http://www.afghanistan-today.org Afghanistan Today eng Local media had much to comment on in a week that saw Afghan forces take full chage of former US-led security operations. Meanwhile the Taliban opened a political office in Qatar. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200 After Vice President Mohammed Qasim Fahim called for Afghanistan's constitution to be modified to allow for a parliamentary system before the 2014 presidential elections, local media argued that the comments reflected his and President Karzai's wish to preserve power. Some analysts regard the pair to be seeking a kind of Putin-Medvedev axis, whereby both would survive the 2014 transition to become president and prime minister respectively. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200 German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle joined other government officials in Mazar-e Sharif Sunday to officially open a new 59-million-dollar airport terminal. The transport hub, replete with the latest technology, is a welcome addition to Afghanistan's patchy civil aviation network. Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's Baluchistan Province, is home to thousands of Afghan refugees and day labourers. Moeen Mandokhail presents a snapshot of life at work in the bustling city. Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Hamid M. and his two brothers, all country boys from Ghazni's Jighato District, joined the police force together and were stationed in Ghazni City. Two years ago the family suffered the dreadful loss of two of the three sons, when Hamid brothers were killed in an insurgent attack on a police station. Hamid remained in the force for a while, but subsequenltly left when he felt the risks were too great. He has since returned to Jighato to become a shepherd. Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Following a week in which students, civil activists and women's rights groups took to the streets of Kabul to demonstrate different causes, the capital was once again host to protests on Tuesday June 4th. This time students and campaigners gathered to denounce the government's commemoration of Iranian icon Imam Khomeini at a conference held yesterday in Kabul. Wed, 05 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Following Parliamant's rejection of the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) bill last month, a Kabul group of civil activists has started a petition to collect a million signatures to force the bill into law. Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Uzra Shamal sketches her thoughs on children crossing the border to school in Pakistan everyday. For the full story, part of Afghanistan Today's special cross-border series, click here. Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 An eight-day hunger strike at Kabul University's Faculty of Social Sciences ended on Monday after President Karzai accepted the students' demands. But rival student factions soon took to the streets to protest the president's decision, echoing past tensions at campuses in Kabul and Nangarhar. Wed, 29 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Women activists, students and local residents took to Kabul's streets Monday to demand that a law entrenching basic human rights be passed by Parliament without amendment. The Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law was brought before the Wolesi Jirga by female MP Fawzia Koofi just under two weeks ago, but the debate was postponed following heated clashes in the lower house. Mon, 27 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 May was the month President Hamid Karzai took Afghanistan’s military needs abroad to India. The trip coincided with a period of heightened tension with Islamabad over recent clashes at the border over the construction of Pakistani military installations encroaching on Afghan territory. Afghanistan Today looks at expectations of the trip and appraisals after its conclusion Sun, 26 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Dozens of couples took part in a shared wedding in Mazar-e Sharif in an attempt by local officials to encourage the practice and reduce traditionally crippling costs for young spouses. Waheed Orya was on the spot to capture the new nuptial phenomenon. Mon, 27 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Safe houses and shelters are a life-saving resource for many Afghan women who have run away from violence or have been disowned by their families. But such sanctuaries as the House of Hope in Mazar-e Sharif can lose their funding after 2014 if the government does not step in to cover the departure of foreign donors. And here, as across the country, closure can have a deadly outcome for vulnerable women. Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Resuming daily life after violent incidents has become a tense but necessary routine for residents of Kabul and other cities. Sun, 26 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 After the Afghan Parliament blocked the passage of a law protecting the rights of women, local media cut to the bottom of the why the bill is so divisive. Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 A girl shoots a free-throw during the first ever competitive women's wheelchair basketball match held in Kabul on Friday May 17th. Teams from Mazar-e Sharif and Kabul faced-off before a crowd of about a dozen on an open court at the Orthopaedic Centre of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). ICRC founded, trains and supports both teams. In the end, Kabul won the historic game by five points. Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 A new road linking Balkh Province's Charkent District to the remote village of Qalaghaj is under construction and should be completed within a year with funding from the German government. But critics say shoddy work and corruption that plagued previous road projects must be avoided if the new 37-kilometre route is to stand a chance of turning life around for the recipients. Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Drawn by Kunar’s rich hydroelectric power generation potential, companies started projects in this mountainous and conflict-rife province only to pull out again. But there is still power to be had for your home or shop – if you know the right people. Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 A week of shockwaves ensued after Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal’s corruption tirade against named parliamentarians. Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 The Ebony Photo Centre in Herat trains women to be photographers and film makers, bringing critical new eyes into the frame, empowering new voices in western Afghanistan. Earlier this year the centre co-ordinated the first ever Women's International Film Festival, held in a historic centre in Herat. Now the challenge is to survive. Wed, 29 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 As well as being one of the chief repairers of vehicle suspensions in Gardez, Mohammad Amin Hairan is also a driving component in the fledgling film industry in Paktia Province. Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 As border tensions rise between Pakistan and Afghanistan after recent clashes in Nangarhar Province, families displaced by repeated rocketings in Kunar remain caught in the middle. Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan erupted this month with clashes between the sides over Pakistani military installations built on the disputed frontier. Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan's bodybuilders were welcomed home by a crowd of fans at Mazar-e Sharif airport after securing six gold medals at the South Asian Bodybuilding Championships 2013. Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Uzra Shamal's sketches the difficulty women in journalism face either side of the Durand Line. Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 A man harvests liquorice in northern Takhar Province. Seven kilos of the wet liquorice plant sells for 3 dollars, whereas dried liquorice is sold at around 1 dollar per kilo. Liquorice roots are one of Afghanistan's most profitable exports and are widely used to make herbal medicines. Besides being widely employed for pharmaceutical purposes, liquorice is also used as a sweetener, in confectionary, for tobacco flavouring, in drink mixes and to make fire extinguisher fluids. Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Heavy rains caused devastating floods last week in Balkh Province. Thousands of houses were destroyed and several thousand people displaced. The local government faces a battle against time to get basic provisions to affected residents. Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Six months after the brutal attack on Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl campaigner for women's education and rights, the implications of the attack are still being pondered on both sides of the border. Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Thousands of children of Afghan origin work as labourers collecting tin, plastic bottles, cardboard and waste in Pakistan's largest cities. As part of a special cross-border report, Moeen Mandokhail spoke to Afghan children collecting waste on the streets of Quetta. Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Nicknamed 'Bulldozer' for his rampant pace with reconstruction projects, Nangarhar Governor Gul Agha Sherzai now faces increasing scrutiny and local opposition over alleged abuse of office. Hundreds of opposition figures, but also Sherzai's supporters, demonstrated in the streets of Jalalabad in recent days over the Bulldozer's future at the provincial helm. Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0200 Dream of decades: Goodwill football matches bring together Soviet war veterans and former Afghan mujahedin fighters. Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Around 150 girls took part in the first-ever mini-marathon event for women in Mazar-e Sharif today to highlight gender discrimination, corruption and drug addiction. Running has become an increasingly popular tool of protest for young people looking to come together and shine light on an issue of their concern. Last year a similar all-male event took place in Mazar-e Sharif, Jalalabad, Kabul and other Afghan cities to highlight corruption in public offices. Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Ghazni has transformed itself into one large attraction showcasing local wrestling, riding, handcraft exhibitions, singing, dancing, fashion and much more. The ancient city located 120 kilometres southwest of Kabul is celebrating its new status as Asian Islamic Capital of Culture - a title awarded to the historic site by ISESCO in 2007. Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Hundreds of female journalists now work in radio, print and TV in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. And despite cultural constraints on their talking to strange men or even driving a car, especially in conservative Pashtun areas, they still tough it out in one of the world's most demanding media environments. Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Every day, around 9,000 people from southern Afghanistan pour into Pakistan’s Baluchistan Province through Chaman, a border crossing town located 126 kilometres from Quetta. Around half of them pass between the countries without valid travel documents, some to visit family, others to do business, all of them taking their chances on one of the world's most volatile, strategically vital and arbitrarily policed frontiers. Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Not time in a bottle, but in a tub of water. Roadside wrist watch vendor Tariq is so confident in the quality of his wares that he leaves them fully immersed in water to draw customers in Khost City. What he insists are genuine brand-name imports from Japan and others from China sell for 100 to 1,000 afghanis (almost 19 US dollars). Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Already one of Afghanistan's leading universities, Balkh just cut the ribbon on an impressive new Faculty of Engineering, the 18-million-dollar complex being financed by the Pakistani government. Works have also now begun on new faculties for Islamic Sciences and Economics. Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Thousands of VIPs descended on Ghazni on Saturday for the opening ceremony of the Asian Islamic Capital of Culture 2013. While flowers and music bring joy to local citizens, unfinished restoration and infrastructure projects cast a shadow over the celebrations. Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 A coalmine that once employed 12,000 people 50 years ago now employs less than 1,000. It runs with dilapidated machinery and sees hundreds of men go deep into the earth with nothing but faith and a helmet. Asghar Noor Mohammed felt the dust firsthand in the Karkar mine in Pul-i-Khumri. Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Thousands of Afghan refugee children work in Pakistan's recycling industry, living from broken bottle and scrap metal. An Afghanistan Today reporter spoke to children carrying bags of waste on the streets of Quetta. Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Deemed to restore the tarnished reputation of a husband or family, so-called honour killings are rarer today in Afghanistan. But they still occur and highlight the darker sides of family and community relations. One village in Badakhshan is now at the centre of a police investigation over the suspected honour killing of a young woman over her stormy marriage. Sat, 13 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 While music still accounts for most content of radio broadcasters, Pashtun dramas have come into their own on both sides of the border, pushing the limits and shaping public and private debate. In the last of our current Af-Pak focus series, Afghanistan Today looks at radio as a springboard for discussion of current events and some testing issues. Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 State authorities and child welfare NGOs say they are working to eradicate child labour in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But at the busy border crossing point at Torkham, the practice and associated ills such as sexual abuse of minors seem impervious to efforts to curb them. Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Authorities finally move to rein in a literary event once famous for its fiery anti-government and pro-insurgent performances. Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 The proximity of large foreign military bases is both a boon and curse for small communities. They benefit from additional employment and trading opportunities, and better road links and other infrastructure. But the presence of the bases also increases the threat to the local population during insurgent and Coalition forces' attacks. On March 8th, the day another bombing in Kabul coincided with the visit of US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, this threat finally overtook the village of Kondai in Khost Province. A suicide bomber blew himself up among the most cherished members of this community instead of nearby US and Afghan forces. Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan's first all-female wheelchair basketball team in Mazar-e Sharif has given hope to disabled women across the country. Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Residents of Helmand's capital Lashkar Gah turned out in force with their brooms and shovels Thursday to support a municipal clean-up campaign. Participants worked for three hours, including these members of the Helmand Press Club, whose work is featured in the AT Diary piece Strength in unity. Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 The recent Nowruz New Year celebrations not only marked an important calendar change for Afghanistan, but it also signalled the beginning of the traditional 40-day wrestling season. Afghanistan Today reporter Asghar Noor Mohammed was at a recent bout between two young challengers in Mazar-e Sharif. Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Following the cancellation of a trip to Pakistan by a senior Afghan military delegation, relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have once again taken a dive, with both sides blaming each other for underming the peace process and trading recriminations. Afghan media tried to make sense of the neighbours' latest diplomatic feud. Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 It took a tragedy to galvanize the Helmand press corps into action to protect itself. Today the press club flourishes and the work continues. Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Green fingers and a woman's touch can only mean a neater, lusher city. Dozens of women and schoolgirls recently met in the Dashti Barchi District of west Kabul for a major tree-planting drive. Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 The month of March produced a rash of frictions between the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Barbs escalated into open allegations of subterfuge, undermining of the peace process and support of the Taliban against the other. Cross-border visits by parliamentarians and military officials were cancelled. The developments are typical of clashes that sullied bilateral relations in recent years. But while these get thrashed out at an inter-governmental level, daily routine goes on for millions of people who live across a shared and historically disputed frontier. In a new series of stories, Afghanistan Today looks at life across the borderline. Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 The transfer to Afghan control of the Bagram Detention Center this week was hailed by many as a sign that the government is acting on key issues. But concerns are growing that thousands of detainees may now be released and potentially rejoin the insurgency. Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Despite earning a few hundred dollars per month on average, Afghan men pay tens of thousands of dollars on jewellery, robes and wedding traditions in order to marry. The government has promoted alternatives, but families still insist on lavish ceremonies. Sun, 24 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 From terrifying descents below ground to risky operation of heavy equipment, digging wells is not a trade for the faint-hearted, as one veteran explains. Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Thousands gathered at Mazar-e Sharif's Blue Mosque today to celebrate Nowruz, Afghan New Year, which marks the beginning of the Solar Hijri calender used in Iran and Afghanistan as well as the advent of Spring. Two Afghanistan Today photographers were at hand to capture the festivities. Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Despite Taliban threats and enduring constraints on women’s involvement in social activities, four women in Kunduz Province refuse to be daunted and continue to run four FM radio stations at their considerable risk. Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 An estimated 40,000 people who have fled their homes because of violence in their provinces now find themselves displaced and living in camps in Kabul. For the time being at least they are safely away from the fighting between Taliban and government forces. But not from the cold. Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Afghan-US tensions hit a new low this week after President Karzai accused the US of double dealing and negotiating with the Taliban. The local press dissect the implications for the future of Afghanistan. Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 A recent rainbow touches down in Kabul's Kart-e Sakhi District. Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Following the opening of the Buzkashi season in Mazar-e Sharif a few months ago, matches have continued across northern Afghanistan during the winter season. Gul Rahim Niazman saw a chase for the goat's carcass in Kunduz. Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 At what point does a person become so desperate that they will destroy the things that are most precious to them? And at what point does a journalist become personally involved in a story, leading them to intervene and partially shape its outcome? Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 In the past 11 years, the Taliban movement has seized every opportunity to advance its struggle for control of Afghanistan, up to and including the assassination of government and security officials inside mosques. Now these places of worship have become both targets and, depending on their proximity to strategic objects, security strongholds in themselves. Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Afghan flags fly over a main road that leads to Parliament in Kabul. The country's MPs returned to work today after 40 days of recess during the winter frost. Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan Today editors reflect on the Afghan press corps and the challenges that lie ahead beyond 2014. Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Following President Karzai's orders that US Special Forces should withdraw from Maydan Wardak Province within two weeks, in response to allegations of human rights abuses committed against civilians, the Afghan media look at the consequences for Kabul, Karzai and security. Sun, 03 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 In 2012, the Afghan filmmaker Laila Haidary was so moved by a scene she witnessed under a bridge in Kabul, that she opened Mother Camp, a private rehabilitation centre for drug addicts in the capital, at her own expense. Fareedoone Aryan and the AMP crew went to catch up with her. Sat, 09 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan is increasing steadily by the year. But the risks and challenges for entrepreneurs trading across the border grow accordingly as everyone with a pocket to fill zeroes in on the flow of goods. Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Thousands of Afghan children have incurred terrible bone injuries and burns as a consequence of domestic accidents, dangerous labour conditions or insecurity in their regions. A group of 42 children was recently taken to a camp in Germany where they will receive specialist medical care. Zafar Shah Rouyee went to meet them before they left. Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Among the daily traffic at Torkham there is a separate flow of pedestrians who occupy a special niche in the often strained relations between the neighbouring states: hundreds of Afghan children who have to go abroad to attend school. Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 A man practicing on a trampoline in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, is watched by local children. Hundreds of people come to the playground most afternoons to play volleyball, soccer, cricket and other games. Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 An Afghanistan Today writer looks back at being caught in a protest that turned into a riot. Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Over recent months, villages and even districts in several provinces rejected Taliban control and set up their own self-defence forces, vowing to keep insurgent groups out henceforth. In some cases there was a strong supposition that the government had previously supplied villagers with weapons to support the image of a growing grass-roots rejection of the Taliban. Now some communities in Helmand and Kandahar have also declared themselves Taliban-free and ready to defend their newfound independence. But will the government arm them and provide infrastructure they missed out on? Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Farmers in Balkh Province wash a bumper crop of carrots after the harvest. As well as providing a vital vitamin C boost to local residents, carrots are used to make pickles, jams, juices and local dishes such as qabli, a rice and carrot dish. Overall, it's been a good year for the carrot farmers, who received three sacks of chemical fertilizer each, one white and one black, in subsidies from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock. Many farmers still tend to use natural fertlizers like manure to keep costs low. White fertilizer costs between 900 and 1,200 afghanis ($17-23) on the local market, while black fertilizer can cost up to 2,500 Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan's higher education landscape is slowly improving. But students say methods, resources and language make moving east across the border to Pakistan a better study and career prospect. Unless you are a Pakistani lecturer looking for work, in which case, go west. Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Images of flag draped, repatriated coffins of soldiers became all too familiar in recent years. But what of the large numbers of insurgent dead, and especially those whose remains must be transported home across the border to Pakistan for burial? Formal and informal channels exist to perform this fundamental rite, bringing closure and even peace to grieving families. Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Mastoora Arezo hasn't let the prejudices against women in her country hold her back. The entrepreneur is the founder of a sports newspaper, the coach of the Afghan Women's National Volleyball team and owner of her own company. Fareedoone Aryan met with her in Kabul. Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 From hanging carcasses to sheep's wool and tea pots, Asghar Noor Mohammed presents a snapshot of the market in his hometown of Mazar-e Sharif. Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 An estimated three million Afghan refugees live in Pakistan. The Pakistani government encourages a policy of 'voluntary repatriation,' but the realities show that for many it is far more complicated than just going 'home'. especially when they've never been there before. Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 US-Afghan relations have hit more turbulence after the US military accused Afghanistan's Kam Air of smuggling narcotics to Tajikistan and blacklisted the carrier that is occasionally used by President Hamid Karzai. Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 From petitions to awareness campaigns, peaceful demonstrations and explosive riots that claimed innocent lives, Afghans have in recent years discovered a power of protest that is slowly and painfully maturing. Paired with Zarwali Khoshnood's diary piece reflecting on the riot of February 24, 2012, in Khost over the accidental burning of Korans by US soldiers, Afghanistan Today presents a series of images, both inspiring and alarming, of the power of protest. Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Leaders from the National Front of Afghanistan recently met in Mazar-e Sharif with Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor to announce they will stand behind one candidate in the 2014 presidential election. Their joint resolution called for a fair and transparent vote, but commentators are already asking if the alliance of old foes will even last until next year. Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Dozens of mainly senior citizens gathered over the past week in Ghazni to shoot, arch and even throw stones in events organized by the provincial Olympic Committee. They heralded a broader programme of events scheduled through 2013, while Ghazni hold's the title of Capital of Islamic Culture, awarded by ISESCO (the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in 2007. Afghanistan Today watched competitors from across the region take up their bow. Sun, 03 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 US military claims that Afghanistan's Kam Air has been flying drug shipments to Central Asia via Dushanbe drew vehement protests and denials from Tajik and Afghan officials in recent days. But whether Afghan drugs are generally moved by plane, train or mules on dirt tracks, there is plenty of evidence that they are flowing plentifully to world markets via Tajikistan. In the last of our series of joint stories from Afghanistan and Tajikistan, we look at the business of moving the "white death" abroad. Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Herat in western Afghanistan isn't short of commercial activity, new buildings and plenty of traffic. The problem is where to park. Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Although limited and brief, a two-day exhibit in Kabul commemorating the lives of war victims has reopened dialogue about truth and reconciliation in Afghanistan. Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Following two deadly assaults in a week on security institutions in Kabul, Afghan media ask how the Taliban could have penetrated the capital so easily. Most commentators agree that the Taliban show no signs of edging closer to negotiations with the current government. Sat, 26 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 They hardly enchant you from the outside, but come inside small businessman Sultan Mohammad Mangal's container rooms, feast your eyes on the velvet interiors, send an email or take a nap on the kingsize bed. Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 The new Keshim-Faizabad Highway has brought a boom in trade, health and education to Badakhshan Province. But as well as becoming an accident hot spot, the 103-kilometre lifeline will struggle to survive the winter unless its maintenance is regulated. Khushqadam Usmani presents a snapshot of the road's brief life so far. Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Completed in 2012, the USAID-funded highway connecting Keshim and Faizabad has brought new opportunities to Badakhshan Province: Trade has blossomed, health and security have improved and commuting times have been dramatically reduced. But can the road survive the winter? Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 The blood bank in Mazar-e Sharif lacks donors and adequate freezers and relies on people being prepared to sell their blood in emergencies. New equipment is on its way, but can a local donor culture be developed? Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 A group of men and boys in the Imam Sahib District of Kunduz Province employs an unorthodox method of catching fish: live cables from a generator are used to electrocute the water. This effective but environmentally destructive means of fishing causes substantial collateral damage to the ecosystem, killing off species and harming plant habitats. Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Talks between President Hamid Karzai and President Barack Obama in Washington this month covered a raft of sticking points in relations. These included immunity from prosecution for US soldiers in Afghanistan, the 2014 security handover, reconciliation with the Taliban, control of prisons and improved weaponry for Afghan forces. Mixed reactions are still issuing from the Afghan media. Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 The mainly Pashtu-language Shamshad TV channel has been thinking hard about its image. Turbans almost made a compulsory comeback, but a French-style goatee beard can still squeeze in. So what's going on behind the 'mirror'? Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 In 2012 Sari Shafia, a 23-year-old woman from Khost Province, was hailed a heroine by local authorities after she took up a rifle and defended the family home from armed assailants. Her father and another relative died and a third was injured in the insurgent attack, which was carried out in retaliation for her brother‘s trucking work for ISAF. But the defence of the home was a short-lived victory: Months later, Shafia and her family are still in hiding, unable to return for fear of reprisals. Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Images that emerge from Afghanistan all too often relate to violence and persecution, poverty and despair. They do chronicle a country embroiled in conflict, yet they proliferate at the expense of everyday reminders of the lighter moments that exist everywhere. Afghanistan Today presents a selection of scenes of entertainment, fun, rest and relaxation. Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Nearly 20,000 Afghans who were living in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan have been repatriated in Balkh Province since 2001. But for the most recent returnees, the future remains uncertain. Waheed Orya reports from a camp for refugees on the outskirts of Mazar-e Sharif. Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Living unscathed into 2013 was a local miracle for the occupants of this vehicle, which in December swerved off the road at high speed and plunged into a small ravine in Khost's Dwamanda District. Passers-by gawp at the wrecked pick-up truck shortly after the driver and three passengers scrambled to safety. Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 For Afghanistan Today, 2012 produced plenty of great writing and photography in some challenging and occasionally menacing work conditions. We survived some eventful travels and made a lot of new friends, and expect 2013 to be even more demanding and fruitful. AT editors look back at a roller coaster year of workshop and website activity. Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan Today takes its journalists abroad at the start of new projects that tie in with two of the country's neighbours. With an introduction by AT chief editor Nick Allen, Fakhriddin Kholbek, a veteran Tajik journalist with extensive experience of working in Afghanistan, presents AT's cross-border focus on Tajikistan. Fri, 21 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Fareedone Aryan profiles Mrs Sidiqi Tamasoki, head of the Tamasoki World Silk Production at the Khadija-tul Kubra Market in the western city of Herat. Tamasoki discusses the challenges tailoring, her rise from a meagre background and how she doesn't fear 2014. Fri, 21 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 More than 300 participants took part in a charity run in Mazar-e Sharif early on Friday December 15 in an event organised by the Afghan Anti Corruption Network to highlight corruption in local administrative offices. The next challenge will be to take the race ro more troubled areas of the country. Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Two Afghan surgeons have developed a bone reconstruction tool that has slashed recovery time and cost for patients in therapy. While cheaper imitations have appeared, a leading medical multinationals has acquired the patent and plans to mass produce 'Afghan Device'. Masood Momin reports. Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In June 2012, Afghanistan Today introduced Afghan Eye, a series of intimate weekly portraits of Afghan life; scenes that are often forgotten amidst larger headlines. Here is s selection of shots we especially liked from members of our existing team and newcomers to the project. Afghan Eye will continue in 2013. Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 More than half of the inmates at Khost Central Prison are there because they participated in the insurgency. A new focus of their rehabilitation, say prison officials, is the literacy they acquire there. And not just the ABC - the 'Turbans of honour' learn the Koran by heart. Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Naseeb Jan, a farmer in the Kooshtal area of Achin District in Nangarhar Province, ploughs his land in preparation for the wheat season. The farmer hopes his future reapings will match his recent crop volumes: In the last harvest alone, Naseeb's land yielded 840 kilograms of wheat per hectare. Sat, 08 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Watandoost, a carpenter in Haska Mena District in Nangarhar Province, started his business 18 months ago. The carpenter produces doors, windows, closets, desks and other wooden products in demand at his atelier near the Pakistan border. Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 A woman sews clothes as part of a project supported by a Polish Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) to strengthen female employment in Ghazni. About 200 local women are taking part in the four month training program and each participant is paid a $2 per diem by the Ministry of Women's Affairs regional department in Ghazni. The clothes are sold in local markets. Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Kabir is one of about 20 fishmongers operating on Dokan Street near the public hospital in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif. Local fishmongers mainly sell fish imported from Pakistan, but the local delicacy is a white fish known as laqa from the port of Hairatan on the Amu Darya River in the north of the province, Balkh. Prices for the different kinds of fish range from $6 to $14 per kilo. Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 After 20 years of upheavals and deprivation, from civil war to rampant poverty to kidnappings by human trafficking rings, a new generation of militant Tajik youth has reached maturity. And it appears to be increasingly active in the conflict in Afghanistan. Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0200 In the southern district of Shorabak in Kandarhar Province, a government post has remained unfilled for over six months. The last man to occupy it was killed and fear of Taliban recriminations has kept potential candidates from applying. Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Based on rigid Russian academic tradition, Tajikistan's higher education diplomas are respected by employers across Central and South Asia. But this is attracting people from neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, who want the document with the minimum of attendance and effort. Fri, 28 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Two neighbouring states with related but distinct cultures, both with histories of restriction and emancipation of women. But the current leader in female dynamism in politics may come as a surprise. Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Ajmal sells chickpeas inside the Hazrat Ali Shrine Garden in Mazar-e Sharif on November 12, 2012. The chickpeas, a portion of which cost 20 afghanis ($0.40) to buy, are first boiled in water for 30 minutes. The mushy peas are then flavoured with salt, vinegar and dry pepper and served as a delicacy to vistors at the city's famous Blue Mosque. On a good day, Ajmal makes 600 afghanis ($12). Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In the remote district of Shorabak in Kandahar Province, government posts have been unfilled for months. The last man to occupy one was killed and fear of Taliban recriminations has kept potential candidates from applying. Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 A farmer works his fields during the current cotton harvest in the village of Madrasa, Ali Abad District, Kunduz Province. Cotton is the main agricultural output in the northern province and is processed regionally at the Spinzar textile factory in Kunduz City, The cotton is spun into quilts and items of clothing then sold in local markets or in the capital Kabul. A kilogram of cotton sells in local markets for 230 afghanis ($4.4). Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Sunni and Shiite students clash on the night of Ashura at the University of Kabul, turning an erudite campus into a backyard battlefield and paralyzing exam preparations. Zafar Rouyee reports. Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In a harsh irony of geopolitics and natural wealth management, Afghanistan and Tajikistan are key sources of water from their mountain ranges, yet hesitate to exploit this while consumption of their thirsty neighbours takes precedence. Sat, 12 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Children kick a football around on a makeshift pitch in Mazar-e Sharif. Despite the city being home to the Afghan Premier League's losing finalists, Simorgh Alborz, sports venues and facilities are few and far between. Simorgh Alborz themselves don't have a home stadium, although the governor had pledged to build a sports complex for the team and the city soon. Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 A flurry of executions of "terrorists, murderers, kidnappers and rapists" by the Afghan government has drawn applause at home, concern abroad. Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 There are nearly 30,000 children working on the streets of Kabul, according to recent government figures. But a new project founded by a group of young psychologists hopes to get children back in school, while healing their scars. Masood Momin reports. Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Sat, 24 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan needs the electricity, Iran and Turkmenistan charge too much for it, Tajikistan has a lot of it, sometimes, and Uzbekistan is jealous. Some great games, it seems, will never go away. Sun, 27 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0200 This month a delegation of the High Peace Council headed by Salahuddin Rabbani negotiated the release of several former Taliban leaders from Pakistani prisons. The Afghan media asks whether it is pure politicking by Pakistani officials or a concrete step in the peace process in Afghanistan. Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Apparently unconcerned by his choice of location, a man takes a leisurely, possibly narcotic-induced nap in the middle of a busy thoroughfare by Kota-e Sangi Bridge in Kabul's Fifth District. Large numbers of commuters pass through the area each day but no one takes heed of the prone figure. Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Pride at Rohullah Nikpai's second Olympic medal in Taekwondo has prompted thousands of people to take up the Korean martial art across Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Nikpai has turned his attention to bringing together warring factions, region-by-region. Sada Soltani reports. Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Rajab Ali Andishmand has invented traffic safety devices, guillotine scissors for steel, even a drone prototype. He is the founder of the Afghanistan Association of Intellectual Properties and has won awards in and outside of Afghanistan. All he and many other mechanically talented countrymen need now is for their own government to take notice. Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 A journal of the blind in northern Afghanistan has led to a more sensitive understanding of the visualy impaired. But with the monthly on the verge of bankruptcy, can the progress be sustained? Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 While Tajikistan and Afghanistan strive to forge closer links, Mother Nature's most avaricious ambassadors pay no heed to borders in their search for food. Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 When Pakistan closed the Khyber Pass in 2011, the main NATO supply corridor into Afghanistan was abruptly cut off. But it wasn't just NATO that felt the pinch - corrupt logistics operators lost a steady supply of loads to pillage. Now traffic is moving once more, and business is good again for the thieves and their customers. Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Decades of separation during the Soviet era stifled many natural ties between the Tajiks in Tajikistan and Afghanistan's northern provinces. The distance between the close neighbours was compounded by a lack of bridges over the river boundaries. But economic projects to bring them closer are gradually bearing fruit. Sun, 23 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Buzkashi is back! Between the summer heat and the icy winters, horses' hooves thunder on fields across Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian republics as riders battle for possession not of a ball as in polo, but a headless goat carcass. Asghar Noor Mohammed visited a recent bout at the start of the buzkashi season in Mazar-e Sharif. Sat, 17 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan is a landscape famous for its harsh and unforgiving roads, but that doesn't stop cyclists from Italy to Jalalabad from hopping onto the saddle. AT looks at the thrills and spills of a new generation of cycling devotees. Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Inmates of Kunar Prison claim they have served their sentences but were not released. Others say appeal courts ruled in their favour, yet they remain behind bars. Local judiciary officials, the NDS and the Attorney General's Office deny any wrongdoing, but something is clearly amiss at this institution. Ahmad Balaal reports. Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Trucks, armoured cars, rickshaws and donkeys are among sights you expect to see on Afghanistan's roads. But a dozen helmeted, lycra-clad cycling enthusiasts, including women in hijabs? Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In Nusay, in Badakhshan's Darwaz District, most people make a living working the land. In this mountainous region located on the Afghan-Tajik border, 300 kilometres from the provincial capital Faizabad, large agricultural machines and even tractors have yet to arrive in significant numbers. Most smallholders still use livestock for transport and ploughing. Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Confiscated number plates hang in warning on a tree located a kilometre from the Traffic Police Department of Khost Province. All the plates are fake and were made locally or in Pakistan’s tribal belt. Drivers in Afghanistan whose vehicles are found to be fitted with false number plates face immediate arrest and subsequent custodial sentences of three to six months, says Inayatullah Kamal, head of the prosecution department of the Attorney General’s office. Sun, 11 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 A little over a decade ago, the notion of women running businesses in Afghanistan was fantastic, unreal, dangerous. But despite ongoing challenges, dozens now run shops, companies and associations of businesswomen. And thanks to momentum and peer support, more are poised to follow. Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Samosas on-the-go are hot favourites for hungry travellers on the road to the Salang Pass, while driving from Kabul to Parwan and Baghlan provinces. Fareedoone Aryan presents a video portrait of a roadside stopover for sustenance. Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Two years ago the Afghan boxer Hamid Rahimi expressed a dream to one day hold the first ever professional boxing match in Kabul. Last night the fight became a reality as the German-based boxer faced Said Mbelwa for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight title before an ecstatic crowd in Kabul. Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Millions of Afghans celebrate Eid-al-Adha this weekend. Thousands gathered at Mazar-e Sharif's Blue Mosque today for special prayers, where AT'S Asghar Noor Mohammad was at hand to capture the atmosphere. Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 October saw the successful conduct of Afghanistan Today's second workshop for 2012, But even three years into this unique project funded by the German Foreign Office, not everyone gets it... Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 A crowd gather round an anti-corruption poster in Kabul, 29 Septmber 2012. The new billboard depicts corrupt officials as snakes, saying they will be treated like serpents if they exploit the duties in their roles for their personal gain. Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The transition of security duties is ongoing across Afghanistan, and some of the burden at district level has been passed to Afghan Local Police units, reincarnated forms of the traditional arbakai local militias. In Kunduz, their harrassment of the population caused uproar. In the former Taliban stronghold of Marja in Helmand, the ALP have managed to both keep the peace and maintain local trust. But for how long? Sun, 04 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The inaugural Roshan Afghan Premier League was Afghanistan's first professional sports league for decades. More importantly, it gave hope to millions of young people across the country. AT editors present a snapshot from this week's final. Sun, 14 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The contrast of the inaugural Afghan Premier League Final and the bleak sporting legacy of the recent past, epitomised by half-time Taliban executions during matches in the 1990s, could not be greater. Afghanistan's first professional sports league concluded last Friday, bringing hope and the sheer thrill of the game to millions of Afghans of different ages and ethnicities across the country. Sun, 21 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 South Korean Special Forces train Afghan National Police (ANP) in martial arts, first aid and close combat in Parwan Province. The training operation began on August 1, 2012 and is designed to strengthen the local forces' ability to conduct house searches and implement the law leading up to the 2014 withdrawal of foreign troops. Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The renaming of Kabul University after Burhanuddin Rabbani in September was meant to honour the former president and head of the Afghan High Peace Council, one year after his assassination. Instead, it unleashed a new round of conflict in the city he once ruled. Sun, 14 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Taxi drivers, business owners, street vendors and shopkeepers are exasperated by the daily harassment and shakedowns they face at the hands of police, customs and municipal authorities. Even children are being forced to bribe their teachers to come to class. In this special report, Gul Rahim Niazman examines the ire of locals in Kunduz. Sat, 27 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Amourous men randomly dialling phone numbers to meet girls is nothing new. Now though, people are exploiting the possibilities for deception: a young man with a high-octave voice in Jalalabad has been scamming by phone, pretending he is a girl, and luring suitors into fruitless rendezvous and squeezing them for a small fortune. But while Jawad is cleaning up, he'll have to watch his back. Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Gulsha is a mother, a wife, a carer, a model worker and sole bread earner of a family of seven. But in a society that first values male leadership and patriarchal drive, she is one of many unsung female stalwarts who must just keep going against the odds. Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 A young man in Mazar-e Sharif shows off his motorbike skills in a residential area in the northern city. For many young Afghans, motorcycling and daredevil stunts are a way to let off steam after a busy week of work. Many are employed in construction and generally earn no more than $5 per day - yet they will save up for years to buy a motorcycle for several hundred dollars. . Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 When a patrol of Polish soldiers stumbled upon a bundle off Highway 1 in Ghazni Province, they naturally assumed it was an improvised explosive device. To their surpirse it was a newborn baby. Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Shaken by the extent of drug addiction in her city, Afghan filmmaker Laila Haidary used her own money to set up a camp for recovering heroin addicts. But despite assisting 400 desperately afflicted people, she has been harassed and threatened, and now the project faces possible closure by the government. Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The deaths of more than 50 international troops from insider attacks by members of the Afghan security forces prompted international forces in mid-September to temporarily suspend low-level joint missions with the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP). By the end of the month, many ISAF units had resumed joint operations. Afghanistan Today looks at some responses in military circles to the interruption. Fri, 28 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Mazar-e Sharif celebrated the nationwide Afghan holiday Peace Week from September 18-25. Schools, streets and the governor's office were temporarily transformed to host exhibitions, live music, public meetings and speeches. Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Following the murder of a prominent Afghan film actress last year, the frailing Afghan film industry is struggling to survive the onslaught of Bollywood and foreign influences. Sat, 09 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Wali Mohammad, the commander of an anti-Taliban militia formed of local residents, leads his men through Andar District in Ghazni Province, September 2012. A kind of neighbourhood watch with AKs, the armed residents' committee, led by Wali and formed of 30 men, has been fighting independently of government or foreign forces to expel the Taliban from the area since April 2012. Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The government and the High Peace Council in Balkh Province claim several high profile Taliban leaders have either been killed or defected to the Afghan security forces in recent months. Are these genuine cracks in the local insurgency, as one commander's surrender would seem to indicate, or more smoke and mirrors in the propaganda war? Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Demonstrations that overtook cities in the Middle East and North Africa after the release of the controversial film Innocence of Muslims reach Kabul. Armed protesters reportedly fired on foreign organizations and encroached upon NATO buildings. Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 A Taliban court sentenced a 16-year-old girl for having an illicit relationship and then lashed publicly her on a football field. While Ghazni City prepares to be the 2013 Capital of Islamic Culture, women here face harsh and often lethal punitive violence from shadow courts and judges. Meanwhile, state authorities say only they have the right to wield the whip. Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 A disabled man has unstrapped his prosthetic leg and rests on a road by the northern city of Faizabad. He is one of around 100,000 Afghans who have been provided with free artificial limbs under an international campaign to improve the lives of those with mobility handicaps. Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Bearing the name of Sahar Gul, a young girl subjected to unspeakable horrors by her own relatives, a café in Kabul might not be expected to be a place of hope and calm. Yet Afghanistan’s first women-only internet centre launches a new forum for empowerment of half the population. Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Formerly home to dozens of producers who in ancient times rivaled the world’s best, all that remains of Herat's glass making industry is one factory and three veteran artisans. But the government hopes a museum can save the industry from extinction. Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Amidst the forgotten walls of old warehouses and battle-scarred buildings, a graffiti crew in Mazar-e Sharif is gradually turning the city into a gallery while raising awareness of societal issues. But can they inspire an aerosol era? Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 A wood dealer in Kabul. While wood is a primary source of heating for Kabul residents in winter, illegal timber smuggling in eastern Kunar Province has caused devastating deforestation, halving the area's forests in the last 30 years.The amount of timber cut each year in Kunar and Nuristan is estimated to be around seven million cubic feet. Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Amidst the forgotten walls of old warehouses and battle-scarred buildings, a graffiti crew in Mazar-e Sharif are turning the town into a gallery while raising awareness of issues affecting their society. But can they inspire an aerosol era? Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Fronted by a boy waving a round naan bread, a troupe of the Afghan Mobile Mini-Circus for Children (MMCC) performs a play in Kabul in August 2012. The circus, an NGO which began working in Afghanistan in 2002, says it provides a broad programme of creative and learning activities to nurture "Afghan talents and potential." It has so far performed and conducted workshops in 16 of the country's provinces for over half a million children. Many of the organization's troupes have also toured Europe and America. Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 President Hamid Karzai has suggested two key faculties, medicine and engineering, switch tuition to English to improve students’ international prospects. But educators say rural students with little fluency in the language will be disadvantaged. Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Najiba, a young girl from Helmand's Marja District, pauses while collecting water from the nearest well. With her father out at work, it falls to her each day to carry full canisters 150 metres to the family home. It is heavy duty in the summer heat, but many other children are in a worse plight: UNICEF estimates that two million Afghan children are in full or part-time work, while the International Labour Organization reports that 47 per cent of brick makers are aged under 14. Sun, 19 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Sat, 18 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Located in Afghanistan's most violent and drug-rife province, Helmand's capital Lashkar Gah usually only makes the news for negative reasons. The city shows many signs of poverty and inequality, yet a relatively normal, if difficult, daily life continues here too. From pomegranate farmers to marble cutters, Khalil Rahman Omaid presents a portrait of his home city. Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 A growing number of bombings of mosques and prayer ceremonies continues to generate outrage across society. But after the condemnation and news reports abate, these once sacrosact places of communal worship remain a source of fear. Naqib Ahmad Atal reports. Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 While the war between Afghan and NATO troops versus insurgent groups rages around them, most Afghans are busy with another day of work. From marble cutters to female thespians, Afghanistan Today journalists present a cross-section of the Afghan workforce. Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200 Afghan Taekwondo fighter Rohullah Nikpai won bronze at the London 2012 Olympics, doubling his and Afghanistan's medal tally in the modern games. Thousands of fans flooded the streets of Kabul to welcome home their hero. Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Presidential measures aimed at tightening the work of the media have perplexed and puzzled those trying to understand them. Mir Sediq Zaliq talks to media experts about Decree number 45. Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan's greatest Olympian, Rohullah Nikpai (right), presents his bronze medal before the crowd at the London 2012 Olympics. Nikpai defeated Martin Stamper of Great Britain to take the third spot in the men's 68kg taekwondo, equalling the bronze he took home from the Beijing 2008 games. "I'm delighted because this medal is very important to my country," said the fighter, who can expect a tumultuous welcome when he returns to Afghanistan. Sun, 12 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In the streets and bazaars of Kabul, baggy trousers, pierced ears and dyed-hair have been inching out traditional Afghan attires over a decade of strong new influences. Western and Indian films are importing a new culture and even marketing psychology is changing. But not everybody thinks it’s for the best. Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The Wolesi Jirga, Afghanistan’s House of Representatives, voted to relieve the defense minister and the minister of internal affairs of their duties last week, but President Karzai soon re-instated them in an acting role. The Afghan media has been abuzz with reactions. Mir Sediq Zaliq brings you a round-up of press and TV commentaries from Kabul. Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Foreign donors and governments have invested billions to build and repair Afghanistan's battered road network. But insecurity, lack of maintenance and natural disasters ensure that getting around isn't easy. Afghanistan Today journalists present a portrait of life on the road in Afghanistan. Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The logistics business is one of the most lucrative and murkiest aspects of international security operations in Afghanistan. Involving backroom dealings and hundreds of millions of dollars, the stakes are high, as is the alleged involvement of the Afghan political elite. So who’s running the show, what are the scams, and what will happen as business tails off with foreign troop withdrawals? In this special report, AT looks under the tarpaulins. Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 When the Kabul-Kandahar highway was re-opened in 2003 after two decades of disrepair, it was meant to connect Afghanistan’s two largest cities and strengthen security and prosperity. But daily kidnappings have turned it into the 'highway of horrors'. Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Cadets who will soon join the 150,000-strong Afghan National Police (ANP) demonstrate newly acquired skills before commanders and Polish Army officers in Ghazni Province. The combined security forces have stepped up operations against militants in Ghazni, which has seen rising insurgent activity ths year, forcing the closure of schools and reportedly prompting a backlash from local communities Sun, 05 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan currently has 193,000 teachers and hopes to increase the number of school children enrolled in secular education from 9.4 million to 12 million within three years. But the challenges, especially for girls education, remain broad and nationwide. AT correspondents present a snapshot of education in Afghanistan. Sat, 04 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 More and more women are celebrating their right to offer prayer collectively as city mosques lead the way in welcoming the faithful. Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 School teachers in remote areas are increasingly hiring unqualified proxies because their journey to work is too long and costly. Some parents accept that this is a reality of where they live, others are angry at the practice. Education authorities say they are trying to tackle the problem. Sat, 04 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Websites became part of the package of modernity in Afghan government ministries and departments after 2001. But the initial enthusiasm for maintaining them seems to have uniformly waned. Sun, 12 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Kabul and Islamabad are at loggerheads over cross-border bombardments, which while intended to destroy militants are killing innocents and inflaming local feeling. Fri, 21 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200 A new literacy app for mobile phones, Ustad, is the Afghan government’s latest attempt to fulfill the target of ensuring 48 per cent of the population aged over 15 can read and write within three years. The digital teachers are ready, but can the project get off the ground? Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 It was a long time in coming, but Afghanistan is poised to adopt a new set of regulations outlining electoral reform and criteria for the formation of political parties. Some commentators welcome the move as strengthening national alliances and voters’ choices, but critics say parties with foreign influence and donors will profit. Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200 As the eyes of the world converge on London and Britain for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games, six Afghan athletes hope to bring home good news and medals. Having trained through the leanest times and in the most primitive of conditions, it's all about reconciling victory and defeat, war with peace, they say. Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Mulberry sellers show off their harvest beside the River Kokcha in Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan. The mulberry season is in full swing in the northern province, where operations range from small subsistence farming to larger commercial orchards, which export to India and Dubai. Many families make a living selling the fresh and dried fruits along the recently opened Keshim-Faizabad highway, while the leaves have a unique quality that help silkworms do their magic. Sun, 29 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Three shoemakers repair soles in their 'office' in the centre of Mazar-e Sharif. The shoemakers charge 20-80 Afghan (up to $1.60) to repair shoes. Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Illegal under the current government as they were under Taliban rule, poppy crops in Kunar are periodically destroyed by both sides in a rare alignment of policy. But opium revenues are still a key source of insurgent finances: a few kilometres on, Taliban cultivate their own poppy farms while government troops stand back. Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Women's rights activists protested in Kabul on July 11 over the recent Taliban execution in Parwan Province of a 22-year-old woman who was accused of adultery. Video of the public killing was later circulated on the internet, prompting an outcry in Afghanistan and abroad. Banners carried by more than 100 mainly female participants of the Kabul protest proclaimed "Nation, wake up!", "Why is it always women who are sacrificed?" and "Where is the protection and justice for Afghan women?" Sun, 15 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Years of engrained corruption and diversion of foreign funds have eroded the Afghan public’s appetite for news of Afghanistan conferences abroad. But as the recent Tokyo gathering shows, local editors still feel obligated to keep the big picture in focus. Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In several districts of Ghazni local outrage at Taliban actions has in recent weeks swelled into an armed movement by tribesmen to oust mainly foreign-born insurgents and restore control over their own lives. But who is really behind it, people are asking? Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 There are 1,300 policewomen in Afghanistan, creating a valuable resource in tackling violence against women and in other areas of law enforcement. But while the government plans to almost quadruple the number of female personnel by 2014, cultural resistance and negative gender attitudes are still hampering the process. Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 President Karzai recently demanded a new drive against corruption. But commentators fear the upcoming Tokyo conference, where the international community is expected to pledge over 4 billion dollars to Karzai’s government, may have influenced the president’s timing. Mon, 25 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The skin pigmentation disorder vitiligo has baffled the medical world for centuries. But a poison purveyor in Parwan Province claims he has cured thousands with ointments derived from scorpion and cobra poison. Samira Sadat went to Charikar to meet a local hero. Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 It may firmly appear to be a man's world in Afghanistan, but the country's 1,300 female police officers are holding their own alongside their male colleagues. Afghanistan Today's Noorullah Bayaz went to see them in action at the Afghan National Police training school in Herat. Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Resourceful famers are drawing on Afghanistan’s long history of wind technology to develop their own wind-powered water pumps to irrigate their land. But can the DIY wind pumps become commercially viable and solve Afghanistan’s drought issues? Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Representatives from 30 countries met in Kabul on June 14 at the 2nd Heart of Asia conference to discuss interregional cooperation, trade and security. Afghanistan Today brings you the mixed reactions from the Afghan media. Sun, 17 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200 After deciding that secure wasn't secure enough for his computer, a young electrical engineering graduate devises a three-password lock and scoops up a prize. Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Many Kandaharis blame Pakistan for much of the violence affecting the province. Yet this hasn’t diminished the flow of ordinary people across the border in search of quality medical treatment. