Afghanistan Times

A senior Taliban delegation arrived in Japan on February 16 for the first time since the group regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021. The delegation, consisting of officials overseeing diplomacy, healthcare, education, and cultural affairs, is expected to stay for about a week. The visit comes at the invitation …

KABUL – Afghanistan’s Taliban government has refused to disband Afghanistan’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue despite appeals from several Western nations, including Canada, Australia, and European foreign ministers. Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, the ministry’s spokesman, defended its role, stating it operates under Islamic Sharia and serves the Afghan people’s needs. He also …

KABUL – India’s trade equation with Afghanistan has undergone a notable shift since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, with imports hitting a record $642.29 million in 2023-24 and exports plunging to a 16-year low, creating an unusual trade deficit, according to the Ministry of Commerce data. This …

KABUL – raq’s parliament has launched an investigation into the arrival of Afghan and Pakistani militants who previously fought alongside Bashar al-Assad’s forces in Syria. The fighters, largely from the Iran-backed Fatemiyoun and Zainabiyoun brigades, crossed into Iraq in early December, raising alarms over their potential integration into local militias. …

KABUL – A growing rift between the United States and China at the United Nations is escalating into a major diplomatic dispute over who should lead Security Council resolutions on Afghanistan. The debate, which began in late 2024, has intensified under the Trump administration, with Washington resisting Beijing’s push to …

KABUL – The Trump administration’s decision to suspend all foreign aid for 90 days and restructure the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has raised concerns about the future of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. While the freeze could create an opening for China to expand its influence, analysts say Beijing …

Washington, D.C. – The Trump administration has dismissed Paul Martin, the Inspector General of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), following his criticism of efforts to scale back the agency’s operations. A USAID official confirmed the decision, which was made public on Tuesday, February 11. Martin, who had held …

KABUL – Pakistan has accused the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of carrying out 22 attacks from Afghan soil between June 16 and June 30, 2024, escalating tensions between the two neighbors over cross-border militancy. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally raised the issue with the Taliban Embassy in Islamabad, providing …

KABUL – A total of 41 healthcare centers in Afghanistan’s eastern Ghazni and central Bamiyan provinces have been forced to close due to cuts in U.S. assistance, local media reported Wednesday. In Ghazni alone, 39 facilities have shut down, including small clinics, mobile teams, and a safety center, according to …

KABUL – The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing outside a bank in northern Afghanistan that killed five people and wounded seven others, saying it was targeting Taliban government employees collecting their salaries. The attack occurred on Tuesday in the city of Kunduz, with local …