Civil society

The report, filed under Section 7044 of the foreign operations appropriations legislation, outlines multiple fronts on which Washington plans to back human rights, education, and free expression – particularly for Afghan women and girls – even as the Taliban remain in control of most of the country.

This was the first major disaster to strike since the Trump administration suspended US foreign aid to Afghanistan in January. While Washington released statements of sympathy, it has made no formal pledge of direct financial assistance to quake relief.

One journalist interviewed by Amnesty said he believed his communications were under surveillance at all times.

The report’s broader poverty measure underscores how deeply structural pressures are squeezing households. The poverty rate – nearly 28 per cent – has jumped significantly in just three years.

The discovery of three transgender persons dead on a roadside in Karachi on the night of September 21 has sent shockwaves through Pakistan’s already vulnerable transgender community, igniting fear, anger, and renewed demands for protection and justice.

He called upon governments to strengthen inclusive policies for tribal empowerment, ensure safe and dignified migration, build resilient urban systems, and invest in disaster preparedness.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan says it has reached an agreement in principle with the United States to carry out a prisoner swap.

The rollover, agreed after high-level talks in Malé, reflects India’s continued financial support to its maritime neighbour and long-standing development partner.