Connect with us

Published

on

With centuries of history, ancient archaeological sites, Islamic art and untouched landscapes, Afghanistan is attracting tourists – despite the Taliban regime and the UK government’s “do not travel” warnings.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the country formed part of the overland “hippy trail” route across Asia and welcomed hundreds of thousands of Western tourists. But as its complicated modern history unfolded, the steady stream of travellers stopped.

The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Afghanistan, highlighting its “volatile” security situation and an “ongoing and high threat of terrorist attacks”. But some adventurous tourists aren’t letting this stop them.

Joan Torres, founder of blog and adventure travel company Against The Compass, told Sky News that he has seen a “big increase in demand” for tours of Afghanistan. In 2023, he ran three trips to the country and for 2024, this number has doubled.

“Syria and Iraq used to be our big sellers but given the situation in the Middle East, Afghanistan might become our most sold-out destination soon,” he said.

Untamed Borders, which specialises in trips to “some of the world’s most interesting and inaccessible places”, has also seen a rise in interest. It has been helping travellers visit Afghanistan since 2008.

The company’s tours paused in August 2021 as the Taliban seized power and since resuming in September 2022, founder James Wilcox told Sky News “quite a number of tourists” have made bookings.

More on Afghanistan

While Afghanistan’s recent history is one of war and turmoil, Mr Wilcox said people who book with his company aren’t visiting because it’s a “dangerous and edgy” destination.

“They want to experience somewhere that’s culturally different, with different food and architecture,” he said. “One of the things that appeals when you to go to Afghanistan, is you don’t see life through the prism of tourism. There’s something much more authentic about it.”

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

Read more:
Eyewitness account – the Afghanistan earthquake last October
Life as a woman under Taliban rule

Since the Taliban has been in control, the situation for Western tourists is that “generally we can visit places we couldn’t visit before and the overall security situation has generally improved”, Mr Wilcox added.

The mausoleum of Ali in Mazar-e-Sharif.  Pic: Untamed Borders
Image:
The mausoleum of Ali in Mazar-e-Sharif, in the north of the country. Pic: Untamed Borders

His comment comes after a local official in Ghazni province – around 148km south of the capital Kabul – claimed “in a remarkable development” the region has “become a favoured destination for international tourists”.

Since the beginning of the year, 293 visitors from various countries have explored the province’s “natural attractions and ancient sites”, added Mullah Hamidullah Nisar, the head of information and culture in Ghazni.

Attractions in the province include a fort complete with 1,000-year-old towers.

While the Taliban regime has a well-documented history of oppressing women – and previously banned them from a national park saying “sightseeing is not a must for women” – Western female tourists are allowed to visit, and Untamed Borders runs mixed-gender tours.

“One thing that women [travellers] can often do is spend time with women in homes,” Mr Wilcox said. “But there are other things that women are not allowed to do and certain places they’re not allowed to visit.

“On a good day as a female traveller, you get to see all the things the guys can see and on a bad day, you get ignored by everyone.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Afghan women have urged the world to help them

Getting into Afghanistan, and obtaining permission to do so, has never been straightforward. Under Taliban rule, just a handful of embassies around the world have been able to issue visas and at all but one, you can only apply in person.

Tourists also need specialist insurance as regular providers do not cover travel to countries on the Foreign Office’s red list. They can then fly to Kabul via another hub in Asia, such as Dubai, or cross a border on foot.

The Minaret of Jam, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the mid-western Afghan province of Ghor, shown in this photo taken on Nov. 18, 2014 File photo: Kyodo via AP Images
Image:
The Minaret of Jam, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the mid-western province of Ghor. Pic: Kyodo via AP Images

For those who do jump through the necessary hoops and are willing to take the risk, unique sights, history and cultural experiences await.

“We take people to Bamiyan, which 1,500 years ago was the route between India and China,” Mr Wilcox said. “It was very cosmopolitan with very different ideas and religions. It was at the heart of Asian trade.”

