Afghanistan: Shukria Barakzai’s whispered voice notes and dramatic escape
For Shukria Barakzai, 15 August seemed, at first, an unremarkable Sunday morning. A prominent journalist and politician, a former member of the Afghan parliament and ambassador to Norway, she was a frequent traveller. She already had a few bags packed, as she was due to fly to Turkey later that day for a brief trip. […]
Afghanistan minister Syed Alhmed Shah spotted delivering pizza in Germany
BERLIN – Former Afghanistan communication and IT minister Syed Ahmed Shah Sadat recently spotted delivering pizza in the German city of Leipzig. A German daily Leipziger Volkszeitung published the story of a former Afghanistan minister who can be seen wearing an orange-colored t-shirt with a bag hung on his back in Leipzig – the eighth-most populous city in the Western European […]
Kabul airport attacks: What is the Daesh threat in Afghanistan?
As desperate Afghans crowd Kabul airport trying to get on evacuation flights to flee the Taliban, officials have warned of another threat: the Daesh group. President Joe Biden said there is “an acute and growing risk” of an attack at the airport by the group’s regional chapter, called Daesh-Khorasan or Daesh-K. The United States, Britain […]
A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan
The land that is now Afghanistan has a long history of domination by foreign conquerors and strife among internally warring factions. At the gateway between Asia and Europe, this land was conquered by Darius I of Babylonia circa 500 B.C., and Alexander the Great of Macedonia in 329 B.C., among others. Mahmud of Ghazni, an 11th century conqueror […]
This ‘imperfect’ virtual influencer is challenging beauty standards in China
our skin’s a bit dry,” one user commented on a video posted by Angie, a popular influencer who first appeared on Chinese social media last fall. “You should apply a face mask.” In the video, uploaded to Douyin, the original Chinese version of TikTok, Angie’s skin looks bumpy and uneven. A gaping yawn reveals slightly crooked teeth. […]
Afghanistan: Where will refugees go after Taliban takeover?
Thousands of people have been scrambling to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban seized back control of the country, almost two decades after they were ousted by a US-led coalition. The surge in numbers trying to leave comes on top of the 2.2 million refugees already in neighbouring countries and 3.5 million people left homeless within […]
Officials in talks to evacuate female football stars from Afghanistan following fears over safety, global players’ union confirms
Football officials are currently in negotiations with governments in an attempt to evacuate female players from Afghanistan following the recapturing of power by the Taliban, as confirmed by the world players’ union. Ever since the group took control of the country, concerns have been widely voiced on the safety of female players who have spoken […]
Taliban to unveil new governing framework for Afghanistan
Amin Alemi Taliban leaders are busy these days as they are facing the challenge of good governance in Afghanistan.
Facebook moves to protect Afghan users’ accounts amid Taliban takeover
Facebook has brought in new safety measures for users worried for their safety in Afghanistan, as the Taliban continue to cement their grip on power. The firm says it “removed the ability to view and search the ‘Friends’ list for Facebook accounts in Afghanistan” to protect people from being targeted. Professional networking site LinkedIn has […]
Greece erects fence at Turkey border amid warnings of Afghan migrant surge
Greece has installed a 40km (25-mile) fence and surveillance system on its border with Turkey amid concern over a surge of migrants from Afghanistan. “We cannot wait, passively, for the possible impact,” Greece’s Citizens’ Protection Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis said on a visit to the region of Evros on Friday. “Our borders will remain inviolable.” His […]