DW: An attack on a Shiite place of worship in Herat killed least 11 people. While the Taliban have pledged protection, a sense of structural vulnerability is growing within the Shiite community. “The Taliban’s ultra-conservative Sunni interpretation of Islam labels Shiite Muslims as heretics. This characterization contributes to their vulnerability and increases their exposure to communal violence,”… Click here to read more (external link).
FIFA allows Afghanistan’s women footballers to play international matches
Amu: World football’s governing body has approved a landmark rule change allowing Afghanistan’s women footballers to represent their country in official international matches, a move described as unprecedented in global sport. The decision by the FIFA Council enables female players from Afghanistan — including members of the FIFA-supported Afghan Women United team — to compete in international fixtures under FIFA competitions, despite the inability of the country’s football federation to field a women’s team. Click here to read more (external link).
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Tolo News in Dari – April 29, 2026
Russia Defence Chief Says Afghanistan Remains Main Source of Terror Threats
Khaama: Andrey Belousov has warned that Afghanistan continues to be a major source of cross-border crime and terrorist threats, highlighting growing regional security concerns. Speaking at a meeting of defense ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Belousov described the situation in Afghanistan as unstable and stressed the need for coordinated regional efforts to address emerging risks. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghanistan has faced deep economic challenges, security incidents, and limited international recognition, all of which have contributed to persistent instability and humanitarian pressures. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Declare More Than 400 Acres Of Land In Kabul State-Owned
Taliban militants (file photo)
Afghanistan International: The Taliban’s justice ministry says a land recovery commission has identified more than 415 acres of land in Kabul’s District 16 as state property, with a court ordering the plots be handed over for restitution. This process continues despite the absence of any independent and impartial body in Afghanistan to handle complaints from citizens who say the Taliban have forcibly taken their land and registered it under “emirate” ownership. Click here to read more (external link).
Collapse of Free Speech; Only Flattery of the Taliban Is Allowed
8am: Several journalists working under Taliban rule have expressed concern over the intensifying crackdown on the media and the complete restriction of access to information. According to them, no media outlet under Taliban control can publish the existing realities and can only disseminate content that the Taliban permit. They emphasize that journalists in Afghanistan cannot publish even the smallest comment or opinion on incidents that in any way criticize the Taliban or expose the group’s shortcomings, and if they do, they face humiliation, insults, and arrest. These journalists stress that freedom of expression has effectively been eliminated and that working with exile-based media, under the shadow of fear, censorship, and threats, has become a costly and high-risk activity. They add that they are either forced to work under fear and accept the risk of retaliation and imprisonment, or turn journalism into a tool for reflecting Taliban narratives. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – April 28, 2026
Can Afghanistan Anchor a New Energy Route Around Hormuz?
Eurasia.net: The ongoing standoff in the Strait of Hormuz between the United States and Iran is forcing a rethink about regional energy and trade routes. Afghanistan is a potential lynchpin of a new route that circumvents the Hormuz choke point, but Taliban control of the country calls into question Kabul’s viability as a connector to global markets. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Forces Strike Chaman In Balochistan, Bajaur In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Afghanistan International: Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban fired mortars from Afghan territory at areas in Chaman and Bajaur in Pakistan overnight, killing at least one person and injuring another. According to the sources, a mortar struck a house in a village in Chaman, leaving two brothers dead and injured. Click here to read more (external link).
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Afghanistan may lose 25,000 female teachers, health workers, UNICEF warns
Amu: Afghanistan could face a shortfall of more than 25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030 if current restrictions on girls’ education and women’s employment persist, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned in a report released Tuesday. The projected losses — including up to 20,000 teachers and 5,400 health workers — threaten to undermine two sectors that rely heavily on women and are already under strain, according to the analysis. The report, The Cost of Inaction on Girls’ Education and Women’s Labour Force Participation in Afghanistan, describes a compounding crisis in which the country is simultaneously losing trained female professionals while preventing a new generation from entering the workforce. Click here to read more (external link).
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