Amu: Details of the meeting have not been made public, but the visit came days after Haqqani sharply criticised the Taliban’s style of governance in a speech in the eastern province of Khost on December 12. Following his trip to Kandahar, the Taliban’s traditional power centre, Haqqani struck a markedly different tone, publicly stressing obedience to Akhundzada’s orders and calling for unity within the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Many residents of Kabul say that stray dogs have become increasingly common on roads and in neighborhoods, especially in outlying areas. People describe how these dogs roam the streets early in the morning and late at night, spreading fear and constant anxiety. Children and older people face the greatest danger, they say, and some residents no longer feel safe enough to step outside their homes. At the same time, several doctors warn that the rising number of stray dogs in residential areas has created serious health concerns, especially the risk of spreading infectious diseases. They stress that without proper control, diseases such as rabies and other infections could spread more widely and endanger public health. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: Afghanistan on Saturday formally launched the Afghanistan Premier League Twenty20 (APL T20) at a ceremony in the United Arab Emirates, unveiling the tournament’s logo, proposed window, venue and number of teams, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said. Click here to read more (external link).
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8am: The Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Saturday, December 20, that 30 families returned via Islam Qala in Herat, 185 families through Spin Boldak in Kandahar, 790 families through Torkham in Nangarhar, and 58 families through Bahramcha in Helmand. Click here to read more (external link).
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8am: According to the sources, his decapitated body was later found in the Yaftal district. The sources added that Naser had served in the previous government within the police headquarters of Takhar and Badakhshan provinces. The sources did not specify who or which group was responsible for the killing. According to Hasht-e Subh Daily findings, from 2023 through mid-2025, the Taliban have killed approximately 110 former security personnel. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: In its latest comprehensive report covering developments through Dec. 8, 2025, the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team said more than 20 international and regional terrorist organizations remain active in Afghanistan, despite Taliban assertions that no such groups operate in or from Afghan territory. The report said groups assessed to be present include al Qaeda, Islamic State Khorasan (ISIL-K), Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement/Turkistan Islamic Party (ETIM/TIP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Jamaat Ansarullah, among others, with several aiming to expand regionally and some using Afghanistan to plan and prepare external attacks. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Germany plans to transfer 535 Afghan refugees from Pakistan to Germany by the end of December, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Thursday. Dobrindt said the transfer process has been accelerated amid the risk that the refugees could be deported from Pakistan. He told German media that many Afghans with German admission pledges are living in uncertainty and that the government is seeking to complete case reviews and relocate as many as possible before the end of the month. Click here to read more (external link).
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Z. Hashimi
Afghanistan International: Zulala Hashemi, a young Afghan singer whose whereabouts had been the subject of months of speculation, has said she is safe and has left Afghanistan after facing prolonged difficulties. Hashemi’s family reported in June that she had gone missing. Her husband, Sayed Mohsen Hashemi, told Afghanistan International at the time that she had left home to visit friends and had not returned, adding that her phones were switched off. He later stopped commenting publicly on her situation. Click here to read more (external link).