Kabul

Pakistan has launched cross-border strikes in Afghanistan following a terrorist attack in Karachi linked to Jamaatul Ahrar, a group tied to TTP, eliminating 29 terrorists including a militant commander. The attack highlights the resurgence of terrorism in urban centers and Pakistan's call for the Afghan Taliban to address terrorist groups on their soil.

Five years after the Taliban's return to power, Afghanistan remains in an uneasy position in international politics. European governments are seeking practical engagement with Kabul, but concerns persist about whether such contact can address humanitarian issues without legitimizing the Taliban's restrictions on women and civil liberties.

A 67-year-old man was shot dead near the northern Arab Israeli town of Kabul in a suspected homicide. Medics declared him dead at the scene, and since the start of the year, 135 members of the Arab community have been killed by violence.

The Taliban's seizure of Kabul and imposition of Sharia law threatened the Afghan women's cycling team, prompting a secret operation to smuggle the athletes out of the country. Reporters Matteo Born and Alain Rimbert documented this covert exfiltration effort.

The Taliban rammed a car into four young women in Kabul following an education seminar. The attack occurred after the women attended the event.

The article discusses differing risk assessments between individuals, illustrated by a 2008 encounter in Kabul between the author and a security guard. It references research in 'Predisposed' by political scientists John R. Alford, John R. Hibbing, and Kevin B. Smith, which suggests liberals and conservatives have biologically distinct responses to stimuli. The author argues that these differences do not doom disagreement, as humans evolved to communicate and cooperate.

A truck carrying Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan overturned in eastern Afghanistan, killing 22 people and injuring 36, mostly women and children. The accident occurred when the driver fell asleep, and the passengers were among those returning home due to crackdowns on migrants in Pakistan and Iran.

The article details the progress made in integrating women into Afghanistan's justice system under the author's tenure as Attorney General (2016-2021), including a rise in female prosecutors from 3% to 23%. However, the Taliban's 2021 takeover dismantled these reforms, releasing convicted abusers and silencing women's legal advancements.

A Pakistani strike hit a rehab centre in Kabul, with Pakistan claiming it targeted military and terrorist infrastructure, but the UN and victims' families have rejected this claim. The attack has resulted in deaths and injuries. The incident has sparked controversy over its legitimacy.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has refused to rule out repatriating failed Afghan asylum seekers to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, indicating ongoing discussions between Kabul and EU countries about a returns program. Internal Whitehall conversations about the policy are also underway, which could face opposition from humanitarian groups.

Kabul faces a severe water crisis as residents struggle to access clean water, with Taliban policies and climate change exacerbating the situation. Groundwater levels have dropped dramatically, forcing communities to rely on costly water trucks and contaminated sources. A Mercy Corps report warns of an impending humanitarian disaster without major policy changes.