Latest News
Women playing key role in peace talks: Fatima Gailani
Fatima Gailani, a member of the Afghan Republic’s peace negotiating team said on Sunday women play a key role in achieving and sustaining peace and have through history helped with conflict resolution.
Addressing an online panel discussion on ‘Inclusivity and Diversity in the Afghanistan Peace Process’, organized by the Afghan Women’s Educational Center (AWEC) and the UN Women, Gailani said studies conducted in the field of peacebuilding would open a clear window for everyone to better understand the situation and capacities in the country.
The discussion started with the introduction of a study on the active role of women, especially local women, in the Afghanistan peace process and peacebuilding efforts.
Referring to the activities of female members of the negotiating team on working committees, Gailani said the role of these women has been influential and important.
Gailani praised women’s resilience in the face of problems they face and said that through history, Afghan women have played a role in conflict resolution.
According to the State Ministry for Peace, Gailani stressed the important role of women in Islamic countries in the Afghanistan peace process and the importance of their support of Afghan women.
“Peace makes sense with the active presence of women, as human rights and women’s rights, war victims’ and minorities’ rights must be acceptable to all parties and should be preserved in the process.”
She also said the support of the international community was extremely important and valuable for Afghan women.
Latest News
UNESCO: 2.4 million Afghan girls denied education since 2021
UNESCO estimates that the ban could force around 600,000 Afghan women out of the workforce by 2066 and cause $9.6 billion in lost income. It could also increase the risk of early marriage.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on Tuesday around 2.4 million Afghan girls have been denied secondary education since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) returned to power in 2021.
In a statement on Tuesday, UNESCO said Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls and women are officially barred from secondary and higher education.
The organization warned that the restrictions could increase poverty, reduce employment opportunities and cause long-term damage to Afghanistan’s future.
UNESCO estimates that the ban could force around 600,000 Afghan women out of the workforce by 2066 and cause $9.6 billion in lost income. It could also increase the risk of early marriage.
Girls’ secondary schools were closed in March 2022, followed by a ban on women attending universities in December of the same year. The IEA initially described the restrictions as temporary, but they remain in place.
UNESCO also warned that the restrictions could worsen Afghanistan’s shortage of female teachers. It estimates the country could face a shortage of more than 11,000 qualified female teachers by 2030.
The organization said more than 90% of 10-year-old children in Afghanistan cannot read a simple text, while the national literacy rate is around 37%.
Nearly half of the country’s schools also lack adequate access to water, sanitation or heating, UNESCO said.
According to the report, around three million people returned to Afghanistan in 2025, putting further pressure on the education system. Since 2021, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters have also forced around 1,000 schools to close.
Russia’s Power Machines Company is interested in investing in the rehabilitation and modernization of Afghanistan’s power plants, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) said on Tuesday.
DABS Chief Executive Officer Abdul Haq Hamkar discussed the potential investment with technical officials from Power Machines, with talks focusing on rehabilitating existing power plants, modernizing equipment and expanding power-generation capacity.
According to DABS, Hamkar said the company would cooperate in facilitating preliminary technical assessments of Afghanistan’s power plants and in exploring investment opportunities in the sector.
Denis Rudakov, head of Power Machines’ commercial department, said the Russian company plans to conduct preliminary technical assessments of existing power plants in Afghanistan.
Based on the findings, Power Machines will prepare proposals for rehabilitating facilities, modernizing equipment and increasing electricity-generation capacity, DABS said.
Afghanistan currently has several operational power plants, while efforts are underway to increase their generation capacity and upgrade their equipment, according to DABS.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), on Tuesday denied that IEA authorities detained Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman the US claims disappeared in Kabul four years ago.
“We have no information about Mahmood Shah Habibi. He is not with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. If he were, this issue would have been resolved long ago,” Mujahid said.
His remarks came a day after the FBI marked the fourth anniversary of Habibi’s disappearance and renewed its appeal for information about his whereabouts.
According to the FBI, Habibi disappeared near his home in Kabul on August 10, 2022. At the time, he was working as a consultant for Asia Consultancy Group, a Kabul-based telecommunications company. He had previously served as Afghanistan’s director of civil aviation.
The FBI has alleged that Habibi was detained by the IEA’s General Directorate of Intelligence.
The FBI has continued its investigation and in 2025 released a missing-persons poster for Habibi. The U.S. State Department has also offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his location, recovery and return.
UNESCO: 2.4 million Afghan girls denied education since 2021
New attacks on shipping as Iran war talks hit fresh impasse
Tahawol: Hamid Karzai’s call for Afghan reconciliation discussed
Saar: Preparations for IEA’s fifth anniversary discussed
Russian firm eyes investment in Afghanistan’s power plants
Pakistan’s governance system has ‘collapsed’: Mohsin Naqvi
Spain sweep FIFA World Cup player awards after historic triumph
Mango growers suffer heavy losses as exports fall and climate takes its toll
Countdown begins for inaugural Afghanistan Wrestling Premier League
Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan discuss expanding regional transit cooperation
Tahawol: Hamid Karzai’s call for Afghan reconciliation discussed
Saar: Preparations for IEA’s fifth anniversary discussed
Tahawol: Iran’s acknowledgment of Afghanistan’s cooperation discussed
Saar: Five years of Islamic Emirate rule in Afghanistan reviewed
Tahawol: Afghanistan: An Alternative to the Strait of Hormuz?
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan secure direct qualification for 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup
-
Regional4 days agoGoods transporters to go on strike from Saturday after talks with Pakistan govt fail
-
Latest News3 days agoPakistan-backed armed groups in Balochistan using former Afghan government forces: report
-
Sport4 days agoRashid Khan takes six as Afghanistan thrash Ireland by 92 runs
-
World4 days agoUS Senate passes Russia sanctions championed by Graham; US House next
-
Sport5 days agoAfghanistan ends continental futsal championship with dominant win over New Zealand
-
Business5 days agoUzbekistan, Kazakhstan target Afghanistan in push to expand regional trade
-
Regional5 days agoTrump says he thinks war with Iran will end ‘pretty soon’