Afghanistan is seeking international assistance in terms of rebuilding the country after years of occupation by foreign troops, Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban Political Office in Qatar, said Thursday. In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Shaheen expressed pleas for help in terms of restoring various sectors in Afghanistan. “We have just come out of from one […]

The Taliban aim to unveil a new governing framework for Afghanistan in the next few weeks, a spokesman said on Saturday. “Legal, religious and foreign policy experts in the Taliban aim to present the new governing framework in the next few weeks,” the official told Reuters.

Who are the Taliban? We still see this question floating around a fair amount on social media and online. People also tend to confuse them with al-Qaeda. Now that the Taliban have taken over Afghanistan at a lightning pace over the last two weeks they claim to have been “reformed.” Hallelujah! Can I get an “Amen!” Yeah. Right. Not As […]

The collapse of the US’s position in Afghanistan has limited read-across to its relations with its NATO and Asian allies. But it is a stark reminder of the constraints on the UK as a global power. This is a desperate time for the people of Afghanistan, as they await their fate under Taliban rule. While too much international aid has […]

There are several reasons for the collapse of the Afghan army, but a duplicitous US negotiation with the Taliban was the most potent, and the insurgents exploited the uncertainty brilliantly. President Joe Biden’s claim that the Afghan army ‘did not have the resolve’ to fight for its own country would seem to be true following its disintegration. But it is […]

Protests against Taliban rule in Afghanistan spread to several cities ahead of the first Friday prayers since the militant group took control last Sunday. In Kabul, around 200 people gathered at one protest on Thursday, the country’s independence day, before Taliban fighters dispersed them violently. Several people were killed in Asadabad after the Taliban fired on a crowd waving Afghan […]

In the past few days, hundreds of Afghan soldiers have sought refuge in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Several dozen helicopters and planes, formerly of the Afghan air force, fled the Taliban’s advance and landed in Uzbekistan. At the time of writing, almost 600 Afghan pilots and crews remain in the country. Their fate remains unknown. Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, […]

In 2020, India changed its foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations to allow investments of up to 74 per cent in the defence manufacturing sector under its automatic route, which was previously limited to 49 per cent. This is an important decision for a sector that is struggling to attract investment. Investment in India’s defence manufacturing sector, which was previously limited […]

Good afternoon, NATO Foreign Ministers have just met to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. What we have witnessed in recent days is a tragedy for the people of Afghanistan. The situation remains very difficult, and unpredictable. Ministers discussed a number of different issues. First, the continuing evacuation of people from Allied and partner countries, and Afghans who worked with us. […]

In journalism proverb, Afghanistan is a convenient shelter, the writer’s fantasy island from topical issues at home. In the current deluge of news from that country, however, that proverb appears to have lost its meaning. There’s no need for escape to Afghanistan; the traffic is the other way, while Afghanistan’s mythical status is being supplanted by lies, damned lies. One […]