Latest Afghanistan News

Biden on Memorial Day lauds generations of fallen US troops who 'dared all and gave all'

May. 29, 2023 17:26 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who “dared all and gave all” fighting for their country and called on Americans to ensure their “sacrifice was not in vain” in Memorial Day observances at Arlington National Cemetery. ...

VP Harris praises cadets' sacrifice in West Point's 1st commencement speech by a woman

May. 27, 2023 16:05 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman to deliver a commencement speech at West Point, lauded graduating cadets Saturday for their noble sacrifice in serving their country, but noted they were entering an “unsettled world” because of Russian aggression and the rising...

Iran exchanges heavy gunfire with Taliban on Afghan border, escalating tensions over water rights

May. 27, 2023 13:54 PM EDT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Taliban and Iran exchanged heavy gunfire Saturday on the Islamic Republic's border with Afghanistan, killing and wounding troops while sharply escalating rising tensions between the two countries amid a dispute over water rights. Iran's...

5 things to know about Memorial Day including its controversies

May. 27, 2023 12:10 PM EDT

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers. Auto club AAA said in a travel forecast that...

Rights groups slam severe Taliban restrictions on Afghan women as 'crime against humanity'

May. 26, 2023 08:40 AM EDT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Two top rights groups on Friday slammed the severe restrictions imposed on women and girls by the Taliban in Afghanistan as gender-based persecution, which is a crime against humanity. In a new report, Amnesty International and the International Commission for...

Aid chief says Taliban agree to consider allowing women to resume agency work in Kandahar

May. 25, 2023 07:47 AM EDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The head of a major aid organization said Thursday that the Taliban have agreed to consider allowing Afghan women to resume work at the agency in the southern province of Kandahar, the religious and political center for the country's rulers. The Taliban...

Capitol rioter photographed propping feet on desk in Pelosi's office sentenced to over 4 years

May. 24, 2023 21:18 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Arkansas man who propped his feet on a desk in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office in a widely circulated photo from the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced Wednesday to more than four years in prison. Richard “Bigo” Barnett became one of the faces of...

Suicide car bomber hits checkpoint in northwest Pakistan, killing 4 in second attack in as many days

May. 24, 2023 10:46 AM EDT

MIR ALI, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide car bomber targeted a security checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing two soldiers, a policeman and a civilian, the military and security officials said. It was the second militant attack to hit Pakistan in as many days. ...

Bodies of 18 Afghan migrants who died while being smuggled into Bulgaria returned to Kabul

May. 24, 2023 08:13 AM EDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The bodies of 18 Afghan migrants who died while being smuggled into Bulgaria were returned to Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, on Wednesday, a spokesman for the Taliban government's Foreign Ministry said. Bulgarian authorities discovered the bodies in a...

Aid agency chief: Taliban say guidelines on female NGO staff resuming work close to finalization

May. 23, 2023 14:37 PM EDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The head of a major international aid agency said Tuesday that key Taliban officials told him in meetings that they are close to finalizing guidelines that will allow Afghan women to resume working for nongovernmental organizations. But they were unable to give a...