Tourists can also visit the famous minaret of Jam, the cities of Herat, Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif, and the site where two gigantic sixth-century Buddhas stood until the Taliban destroyed them in 2001.

Continue Reading

World

What we learned from the latest release of Epstein files

Published

on

By

What we learned from the latest release of Epstein files

A trove of newly released Epstein files include emails that appear to involve Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, while another suggests Donald Trump travelled on the billionaire’s private jet “many more times than previously has been reported”.

The US Department of Justice released at least 11,000 more files on Tuesday.

It went on to claim that some of them “contain untrue and sensationalist claims” about President Trump.

Here are some of the latest news lines from this release of Epstein files. Being named in these papers does not suggest wrongdoing.

Who is ‘The Invisible Man’?

Among the documents released is an email sent to Ghislaine Maxwell that speaks about “the girls” being “completely shattered” at a Royal Family summer camp at Balmoral.

It is dated 16 August 2001 and sent by a person referred to only as “The Invisible Man”, but whom Sky News is reporting appears to be the former prince, Andrew.

We have come to that conclusion from reviewing the email address used, which is assigned to the Duke of York in Epstein’s contacts book and the chain of correspondence.


Andrew pictured laying on women

In the correspondence, “The Invisible Man” asks Maxwell: “How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?”

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has previously denied any allegations against him.


Watch: What’s in the largest batch of Epstein files?

The Peru trip

Another email appears to show Maxwell arranging “two-legged sight seeing” for “The Invisible Man” during a trip to Peru.

She appears to forward to “The Invisible Man” part of a conversation between herself and another person.

The email says: “I just gave Andrew your telephone no. He is interested in seeing the Nazca lines. He can ride but it is not his favorite sport ie pass on the horses.”

“Some sight seeing some 2 legged sight seeing (read intelligent pretty fun and from good families) and he will be very happy. I know I can rely on you to show him a wonderful time and will only introduce him to friends that you can trust,” Maxwell said.

The context of the email is unclear and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing.


Epstein survivor speaks to Sky News after latest release of files

Trump on Epstein’s jet?

The latest bunch of files also includes an email from an unidentified prosecutor dated 7 January, 2020, in which President Trump is mentioned.

The email accuses him of travelling on Epstein’s private jet “many more times than previously has been reported”.

It adds that President Trump “is listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, including at least four flights on which Maxwell was also present”.

The email’s sender and receiver have been redacted. However, at the bottom of the email it says assistant US attorney, Southern District of New York. The name has also been redacted.

President Trump has denied any wrongdoing in relation to his relationship with Epstein, and being on any of Epstein’s flights does not indicate any wrongdoing.

Read more:
Trump defends ‘big boy’ Clinton after Epstein files release
Why Andrew photo in Epstein files is awkward for Royal Family

Limousine driver report about Trump

One of the documents in the release shows a report made to the FBI that was recorded on 27 October 2020.

It includes an unverified claim by a limousine driver that he overheard the US president discussing “abusing some girl” in 1995.

The driver also mentions Trump said “Jeffrey” while on the phone during a journey to Dallas Fort Worth Airport in Texas.

A significant part of the statement, along with the driver’s identity, has been redacted.

The US justice department has said that some of the documents in the latest Epstein files release “contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election”.

“To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already,” it said.

Postcard mentions ‘our president’

Also among the documents is a postcard that claims to have been sent by Jeffrey Epstein, but has been refuted by the justice department.

In it, the sender tells the recipient: “Our president also shares our love of young, nubile girls.”

It’s not clear who “our president” refers to and the context of the postcard is also unclear.

The US justice department initially said it was “looking into the validity” of the postcard but later said on X that the “FBI has confirmed” the postcard is “FAKE”.

It cited reasons including a claim that the writing does not appear to match Epstein’s and another that the letter was postmarked three days after his death.

Row over unreleased documents

It is believed that many files relating to Epstein are yet to be made public.

