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Afghanistan after the US withdrawal

US President Joe Biden committed to withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan by August 31, 2021. The deadline was set after the Taliban took control of the country, seizing the capital city of Kabul as the Afghan government under President Ashraf Ghani dissolved on August 15. The Biden administration had initially announced a full withdrawal of troops by 11 September 2021 – 20 years after the 9/11 terror attacks.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

Afghanistan

Isis says behind suicide blast that killed Afghan minister

Suicide blast in Afghanistan’s capital marks the highest-profile casualty since the Taliban retook power three years ago.

12 Dec 2024 - 10:17AM

Middle East

Afghanistan’s refugees minister killed by suicide blast

11 Dec 2024 - 10:24PMvideocam

American cinema

Jennifer Lawrence-produced film shows women’s torment in Afghanistan

19 Nov 2024 - 4:45PMvideocam

Taliban

Taliban seeks international aid for Afghanistan’s reconstruction

Emphasising destruction caused by decades of conflict, Taliban called for technical help and economic development initiatives.

18 Nov 2024 - 1:09AMvideocam

A Taliban security guard stands guard with with a whip in front of Afghan men waiting outside a bank to withdraw money. Photo: dpa

India

India seeks to boost ties with Afghanistan – is it a move to sideline Pakistan?

Officials from both sides recently met to discuss issues, including enhancing trade via an Afghan port run by an Indian company.

14 Nov 2024 - 3:13PMvideocam

Taliban

Afghan Taliban vow to implement media ban on images of living things

The law, which will be gradually enforced, is aimed at persuading people that images of living things are against Islamic law.

14 Oct 2024 - 5:37PMvideocam

US presidential election 2024

Republicans accuse Biden team of lying about 2021 Afghanistan pull-out

House Republican report cites US Vice-President Kamala Harris as she seeks the presidency against Donald Trump.

9 Sep 2024 - 12:03PM

US Marines at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. File photo: US Marine Corps via Reuters

US presidential election 2024

Harris says Trump ‘disrespected sacred ground’ at US military cemetery

The US Army says a cemetery employee was pushed after asking Trump’s team to stop filming in a burial section where photography is banned.

1 Sep 2024 - 9:38AM

Germany

Germany deports 28 Afghan nationals, the first since 2021 Taliban takeover

Germany does not have diplomatic relations with the Taliban, requiring the government to work through other channels. It is unlikely that Friday’s actions will lead to a wider thawing of relations between Germany and the Taliban.

30 Aug 2024 - 7:51PM

Afghanistan

Taliban reject UN concerns over laws banning women’s voices and faces in public

The Taliban urge ‘thorough understanding’ of Islamic sharia law after UN criticism about the rights of women and girls.

27 Aug 2024 - 3:57PM

Afghanistan

Taliban codify morality laws requiring Afghan women to cover faces

The Taliban suspended Afghanistan’s previous constitution when they took over in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew, and said they would rule the country according to sharia law.

24 Aug 2024 - 11:00AM

Burqa-clad Afghan women in Kandahar. The Taliban say they respect women’s rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law and local customs. Photo: EPA-EFE

The Philippines

Philippines to host Afghans awaiting resettlement in US

Manila’s Department of Foreign Affairs did not provide details of how many Afghans would be allowed to stay in the Philippines.

20 Aug 2024 - 12:52PM

Afghanistan

Former Afghan president Karzai calls for girls and women to be educated

Karzai emphasised importance of women’s education. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has banned girls from studying beyond primary school.

19 Aug 2024 - 3:04AM

Diplomacy

Afghan copper mine holds promise for Taliban, tempered expectations for China

As work begins on a long-delayed, multibillion-dollar project, Chinese officials remain cautious, while economic hopes rise in war-torn country.

25 Jul 2024 - 11:55PM

Taliban security personnel surround an excavator during the inauguration ceremony. Photo: AFP

Pakistan

Pakistan vows ‘no cake and pastries’ for TTP militants, heeding China’s warning

China’s warning that further investment hinges on an improved security situation likely acted as a catalyst, analysts say.

