverberated across western Afghanistan's Herat province. Nobody knows for sure how many people died in a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Oct 7, 2023, or in the strong aftershocks that followed. The Taliban government estimated that at least 4,000 perished. The UN gave a far lower figure of about 1,500. Survivors stopped counting, exhausted after digging through dirt to save their loved ones or bury them. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory. It was also another major challenge for the Taliban since they seized power in 2021, a test of their readiness to lead a country beset by economic hardship, isolation, devastation from decades of war, and vulnerability to shocks like earthquakes and climate change. At that time, the government really cooperated in transporting patients and the dead, said Ismatullah Rahmani, from the quake's epicenter in Zinda Jan ...

At least 25 killed in days of clashes between Shiites, Sunni Muslims in Pak

At least 25 people have been killed in days of clashes between armed Shiites and Sunni Muslims over a lingering land dispute in northwest Pakistan, officials said. The clashes which started over the weekend in Kurram, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan continued on Wednesday. Officials said dozens of people from both sides have been wounded since Saturday. Kurram has been a scene of sectarian violence in recent years. Authorities said they were trying to prevent the land dispute from turning into sectarian violence in the restive northwest, where extremist groups from the two sides have a strong presence. Barrister Saif Ali, a spokesman for the provincial government, said authorities with the help of tribal elders were trying to defuse tension and both sides had agreed to a cease-fire following peace talks in Kurram. Shiite Muslims make up about 15 per cent of the 240 million population of Sunni-majority Pakistan, which has a history of