Taliban

Russian lawmakers approve Bill that may remove terrorist tag for Taliban

The lower house of Russia's parliament on Tuesday approved a 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 second and third readings, the official terrorist designation of an organisation could be suspended by a court. The legislation still 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 then, Moscow has made a diplomatic comeback as a pow

Explosion in Afghan capital kills Taliban refugee minister, 2 others

Haqqani was the most high-profile casualty of a bombing in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power and the first Cabinet member to be killed since the takeover

UN urges Taliban to embrace human rights obligations for future generations

The UN mission in Afghanistan urged the country's Taliban rulers on Tuesday to embrace global human rights obligations for the protection and prosperity of future generations. The mission's call follows increasing alarm over a reported suspension of medical education and training for women and girls. Authorities have neither confirmed the suspension nor responded to the reports, which said that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered educational institutions to stop providing medical courses for females. The UN mission said that the theme for this year's International Human Rights Day emphasised how rights empowered people to build a better future. Regrettably, we continue to see the opposite unfold in Afghanistan, said Roza Otunbayeva, who is the head of the mission. There is an ongoing, dangerous erosion of human rights protections, with women and girls bearing the brunt. The human rights record of authorities was especially marked by their systemic discrimination again

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

Hopes for peaceful transition reflecting aspirations of Syrians: Taliban

Afghanistan MOFA also urged foreign actors to support Syria's path to good governance

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 ...

Rashid Khan calls on Taliban to reevaluate restrictions on Afghan women

Khan's call for change has resonated with many, as his influence continues to inspire discussions about the future of Afghanistan, particularly in terms of women's rights and access to education

EU condemns Taliban's reported suspension of medical education for females

The European Union on Thursday condemned the Taliban for violating human rights and women's access to education after media reports that the Taliban's leader has ordered private and public institutions to stop providing medical courses for women and girls in Afghanistan. The Taliban have neither confirmed the order nor responded to the media reports. The Public Health Ministry spokesman was unavailable for comment. In September 2021, a month after they returned to power, the Taliban stopped schooling for girls after grade six. They banned women from university in December 2022. Medical education, like nursing and midwifery, was one of the few ways they could continue their learning in classrooms. The BBC and others reported that five institutions across Afghanistan said the Taliban had instructed them to close until further notice, and women training as midwives and nurses were ordered not to return to classes Wednesday. The EU said the Taliban's latest reported decision represent

Violence rages in Pakistan's Kurram; 107 dead in a week despite ceasefire

At least 107 people have been killed in a feud between communities in the Kurram district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including 52 due to the attack on a convoy on November 21

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

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

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

Fed up with Pakistan, China may take matters into its own hands. Here's how

Chinese workers in Pakistan have been targeted by terrorist attacks twice within six months, prompting Beijing to raise security concerns at the highest diplomatic levels, but to little avail

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'

Law enforcement agencies kill 10 TTP militants in Pakistan's Punjab

At least 10 militants from banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group were killed by law enforcement agencies in Punjab province of Pakistan on Thursday, police said. "A covert operation was launched in the hilly Malakhel area of Mianwali city based on intelligence reports about the presence of 10 to 15 terrorists. A fierce exchange of gunfire ensued between the police and the terrorists," a CTD spokesperson said. During the exchange, 10 terrorists were killed while all CTD and Elite Force officers and personnel remained unharmed, the spokesperson added. Punjab Inspector General of PoliceUsman Anwa praised the CTD team, the Mianwali police chief, and their forces for their significant success against the terrorists. The Punjab Police is on high alert and we will not rest until we crush the nefarious plans of these terrorists, Anwar said. The spokesperson said the terrorists were planning a large-scale sabotage in Punjab. A search operation is ongoing in the area and efforts to

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 ...