Afghanistan is known as the “Graveyard of Empires” for a reason. Britain, Russia and recently, the US, have all come to rue their involvement there. Now, China’s interest in the central Asian country is becoming clear. Although it’s not pursuing conquest or regime change, but oil.
The Taliban conducted their first public execution since their return to power on Wednesday, executing a man convicted of murder.
Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan’s minister of state for foreign affairs, has met Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in the capital Kabul amid tension over cross-border violence.
The Taliban says it is now in charge of the whole of Afghanistan after taking complete control of the province of Panjshir – but the leader of resistance forces has disputed the claim, calling on Afghans to “rise up”.
EU member states on Friday (3 September) laid out their conditions for stepping up engagement with the Taliban, agreeing to establish a joint European–Kabul civilian presence.
Taliban fighters have launched an assault on the northeastern province of Panjshir in a bid to crush resistance fighters who recently captured three districts in the area.
Taliban fighters trying to track down western-affiliated journalists allegedly shot dead a family member of an editor working for Deutsche Welle and seriously injured another, the German public broadcaster has said.
Afghanistan faces a financial crunch amid its takeover by the Taliban as the nation braces to be cut off from the next transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars from the International Monetary Fund.
The Taliban has seized Jalalabad without a fight, meaning Kabul is now the only big city that it does not control.
In a shocking incident purportedly captured on camera, Taliban fighters executed 22 surrendering members of Afghan special forces who had run out of ammunition, according to reports.
