Asia Afghanistan There are fears over construction work at the site of the Bamiyan Buddhas, with Unesco saying it was not consulted on the project and local experts alarmed by the Taliban's plans
Asia Afghanistan 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
Asia Afghanistan 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
Asia Afghanistan 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
Asia Afghanistan 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