Afghanistan: General News and Discussion

[ghazi52]

About 1,300 trucks cross daily as Afghanistan-Iran trade remains steady​

by The Frontier Post

KABUL (Pajhwok): The transit and movement of commercial goods between Afghanistan and Iran are continuing as normal, despite the ongoing conflict in the neighbouring country, with up to 1,300 cargo trucks crossing through the Islam Qala border in western Herat province each day.

According to a statement from the provincial administration, trade and transit between Kabul and Tehran have not faced any serious disruptions so far.

On average, around 600 cargo trucks leave and 700 trucks enter Afghanistan daily via the crossing and the transfer of commercial goods continues without issue.

The statement added that local authorities are closely monitoring domestic markets and warned that any trader or shopkeeper who raises prices arbitrarily under the pretext of border closures with Iran will face legal action.

It also noted that, based on official statistics, the current level of trade between Afghanistan and Iran is estimated at around four billion dollars annually, a significant portion of which passes through the Islam Qala port in Herat province.

Earlier, Iran’s Ambassador to Kabul, Alireza Bigdeli, also confirmed that trade between Afghanistan and Iran continues without interruption.

 

[Fatman17]

*Afghanistan earthquake of magnitude 5.9 kills at least 8*

At least eight people were killed in Kabul after an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 rattled parts of northern Afghanistan and western Pakistan, officials said.

Tremors were also felt in parts of Pakistan and India, including in Islamabad and New Delhi.

Read more: https://tinyurl.com/yc5vmtdw

 

[ghazi52]

IEA FM calls Kabul-Pakistan talks ‘positive’ in meeting with Turkish envoy​

by The Frontier Post

KABUL (Ariana News): Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate, met with Turkish Chargé d’Affaires to Kabul, Sadin Ay Yildiz, to discuss regional developments and the recent Kabul–Islamabad talks held in the city of Urumqi in China.

According to a statement issued by the Afghan foreign ministry, Muttaqi described the negotiations with Pakistan as positive and expressed hope that “minor technical issues will not hinder the progress of the talks.”

Muttaqi also assessed relations between Afghanistan and Turkey as positive and described Ankara’s previous role in mediation as valuable.

Yildiz likewise stated that positive relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are of special importance to Ankara and that his country will continue its efforts in this regard.

 

[ghazi52]

ATRA: over 29 million Afghans have access to Telecom services​

by The Frontier Post

KABUIL (TOLONews): The Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA) says that over the past four years, price caps have been set twice for internet services in the country.

According to the spokesperson for ATRA, in the second price cap introduced in 1404 (2025), the cost of each gigabyte of internet decreased by 15 afghanis, while the price per minute of phone calls dropped by more than 36 percent.

Jalaluddin Shams, spokesperson for ATRA, told TOLOnews: “Under the price cap set in 1404, service costs have declined, and due to increased competition in the market, telecom networks are now offering internet and communication packages at much lower prices.”

The ATRA spokesperson also noted ongoing efforts to expand access to telecommunications services for all citizens across the country.

According to the authority’s data, more than 29 million citizens currently have access to telecommunications services.

Shams added: “The expansion of telecommunications services is progressing rapidly. In 1404 alone, more than 500 telecom sites became operational across the country, and today over 29 million citizens have access to these services.”

 

[ghazi52]

World Bank: Afghanistan’s per capita GDP falls 5.6% despite economic growth​

by The Frontier Post

KABUL (Amu tv): Afghanistan’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 5.6 percent in 2025, even as the overall economy expanded, highlighting the widening gap between growth and living standards, according to a new World Bank report on Thursday.

The country’s total economic output grew by an estimated 4.8 percent over the same period, driven largely by private consumption and a rebound in nonagricultural activity. But that growth was overshadowed by a sharp rise in population—estimated at 11 percent in the 2025 fiscal year, largely due to returning migrants—which diluted gains and pushed incomes per person lower, the report says.

The report portrays an economy still recovering from the severe contractions of 2021–22 but struggling under the weight of overlapping crises. Inflation increased alongside demand recovery and higher trade and transport costs, particularly as border closures disrupted supply chains.

Looking ahead, the World Bank projects Afghanistan’s economy will grow by 4.0 percent in 2026, supported by stronger domestic demand, higher private investment and gradual absorption of returnees into the labor market. However, the outlook remains highly uncertain and vulnerable to external shocks, particularly regional instability.

One of the most significant risks lies in Afghanistan’s heavy dependence on trade routes through Iran, which account for around 60 percent of total trade. Any disruption—especially amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East—could slow growth and fuel inflation, even if alternative routes are partially utilized, the report says.

At the same time, the continued return of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries is placing additional strain on the economy. The report warns that a large and sudden influx of returnees could further depress per capita incomes in the short term, as the labor market struggles to absorb new workers and create sufficient employment opportunities.

Macroeconomic indicators underscore the fragility of the recovery, the report says. After growing by 1.9 percent in 2024, Afghanistan’s GDP accelerated to 4.8 percent in 2025 and is expected to moderate slightly to 4.0 percent in 2026. Yet per capita growth remained negative in 2025 and is projected to recover only modestly.

Inflation is estimated to hover in the 4 to 5 percent range, while the country’s external position remains weak, with a current account deficit of roughly -36 to -38 percent of GDP. The fiscal balance, by contrast, is near equilibrium but slightly negative.

That external imbalance is among the most striking features of the economy. A current account deficit of that scale reflects deep dependence on foreign inflows, including aid, remittances and informal transfers, to finance imports and sustain basic economic activity.

