The Bolduc Brief: Special Operations Forces and Afghan Local Police Programs

Editor’s Note: Today’s “Bolduc Brief” was co-authored by Donald C. Bolduc and Chris Hensley – GDM U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) deployed to Afghanistan in October 2001 to conduct unconventional warfare to topple the Taliban regime. The fall...

UNSC Nod To Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister's India Visit, Muttaqi In Delhi From October 9 To 16

Last Updated:October 02, 2025, 19:11 IST Due to his sanctioned status under the UNSC Resolution 1988 regime, targeting Taliban leaders, Amir Khan Muttaqi requires prior approval from the committee for international travel Taliban leader Amir Khan...

Afghanistan’s Qosh Tepa Canal Raises Water Security Fears

Water has long been one of Central Asia’s most contested resources, shaping agriculture, energy policy, and diplomacy across the region. Recently, Afghanistan’s Qosh Tepa Canal project has emerged as a central point in this debate. Promoted by the...

Israel intercepts humanitarian flotilla; Drop Site’s exclusive interview with Hamas; Trump to support Ukraine strikes on Russian energy

At least 45 Palestinians are dead after Israeli attacks in Gaza today. Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill speaks to Hamas political official Mohammad Nazzal on how the Palestinian resistance is approaching its response to Trump’s Gaza ultimatum. Israel...

Pakistan, Tajikistan vow to deepen trade, energy and security cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Tajikistan on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation across multiple sectors, with a particular emphasis on trade, energy, and connectivity, during the 6th round of Bilateral Political Consultations...

Afghan capital hosts agricultural, livestock, handicrafts fair to boost local economy

KABUL, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- A four-day exhibition showcasing agricultural, livestock, and handicrafts products opened in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, on Wednesday, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock announced Thursday. The fair...

Kabul in my heart

I ask my sister how many years it’s been since the Taliban came. She says four years ago this summer. I say five. She insists on four and, with a laugh, tells me to count the months and then say how much time has passed. I look at the political...

Pakistan is key to Afghanistan’s long–term stability

our years after the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul, Afghanistan remains in a fragile state of transition, hindered by institutional voids and mounting governance challenges. Among the most urgent is the need to professionalize its security...

Khost factory owners urge speedy work on industrial park

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Some people and factory owners in southeastern Khost province ask the government to expedite work on the industrial park while officials claim that all obstacles have been removed and many construction projects will begin in...

Internet, cell services restored in Afghanistan after 48-hour ‘Taliban-ordered’ outage

Kabul: Cell phone and internet services were restored in Afghanistan on Wednesday, local residents said, some 48 hours after diplomatic and industry sources said connectivity was abruptly cut on the orders of the Taliban administration. The cell...

UN alarmed over spike in executions of Afghan nationals in Iran

The United States will provide Ukraine with intelligence on long-range energy infrastructure targets within Russia, two officials told Reuters on Wednesday, as it weighs whether to send Kyiv missiles that could be used in such strikes, Reuters...

Afghanistan's cellphone, internet services resume after days of outage

Cell phone and internet services were restored in Afghanistan on Wednesday, local residents said, some 48 hours after diplomatic and industry sources said connectivity was abruptly cut on the orders of the Taliban administration. The cell phone...

Afghanistan’s cellphone, internet services down after Taliban ordered cut

[Source: Reuters] The Taliban have ordered internet and mobile phone data services to be cut across Afghanistan, diplomatic and industry sources said. As residents and monitoring services reported no connectivity and disruption to flights and...

WFP responds to the earthquakes in Afghanistan amid rising humanitarian needs

KABUL, Afghanistan - One month since a powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on 31 August—followed by a series of subsequent tremors that compounded the devastation—the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) continues to...

Internet and mobile phone services resume in Afghanistan

Mobile phone and internet services were restored in Afghanistan yesterday, local residents said, some 48 hours after diplomatic and industry sources said connectivity was abruptly cut on the orders of the Taliban administration. The mobile phone...

Afghanistan-Pakistan trade slips to USD 1.1 billion in first half of 2025

Kabul [Afghanistan], October 1 (ANI): Trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan declined slightly in the first half of this year, according to fresh statistics released by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Tolo News reported. The ministry's data...

Internet and cell phone services resume in Afghanistan​ after 2-day blackout 

KABUL: Cell phone and internet services were restored in Afghanistan on Wednesday, local residents said, some 48 hours after diplomatic and industry sources said connectivity was abruptly cut on the orders of the Taliban administration. The cell...

Taliban internet crackdown deepens crisis for Afghan universities

Afghanistan’s higher education system faces what academics have called an “intellectual blockade” after the Taliban imposed a nationwide internet shutdown alongside sweeping new restrictions on university life. On 30 September, fibre and Wi-Fi...

Pak-Afghan trade resumes through Angoor Adda crossing point after 2 years

ISLAMABAD - Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has resumed through Angoor Adda crossing point, as border terminal has become operational after remaining closed for two years. “In line with the government’s policy of developing border...

Stray shells and suicide bombers in Kabul’s finest hotel

No one who flies into Afghanistan’s capital is left indifferent. In one of the many deftly drawn scenes in The Finest Hotel in Kabul, Lyse Doucet describes a snowy Hindu Kush on the skyline, the packed homes of the poor on the brown hills, a steep...