There has been anger at the justice department’s slow release of the files, with politicians threatening to launch legal action against Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The deadline for the release of all the documents has passed.

“The DOJ needs to quit ⁠protecting the rich, powerful, and politically connected,” Republican congressman Thomas Massie said.

Continue Reading

World

‘No one is here to help us’: Palestinians watch as Israeli diggers tear down homes in East Jerusalem

Published

on

By

'No one is here to help us': Palestinians watch as Israeli diggers tear down homes in East Jerusalem

A balcony of onlookers stare as three diggers gnaw at the four-storey building that was a fixture of their daily view.

The roads of Silwan’s Wadi Qaddom neighbourhood are blocked off by Israeli police as residents watch the demolition in the valley from every vantage point. The block of flats was home to around 100 of their neighbours – many of them are now homeless.

An elderly woman sits at the bus stop near the police checkpoint closest to the demolition site. As she walks back down the hill, she looks back at the destruction. Her cheeks are red with anger when she hails that God is their only protection.

“Where are the Arab countries? No one is here to help us,” she exclaims.

Of the 230 buildings demolished in East Jerusalem’s Palestinian neighbourhoods in 2025, the block of roughly 13 flats is considered to be the largest and took 12 hours to completely demolish.

The demolition of a building in Silwan's Wadi Qaddom neighbourhood
Image:
The demolition of a building in Silwan’s Wadi Qaddom neighbourhood

The building was without a permit, like many in Silwan, and stood on land that was not licensed for residential use. The residents were challenging long-standing demolition orders and applying for licensing when diggers arrived at dawn.

The Jerusalem Municipality said the demolition of the building in Silwan was based on a 2014 court order, and that residents were granted extensions for the execution of the order and were offered various options in order to find a solution, but they declined to do so.

But an architect and urban planner from the Israeli NGO Bimkom (Planners for Planning Rights) – which is supporting the families in their bid to license the land of the building – says their time to act was cut short.

Architect Sari Kornish speaks to Sky's Yousra Elbagir
Image:
Architect Sari Kornish speaks to Sky’s Yousra Elbagir

“They were told that the demolition order would be implemented, and then they would get another six months’ recourse to try to continue with their planning. Six months is not enough for these planning processes. They take a long time,” Sari Kornish tells us in front of the Jerusalem Municipality after meeting with the building residents’ lawyer there.

Are permits granted for Palestinians in East Jerusalem?

“Very, very few, and in recent years, since October 7, less and less,” says Sari.

“It has always been discrimination. It has always been not enough.”

Far-right minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir posted on X about the building’s demolition.

He said: “Proud to lead the policy of demolishing illegal buildings – not only in the Negev, this morning in East Jerusalem (Silwan neighbourhood) a building that was built illegally and 100 people lived in it – was demolished! Strengthens the police and the district commander.”

Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank is illegal under international law.

Read more from Sky News:
Is Israel building a wall on Lebanese land?
Mother of last hostage in Gaza speaks to Sky News

Sky's Yousra Elbagir watches the demolition in Silwan
Image:
Sky’s Yousra Elbagir watches the demolition in Silwan

On Sunday, Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that the security cabinet approved 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Half a million Israeli settlers currently live in the West Bank, and over 230,000 live in East Jerusalem, where some are taking over homes instead of seizing land.

At least 500 Palestinians have lost their homes to lack-of-permit demolitions in East Jerusalem, and at least 1,000 people, including 460 children, are at risk of forced displacement from eviction cases filed against them in Israeli courts by settler organisations.

Zuhair al Rajabbi looks out at the homes of his neighbours now marked by demolition sites
Image:
Zuhair al Rajabbi looks out at the homes of his neighbours now marked by demolition sites

In the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Batn al Hawa in Silwan, Zuhair al Rajabbi looks out from his balcony at the homes of his neighbours.

The landscape is marked by demolition sites, and former homes of his neighbours are marked by Israeli flags. Settlers are busy renovating the rooftops to make their own.

