8am: Several government employees under Taliban control say the group has imposed a ban on smartphone use across all institutions. They add that the Taliban have warned that anyone defying the order will be referred to the group’s military court and have their smartphones destroyed. Employees say the measure was issued on the verbal order of the group’s Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. The Taliban have also destroyed the smartphones of several teachers at schools in Khost province, and on the same day, asked all of them to bring in their phones to be destroyed as proof of their “obedience and loyalty” to Akhundzada. Click here to read more (external link).
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