Afghanistan International: Dozens of helicopters flown out of Afghanistan during the fall of the Western-backed government in 2021 are expected to be returned from Uzbekistan to Kabul in the coming days, sources told Afghanistan International. According to the sources, 57 helicopters that once belonged to the former Afghan army will be transferred back. After the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in August 2021, Afghan military pilots flew a number of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – September 8, 2025
Afghans Become Second-Largest Asylum Seekers in Europe
Khaama: Afghans were the second-largest group of asylum seekers in Europe in the first half of 2025, trailing only Venezuelans, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). Afghan claims, however, have remained consistently high since the Taliban takeover in 2021. EU and International Organization for Migration data show Afghans remain among the top five nationalities seeking asylum across Europe, citing insecurity and restrictions under Taliban rule, particularly for women. Click here to read more (external link).
UNICEF: More than 500,000 affected by Afghanistan earthquake, half of them children
Amu: More than 500,000 people, including over 263,000 children, have been affected by last week’s powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, UNICEF said in its first flash update. The 6.0-magnitude quake struck at 11:47 p.m. on Aug. 31 in Kuz Kunar district of Nangarhar province, flattening villages and triggering landslides. Seventeen aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 or greater followed, including three above 5.0. According to UNICEF, at least 2,205 people were killed and 3,640 others injured. Among the dead were 393 girls and 338 boys. The agency said 271 children were left orphaned and 81 children are currently hospitalized without relatives, raising fears they may have lost their entire families. The earthquake destroyed or damaged more than 6,700 houses across Kunar, Nangarhar and Laghman provinces. Entire valleys were cut off by landslides, complicating rescue efforts. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Taliban Rejects Elections As Un-Islamic, Says NRF Leader
Massoud
Afghanistan International: Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front, said Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told him during talks in 2022 that elections “have no place in Islam.” Massoud disclosed the exchange on Saturday in a discussion on the social media platform X. He said Muttaqi had urged him to end resistance against the Taliban and return to Kabul following the group’s takeover. Click here to read more (external link).
Drug Sales and Sexual Abuse Allegations: What’s Happening Inside Taliban Prison in Herat?
8am: Reliable sources describe the situation of prisoners in Taliban prisons in Herat province as shocking. According to them, in this prison, in addition to the buying and selling of narcotics, some imprisoned children are also subjected to sexual abuse by Taliban members, while children over seven years old are held in this prison on charges of theft. Prisoners also express concern about bribery by Taliban judges and the forced sale of narcotics by members of this group inside the prison. According to them, in one case, a young man committed suicide after being released from Taliban prison, and in a letter he left behind, he wrote that he could not bear the suffering he endured in prison. Also, one of the Taliban officials in this group’s prison in Herat has confessed that from the proceeds of selling narcotics in this prison, he has married three times. Click here to read more (external link).
Britain’s Farage confirms he wants to deport women asylum seekers back to Afghanistan
Nigel Farage
Ariana: Nigel Farage, leader of the populist Reform UK party, has confirmed he wants to deport women asylum seekers back to the Islamic Emirate-run Afghanistan if he becomes prime minister. When asked by Sky News journalist if he would “detain” women and children and “send them back”, Farage said “yes”. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – September 7, 2025
Afghanistan to play Pakistan, Sri Lanka in November T20 tri-series
Amu: Afghanistan will face Pakistan and Sri Lanka in a T20 tri-nation series in November, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced. The tournament, hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board, will run from Nov. 17 to 29, with matches scheduled at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Click here to read more (external link).
More Afghan Cricket News
Iran Sends Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan Earthquake Victims
8am: Iranian media reported Saturday that an aircraft loaded with food, medicine, and emergency supplies had arrived in Afghanistan, according to Hamid Vahedi, Commander of the Iranian Army’s Air Force. Vahedi stated that assisting neighbors and those in need represents a core humanitarian duty of Iran’s military, with the country’s air forces maintaining readiness to deploy rapidly wherever assistance is required. Click here to read more (external link).
More on the earthquake
- Bangladesh Sends Emergency Aid to Kunar Earthquake Victims
- Pakistan Rejects UN Request to Suspend Deportation of Afghanistan Refugees
- Taliban Warn Aid Groups On Helping Women After Afghanistan Quake
- After Afghan Quake, Many Male Rescuers Helped Men but Not Women
- Sources: Kunar quake victims continue to face lack of female doctors