Afghanistan International: Pakistani business newspaper Business Recorder reported that the closure of border crossings with Afghanistan in recent months has dealt a heavy blow to Pakistan’s trade, costing the country nearly $850 million in exports and transit revenues. The continued closure of Pakistan’s border crossings with Afghanistan, combined with rising regional tensions and the Middle
Amu: One of the busiest centers of child labor is Farhang Park in downtown Herat, directly across from the office of the Taliban governor. Children working there said they routinely encounter drug users and unsafe conditions while trying to support their families. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: After border crossings with Pakistan were closed, Afghanistan shifted much of its trade through Bandar Abbas Port of Iran, but disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has now severely affected trade and aid deliveries. According to Associated Press, Afghans had increasingly turned to Iranian routes as an alternative to Pakistan’s Karachi Port. Click
Amu: Juma Khan Fateh, the Taliban’s deputy governor in Zabul province in south, has agreed to disarm armed men loyal to him in Badakhshan as Taliban attempt to contain a widening dispute over gold mines in the northeastern province, local sources told Amu TV on Saturday. The reported agreement was reached during a meeting with
Khaama: Local officials in Baghlan Province said flash floods have killed at least 15 people, injured dozens and damaged or destroyed around 200 homes in northern Afghanistan. Farooqi Khpalwak said the floods struck several districts, including Baghlan-e-Markazi District, Dand-e-Ghori and Dehna Ghori, following heavy rainfall. Heavy rains and flash floods have hit several parts of
Khaama: Local sources in Bamyan say Taliban authorities shut down the Baran Health Sciences Institute, detained several staff members and sealed the institute for a second time. Sources said one of the institute’s founders, administrative officials and several teachers were detained during the raid earlier this week. Some staff members were later released, but the
By Farangis Najibullah, Firuza Azizi and Sahar Lewal Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty May 20, 2026 Every morning, Faisal stands along a road on the outskirts of the Iranian capital, Tehran, waiting for a day job. The 27-year-old migrant from neighboring Afghanistan used to find manual work on most days, earning up to 10 million rials
Amu: Gold mining operations in parts of Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province have been suspended amid escalating tensions over control of mineral-rich areas, local sources said on Wednesday. The suspension comes as Taliban attempt to contain growing unrest linked to gold mines in Shukai district and surrounding areas, where disputes between local residents, armed groups and
Khaama: A report by BBC says worsening poverty and unemployment in Afghanistan’s Ghor Province are forcing some families to sell children while malnutrition is driving rising infant deaths. The report described severe hunger in the provincial capital Firozkoh, where crowds gather daily for leftover bread and rare labor opportunities, while many residents return home without
Afghanistan International: Local sources in Badakhshan tell Afghanistan International that the Taliban have detained several individuals, including relatives of a number of the group’s ethnic Tajik commanders, amid an ongoing dispute over gold. According to these sources, those detained include Khaled, a nephew of Mawlawi Amanuddin Mansoor, the Taliban’s governor in Helmand; Musa Kaka, a