Latest News
NSIA records a drop in underage marriages in Afghanistan

The National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA) on Tuesday announced the results of a survey, and said underage marriages have decreased in the country compared to previous years.
The survey shows that 9.6 percent of girls get married under the age of 15 and another 28.7 percent are married from the age of 18.
Based on the survey, 19 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 11 are engaged in hard labor.
“According to our statistics, child marriages have decreased in the country and 19 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 11 are engaged in hard labor,” said Esmatullah Hakimi, head of the Administrative Office of Statistics and Information.
“This survey was conducted for indicators of birth, death, child and mother health, maternal mortality and access to primary services throughout the country,” said Faqir Muhammad Ziyar, the head of NSIA.
The survey indicates that 54 percent of Afghan people are over the age of 17, of which 25.5 percent live in cities and the rest in rural areas.
Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, also said that in order to improve people’s lives, it is necessary for various government sectors to prepare appropriate plans and policies for the future, considering these statistics.
The NSIA officials also said that more than 23,000 families, 44,000 mothers, 32,000 children under the age of 5, and more than 20,000 teenagers were interviewed in this survey.
Latest News
Ariana Afghan Airlines increases flights to China

Ariana Afghan Airlines officials have announced that the company will operate two flights to the Chinese city of Urumqi every week from now.
“Ariana Afghan Airlines serves the people of Afghanistan in the sector in which it operates. Its responsibility is to control prices, and make as much profit as possible so that the company does not face problems,” Abdul Wali Seddiqi, head of Ariana Afghan Airlines, said at a ceremony to mark the occasion.
Ahmad Jan Bilal, head of state-owned companies, also noted that the increase in flights to China will help bilateral trade and people’s movement.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Naeem, deputy foreign minister for financial administrative affairs, emphasized that expanding economic, commercial and social relations between countries will have a positive impact on political relations.
“The more economic and trade relations expand, the stronger the relations between the two countries will be, and with that, political and other related issues will also be resolved,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chinese ambassador to Kabul, Zhao Xing, emphasized that his country is seeking to further enhance the level of relations with Afghanistan in various fields.
Direct flights between Kabul and Urumqi resumed in May 2023 after three years.
Latest News
Kazakhstan plans to invest $500 million in construction of Torghundi-Herat railway

Visiting Kabul, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin said on Monday that Astana is ready to invest $500 million in the construction of the Torghandi-Herat railway line in adding that a logistics and transport company would be established in Herat province to advance the project.
According to a press release from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the only thing Kazakh delegation also announced readiness to launch an internet cable project that would provide Afghanistan with affordable internet access.
Zhumangarin said that Kazakh investors are ready to invest in various sectors, especially in Afghanistan’s mines, oil and gas, and their technical teams are visiting Kabul in this regard.
During the meeting, the Kazakh side expressed its readiness to issue visas to Afghan businessmen, start flights between the two countries, cooperate on banking, enhance bilateral trade, and cooperate in the health and education sectors.
Meanwhile, Mullah Baradar stressed that Afghanistan has a firm will to strengthen economic and trade relations with Kazakhstan and other countries in the region and for this purpose, it has recently signed a draft roadmap to increase the volume of trade between Kabul and Astana to $3 billion.
According to the Deputy Economic Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, with the implementation of this roadmap, there will be significant positive changes in various economic sectors such as trade, agriculture, mining, transport, transit, railway and industry and investments in these areas will increase.
Mullah Baradar said that the Islamic Emirate is ready to share investment opportunities in Afghanistan’s mines with Kazakhstan and sign agreements in the field of preservation and quarantine of agricultural and livestock products. The Deputy Prime Minister also stressed the need to expand banking relations between the two countries and joint cooperation in the development and exploration of Afghanistan’s oil fields.
Latest News
China invites various Afghan delegations to attend Shanghai forums
The 25th SCO Summit is scheduled to be held in China in the second half of this year.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Zhao Xing, China’s ambassador to Kabul, has extended invitations to Afghan delegations to attend Shanghai forums this year.
In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry noted China’s interest in “expanding bilateral cooperation.”
The statement quoted Zhao as saying that China, as Afghanistan’s close neighbor, places “great importance on strengthening its relationship” with Afghanistan and is ready to take further steps toward developing ties between the two countries.
The Islamic Emirate was not invited to the SCO summit held in Islamabad on October 15–16, 2024.
Reports indicate that Afghanistan’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has been inactive since September 2021. Afghanistan became an observer member of the SCO on June 7, 2012, but has not actively participated in the organization’s activities since joining.
The 25th SCO Summit is scheduled to be held in China in the second half of this year.
The summit will offer a platform for discussions on key issues including food security, energy, the environment, and the fight against terrorism.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which represents 25% of global GDP and 40% of the world’s population, plays a key role in fostering economic, trade, and security cooperation among its member states.
In addition to the leaders’ summit, more than 40 related meetings of SCO mechanisms are expected to take place in China throughout the year.
-
Latest News5 days ago
Islamabad ‘unhappy about something else’, but taking revenge on Afghan refugees: Fazl-ur-Rehman
-
Latest News4 days ago
Azizi and Ishaq Dar discuss bilateral issues in Islamabad
-
Latest News4 days ago
Engagement and diplomacy key to solving Afghanistan’s challenges, says Ratwatte
-
Sport3 days ago
Afghanistan qualify for U19 Cricket World Cup 2026
-
Regional4 days ago
Hamas says it is ready to release all remaining hostages for an end to Gaza war
-
Latest News4 days ago
Pakistan’s deputy prime minister to visit Kabul Saturday
-
World4 days ago
Trump signals tit-for-tat China tariffs may be near end; TikTok deal on ice
-
Science & Technology4 days ago
NASA rover finds fresh evidence of the warm and wet past of Mars