Featured stories about Afghanistan
Stories about Afghanistan
Podcast: Central Asia adjusts to the effects of geopolitical turmoil
Central Asia Editor Zhar Zardykhan explains how the turmoil in Afghanistan and Ukraine are both affecting Central Asian countries.
Central Asia’s fears of rising militancy in Afghanistan as Moscow invades Ukraine
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the three Central Asian states that border Afghanistan intended to defend their borders through security reinforcement and diplomacy, primarily relying on Russian initiatives.
Ukraine's war unleashes flood of racism by media and politicians against Arab war victims
Comments on skin color, attire, class and lifestyle were seen as several media reporters and politicians explained why war on Ukraine was horrifying, compared to Syria, Iraq and elsewhere.
Undertones: Taliban narratives about Afghan women
Dozens of Afghan women have publicly protested the Taliban’s gradual and systematic erasure of women from the public sphere since their return to power in August 2021.
Police violently break up Afghan refugee protest in Indonesia
Some refugees in Indonesia have been in limbo for more than 10 years. Protesters gathered outside the UNHCR building in Medan to call for resettlement and demand better living conditions.
Afghan women: Finally a book that speaks from inside its society
A female Afghan writer has just released "The Mountains Have Witnessed: The Story of a Girl Who Dared for More", a book that tells the story of Afghan women.
Paper lives: Turkey's trash collectors face deportations, arrests, and midnight raids
Istanbul police conducted raids on waste collectors' depots last month, allegedly to address potential health hazards, public security concerns, and the employment of unregistered migrants.
The Uyghur issue, China’s greatest fear, is looming in Afghanistan
As the Taliban and China seem to strengthen their ties, the tragedy of the Uyghurs imprisoned in China's so-called re-education camps could prove to be a diplomatic stumbling block.
COVID-19, vaccination and the progress of the global healthcare system
“ … obesity might soon be recognised as a vitally strategic global element in explaining varying COVID-19 levels between rich and poor.”
Can LGBTQ+ rights activism be the key to reversing retrogressive policies in the Middle East?
"From Egypt to Turkey to Iran, governments are pushing back against LGBTQ+ inclusion, even resorting to social media and mobile phones to track and target the community."
Afghan refugees might complicate Ugandan politics
While accepting the moral imperative of accepting refugees, there are concerns about Uganda’s human rights track record and the US government’s continued dealings with the Museveni administration.
Disinformation campaign intensifies as Afghan refugees arrive in North Macedonia
The first group of 149 Afghan citizens arrived in Skopje on August 30. While the government and civil society welcome the refugees, right-wing nationalists exploit their plight to spread disinformation and hate.
The plight of Afghan women under the new Taliban regime
With the Taliban taking control of Kabul, women in Afghanistan are faced with the bleak prospect of a return to a society that denies their rights.
What’s wrong with the political analogy comparing Taiwan to Afghanistan?
Following the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Afghanistan, Chinese commentators comparing Taiwan with Kabul have flooded social media questioning the credibility of the United States' commitment to Taiwan.
Will an award-winning animated film about a Czech woman in Kabul change how Czechs perceive Afghanistan?
A Czech animation movie won a major award for depicting a love story between a Czech woman and an Afghan man. But can this movie change perceptions about Afghanistan?
Income, age and obesity: South Asia's advantages in the COVID-19 pandemic
Poverty, lack of public medical facilities, lower levels of adult literacy, and less medical expertise would, it was assumed, work strongly against the ability of South Asia to weather the COVID-19 storm.
Using tablets, activist gets 900 girls and women educated in rural Afghanistan
"Afghan women are the future of this war-torn country."
Nearly six centuries after his birth, who owns Alisher Navoiy, the ‘father of Uzbek literature?’
February 9 marks the birth anniversary of a 15th-century Afghanistan-born poet who championed Turkic heritage, and became a national literary symbol in Soviet and later independent Uzbekistan.
Report into Australian special forces war crimes in Afghanistan ‘gut-wrenching’
"Heinous violence such as war crime cannot be concealed forever, no matter how much efforts are made to do it, as the Australian case shows."
Secret trials threaten open justice in Australia
"The cases… highlight the need for strong action to ensure that any such trials are held in open court and subject to public scrutiny."
‘Invisible hands': How millions of domestic workers fare under COVID-19
"We are the invisible hands. Our work is not valued. We don’t exist for the families we serve nor do we exist for the state."