 

[ghazi52]

Muttaqi says Taliban are ‘very serious’ about regional security amid Pakistan tensions​

by The Frontier Post

KABUL (Amu tv): The Taliban’s foreign minister said their administration is “very serious” about protecting regional security and preventing Afghanistan’s territory from being used against other countries, as tensions with Pakistan persist despite diplomatic efforts.

“Anyone who wants to harm the security of our region, whoever they are, it is unacceptable to us,” Amir Khan Muttaqi told Central Asian officials at a regional three-day meeting in Kabul, which ended on Wednesday. “We assure you that we are very serious in this matter, very serious.”

He said the Taliban would not allow any group or country to use Afghanistan’s soil to threaten others.

 

[ghazi52]

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[ghazi52]

️Corruption Scandal in Taliban Interior Ministry: Nepotism, Embezzlement, Drug Links, and Systemic Lack of Accountability

Sources within the Taliban Ministry of Interior point to deep-rooted and widespread corruption across procurement, contracting, and administrative systems.

Officials are accused of awarding lucrative contracts to relatives and close associates in exchange for financial kickbacks, alongside reports of large-scale embezzlement in fuel distribution networks.

The links between certain officials and drug trafficking groups operating within counter-narcotics and local security structures, raising serious questions.

According to sources, most contracts are being processed without open tender under the pretext of “security confidentiality,” while audit and inspection bodies are reportedly denied meaningful access, severely limiting transparency and accountability.

 

[ghazi52]

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[Foinikas]

Afghan refugee arrested in France for raping sheep and goats

A 19-year-old Afghan refugee has been arrested in France over a series of brutal rapes of sheep and goats that were found tied up and bleeding.

www.noticer.news

Afghan refugee arrested in France for violently raping sheep and goats​

• April 17, 2026
• The Noticer

A 19-year-old Afghan refugee has been arrested in France over a series of brutal rapes of sheep and goats that were found tied up and bleeding.

The owners of educational farm Le Refuge D’un Moment in Les Pennes-Mirabeau, near Marseille in the country’s south, began finding their animals in distress and showing signs of sexual abuse in February, and then again later that month and in March.

Some of the animals were found with their legs bound and with genital injuries and lacerations, and one five-month-old lamb was abused so severely on March 31 that it almost died, La Provence reported.

The owners of the farm set up cameras, and were shocked to see a man carrying out violent sex acts with some of the animals.

A police BAC (Anti-Crime Brigade) unit then caught the alleged perpetrator in the act on April 10, arrested him, and charged him with animal cruelty.

He faced court on April 13, where prosecutors said the man’s DNA matched semen found in the six animals he is accused of raping, and asked that he be kept in custody.

The 19-year-old, who entered France in November 2025 and was living in a shelter in Marseille while awaiting a residency permit, denied the abuse through an English interpreter.

He will remain in pre-trial detention until his trial on June 22.

The owners of the non-profit educational farm, which is home to 250 abandoned or mistreated animals including horses, cows, llamas, sheep, goats and chickens for children to visit, have started an online fundraiser to cover their veterinary and legal expenses.

Header image: Goats on the farm (BFM Marseille Provence).

 

[ghazi52]

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[ghazi52]

EU to host Taliban officials for talks on deporting Afghans​

by The Frontier Post

BRUSSELS (AFP) : Taliban officials are expected in Brussels in the coming weeks for talks on deporting Afghans from the EU to their home country, sources told AFP.

The European Union has been working on plans to deport those with no right to stay in the bloc back to Afghanistan, despite concerns from rights groups and the United Nations refugee agency.

The visit by Taliban officials, which is being coordinated by the European Commission and several member states, follows two trips by European officials to Afghanistan for “exploratory” discussions on the issue.

“The idea is to invite them before summer,” a diplomatic source told AFP, saying the Taliban delegation would be a “technical” team.

European officials “are gathering information about flights, about capacity at Kabul airport, they’re speaking with the Taliban about what would happen to the people sent back”, said a source involved in the discussions.

The Commission has not yet sent an official invitation to the Taliban authorities.

Stepping up deportations has become a common refrain among EU countries, as souring public opinion on migration has fuelled right-wing electoral gains across the 27-nation bloc.

Around 20 EU countries have been exploring how to deport Afghans, particularly those convicted of crimes.

 

[ghazi52]

Afghanistan rail trade rises 39%, Taliban ministry says​

by The Frontier Post

KABUL (Amu tv): The volume of goods transported through Afghanistan’s rail network increased by more than 39 percent over the past year, the Taliban public works ministry said on Sunday, pointing to expanded use of key trade corridors.

The ministry said that about 6.1 million metric tons of goods were moved through four major rail routes in the solar year 1404, which ended on March 20, up from roughly 4.3 million tons the year before.

According to the ministry, the shipments passed through crossings at Hairatan, Aqina and Torghundi, as well as the Khaf-Herat railway line. Hairatan, on the northern border, handled the largest share, accounting for more than 4.2 million tons.

The goods included fuel, liquefied gas, wheat, flour, cooking oil, cement and other food and construction materials. Officials said more than 103,000 rail wagons and over 4,600 shipping containers were used to transport cargo.

Exports remained comparatively limited. The ministry reported that about 74,700 metric tons of goods — including dried fruits, rice, potatoes, minerals and agricultural products — were exported during the year.

 

[Lulldapull]

Pretty sad situation in Afghanistannd. Bhookay murr re hain haramzaday. Never seen a girl try snatching your wallet due to starvation:

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[Lulldapull]

Iran needs to cut the oil n gas/ fuel to these failed states and just let em all die now!

AL-Turkiya/ GCC/ India included.