Tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border continue to escalate, with the latest clash occurring on Sunday near the Torkham border crossing. According to Afghan media outlet Tolo News, Afghan border forces were building a bunker for their armored vehicles when Pakistani troops opened fire. Pakistan has yet to issue a statement on the incident.
This clash marks the latest in a series of border skirmishes that have grown increasingly frequent since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan reached a peak in December 2024, when Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghan territory resulted in the deaths of dozens. Hostilities have persisted into 2025, with Pakistan repeatedly conducting airstrikes within Afghanistan. Islamabad claims these operations target sanctuaries of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group it accuses of carrying out attacks on Pakistani soil. However, these incursions have become a major point of contention between the two nations, further straining their already fragile relationship.
Adding to the strain is Pakistan’s large-scale repatriation of Afghan refugees. Since Pakistan’s crackdown on undocumented migrants began in late 2023, the Associated Press reports that an estimated 800,000 Afghans have been repatriated. Over the weekend, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation issued a statement accusing Pakistan of forcibly deporting Afghan refugees. The ministry further alleged that Pakistani police have been conducting night raids on Afghan refugees homes and subjecting them to mistreatment. This has further exacerbated tensions between the two nations has complicating bilateral relations.
At the heart of these tensions lies the long-standing border dispute between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Like previous Afghan governments, the Taliban does not recognize the Durand Line as an official boundary. The Durand Line, a 2,670-kilometer border drawn by the British in 1893, has been a contentious issue for over a century. Afghanistan has historically contested its legitimacy, arguing that it divides ethnic Pashtun communities and was imposed under colonial rule.
In contrast, Afghanistan’s relations with other neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Central Asian nations, have been increasingly focused on trade and connectivity. Afghanistan is actively working to strengthen infrastructure ties, including the development of railway links with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. These efforts aim to enhance regional trade and economic integration. As a result, Afghanistan’s trade with these countries has been steadily growing, marking a significant shift toward fostering economic partnerships and improving regional cooperation.
Over the weekend, Iran’s acting ambassador to Afghanistan, Alireza Bikdeli, emphasized that Iran’s key policy priority is the development of well-established communication routes with Afghanistan. He stated that such infrastructure would facilitate the smooth movement of people, support trade for merchants, and enable the efficient transportation of goods and vehicles between the two countries.
As tensions with Pakistan persist, Afghanistan’s diplomatic and economic engagements with its other neighbors have emerged as a crucial factor in shaping the region’s stability.
Afghan farmers are shifting away from opium cultivation as the interim government ramps up efforts to eliminate the drug trade, offering alternative crops and local support.
Afghanistan’s Taliban-led interim government has dismissed a recent United Nations report on the country’s security, human rights, and economic situation, calling it inaccurate and misleading.
Poland’s Special Representative for Afghanistan met with the Taliban’s acting foreign minister in Kabul to discuss political ties, Afghan refugees in Europe, and future economic cooperation, signaling a cautious but growing engagement between the two nations.
Two influential Turkic states — Uzbekistan and Türkiye — are intensifying their diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, signaling a shift in regional dynamics focused on pragmatic cooperation over political isolation.
At the Astana International Forum, senior officials from Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan held talks to strengthen bilateral cooperation, with a focus on trade, economic collaboration, and regional stability.
A fire that broke out Thursday evening at the “Azerbaijanfilm” studio in Baku has been brought under control, following an explosion reported in an old pyrotechnics area of the complex.
The White House has indicated that President Donald Trump may push back looming tariff deadlines, signalling flexibility in his approach to ongoing trade talks.
China has started granting export licences for rare earth elements and magnets to companies in the European Union, according to a report by the South China Morning Post, citing EU officials.
Senior Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi has denied that Tehran has agreed to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States, pushing back against recent claims by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration is considering a major offer to Iran, including up to $30 billion in investments to support a civilian nuclear energy programme, easing some sanctions, and providing access to frozen Iranian funds.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
A fire that broke out Thursday evening at the “Azerbaijanfilm” studio in Baku has been brought under control, following an explosion reported in an old pyrotechnics area of the complex.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel’s recent victory in its conflict with Iran opens a path to expanded peace deals, including the possible addition of Saudi Arabia and Syria to the Abraham Accords.
A key unit at Iran’s South Pars gas field, damaged during Israel’s first strike on the country’s energy infrastructure, has resumed operations just 10 days after the attack.
Uzbekistan’s economy is set to expand by 6.5 percent by the end of 2025, driven by rising household income and sustained investment, according to the Eurasian Development Bank.
Kazakhstan will create six new nature conservation institutions to preserve biodiversity, aiming to increase protected territories to 12.5% of the national area.
A fire that broke out Thursday evening at the “Azerbaijanfilm” studio in Baku has been brought under control, following an explosion reported in an old pyrotechnics area of the complex.
The White House has indicated that President Donald Trump may push back looming tariff deadlines, signalling flexibility in his approach to ongoing trade talks.
China has started granting export licences for rare earth elements and magnets to companies in the European Union, according to a report by the South China Morning Post, citing EU officials.
Senior Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi has denied that Tehran has agreed to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States, pushing back against recent claims by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration is considering a major offer to Iran, including up to $30 billion in investments to support a civilian nuclear energy programme, easing some sanctions, and providing access to frozen Iranian funds.
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