“They have five children, and a grandmother was in one room. Downstairs, there was a family of seven children, with the wife and mother, in that one,” he says, pointing at the roof of his neighbours.

Israeli settler flags on a building in Silwan, a Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem
Image:
Israeli settler flags on a building in Silwan, a Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem

As we watch, a woman quietly mops the dirty water into a hole in the fence and onto the roof of the house next door.

“Look, they are even putting the dirty water on our neighbour’s roof,” Zuhair says with a sad bitterness.

“We used to live together like we live here at home – eating and drinking with them. It makes me sad when I see their home disappearing.”

Continue Reading

World

Russia launches major deadly missile and drone attack on Ukraine

Published

on

By

Russia launches major deadly missile and drone attack on Ukraine

Russia launched a major overnight missile and drone attack on Ukraine that killed at least three people – including a four-year-old child.

Officials say Russia fired more than 650 drones and three dozen missiles in an assault that began during the night and stretched into daylight hours Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the barrage struck homes and the power grid in 13 regions across Ukraine, causing widespread outages in bitter temperatures.

It comes a day after he described recent progress towards a peace deal as “quite solid”.

The bombardment demonstrated Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intention of pursuing the invasion of Ukraine, Mr Zelenskyy said in an online post.

A damaged apartment building in Kyiv. Pic: Reuters
Image:
A damaged apartment building in Kyiv. Pic: Reuters

A damaged apartment building in Kyiv. Pic: Reuters
Image:
A damaged apartment building in Kyiv. Pic: Reuters

Ukrainian and European officials have said Putin is not sincerely engaging with US-led peace efforts.

The attack “is an extremely clear signal of Russian priorities,” Mr Zelenskyy said.

More on Donald Trump

“A strike before Christmas, when people want to be with their families, at home, in safety. A strike, in fact, in the midst of negotiations that are being conducted to end this war. Putin cannot accept the fact that we must stop killing.”

US President Donald Trump has for months been pressing for a peace agreement, but the negotiations have become entangled in the very different demands from Moscow and Kyiv.

US envoy Steve Witkoff described talks in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives as “productive and constructive”.

A drone explodes during a Russian missile and drone strike, in Kyiv. Pic: Reuters
Image:
A drone explodes during a Russian missile and drone strike, in Kyiv. Pic: Reuters

Trump was less effusive on Monday, saying, “The talks are going along.”

Initial reports from Ukrainian emergency services said the child died in Ukraine’s northwestern Zhytomyr region, while a drone killed a woman in the Kyiv region, and another civilian death was recorded in the western Khmelnytskyi region, according to Mr Zelenskyy.

Russia launched 635 drones of various types and 38 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said. Air defences stopped 587 drones and 34 missiles, it said.

Read more
Russian general killed by car bomb and Moscow blames Ukraine
Putin didn’t sound like he will alter his course anytime soon

Polish and allied fighter jets were deployed after the Russian airstrikes towards western Ukraine, near Poland’s border.

“Fighter jets were scrambled, and ground-based air-defence and radar reconnaissance systems were put on heightened readiness,” the operational command of Poland’s armed forces said.

It was the ninth large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy system this year and left multiple regions in the west without power, while emergency power outages were in place across the country, acting Energy Minister Artem Nekraso said. Work to restore power would begin as soon as the security situation permitted, he said.

Ukraine’s largest private energy supplier, DTEK, said the attack targeted thermal power stations in what it said was the seventh major strike on the company’s facilities since October.

DTEK’s thermal power plants have been hit more than 220 times since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Those attacks have killed four workers and wounded 59.

Authorities in the western regions of Rivne, Ternopil and Lviv, as well as the northern Sumy region, reported damage to energy infrastructure or power outages after the attack.

In the southern Odesa region, Russia struck energy, port, transport, industrial and residential infrastructure, according to regional head Oleh Kiper.

A merchant ship and over 120 homes were damaged, he said.

Continue Reading

Trending