Afghanistan

US deports Afghan woman in first-ever case before special terrorism court

In a historic first, the DOJ utilized the 1996 Alien Terrorist Removal Court to deport a resident who allegedly supported an ISIS-style mass shooting plot planned for US Election Day.

A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as "Main Justice," is seen behind the podium in the Department's headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023.
Supporters of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden shout anti-American slogans, after the news of his death, during a rally in Quetta May 2, 2011.

UN monitoring findings point to continued al-Qaeda activity 25 years after 9/11 - analysis

 Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri

Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, what has happened to al-Qaeda? - explainer

Ali Nawaz, a resident of Bannu, receives medical treatment at the Lady Reading Hospital after being injured in a cross-border attack, amid fighting between Pakistani and Afghan forces, in Peshawar, Pakistan, March 3, 2026.

Pakistan orders Afghan medical students home, bars new Afghan admissions


Saudi energy group signs landmark oil, gas agreements with Afghanistan

The agreements also include a natural gas utilization study in Herat and plans for a proposed 435-mile gas pipeline, in a deal that could pave the way for billions of dollars in future investment. 

3D-printed oil pump jacks and a Saudi Arabian flag appear in this illustration taken March 2, 2026.

A new generation has risen, one that ‘does not know Joseph’ - opinion

Twenty-five years after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Western youngsters, ignorant of the jihadist assault, have forgotten how dangerous Islamic extremism can be

Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and chant against Israel’s and America’s war with Iran in front of the Israeli embassy in Portugal in May.

From Abbey Gate to today: How five years reshaped the Middle East and world policy - analysis

Other trends emerged from 2021 to 2024, including the expansion of economic blocs (BRICS, SCO), growing Russian and Chinese influence, and US allies hedging by working more closely with Beijing.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (C) poses for a photograph with Marine GySgt. Jonathan Eby (R) during an event to honor Marines who were serving during the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing, at the Pentagon on August 26, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia.

UN says two staff members detained in Afghanistan have been freed

The two Afghan staff members of the UN's Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) were detained in the western city of Herat on August 9, following a string of detentions by Taliban authorities. 

Taliban members are seen from a window as they inspect inside a prison cell at Pul-e-Charkhi prison, located on the outskirts of Kabul on October 17, 2021.

Afghan journalist explains her escape from Taliban after restrictions on women in broadcasting

Censorship, threats, and tightening restrictions made it impossible for journalist Tahmina Usmani to continue working freely or safely in Afghanistan.

 TOLOnews television anchor Tahmina Usmani, 23, poses for a portrait in Kabul, August 1, 2022.

Five years after Taliban takeover, Afghan women remain trapped in deepening rights crisis

The Afghan women who spoke to The Media Line said that words could hardly capture the hardships they have endured in exile, while their loved ones continue to face difficult conditions back home.

 Women wearing burqas pause at the side of a road in Kabul, Afghanistan October 26, 2021.

Taliban celebrate ‘victory day’ five years after seizing power in Afghanistan

Five years after seizing power, the Taliban are projecting control in Afghanistan while rights groups warn of deepening humanitarian crises and sweeping restrictions on women.

 Taliban soldiers celebrate on the second anniversary of the fall of Kabul on a street near the US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 15, 2023.

Half of Afghan women rarely leave home as Taliban restrictions deepen, UN agency says

Afghanistan remains the only country in the world to ban girls from secondary education and women from attending university.

Afghan women prepare dough to make traditional cookies inside a bakery in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 5, 2024.

At least 14 killed, 18 wounded in suicide bombing outside Pakistan police station

The explosion took place in the Kabal area of Swat, a district in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Police personnel cordon off a street following a suicide bombing during a protest in Pakistan's Swat district on August 2, 2026.

Islamist terrorists kill 10 police officers in northwest Pakistan, say police

The attack took place late on Wednesday in ⁠the Hangu district near the Afghan border, an ​area that has long served as home to terrorist groups.

A security officer in plain clothes walks with his gun outside the office of the Rangers, a paramilitary force, following an explosion and gunfire reported on Saturday night in Karachi, Pakistan, June 28, 2026.