Latest News
UN chief calls on Taliban to immediately halt offensive
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called on the Taliban to immediately halt their offensive in Afghanistan, and warned that “Afghanistan is spinning out of control.”
“This is the moment to halt the offensive. This is the moment to start serious negotiation. This is the moment to avoid a prolonged civil war, or the isolation of Afghanistan,” Guterres told reporters in New York.
Guterres called on all parties to do more to protect civilians, Reuters reported.
He also said he was “deeply disturbed by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions on human rights in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists.”
“It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away from them,” he said.
Under Taliban rule between 1996 and 2001, women could not work, girls were not allowed to attend school and women had to cover their face and be accompanied by a male relative if they wanted to venture out of their homes.
The United States is sending in about 3,000 extra troops to help evacuate U.S. Embassy staff and Britain is deploying about 600 troops to help its citizens leave. Other embassies, including those of the Netherlands, Germany and Norway, and aid groups said they were also getting their people out, Reuters reported.
Since the start of the year nearly 400,000 people have been newly displaced by conflict across Afghanistan, and 10,350 internally displaced people arrived in Kabul between July 1 and Aug. 12, the United Nations has said.
In an interview with Al Arabiya, former Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said international companies, including United States firms, are welcome to join the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
Berdymukhamedov noted that while the project enjoys U.S. support, it will need to navigate longstanding regional tensions, as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India have seen outbreaks of deadly fighting over the past year.
“This project, which enjoys international support, including from the United States, possesses immense potential in meeting the growing energy needs of South Asian nations. It also opens promising avenues for accessing the emerging markets of the Asia-Pacific region, the Near East, and the Middle East,” he said.
“The TAPI project is also of paramount importance for political stability and economic prosperity, maintaining high investment attractiveness,” Berdymukhamedov added.
Turkmenistan plans to complete the first section of the pipeline, reaching the Afghan city of Herat, by the end of 2026. No plans have yet been announced to extend the project further south.
The British political party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is set to impose a blanket visa ban on Afghanistan and five other countries — including Pakistan — as part of its proposed crackdown on illegal migration and states refusing to accept deported nationals.
In a speech set for Monday, the party’s newly appointed “shadow” home secretary, Zia Yusuf, will outline plans to halt all visas for diplomats, students, workers, VIPs and tourists from Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan and Sudan. Reform says these governments fail to cooperate in accepting back deported migrants and convicted criminals.
Pakistan received more than 160,000 UK visas last year, making it one of the biggest visa recipients. However, British officials say Islamabad accepts back only a small fraction of rejected asylum seekers and has resisted pressure to take back individuals convicted in high-profile criminal cases.
The move – which mirrors US President Donald Trump’s visa ban on 75 countries – would be a key element in Reform’s strategy to deport up to 288,000 illegal migrants from the UK on five charter flights a day.
On legal migration, Yusuf will say a Reform government would terminate all welfare payments to foreign nationals, including the 1.3 million currently receiving UC, up from around 900,000 in 2022.
Yusuf is expected to say that years of weak immigration enforcement have undermined public trust and that a Reform government would secure Britain’s borders and make people feel safe.
Latest News
Ex-US envoy Khalilzad condemns Pakistan air attacks on Afghanistan
He described the situation as a tragedy for both Pakistan and its neighbors, urging the Pakistani leadership to reconsider its policies and change course.
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has strongly condemned Sunday’s airstrikes by Pakistan on Afghanistan. He stated that these attacks killed and wounded numerous innocent women, children, and elderly.
Khalilzad pointed to Pakistan’s long history of misgovernance, interference in minority rights, manipulation of democratic processes, and repeated military takeovers as the root causes.
He described the situation as a tragedy for both Pakistan and its neighbors, urging the Pakistani leadership to reconsider its policies and change course.
US companies are welcome to join TAPI project: Turkmenistan’s ex-president
Mexican military kills cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ in US-backed raid
UK’s Reform party pledges visa ban affecting Afghanistan and five other states
Iran and U.S. to meet on Thursday for talks
Ex-US envoy Khalilzad condemns Pakistan air attacks on Afghanistan
AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026: Day One Review
IEA releases three Pakistani soldiers to mark Ramadan
AFC Futsal Asian Cup: Afghanistan to face Iran in crucial Group D clash
Afghanistan’s Chief of Armed Forces underscores readiness and equipment for national defense
Afghanistan welcomes investment and technology partnerships with India
Tahawol: Repeat crimes by Pakistani military in Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Pakistani military regime’s airstrikes on Afghanistan
Tahawol: US military review for attack against Iran discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s expanding ties with Central Asia discussed
Tawsia: Calls for implementing development and infrastructure projects
-
Latest News5 days agoAfghanistan’s Chief of Armed Forces underscores readiness and equipment for national defense
-
Latest News4 days agoAfghanistan welcomes investment and technology partnerships with India
-
Sport4 days agoAfghan Peaks founder climbs Aconcagua to promote Afghanistan’s mountain potential
-
Latest News3 days agoIndian customs seize Chinese walnuts falsely declared as Afghan
-
Business4 days agoPakistan allows re-export of stranded Afghan transit cargo
-
Latest News3 days agoPakistan’s Punjab to send home 20 more Afghans in repatriation drive
-
Latest News4 days agoPakistan signals possible air strikes as Kabul releases Pakistani soldiers in goodwill move
-
Latest News5 days agoAfghanistan welcomes Ramazan; authorities emphasize security and support for citizens