7 Jul 2024 - 6:00PMvideocam

A member of Pakistani security personnel stands guard as police check people and vehicles in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on June 25. Photo: EPA-EFE

Taliban

Taliban told to ‘include women’ in public life during UN talks in Qatar

The Taliban has imposed a strict interpretation of Islam in Afghanistan, with women subjected to laws characterised by the UN as ‘gender apartheid’.

2 Jul 2024 - 5:26AMvideocam

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Afghanistan to take gender-balanced team for first summer Games since Taliban

Taliban government has imposed curbs on women and girls condemned by the United Nations as ‘gender apartheid’ and has not been recognised by any country since its 2021 takeover.

19 Jun 2024 - 1:27AM

Afghanistan

Afghan Taliban government says to attend next round of UN talks in Doha

A delegation will attend as the talks’ agenda appears ‘beneficial to Afghanistan’, but civil society groups criticise lack of focus on women’s rights.

16 Jun 2024 - 11:00PMvideocam

An Afghan Taliban stands guard as people gather to watch local wrestling matches at the Shalamar festival in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in May. Photo: EPA-EFE

Diplomacy

Opinion | China and South Asia must solve regional tensions to fight terrorism

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s efforts against terrorism will not work unless diverging security interests among member states are addressed. India and Afghanistan’s alleged support of attacks in Pakistan and border clashes are holding back economic integration and security cooperation.

30 May 2024 - 5:53AMvideocam

Russia

Russia invites Taliban to economic forum, as ties with West worsen over Ukraine

The St Petersburg forum, which once hosted Western CEOs and investment bankers, has changed significantly amid the Ukraine war, which has triggered a crisis in Russia’s relations with the West.

27 May 2024 - 6:52PMvideocam

Books and literature

Male poets praise Afghan leaders as female poets silenced, women sidelined

A poetry reading in Afghanistan featured a male-only line-up, reading pro-Taliban verses; the government-organised event excluded female poets and banned women from attending.

27 May 2024 - 10:40PM

Samiullah Hamas recites poetry at the Purple Flower Poetry Festival, in Charikar district, Parwan Province, Afghanistan. The event featured a male-only line-up reading pro-Taliban verses to a male-only audience. Women poets, like other women, have been silenced. Photo: AFP

Climate change

Opinion | Why China should step up aid to Afghanistan

The Taliban has been accused of being slow to act on deadly flash floods that have killed more than 300 and left 40,000 children homeless. Also vulnerable to climate change, China can share its experience in mitigating floods with Afghanistan and increase aid to help the country rebuild

20 May 2024 - 4:35PMvideocam

A child stands in front of a tent donated by China for flood-affected residents in Herat province, Afghanistan on May 4. Photo: Xinhua

Islamic State

Islamic State claims deadly Afghanistan attack on tourists

Friday’s attack was among the most serious targeting foreign citizens since foreign forces left and the Taliban took over in 2021.

20 May 2024 - 11:43AMvideocam

Afghanistan

‘I lost everything’: over 300 dead in Afghanistan flash floods, says UN

Authorities and non-governmental groups have deployed rescuers and aid, warning that some areas have been cut off.

12 May 2024 - 9:48PMvideocam

Afghanistan

Holiday in Afghanistan? The Taliban are working to woo tourists

In 2021, there were 691 foreign tourists. In 2022, that figure rose to 2,300. Last year, there were 7,000. The numbers aren’t huge – but there’s a buzz around Afghan tourism.

30 Apr 2024 - 1:14PM

Afghanistan

‘Empowered generation’: to bypass Taliban work bans, Afghan women turn to YouTube

YouTube channels not only provide income, but also serve as a means for women to communicate their messages, experiences and aspirations, one analyst said.

17 Apr 2024 - 8:02PMvideocam

Terrorism

Asia’s terrorism surge: Isis-K awakens sleeper cells in deadly strategy shift

Using Afghanistan as a homebase, Isis cells have hit targets in Russia, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey this year. Baloch separatists have also stepped up their attacks on Chinese interests in South Asia.

1 Apr 2024 - 12:40PMvideocam

Joe Biden

Top former US generals blame Biden administration for chaotic Kabul exit

The top two US generals who oversaw the evacuation of Afghanistan as it fell in 2021 told lawmakers that the Biden administration inadequately planned for the evacuation and did not order it in time.

20 Mar 2024 - 5:00PM

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