BRUSSELS — History is repeating itself in the corridors of Western diplomacy, this time under a European banner. The European Union’s decision to invite five-member Taliban delegation to Brussels marks a profound diplomatic shift that mirrors the controversial architecture of the 2020 US-Taliban Doha talks. While separated by six years and different primary agendas, both…
KABUL — The Taliban leadership has issued a series of sweeping decrees strictly banning the use of smartphones by all government employees and members of their own security apparatus, introducing severe penalties including device destruction and court-martial for violators. The strict directive, attributed to Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, officially went into effect this week following…
GENEVA — Members of the Afghan diaspora and human rights advocates are scheduled to launch a high-profile sit-in demonstration in front of the United Nations office in Geneva on June 18, 2026. The upcoming protest aims to draw international attention to the systematic oppression of women and girls under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The…
KABUL — Residents in the capital city reported hearing the sound of a large explosion on Monday afternoon, June 29, 2026. Initial visual reports, including video footage surfaced by Afghanistan International, show a thick column of dark smoke and fire rising from an undisclosed urban section of the city. The exact location, the nature of…
Germany has deported another group of Afghan citizens back to their home country via a designated charter flight. According to published reports, the flight carried approximately 30 Afghan men who were convicted of different offenses. The security operation was executed under the framework of a direct agreement negotiated with the de facto Taliban administration in…
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior scored a brilliant equalizer to rescue a 1-1 draw for five-time world champions Brazil against a disciplined Morocco side on Saturday, in the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s first heavyweight clash. Playing before a sold-out crowd at New York/New Jersey Stadium, Morocco capitalized on early Brazilian sluggishness….
KABUL — The Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan issued a formal statement on Monday, June 15, 2026, calling on the Taliban administration to guarantee a secure environment for the upcoming Muharram and Ashura commemorations. The council emphasized that security officials must provide the necessary conditions for a “grand and secure” observance, while urging the de…
KABUL — Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, has strongly rejected international criticism of the regime’s domestic policies, stating that the global community has no right to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. Speaking at an official gathering with the ministry’s ombudsmen (muhtasibs), Hanafi defended the enforcement…
KABUL — More than 2,900 Afghan migrants, spanning over 535 families, were forced to return to Afghanistan from neighboring Pakistan and Iran, Taliban officials announced Sunday. The figures underscore a relentless, ongoing deportation campaign by neighboring states that is exacerbating an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis inside Afghanistan. Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson for the Taliban…
HAMBURG, Germany — Hundreds of members of the Afghan diaspora gathered in Hamburg on Saturday to protest the Taliban’s recent mass detentions of women and girls in Herat, marking one of the largest demonstrations in a coordinated global wave of rallies. While local Hamburg police confirmed that the turnout reached several hundred people, organizers estimated…
