Afghanistan

The Taliban have officially banned the game of chess in Afghanistan, citing religious reasons and dysfunction within the national chess federation, Amu news agency reported. The move was confirmed by Atal Mashwani, spokesperson for the Taliban’s General Directorate of Physical…

Four years have passed since the devastating bombing of Sayyed al-Shuhada School in Kabul’s predominantly Hazara neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi. The coordinated explosions on May 8, 2021, targeted schoolgirls as they were leaving for the day, killing at least 85 people…

Flash floods have ravaged northeastern Afghanistan’s Badakhshan Province, submerging farmland, destroying homes, and killing livestock in a severe climate-related disaster, Amu TV reported. Over 1,000 households in Jurm and Baharak districts were impacted, with 1,233 hectares of crops—including vital wheat…

The European Union marked International Midwives Day (May 5) by urging the Taliban to restore Afghan women’s access to medical education, warning that current restrictions are worsening one of the world’s worst maternal health crises, Khaama press reported. Afghanistan records…

The Taliban’s new school uniform mandate is forcing boys out of classrooms, exacerbating Afghanistan’s education crisis, Amu TV reported. The policy requires male students and teachers to wear traditional perahan tunban (long tunic and trousers) with turbans or caps, strictly…

Amnesty International reported on World Press Freedom Day (May 3, 2025) that Taliban authorities have detained, tortured, or threatened 336 journalists and media workers between August 2021 and September 2024, Amu TV reported. The findings expose systematic efforts to suppress…

Women’s rights activists are urging the United Nations to ensure its proposed roadmap for Afghanistan leads to an inclusive political structure that incorporates non-Taliban figures, especially women, in leadership roles, Afghan news outlet Amu reported. The UN’s initiative, part of…

Pakistan deported 144,500 Afghan nationals in April—the highest monthly total since its mass repatriation campaign began in September 2023—according to a joint report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The report…

Russia has announced its readiness to assist the Taliban in combating ISIS-Khorasan, the Islamic State affiliate active in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported. Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, emphasized the shared threat ISIS poses to both Moscow and Kabul…

Afghanistan has been ranked 175th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), reflecting severe restrictions on media freedom under Taliban rule, Khaama Press reported. Although the country improved by three…