Kabul

A hand grenade attack near a school in Kabul wounded numerous children on Monday afternoon. According to authorities, an investigation was underway following the blast, which occurred in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood. The United Nations’ special rapporteur for Afghanistan condemned the incident as 'heinous,' noting that the area is mainly populated by the Hazara ethnic minority.

A hand grenade attack occurred near a school in Kabul on Monday afternoon, wounding multiple children. Authorities stated that an investigation was underway after the incident. Richard Bennett, the United Nations' special rapporteur for Afghanistan, condemned the 'heinous attack,' noting that this mainly Hazara part of Kabul has been targeted.

A hand grenade attack wounded multiple children near a school in Kabul on Monday afternoon, with Afghan media reporting that around 50 children were hurt. Following the blast, which occurred in the Hazara district of the capital, the UN's special rapporteur for Afghanistan condemned the incident as a 'heinous attack.'

Taliban officials and supporters marked five years since their return to power with gatherings and street celebrations in Kabul. These events took place following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Taliban officials and supporters held gatherings and street celebrations in Kabul to mark five years since their return to power. These commemorations took place following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Taliban rulers marked their fifth anniversary in power at Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga assembly hall, asserting they brought stability and an end to conflict. Contrarily, a United Nations special rapporteur warned of a grave human rights crisis, noting that girls above age 12 are denied education. The administration has also restricted women's participation in public spaces and banned higher education for women.

Taliban leaders marked five years in power at a Loya Jirga assembly hall, claiming they had brought stability after the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops. However, a UN special rapporteur warned that the country is undergoing a deep human rights crisis, citing the denial of education for girls and numerous restrictions on women's public life.

As the Taliban marks five years in power in Afghanistan, residents report feeling safer but stress that the government must focus on creating jobs and expanding educational access. Despite improvements in stability cited by international groups, women remain under severe restrictions, including bans on education beyond the sixth grade. The UN warns that lasting recovery and integration depend on lifting these restrictions and protecting basic rights.

As the Taliban marks five years in power in Afghanistan, some residents report feeling safer but emphasize pressing needs for job creation and expanded education access. International bodies noted that while stability has improved, significant restrictions imposed by the ruling group on women severely impede the nation’s recovery and development. The group, which initially pledged to protect women’s rights, has since banned girls from secondary education and restricted employment and travel for women.

Residents note feeling safer under the Taliban's rule after five years but emphasize the need for job creation and expanded education opportunities. The article highlights that despite some noted stabilization, the group has imposed severe restrictions on women, banning girls above 12 from school and limiting employment and travel. Organizations warn that these rights violations significantly impede Afghanistan’s overall recovery.

As Afghanistan marks five years under the Taliban, residents report feeling safer after conflict but stress that job creation and expanding education are urgently needed. International bodies warn that while some stability has been achieved, restrictions imposed on women and girls severely undermine national recovery efforts. The U.N.'s agency on women’s rights stated that these measures constitute the world's most severe women’s rights crisis.

The United States withdrew military forces from Afghanistan in 2021, leading to Taliban control, which placed many Afghan allies in grave danger. While organizations such as World Relief and AfghanEvac have supported resettlements, most of the roughly 70,000 Afghans brought to the U.S. were admitted on temporary legal statuses like humanitarian parole, rather than through promised pathways to permanent residency via Special Immigrant Visas or the Refugee Admissions Program.

The article compares Donald Trump's escalating conflict with Iran to the US's failed Afghanistan campaign, which ended in 2021 after causing significant casualties and enabling the Taliban's return to power. It criticizes the lack of clear objectives and exit strategies in both conflicts, labeling them as 'forever wars.'

Gunmen killed Zabihullah Amiri, Badakhshan’s director of information and culture, in a targeted attack in Afghanistan. Security forces killed one attacker and captured the other. The article notes prior rare attacks on Taliban officials, including a 2024 suicide bombing that killed refugee minister Khalil Haqqani and a 2023 car bomb in Faizabad.

Cross-border fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan from October to June caused 499 civilian deaths and 1,216 injuries in Afghanistan, according to a UN report. Pakistan denies targeting civilians, while the UN documented incidents including a March airstrike on a Kabul drug treatment center that killed hundreds.

Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan from October to June killed 499 Afghan civilians and wounded 1,216 others, per a UN report. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants, including the Pakistani Taliban, while denying civilian targeting. A March airstrike on a Kabul drug treatment center killed hundreds, with Amnesty International calling for a war crime investigation.

The UN reported that cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan since October 2026 has killed nearly 500 Afghan civilians and wounded over 1,000 others. A deadly airstrike on a drug treatment center in Kabul in March 2026 killed hundreds of civilians, prompting Amnesty International to call for a war crime investigation.

The UN reported that cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan since October has killed nearly 500 Afghan civilians and wounded over 1,000 others. A Pakistani airstrike in March hit a drug treatment center in Kabul, killing hundreds, while Pakistan denies targeting civilians, claiming strikes were aimed at militant infrastructure.

The Taliban regime in Kabul faces internal fragmentation between the Kandahar and Kabul factions, economic reliance on illicit trade, and growing opposition from groups like the National Resistance Front led by Ahmad Massoud. Decentralized resistance movements and regional tensions further threaten the administration's stability.

Amnesty International accuses Pakistan of a potential war crime following a March airstrike on Kabul's Omid drug treatment center, which killed hundreds of civilians. The organization found no evidence the facility was being used for military purposes, contradicting Pakistan's claims. The UN verified at least 269 civilian deaths, with Pakistan disputing the casualty figures and asserting it targeted a military site.

Farkhunda Muhtaj, an Afghan-Canadian soccer player, has led efforts to sustain the Afghanistan women's national soccer team in exile after the Taliban banned women's sports in 2021. FIFA recently agreed to establish an official team, and Muhtaj has evacuated players, lobbied international bodies, and played for Calgary Wild in Canada.

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.