MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan — Taliban authorities in northern Balkh province have ordered public sector employees to surrender their smartphones, marking the local implementation of a restrictive new decree issued by the regime’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. According to local sources speaking to the Hasht-e Subh newspaper on Sunday, June 14, administrative staff across various provincial departments…

Members of the Afghan diaspora have launched a coordinated wave of international protests spanning major Western cities, condemning an escalating dress-code crackdown by the Taliban in Western Afghanistan and warning European nations against normalizing relations with the regime in Kabul. The global demonstrations, staged over the weekend in major cities such as Paris, Toronto, and…

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…

GHAZNI — A child was killed and two others were injured on Monday, June 15, 2026, when an unexploded ordnance shell detonated in the Kewan area of Ghazni city’s third police district. Khalid Sarhadi, spokesperson for the local police command, confirmed that the explosion occurred when a group of nomadic (Kuchi) children discovered and attempted…

BRUSSELS — The European Union hosted a five-member Taliban delegation in Brussels on Tuesday, marking the first time the de facto Afghan authorities have been received for official talks at the EU headquarters since seizing power in 2021. The high-stakes meeting has ignited a fierce backlash from human rights groups and international activists who warn…

NEW YORK — The United Nations Security Council unanimously voted on Monday, June 15, 2026, to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year. Following the vote, Moscow issued a strong call for realistic engagement, stating that the future efficacy of the mission relies entirely on active coordination…

FARAH, Afghanistan — A fatal traffic accident involving a Toyota Hilux and a Fielder sedan left at least three people dead and 11 others injured in western Afghanistan’s Farah province on Sunday, June 14. According to Kalimullah Nangyal, a spokesperson for the local police command, the head-on collision occurred within the Farahrud district. The deceased…