Students in 500 villages across the southern province of Zabul are deprived of access to education due to a shortage of teachers, local Department of Education reported; residents are calling on authorities to provide both modern and religious education

Approximately 18.000 carats of emeralds, worth 1,1 million USD, have been sold since the beginning of year 1404, or 20 March 2025, in five rounds of bidding for Panjshir area emeralds and new emerald mine sites were discovered in Pariyan district

A 25-year extraction contract with Chinese company Afchin signed in 2023 regarding operations in the Amu Darya basin has been cancelled; among the reasons given: failure to employ Afghan nationals, lack of environmental, capacity-building responsibilities

Around 100 tons of Panjshir cherries, a valuable crop, will this year be exported to central Asian countries and Russia; India and Pakistan used to be biggest importers of products from Panjshir and other provinces before relations deteriorated

Hazara Culture Day was celebrated in Kabul; featuring women and girls it honored the rich heritage of the Hazara people, with handmade clothing and traditional Hazara foods, aiming to introduce Hazara culture to other ethnic groups in Afghanistan