Latest Afghanistan News

Afghanistan's only female diplomat resigns in India after gold smuggling allegations

May. 04, 2024 10:14 AM EDT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — An Afghan diplomat in India, who was appointed before the Taliban seized power in 2021 and said she was the only woman in the country's diplomatic service, has resigned after reports emerged of her being detained for allegedly smuggling gold. Zakia Wardak, the...

Faceless people, invisible hands: New Army video aims to lure recruits for psychological operations

May. 02, 2024 16:36 PM EDT

FORT LIBERTY, N.C. (AP) — The video is unsettling, with haunting images of faceless people, fire and soldiers. The voiceover is a cascade of recognizable historical voices as the screen pulses cryptic messages touting the power of words, ideas and “invisible hands.” Hints of...

Nonstop Mideast coverage of Israel-Hamas war pauses for protests and police action at US schools

May. 01, 2024 20:39 PM EDT

JERUSALEM (AP) — After weeks of nonstop coverage of destruction and death in the Gaza Strip, media across the wider Middle East have latched onto the demonstrations roiling American university campuses over the Israel-Hamas war. For some, the protests and what they described as a...

The Islamic State group says it was behind a mosque attack in Afghanistan that killed 6 people

May. 01, 2024 09:59 AM EDT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a deadly shooting this week targeting members of the country’s minority Shiite community inside a mosque in western Afghanistan that killed six people. The militant group said in a statement posted on its...

Phones, Islamic books and currency exchange. Some businesses are making money out of Taliban rule

May. 01, 2024 04:05 AM EDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Yunis Safi, a businessman in Kabul, knows very well the importance of showing off your phone if you want something done. “In Afghanistan, your phone is your personality,” he said, smiling, a jewel-encrusted ring on each hand. One boasts an emerald, the...

A gunman kills 6 worshippers inside a Shiite mosque in western Afghanistan, the Taliban say

Apr. 30, 2024 22:04 PM EDT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gunman stormed a mosque in western Afghanistan, opening fire and killing six people as they were praying, a Taliban official said Tuesday. Local media reports and a former president of Afghanistan said the mosque was targeted because it was a place of worship...

The Taliban are working to woo tourists to Afghanistan

Apr. 30, 2024 01:46 AM EDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Around 30 men are crammed into a Kabul classroom, part of the debut student cohort at a Taliban-run institute training tourism and hospitality professionals. It’s a motley crew. One student is a model. Another is 17 and has no job...

What is the International Criminal Court and why it has Israeli officials worried

Apr. 30, 2024 00:12 AM EDT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Israeli officials sound increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court could issue arrest warrants for the country’s leaders more than six months into the Israel-Hamas war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has written in general terms...

Family of American man believed to be held by Taliban asks the UN torture investigator for help

Apr. 25, 2024 20:00 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for an American believed to be held by the Taliban for nearly two years are asking a United Nations human rights investigator to intervene, citing what they say is cruel and inhumane treatment. Ryan Corbett was abducted Aug. 10, 2022, after returning to...

Today in History: April 25, Athens surrenders to Sparta, Peloponnesian War ends

Apr. 25, 2024 00:01 AM EDT

Today in History Today is Thursday, April 25, the 116th day of 2024. There are 250 days left in the year. Today’s Highlights in History: In 404 B.C., the Peloponnesian War ended as Athens surrendered to Sparta. On this date: ...