The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports a 20 percent decrease in opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in 2025 compared to the previous year. The sharp contraction, together with market indicators, suggests that opium production and trafficking undergoes major shifts in the region. The total area under opium poppy cultivation in 2025 More
China, Bahrain, Qatar, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the G7 have expressed their condolences over the casualties caused by the recent earthquake in northern Afghanistan and have pledged support for those affected. The 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck around 1:00 a.m. local time on Monday, with its epicenter in the Kholm district of Balkh More
Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) says the imported electricity from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan has been cut off due to last night’s earthquake, leaving Kabul and several other provinces without power. In a statement, DABS said on Tuesday that following the earthquake around 1:00am last night, Uzbekistan’s imported power lines were severed in two locations — More
The United Nations says it has dispatched relief teams to northern Afghanistan to assess needs and deliver emergency assistance following Sunday night’s earthquake. At around 1:00 a.m., a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck with its epicenter in Khulm district of Balkh province, while tremors were also felt in Kabul, Samangan, Sar-i-Pul, and Kunduz provinces. According to preliminary More
At least 23 people have died and over 670 others injured, while hundreds of residential houses have been partially or completely destroyed in a powerful earthquake that struck northern Balkh and Samangan provinces, sources said on Monday. The 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit around 1:00 a.m. (Afghanistan time) on Sunday night, with its epicenter in Khulm district More
About 800 houses were completely or partially destroyed in last night’s earthquake and aftershocks in northeastern Badakhshan province, an official said on Monday. Mawlawi Mohammad Akram Akbari, head of Natural Disasters Management Authority, told Pajhwok Afghan News aftershocks early this morning further damaged homes and properties in the province He said the heaviest damage occurred More
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to maintain their ceasefire and will hold another round of senior-level talks in Istanbul next week, according to a joint statement from Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The statement said representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Türkiye, and Qatar met in Istanbul from October 25 to 30, 2025, to strengthen the ceasefire More
The negotiations between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Turkey have concluded without any outcome. A source told Pajhwok on Tuesday that the behavior of the Pakistani side during the talks was such that even the mediators were surprised and upset. The source said: “What was most striking was that the Pakistani delegation was not familiar with More
Several have been killed and hundreds more wounded in the deadliest outbreak of violence along the 2,600km Afghanistan-Pakistan historically disputed border in recent years. The clashes erupted on October 11 after Islamabad struck Kabul and southern Afghanistan, accusing the Afghan Taliban—who took power in 2021—of harboring Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants. The Taliban denied the claim, More
Two people have died, two children are missing, and six others were injured after a car fell into a river in eastern Kunar province, local officials said on Friday. According to a statement from the provincial police, the accident occurred on Thursday when a Saracha-type vehicle veered off the road in the Chapko area of More