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s arch-rival India is eager to boost its share of the so-called medical tourism. Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200 While Kabul ranks among the world’s fastest growing cities, municipal authorities say they are on top of major challenges like energy supply and road construction. But how well are they really coping? Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Former Afghan president and peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani was assassinated in Kabul in 2011. Eight months later, the power vacuum this created in his native Badakhshan threatens to destabilize the peace process and ignite long-simmering conflicts between dominant factions. Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The Afghan higher education system has capacity for 34,000 students, but thousands more are being admitted into universities to meet demand. Steps are being taken to create new places, but for now some students have to settle for any department they can get. Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Around 100 mass graves discovered in recent years are thought to date back to the civil war and ensuing struggle between Taliban and Northern Alliance forces. Many of the human remains they contain were crudely reburied without any closer identification. Finally there are steps to regulate the process of exhumation and reinterment, and perhaps bring some closure to families still searching for missing loved ones. Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In a country so beset by conflict, one man in Kunduz swears that shunning the hustle-bustle and living off the land - albeit illegally - is the key to youth and a happy life. Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200 After a government clampdown on unlicensed motorcycles in Ghazni hampered Taliban operations, insurgents retaliated by forcing the closure of schools across the province. Thousands of children now wait for the resumption of classes. Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Tree-planting ceremonies and campaigns carry much symbolic hope. But too often, the saplings do not survive due to vandalism and lack of maintenance, or are stunted due to weather extremes and pollution. Can the once-leafy streets of Kabul be green again? Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In January, authorities in Ghazni held a ceremony marking the surrender of 20 supposed Taliban fighters who had joined the government’s reconciliation programme. Four months later, still no one knows who they were and where they went. Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In the second story in our series about home-grown innovations, we meet the designer of the Irfan Cooler, a smart modernisation of an ancient means of escaping the summer heat. Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200 With declared capital flight from Afghanistan in 2011 estimated at 4.6 billion US dollars, Central Bank Governor Noorullah Delawari said in March he had imposed a limit of 20,000 dollars per passenger leaving by air. Larger sums must go by bank wire transfer. But in the key destination of Dubai, the torrent of Afghan wealth seems undiminished. Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Mined in Badakhshan, the royal blue lapis lazuli gemstone has for thousands of years won favour around the world in jewellery designs and carvings. Exquisite yet affordable and said to bring luck and happiness, it has instead become a source of bitterness and conflict in its place of origin. Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The real estate market skyrocketed from 2002 with the arrival of foreign armies, organizations and aid. Since prices peaked two years ago, fears about post-2014 scenarios and ever bold insurgent attacks have sent them crashing. So what’s next for buyers and sellers after the signing of the US-Afghan strategic pact? Sun, 06 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The signing of the Afghanistan-US Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) governing bilateral relations through 2024 has caused both relief and concern this week as the nation mulls the agreement’s deeper implications. Sat, 05 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In the first of a series of reports about Afghan innovators, we talk to Zemaray Helalee, an engineer who, as well as running the electricity supply in Nimroz Province, has built his own fleet of mini-aircraft or drones. Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Kandahar's first supposedly drug-free district is busy promoting its vigorous implementation of orders to stamp out narcotics farming. But critics say destruction is corrupt and selective, and warn that the risk of a backlash in Zhari, the birthplace of the Taliban, grows with every bulldozed crop. Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0200 As foreign troops in Afghanistan rush for the exit, so are the country's businessmen. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In the conflict between Iran and the West, Afghanistan is strung painfully between the sides. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Frequent anti-Western demonstrations in Jalalabad have earned the University of Nangarhar the nickname "Al-Qaida university". Whenever there are nationwide protests in Afghanistan, Jalalabad's students are the first to take to the streets. Afghanistan Today looks at micro-politics in the eastern city to explain why Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Khost province should be cashing in on its vast deposits of chromite, but locals say so far the wealth has only worsened tribal rivalries as the government struggles to exercise control. Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Crippling family debts amid contempt for the law means a childhood of bonded labour for thousands of young Afghans. Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0200 When it comes to Afghanistan's natural resources, all eyes are on the large deposits in Aynak and Hajigak. But for years to come, small and medium mines will be far more important for Afghan local economies. So far much of this wealth is mined illegally by local criminal networks and smuggled out of the country on anything from donkeys to motorbikes and trucks. Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The reopened national museum in Herat boosts local pride and revives an old debate about the stolen treasures of the country. Sat, 31 Mar 2012 15:00:00 +0200 The issue of night raids by foreign forces of homes suspected of sheltering insurgents has long inflamed relations with the Afghan government and people. It is a main hindrance to the conclusion of a strategic agreement between Kabul and Washington that would allow US special forces to continue operating after combat troops are withdrawn by the end of 2014. The United States has raised the idea of concessions in these raids, with possible necessity of authorization by Afghan justice officials before they are carried out. Afghanistan Today asked people in several provinces what they think. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0200 How a young woman from Khost fought the Taliban and is now honored as a role model Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0200 While much has been reported about Staff Sgt. Robert Bales who allegedly massacred 17 Afghan civilians in Kandahar, rather little is known about the victims and their families. One reason is that US and Afghan authorities initially did not allow journalists to interview survivors who are still being treated at the Mirwais hospital in Kandahar city. Our correspondent has visited them now. Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan commands an enormous mineral wealth in its soil. But the fledgling government administration does not have the capacity to handle the complex regulation of the mining sector, critics say. Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The Ainak copper mine was to be a showpiece for ventures to tap Afghanistan’s vast mineral wealth, while providing opportunities for local communities. Five years after the almost three-billion-dollar investment deal with a Chinese consortium was inked, the site’s riches remains underground, while the first grievances over implementation are surfacing. Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The illegal buying and selling of women as brides of convenience persists in Nangarhar Province despite efforts to stamp out the age-old practice. Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Ghazni, the designated 2013 Capital of Islamic Culture, waits for the sixth year for someone to locate missing funds allocated for construction of a university. Meanwhile, students study in disused office space beside a noisy market. Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The debate on the ulema council's declaration about the segregation of sexes Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20:00:00 +0200 In August 2011, the Afghan government issued an order to disband armed groups operating in a district in Kunduz province. But six months later, the directive has still not been fully enforced. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200 From offering the wrong hand to shake to having different attitudes towards timekeeping, ten years of interaction between Afghans and foreigners from around the world still throw up a mass of cultural differences. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200 With few pharmaceutical producing companies of its own, Afghanistan relies heavily on imports of medicines from Pakistan, Iran, China and India. While the government says it monitors quality, consumers and doctors say imports are increasingly expired or have no effect, are sold by unqualified and illiterate shop staff, and often cause further sickness or even death. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200 One of the worst droughts in a decade pushes villagers in the north into the arms of shady businessmen. Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0200 Amendments to the electoral law are central to a free and fair presidential vote in 2014 that could decide the political future of Afghanistan. But the government seems willing to sit out demands for necessary changes. Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0200 Despite hopes that the stalled Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) needed only some final adjustments and concessions for its implementation, 2011 closes with huge amounts of goods bound for Afghanistan still being held up on the wrong side of the border. Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 When legislators return from their winter break, a woman may be nominated for the first time to the High Council of the Supreme Court. Elsewhere, thousands of female law graduates are climbing an arduous ladder to senior positions in the male-dominated judiciary. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The wires are humming after Qatar this month opened its doors to a Taliban initiative to open a representative office in Doha.. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many Afghan children and youths migrate illegally to Iran in search of work. Not all of them arrive. Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In Afghanistan's staunchly patriarchal society, a new breed of woman is taking to the air. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In November, media reported that two women were stoned by the Taliban in Ghazni. While the reality seems to be different, the reports affected the community. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The once admired and only known female Mujahideen commander, Kaftar, has gambled away her reputation with tribal warfare. Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Poor construction work and lack of proper monitoring is undermining people’s trust in donors, NGOs and the government. Examples from Kunduz. Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Time is running out for the Helmand capital's heavily overloaded bridge. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Shut off to NATO supply convoys in November by Islamabad in protest over an air strike that killed two dozen Pakistani troops, the Khyber Pass is a strategically vital link between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The route of Silk Road traders and invading armies centuries before NATO's involvement, this gaunt mountain passage powers the local economy and influences the region’s geopolitics as it has done through the ages. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Generally regarded as one of Afghanistan’s more stable provinces, Balkh has seen a surge in purchases of illegal firearms by citizens over the past two years amid increasing crime and fears about the future after the withdrawal of international forces. Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Afghan media have been dominated over the past week by reports about the Loya Jirga held in Kabul. Lasting from Wednesday to Saturday and involving more than 2,000 participants, the high-security gathering of political, religious, ethnic and other leaders was focussed on whether the country would enter into a declaration or treaty of a strategic partnership with the United States of America. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The absence of credible law enforcement in many areas, either because of Taliban control there or plain ineffectiveness of state law structures, is well documented. But some cases throw this situation into stark relief. The following story concerns one of thousands of similar glaring injustices that plague modern Afghan society and accelerate the erosion of public faith in state institutions. All names have been changed. Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Afghan media are struggling to regain credibility as false reports and corrupt journalists have undermined their reputation Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In the eastern province of Nangarhar, the business of “curing” mental illness through a dubious mix of religion and superstition is thriving. Sick people brought to the famous Mia Ali shrine near Jalalabad are chained up in their own filth for 40 days at a time, while at a state-run specialized ward for mental illness, beds go empty. Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 “You can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours.” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in comments referring to the Haqqani Network during her recent trip to Pakistan. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Despite a decade of life after Taliban rule, there are still only 27 registered female drivers in Herat. It's considered a relatively progressive example by Afghan standards, reflective of the western city's proximity to Iran. But for this tiny vanguard of women at the wheel, every journey can be a test of conviction. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 With its high levels of fighting and narcotics production, Helmand in recent became a byword for bad news. But between the negative headlines comes the inspiring story of bodybuilding champion Shukerullah Helmandi, the car mechanic who became Mr Afghanistan and South Asian gold medallist.. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As Afghan authorities probe possible avenues for brokering peace with insurgent forces, the death of a child in a Taliban rocket attack that was sanctioned by the governor of Ghazni Province raises a crucial question: When does harsh pragmatism become a crime? Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 It is relatively easy for an army to recruit in a country with high unemployment, even if military service can very easily mean being sent to fight. But building and preserving a sense of unity among these brothers in arms is a much harder task, when they come from very different ethnic backgrounds and may not even share a common language. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The value and necessity of education for all is enshrined in the teachings of Islam, with the Prophet Mohammad having said that “the ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of the martyr.”Yet the issue continues to drive a wedge between different ideologies, into communities and the wider population of Afghanistan, where modern, broad-based curricula and the education of girls are often seen as un-Islamic, western impositions. Afghanistan Today looks at the situation in Wardak Province, where the Taliban’s growing influence further magnifies these clashes in interpretation. Some names have been changed to protect the people interviewed for this story. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Conflict and exploding bombs will harm the economy of any city, either by causing direct damage or through their wider impact on trade and services. But for security equipment companies working the market in Kabul, business is, for want of a better word, booming. Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Ten years ago on this day, the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom to oust the Taliban and pursue Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida following the attacks of September 11. Afghanistan Today contributor Naqib Ahmad Atal from Nangarhar recalls this fateful date, and the unlikely consequences it had for his family and village. Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Fortresses, houses, walls, furniture, cooking ranges and even toys - you will find them all made of mud somewhere in Afghanistan. And far from being a desperate alternative to man-made building materials, traditional mud constructions often have the advantage over the modern equivalent. Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In eastern areas of high insurgent activity and low levels of conflict, there are growing signs of secretive payment systems for keeping state officials and security forces safe from attack. Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Some of the women committed murder, others fled their families and eloped with lovers. They are serving sentences of a few months to 16 years, and apart from the place of incarceration - Nangarhar’s main prison in Jalalabad - they have one thing in common: They, and often their children too, are not welcome back at home after their release. And until recently, there was nowhere else to go. Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 One week after insurgents attacked key sites In Kabul, the September 20 suicide bomb killing of ex-president Burhanuddin Rabbani deals another violent shock to the country. The death of the chairman of the Afghan High Peace Council stoked fresh debate over how to deal with advocates of violence. But with no one claiming responsibility for the bombing, fingers are pointing in all directions. Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Tempted by tales of work and plenty, families from Pakistan are migrating across Afghanistan to Herat to escape poverty at home but end up begging on the streets. Amid local concerns that their growing numbers may cause social problems or criminality, hopes of a better life are both dashed and, for some of them, oddly fulfilled. Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As the number of foreign troops starts to reduce, tapering towards the 2014 scheduled withdrawal of the remaining combat forces, Afghan manufacturing and logistic companies are growing anxious about this looming exit of their best customers. Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Unsually for a high-security penal facility, there is a growing unanimity among inmates and staff alike at Ghazni Prison. Both sides agree conditions are deteriorating beyond the tolerable, that overcrowding has reached critical levels, and outbreaks of violent revolt and pestilence are to be expected if there are no improvements. In a rare glimpse behind the walls of an Afghan jail, Afghanistan Today meets the occupants. Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As the flow of imported supplies for the NATO war effort grows at the northern border with Uzbekistan, so does the scourge of roadside bribe taking from trucking companies working the routes south. Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Taliban fighters in Wardak Province scored a major achievement this month in their fight against international forces by shooting down a military helicopter and killing 38 elite US and Afghan troops. But for the moment, they say their struggle is as much against rivals from the Hesb-e Islami faction who are supposedly hampering their local operations. And while Wardak Governor Mohammad Halim Fidai says he's working to neutralize both sides, his critics accuse him of stoking the flames. Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Incidents of sexual assault on women and minors are sharply increasing in Afghanistan, especially in the northern provinces, say rights activists. Much of the blame is levelled at renegade militias and armed groups that are said to be protected by senior government officials. But critics say the lack of investigation and prosecution also reflects society’s failure to face up to the prevalence of rape. In this special report, Afghanistan Today examines the turbulent process of recognizing and tackling this crime. Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 For centuries, tribal jirgas of elders have settled local disputes. Today, as more people feel that government courts have failed them and resort to traditional mechanisms, the number of grievances over hasty, ill-informed or corrupt jirga rulings also grows. In the second of two stories on alternative justice, Afghanistan Today looks at the pitfalls of the old ways. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Up to 13 per cent of the 365 districts in Afghanistan’s provinces have no state-run courts, human rights activists assess. The situation is most pronounced in Ghazni Province, where the majority of the population has no other recourse in local disputes than to the Taliban’s mobile "desert courts". Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 State prosecutors have nominally pursued hundreds of corruption cases in the past two years. But even when evidence piles up against top officials, they admit they can't touch them. Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 According to official figures, there are 64,000 families of internally displaced persons in Afghanistan, 2,250 of them in Kabul. There are many reasons why they left their homes, but no one has yet worked out how to get them to go back voluntarily. Now the government is working with NGOs to try to empty the tent and mud shelter camps that have sprung up. Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Polio, largely eradicated from northern Afghanistan over the past decade, has made a reappearance in Kunduz. Fortunately, doctors are additionally forewarned through a shrewd and apparently effective hook-up with religious beliefs. Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 International forces insisted on the transformation of arbakai community militia into local police to help stabilization. Now, amid hold-ups in their training and payment, units of this auxiliary force are accused of abusing the population in Kunduz and other provinces, and hampering the broader peace process. Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As Afghans ponder the meaning of security transition and the July start of the formal withdrawal of some foreign forces, a few turbulent parts of the country have effectively already made the change. Two of these examples are found in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Khost, both bordering on Pakistan and prone to high insurgent infiltration and fierce clashes in the mountain terrain. Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 July 2011 was when the formal transition of security from international to Afghan forces began in earnest. In recent days, governors, diplomats and military commanders hailed the move at ceremonies in seven areas, including the cities of Mazar-e Sharif, Lashkar Gah and Herat. But for all the fanfare, ordinary Afghans have little sense of what this will mean in practice, and whether it will bring greater or less safety in their daily lives. Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 An unprecedented march through Kabul this month by a handful of young women protesting against harassment by men casts light on an issue that broader Afghan society prefers not to acknowledge. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Lavish expectations are making weddings increasingly unaffordable for many ordinary Afghans. But government attempts to put limits on citizens’ nuptials are encountering stiff resistance from the big spenders and the hospitality industry Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 While raids by police and army units are the main threat to underground heroin factories, a growing number of producers say they are being driven out of the illegal business by - of all things - corruption. Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 n the eastern Nangarhar province, a women’s employment scheme overcame the worst strain of prejudice to become a local success story. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Vital restoration work is finally underway, but the selection of Ghazni, located in one of the most violent areas of Afghanistan, as the 2013 Capital of Islamic Culture has people wondering how this event can succeed. Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 While the government promotes negotiating with the Taliban, some judges in Nangarhar have returned to meting out corporal punishment for drinking alcohol, because they no longer see human rights on the agenda. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Under pressure to repay his loans to Kabul Bank, the president’s brother, Mahmoud Karzai, has sold his shares in the Afghan Investment Company. Could this herald a new future for the country’s biggest cement factory, that has so far been plagued by nepotism? Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Bamiyan is hemmed in by an escalating conflict, but with a vital air link now in reach, it is determined to capitalize on its stunning landscapes and reputation as one of Afghanistan’s safest provinces to rebuild its success as a tourist magnet. Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As public universities are overburdened with rising numbers of applicants, private institutes are filling the gap. But some fear that their promises of a brighter future do not match with reality. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The ability of the Afghan parliament to function comes into question after a presidentially-appointed tribunal ordered the expulsion of dozens of MPs for alleged fraud - and they refused to go. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Turkmen economics: Amongst carpet weavers in northern Afghanistan, girls are an asset. Their families wed them late or demand bride prices of up to 120,000 dollars. Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 For orphans and other children forced by poverty to work in Kabul’s streets, new hope has surfaced in the form of an innovative music school. Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In Khost province, a woman in men’s clothing is the pride of her community. Hakmeena, an elected member of the provincial council, is well-respected for mediating in local disputes, a domain usually exclusive to men Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As much as waging a hot fight with weapons, Taliban forces are counting on the power of song to swing the conflict in their favour. Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The Governor of Balkh ramps up security to counter new Taliban tactics on killing officials Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 For the people of the eastern Nangarhar province and others across Afghanistan, a solution to high local unemployment may lie beneath their feet as rich and unique marble deposits start to win favour abroad Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Imagine working for the Afghan government and your brother is a Talib. This is what happened to the district governor of Imam Sahib in Northern Afghanistan Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 One man’s dream of a transport venture moves into the fast lane - and not to everybody’s liking Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Ten years after the Western intervention, the rift between foreign troops and the Afghan population is as big as ever Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many Afghan businesses cannot compete with cheap imports from neighbouring countries. In the once sprawling business town of Herat alone, 240 factories have already closed. Manufacturers here accuse Iranian competitors of price dumping and are calling for higher import tariffs Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The killing by US special forces of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan has driven a wedge through public opinion in Afghanistan. While many mourn the passing of a revered warrior of the jihad against the Soviets, or a perceived figurehead of the current insurgency, others hope his demise will usher in greater security and political stability. Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 How a radio journalist in Mazar produces his programmes just by listening to other radio stations Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Afghan barbers used to be undertakers, dentists, party caterers and musicians all at the same time. Few professions in Afghanistan have seen so many changes in recent years Sun, 01 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Tribal elders in Khost have banned the use of girls as reparation for crimes and limited the bride-price Sun, 01 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many of those who are now joining the reintegration process under the name of the Taliban have committed serious crimes in the past. Should they all be forgiven in the name of peace? Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 When it comes to their future husbands and sons-in-law, many Afghan women are unwilling to take a chance. They would rather invest in talismans. Mon, 25 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many Afghan imams are using their sermons to politicise people against the West and the Afghan government. The Governor of Balkh is trying to stop them. This debate highlights the difficult relationship between the Afghan state and the mullahs. Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The Afghan government has opened hundreds of madrasas in the country in order to prevent the radicalisation of Afghan students in Pakistani Islamic schools. However, many students still prefer the better-equipped madrasas across the border Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In Jalalabad, a vibrant film scene has emerged since the fall of the Taliban. But one element is missing: female actors Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mazar-e Sharif’s residents lament last week’s attack on the UN office Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 With their recent attacks on civilian places, the Taliban have further eroded people’s trust in the government Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The Spokesman for the Afghan Army, General Zahir Azimi, talks about transition, drug abuse and attrition rates Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Once he was one of the most popular provincial heads of Afghanistan, but now the Governor of Nangarhar is facing demands to step down Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Building functioning coalitions in the Afghan national assembly is more difficult than ever, as neither the government nor the opposition commands a sufficient number of seats Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Why returned refugees could become an engine of change in Afghanistan Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The building of new dams in Afghanistan is regularly disrupted by Taliban attacks. Government officials accuse Iran of funding the insurgents. A Taliban sponsor now confirms this Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0200 China and India are competing for influence in the region. Afghanistan and Pakistan could benefit, if they focus on common business interests Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In Kandahar, more people get injured in traffic accidents than by arms. But indirectly they are also victims of the war Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many Afghan media are financed by foreign donors, including neighboring countries. Journalists warn that free and independent reporting are at stake Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0200 More and more women in Herat are plucking up the courage to ask for a divorce – like their sisters in Iran Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Special issue Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0200 A dairy factory in Kunduz symbolises how Afghan farming is being modernised Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan wants to position itself as a transit route between Central and South Asia, and thereby create jobs and income Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0200 Opium farmers in west Afghanistan switch to saffron Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many traders in East Afghanistan will not accept their own currency as payment. They would rather sell their goods for Pakistani rupees - to the anger of the Central Bank Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0200 Many families in Afghanistan turned one of their daughters into a son during the Taliban regime Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 From pop music to Islamic phone-ins, Shafiqullah Shaiq has built up a local media empire from nothing Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The new residents of the former Soviet Culture Center in Kabul Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In spring, US troops in South East Afghanistan introduced a local peace initiative. It should have been a model for the whole country. Instead, it has ground to a halt and highlights the huge challenge of the much vaunted reconciliation process Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:00:00 +0200 On Pakistan’s garbage dumps, Afghan refugee children are facing exploitation and fatal diseases, while their employers are running a lucrative business Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 A poetry clip Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The United States have relaxed the conditions of detention for political prisoners in Afghanistan as part of their counter-insurgency strategy. A former inmate of Bagram prison describes the changes Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:00:00 +0200 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The conservative province of Nangarhar boasts ten girls’ cricket teams. They are unperturbed by the hostility of the Mullahs Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In Balkh, a young generation of poets is rebelling against their own teachers – and the war of words is turning nasty Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 A series of attacks against music shops have frightened and shocked shopkeepers in Jalalabad. Since then, cassettes and CDs are only being sold furtively under the counter. It is unclear who is behind these attacks Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In Western Europe, Che Guevara’s star has long waned, but in Afghanistan, intellectuals have now re-discovered this revolutionary icon. For them, he represents a useful critique of the current political situation Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In Paktika, eighty per cent of posts in the state apparatus are unoccupied. The reasons for this are complex Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 More than a quarter of MPs in the Afghan parliament are women - thanks to a quota laid down in the constitution. It was hailed a historic opportunity during the first parliamentary election in 2005, but have women made good use of it? Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 What Afghan newspapers and blogs are saying Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The Canadian photographer Leslie Knott accompanied the Afghan cricket team on their way to triumph Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan has been at war for more than 30 years. During this time, every peace effort has failed. What lessons can we learn from history? Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The old people of Kunar are proud of their historic site, where, according to legend, a certain King Nangar was said to have ruled two thousand years ago. But the buried treasures were plundered long ago. And in Kabul there is little interest in the place Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 From 2011, NATO wants to gradually pass on the responsibility for security to the Afghan police and army. One of the first places that are under consideration for the hand over are parts of Herat. People there are surprised by this discussion Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Omid-e Bahar operates one of the most modern factories in Afghanistan Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The Afghan Government has established a Peace Council to lay the foundations for reconciliation with the insurgents. For the population, the peace process engenders hope, fear and doubt Fri, 29 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0200 Have the targeted killings against Taliban commanders in Kunduz weakened the insurgents? Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The blogging scene in Herat is thriving - thanks in part to Iran’s proximity Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The controversial US drone attacks in Pakistan are generally approved of by those who live in the Afghan border area. They are convinced that the attacks increase their own security Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Under pressure from the US-led military offensive in Kandahar province, the Taliban are reverting to a strategy of spreading fear and terror. This is the case of a man who found a death threat on his front door Thu, 21 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0200 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 A generation in their twenties is entering politics and pushing for change in society Wed, 20 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0200 A year ago, a district in the once relatively peaceful Nangarhar province fell to the Taliban. How did that happen? Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0200 How Kunduz deals with the assassination of its Gouverneur Omar Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In the province of Sar-e Pul, local cattle-breeders and refugees returning from Iran are fighting over a piece of grazing land. It is just one example of thousands of local conflicts all over the country, that are a legacy of the war Sat, 16 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The Government could not enforce a ban on the sale of cedar timber. Now it is trying to do so through controlled trade Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0200 What Afghan newspapers and blogs are saying Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Officially, the lapis lazuli mine is managed by the government. But locals allege its profit goes straight into the pockets of an MP’s brother Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The silk industry in Herat cannot compete with cheap imports from Pakistan and China Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In just eight years the Afghan cricket team made it to the top from nowhere. With the success came disputes over salaries and staffing Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In Jowzjan Province, in northern Afghanistan, there are large reserves of natural gas lying dormant in the soil. So far no investor has come forward to extract it. This has raised suspicion amongst local people Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0200 If Afghans cast their votes, it is rarely about politics Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Opium and heroin addiction is rife along the drug-smuggling route between Afghanistan and Iran. But treatment is almost non-existent. Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 An insurgent returns from prison back to his home village and is warmly welcomed by his neighbors. His nephew explains why. Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Election posters of pretty female candidates are doing a roaring trade on the streets of Afghanistan. Some people are embarrassed about that. Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The Taliban executed two lovers in Kunduz and claimed that their families endorsed their death. Are they lying? Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Why the Kabul Bank crisis threatens to destroy trust in the whole of Afghanistan’s financial system. And why many clients prefer a piggy bank to a lottery account Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200