Kabul’s streets were lined with white flags and decorated banners on Friday as Afghanistan marked the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power on 15 August 2021.
Officials held seminars and processions while residents drove through the capital with flags on their vehicles. Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, urged unity, saying Afghans should “strive with solidarity to preserve these great achievements and build a bright and prosperous future under the Islamic system.”
Security forces said measures were in place to ensure safety throughout the day.
The anniversary marks the fall of the US-backed Republic and the return of Taliban rule, a moment seen by many as one of the most significant political shifts in modern Afghan history.
International voices, however, warned of worsening conditions. Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), said Afghanistan faces its “worst” situation yet, with more than 23 million people in need of humanitarian assistance according to the United Nations. He urged donor nations to return diplomats to Kabul “so we can together fight for the rights of Afghan women and girls”.
Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada marked the anniversary by ordering the removal of the word “acting” from officials’ titles, claiming “suitable conditions” now exist for rebuilding the country and that Afghans have been “freed from linguistic, ethnic, regional, partisan and other divisions”.
Analysts note the move is part of efforts to project permanence in governance, despite Afghanistan’s ongoing economic crisis, restrictions on women’s rights, and limited international recognition.
Iran has ruled out direct talks with senior U.S. envoys in the Gulf, saying any contact will take place through Qatari mediators. Meanwhile, Steve Wit...
On 1 July, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Azerbaijan on a working visit....
Iranian and U.S. negotiating teams were due in Doha this week, but Iran said on Monday no meeting had been scheduled as weekend missile fire from both...
German prosecutors have arrested a German-Rwandan national on suspicion of aiding genocide and 25 counts of murder during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, a...
South African police arrested more than 900 people during nationwide anti-migrant protests on Tuesday (30 June), as demonstrations across the country ...
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that unexploded ordnance remains a deadly threat across Afghanistan, with children accounting for around 80% of victims and about 50 people being killed or injured each month.
CSTO Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov has inspected security along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border as the regional bloc continues a long-term programme to strengthen one of Central Asia's most strategically important frontiers.
Pakistan's military said on Wednesday it intercepted and destroyed four drones launched from Afghanistan into Balochistan, days after Islamabad carried out cross-border strikes against what it described as militant hideouts in eastern Afghanistan, further escalating tensions between the neighbours.
International calls for restraint are growing after the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan killed at least 28 civilians and injured 49 others on Sunday (28 June).
Iranian and U.S. negotiating teams were due in Doha this week, but Iran said on Monday no meeting had been scheduled as weekend missile fire from both sides tested the interim ceasefire to end the four-month-old war.
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to 'stand down' and resume technical talks, allowing vessels allowed to move freely under the interim peace deal, a U.S. official said.
Iran has ruled out direct talks with senior U.S. envoys in the Gulf, saying any contact will take place through Qatari mediators. Meanwhile, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have met in Doha with Qatar's PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
The wife and children of Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo were among around 1,700 people who died when two earthquakes struck northern Venezuela last week.
Mexico ended their 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout win, while Erling Haaland sent Norway through and Kylian Mbappé fired France into the last 16.
South African police arrested more than 900 people during nationwide anti-migrant protests on Tuesday (30 June), as demonstrations across the country turned violent in some areas, although most remained peaceful.
German prosecutors have arrested a German-Rwandan national on suspicion of aiding genocide and 25 counts of murder during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, authorities said on Wednesday (1 July).
At least five people have died after a fire swept through a 10-storey apartment building in the Belgian city of Antwerp, authorities said on Wednesday.
Eight Kenyan schoolgirls have pleaded not guilty to murder charges over a dormitory fire that killed 16 fellow students and injured dozens more at a boarding school in the country's Rift Valley region.
Trump travelled to North Dakota on Wednesday to dedicate the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, using the occasion to promote a message of American greatness as Independence Day celebrations got under way ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment