Youth in remote areas of Zabul area demand access to modern education as a key to their future; some teachers have started a few courses in English, with computers, and students are highly motivated; access to education in general remains a key issue

Nearly 20.000 Afghans have been crossing from Iran to Afghanistan every day, driven out by targeted crackdowns and xenophobia: 1,5 million since January, fled or deported, make one of the worst displacement crises of the past decade, UN data reports

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

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

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