Survivors of a powerful earthquake in northern Afghanistan are digging through the rubble of their homes after spending a bitterly cold night outdoors.

The death toll from an earthquake in northern Afghanistan is climbing, and hundreds of families have lost their homes as the harsh winter arrives.

Tensions flare on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border as Afghan Minister Noorullah Noori warns Pakistan of severe consequences, citing history and recent clashes with India.

A US-blacklisted Iranian carrier, Meraj Airlines, has begun operating commercial flights to Afghanistan, according to the Taliban administration in the northern province of Balkh.  The move highlights Tehran’s continued efforts to expand its regional presence despite long-standing US sanctions targeting its aviation and defense sectors.

Afghan counter-narcotics forces have confiscated 170 kg of opium poppy and apprehended two suspected smugglers in western Afghanistan's Nimroz province, provincial police spokesman Gul Mohammad Qudrat announced on Sunday.

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Chris Louie was only 21 when he dug into his fighting hole for another nightmarish day of combat against the Taliban in one of the deadliest places in the world at that time. It was Afghanistan in 2010.