Afghanistan Times

AT News KABUL – In a recent UN briefing, Roza Otunbayeva, the UN’s representative for Afghanistan, emphasized the importance of the Taliban adhering to “international norms” for the country’s inclusion on the global stage. This is as the lack of progress in addressing human rights issues is a major hurdle …

KABUL — Afghanistan is spiraling into an environmental catastrophe caused by nearly five decades of war, according to a stark new warning from United Nations officials and researchers. Toxic air, poisoned water, radioactive soil, and deforestation are endangering millions, with experts calling it one of the world’s most overlooked crises. …

KABUL — Kazakhstan has announced plans to invest $500 million in the construction of the Torghandi-Herat railway line, signaling a major boost in infrastructure and trade ties with Afghanistan. During a visit to Kabul on Monday, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin said Astana is also establishing a logistics and …

KABUL – China has extended an official invitation to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to participate in the upcoming 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, scheduled to be held in China later this year. The invitation was conveyed by Zhao Xing, China’s ambassador to Kabul, during a meeting with …

KABUL – Sergei Naryshkin, Director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), has accused Western intelligence agencies of actively seeking to support anti-government forces in Afghanistan to maintain instability and further their geopolitical interests. Speaking at the “Afghanistan: Regional Interconnectivity, Security and Development” conference in Baku on April 17-18, Naryshkin criticized …

KABUL – Afghanistan’s Prime Minister, Hasan Akhund, has condemned Pakistan’s “unilateral deportation” of Afghan refugees, accusing Islamabad of exacerbating the crisis and obstructing efforts to find a lasting solution. The strong criticism comes after Pakistan began a strict campaign in April to forcibly expel over 800,000 Afghan nationals, including many …

KABUL – In a striking policy recalibration, the United States under the second Trump administration appears to be adopting a more pragmatic approach toward the Taliban government in Afghanistan. A recent high-level visit to Kabul by a U.S. delegation has raised eyebrows globally and signals Washington’s renewed interest in engaging …

KABUL – A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on Saturday, 19 April 2025, at approximately 12:17 PM IST (11:47 AM local time). The quake’s epicentre was located at latitude 36.10°N and longitude 71.20°E, with a depth of approximately 130 kilometres, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). …

KABUL — Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Kabul on Saturday for high-level talks with Taliban officials as Islamabad intensifies the deportation of undocumented Afghans. His visit comes as more than 85,000 Afghans — over half of them children — have been expelled in just over two weeks. Pakistan …

KABUL – Pakistan has expelled over 80,000 Afghan nationals since the end of March, as part of a massive repatriation drive ahead of a final deadline of April 30. Talal Chaudhry, an adviser to Pakistan’s interior ministry, confirmed on Friday that the country would enforce this deadline strictly, allowing only …

KABUL — In a highly controversial move, the Trump administration has ordered Afghan refugees who entered the U.S. after the Taliban’s 2021 takeover to leave the country within seven days or face deportation. The directive, issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, applies to thousands of Afghans, many of …