Schools in Afghanistan have opened for a new academic year — but only for boys. More than two and a half years have now passed since the Taliban first banned girls over the age of 12 from attending secondary-level classes.

The global community has so far refrained from recognizing the Taliban government in Afghanistan. But Kabul is attempting to expand its regional links, focusing on economic cooperation and the fight against terrorism.

An 84-year-old who had been held in a prison in Afghanistan has been released. Austrian media has reported the man as being a co-founder of a far-right party that was banned in 1988.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will chair the two-day event aimed at aiding Afghan society. The prospects of progress remain uncertain as the ruling Taliban have boycotted over fear of criticism of its rule.

Women and girls are facing an increasingly dire situation in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai and Afghan activists slam the global community for merely paying lip service to women's rights.

Afghanistan may not have won the Cricket World Cup, but their inspiring run brought them to the cusp of the semi-finals. Each win gave people back home rare opportunities for public celebration in the war-torn, Taliban-controlled country. The team has an uneasy relationship with the government. It still plays under the green, black and red national flag banned by the Taliban and is based abroad.

The Taliban have released Matiullah Wesa, who had been imprisoned for advocating for girls' rights to education. However, the militants are expanding the oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan.

A week after earthquakes killed thousands in the same region, a powerful quake struck near Herat city, causing dozens of casualties. Disaster officials are now surveying the destruction.

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit western Afghanistan in the same region where a quake over the weekend claimed more than 2,000 lives.

The International Assistance Mission said 18 staff members, including an international team member who local media reported as being a US national, were taken from their office on two separate occasions in a month.

Islamabad shuttered the key crossing after an exchange of fire between the two countries. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of failing to control the border, allowing militants to cross and launch attacks from Pakistan.

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers took over the capital Kabul on August 15, 2021. A Taliban spokesperson denied the group was anti-woman in comments to DW, while the UN has accused it of gender apartheid.