Afghanistan

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Kid Survives 94-Minute Flight Hidden in Plane's Landing Gear

Authorities say 13-year-old Afghan boy acted out of curiosity, not escape

(Newser) - A 13-year-old boy from northern Afghanistan survived a perilous journey hidden in the landing gear of a Kam Air passenger flight from Kabul to Delhi. Authorities at New Delhi's international airport discovered the teen on Monday wandering on the runway after the plane's arrival and detained him...

Trump Wants Bagram Air Base Back. The Taliban Isn't Having It

'If they don't do it, you're going to find out what I'm going to do,' says president

(Newser) - The Taliban government on Sunday rejected President Trump's bid to retake Bagram Air Base, four years after America's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan left the sprawling military facility in the Taliban's hands. Trump on Saturday renewed his call to reestablish a US presence at Bagram, even saying "we're talking now...

Taliban Releases Elderly British Couple

Qatari intervention ends ordeal for longtime Afghanistan residents

(Newser) - A British couple, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, have been freed after spending almost eight months in Taliban custody in Afghanistan. The pair, aged 80 and 76, have lived in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years. Their detention began in February, when they were stopped while heading to their home in...

Taliban Yanks Women's Books, Courses From Colleges

Women's voices and key subjects, including human rights, are scrubbed from nation's universities

(Newser) - The Taliban government has ordered Afghan universities to remove all books authored by women and has banned the teaching of nearly 20 subjects, including human rights and sexual harassment, according to new guidelines issued in late August. Among the 680 books flagged as problematic, about 140 were written by...

Taliban Cuts Internet, Citing 'Immoral Activities'

Homes and businesses across 6 provinces go offline

(Newser) - The Taliban has imposed the first internet blackout in Afghanistan since returning to power four years ago. Officials announced the blackout—affecting at least six provinces in the north of the country—on Wednesday, citing the need to "prevent immoral activities," per the AP . The affected regions—...

After Afghan Quake, Male Rescuers Helped the Men

Not so much women and teen girls, due to Taliban's strict customs on interactions, physical contact

(Newser) - In the aftermath of a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, the country's strict gender rules left many women and teen girls without help as male rescue teams focused largely on men and younger children. Survivors in hard-hit villages described how, due to Taliban-enforced customs prohibiting contact between unrelated...

As Earthquake Toll Hits 1.4K, Taliban Appeals for Help

It's now a 'race against time' to find survivors after 6.0 magnitude temblor on Sunday

(Newser) - The death toll from a major earthquake in eastern Afghanistan passed 1,400 on Tuesday, with more than 3,000 people injured, a Taliban government rep said on X. Rescuers are now scrambling in a "race against time" to reach the remote area devastated by Sunday's powerful 6....

Shallow Quake Proves Deadly in Afghanistan

Rescuers race to reach remote villages as aftershocks continue

(Newser) - A powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, leaving more than 800 dead and 2,500 injured, according to Afghan officials. The quake was especially destructive due to its shallow depth of five miles, reports the New York Times . The epicenter was near Jalalabad, but the hardest-hit...

Data Leak Exposes IDs of UK Spies, Special Forces

Cover is also blown for thousands of Afghan allies as UK government scrambles to respond

(Newser) - A major data breach has blown the cover off more than 100 British officials—including MI6 agents and Special Air Service members—while also exposing thousands of Afghan allies to potential Taliban reprisals. The breach, which occurred in February 2022 but was only discovered more than a year later,...

Rubio Vowed Food Would Be Sent. Now, 500 Tons to Be Destroyed

Emergency aid meant for Afghan, Pakistani children will be disposed of instead of distributed

(Newser) - About 500 tons of emergency food rations are set to be destroyed after months of bureaucratic gridlock under the Trump administration, according to multiple current and former government sources. The high-energy biscuits, bought by USAID near the end of President Biden's term for roughly $800,000, were stored...

Thousands of Afghans Were Secretly Resettled in UK

Government launched program after data leak

(Newser) - Thousands of Afghans, including many who worked with British forces, have been secretly resettled in the UK after a leak of data on their identities raised fears that the Taliban could target them, the British government revealed Tuesday. The government said it is closing the program, which a rare court...

ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leaders

Warrants cite gender-based persecution and crackdown on basic freedoms

(Newser) - The International Criminal Court has new targets in its sights. The Hague-based court has issued arrest warrants for two top Taliban leaders, accusing them of crimes against humanity tied to their treatment of Afghan women . Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani are suspected of orchestrating...

US Votes Against Resolution on Taliban's Treatment of Women

Administration official says US has done enough for Afghanistan

(Newser) - The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution Monday over US objections calling on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers to reverse their worsening oppression of women and girls and eliminate all terrorist organizations. The 11-page resolution also emphasizes "the importance of creating opportunities for economic recovery, development and prosperity in Afghanistan,...

Russia Becomes First to Recognize Taliban Rule

Government has been isolated, largely over its restrictions on women and girls

(Newser) - Russia on Thursday became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban's government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021, after Moscow removed the group from its list of outlawed organizations . The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had received credentials from Afghanistan's newly appointed Ambassador Gul...

Taliban Urges Afghans Who Fled to Return

'Live in an atmosphere of peace,' official urges in offering amnesty

(Newser) - A top Taliban official said Saturday that all Afghans who fled the country after the collapse of the former Western-backed government are free to return home, promising they will not be harmed if they come back. Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund made the amnesty offer in his message for...

White House: Afghan Refugees Can Safely Go Home Now

Critics decry the end of Temporary Protected Status

(Newser) - The Trump administration on Monday did away with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Afghans now in the US, citing improvements in the country's security and economy. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said a review with "interagency partners" determined that Afghanistan no longer meets the standard...

Taliban Bans Chess
Taliban Bans Chess
May 12, 2025 6:55 PM CDT

Taliban Bans Chess

It's 'considered a means of gambling,' officials say

(Newser) - Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have found something new to ban. Officials announced Sunday that chess has been suspended indefinitely, the BBC reports. The game is "considered a means of gambling" and will be banned while authorities try to determine whether it is compatible with Islamic law, officials said. Authorities...

After Taliban Killed Man Exposed in Documentary, His Widow Sues

Suit says Taliban killed Afghan mine-clearer Omar Khan after he was featured in film

(Newser) - An Emmy-winning National Geographic documentary about Afghanistan's final days under US occupation is now at the center of a wrongful death lawsuit, after a featured Afghan was identified by the Taliban and killed. The widow of the man who appeared in Retrograde has filed her complaint against the...

Taliban Releases American Woman
Taliban Releases
American Woman
Mar 31, 2025 10:04 AM CDT

Taliban Releases American Woman

Faye Dail Hall was detained for weeks in Afghanistan

(Newser) - An American woman detained for weeks in Afghanistan by the Taliban has been released from custody, according to a person familiar with the matter and a social media post from a longtime US diplomat. Faye Dail Hall, who was detained in February on charges of using a drone without authorization,...

This Is the Happiest Nation on Earth
This Is the Happiest
Nation on Earth
Mar 20, 2025 12:50 PM CDT

This Is the Happiest Nation on Earth

Finland tops World Happiness Report for 8th straight year; US comes in at No. 24

(Newser) - Feeling down in the dumps? Maybe it's your country. Unless you're in Finland, which just took the top spot on this year's World Happiness Report for the eighth year straight, reports CNN . The annual ranking used Gallup World Poll data from more than 140 countries around the...

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