Amu: In an effort to stabilize the Afghan currency, Taliban on Wednesday issued a six-point decree banning the transfer of more than $5,000 through airports and more than $500 through land borders. The decree warns that violators will be arrested and imprisoned. The move follows a sharp decline in the value of the afghani against
Ayaz Gul VOA News January 20, 2025 Ayaz Gul — President-elect Donald Trump says that future financial assistance to Afghanistan will be contingent upon the return of U.S. military equipment by the Taliban leaders currently in power. Trump’s remarks at a Sunday rally in Washington on the eve of his January 20 inauguration have heightened uncertainty
8am: At the same time, some human traffickers in Nimruz say that Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban Supreme Leader, issued a decree banning human trafficking, but local Taliban officials continue to take money from traffickers. According to them, some Taliban commanders are involved in human trafficking and make huge sums of money through this business. Click
Ariana: Local officials in Panjshir have announced the discovery of over 1,600 emerald mines in the province, with extraction currently underway at 600 sites. Over the past year, the extraction of emeralds from 600 mines in Panjshir has yielded 100,000 carats, valued at approximately $6.9 million. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: Retirees voiced growing concerns over the Taliban’s failure to pay pensions, leaving many unable to afford basic necessities such as food or heating during a harsh winter. Rabia, a former teacher from Farah province, is among thousands of pensioners who have gone unpaid for more than three years. After dedicating nearly 35 years to
Afghanistan International: Amid growing calls for the cutting U.S. financial aid to Afghanistan under Taliban rule, the Afghanistan currency has once again depreciated against the U.S. dollar. On Sunday, one U.S. dollar was traded at 74 Afghanis in Afghanistan’s currency markets. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a press conference on Tuesday, January 7, condemned the
After a year of unprecedented trade and breaking ground on high-profile mining projects in 2024, there’s new momentum for Beijing’s growing role in Afghanistan and deepening ties with the Taliban. But can the hard-line group finally calm China’s longstanding security concerns and unleash a wave of much-needed investment?
Amu: Afghanistan’s vast mineral wealth, which includes copper, lithium, and rare earth elements, has long been viewed as a potential driver of economic growth. However, the secrecy surrounding mining revenues under Taliban rule has raised fears of resource mismanagement. Click here to read more (external link).
The Conversation: The economic cost could potentially reach over a billion dollars – and this doesn’t include the wider social costs associated with lower levels of education for women. For context, Afghanistan’s entire gross domestic product was just $17 billion in 2023. Our study demonstrates how catastrophic the newest education ban could be, not just
Afghanistan International: After the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Tehran has repeatedly called on the group to restore the flow of water from the Helmand River to Iran, but the Taliban, citing the drought, has claimed that the water has naturally decreased and has not been blocked. Iran has also recently raised criticisms of the construction