Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

The Taliban’s Slow Dismantling of Afghan Media
In November 2024, people in Afghanistan’s northern Takhar province were met with a surprise when they tuned on the nightly television news: a blank screen. Instead of an anchor sitting at the usual desk, all they saw was Mah-e-Now channel’s logo...

Bangladesh’s Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals to begin exporting medicines to Afghanistan
In a move seen as a potential boost to Afghanistan’s fragile healthcare system, Bangladesh-based Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals has announced plans to begin exporting medicines to Afghanistan. The decision comes as part of a long-term partnership...

‘Wait Till She Turns 9’: Taliban Stops 45-Year-Old Man's Marriage To 6-Year-Old Girl, Arrests Groom & Bride's Father In Afghanistan’s Helmand Province
Kabul: A 45-year-old Afghan man has married a six-year-old girl in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. According to the US-based Afghan outlet Amu.tv, the Taliban intervened and prevented the man from taking the child home. Instead, they reportedly...

Mel Jones Receives Spirit of Cricket Award for Helping Afghanistan Women’s Cricket Team in Australia
Mel Jones has been awarded the Spirit of the Cricket Award 2025 during the third Test between India and England at Lord's on July 10. The former cricketer received this prestigious award for helping Afghanistan's women's cricket team in Australia...

Swedish bodyguards' fitness app data reveals private locations of royal family
Sweden’s national security service said it was investigating reports that data shared by bodyguards on a fitness app had exposed the private locations of some of the country’s most powerful figures. “The Swedish Security Police take the...

Taliban launches warped Afghan TOURISM campaign with spoof vid of brutes posing beside ‘hostage’ in ISIS-style execution
A BIZARRE campaign has been launched to lure tourists to terrorist-infested Afghanistan - featuring a sick spoof hostage video. The slick, professionally produced 50-second promotional film starts with footage of a hooded man surrounded by armed...

Gozde Kural on Dark Fairytale ‘Cinema Jazireh,’ Rejected by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture – and the Power of ‘Titanic’
Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism withdrew its support for Gözde Kural’s drama “Cinema Jazireh” after watching it. “We fought this decision, but they rejected it. I couldn’t believe it. It’s not even about Turkey, but apparently there were...

UN warns: New Media Restrictions in Afghanistan fuel fear and self-censorship
UN warns that new media restrictions in Afghanistan are fueling widespread fear, tightening control, and significantly increasing self-censorship among journalists. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has expressed serious...

No forced deportations: Afghan Refugee Committee head denies reports about deportation of Afghan refugees from Tajikistan
11:26, todayAuthor: Asia-Plus The head of the Afghan Refugee Committee in Dushanbe, Musavvir Bahaduri, has denied recent claims about the forced deportation of Afghan nationals from Tajikistan. Speaking to Asia-Plus, Bahaduri said the reports are...

EU Lawmaker condemns Iran’s mass deportation of Afghans as illegal under international law
European Parliament member Hannah Neumann has strongly condemned Iran’s ongoing deportation of Afghan refugees, describing the mass expulsions as a violation of international law and a humanitarian crisis unfolding at scale. In a statement shared...

Brie Larson Stole The Show in This $569 Million Creature Feature That's Also Secretly 1 of the Best War Movies of the 2010s
The MonsterVerse began in 2014 with Godzilla, a large-scale reimagining that reintroduced the legendary monster for modern audiences. Since then, the franchise has grown into a cinematic universe, culminating (so far) with 2024’s Godzilla x Kong:...

Afghanistan’s ICC umpire Jan Shinwari dies at 41
International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah expressed deep sorrow at Shinwari’s passing. “Bismillah was a prominent umpire respected by players, peers, and officials alike. He was a regular on the international circuit and had a long...

6-Year-Old Girl Married Off To 45-Year-Old Afghan Man. Taliban Say ‘Let Her Turn 9 First’
Last Updated:July 09, 2025, 22:59 IST A 45-year-old man married a six-year-old girl in Helmand, Afghanistan. The Taliban delayed her move to her husband until age nine.A 45-year-old man married a six-year-old girl in Afghanistan’s Helmand province...

Afghanistan is starving—and its farmers are fighting to save the poppy
The Brotherhood of Universal Love, it called itself, a label that, in 1969, invited no ironic raising of eyebrows. From Balkh and Mazar-i–Sharif, where children sold hashish beads, hashish-filled belts, and hashish-heeled shoes, members of the...

‘Message to America’: US tourists invited to explore Afghanistan in surreal video featuring a ‘comedy’ hostage scene
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

Afghan ICC umpire Bismillah Jan Shinwari passes away at 41
Daijiworld Media Network – Kabul Kabul, Jul 9: Bismillah Jan Shinwari, a respected member of the ICC International Panel of Umpires from Afghanistan, passed away at the age of 41 on Monday night. His funeral was held the following day in his...

Cruelty, trauma: Exhausted Afghans return from Iran in pain
HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): As the deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran intensifies, thousands of exhausted returnees are arriving back in Afghanistan — bringing with them heartbreaking stories of pain, suffering, and unspoken hardship. Alongside...

Where are the Liberals When Iran Mass-Deports Millions of Afghans?
According to reports from human rights groups, Iran is using the post-war chaos in the country to deport the Afghan minority. Afghans have long been persecuted in Iran, and the government feels now is the time to move them across the border....

From Kabul to the catwalk – the surprising global history behind fashion’s fur revival
The winter season of 2024-25 marked a resurgence of fur clothing – both faux and real – in fashion across Europe and North America. Shearling jackets and embroidered “Penny Lane coats” featured widely in reports on the latest fashion trends....

6-year-old Afghan girl forced to marry 45-year-old. Taliban said 'wait till she turns 9' to take her home
A 45-year-old man has married a six-year-old girl in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. US-based Afghan outlet Amu.tv reported that the Taliban were “horrified” by the image and stopped the man from taking the child home. Instead, they reportedly...