8am: Beauty parlours that are forced to operate covertly say they are worn down by the Taliban’s systematic extortion and blackmail. They explain that they work out of sheer necessity—to earn a piece of bread for themselves and their children—yet Taliban security sectors continually threaten them and demand pay-offs. Click here to read more (external link).
The Guardian (UK): Against a backdrop of Taliban rule and corruption claims against FA president, Zohib Islam Amiri sees demoralisation setting in. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: The Taliban, despite their claims of combating administrative corruption and ethnic discrimination, have engaged in widespread corruption within government institutions and have significantly fueled ethnic bias. Findings from a report by the Hasht-e Subh Daily regarding the Education Directorate of Baghlan Province reveal that the principal of a school in Central Baghlan has labeled
Afghanistan International: On Saturday, Whitney Wright, an American adult film star, shared new photos from her visit to various Afghan cities. In one image, she is seen holding an AK-47 rifle, suggesting that she is travelling under Taliban security. Under Taliban-imposed restrictions, Afghan women are not permitted to travel more than 72 kilometres alone without
Tolo News: Transparency International reported in its 2024 report that Afghanistan ranked 165th out of 180 countries in public sector corruption. According to the report, Afghanistan scored 17 out of 100 on the organization’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which is three points lower than its 2023 score. The country had previously scored 20 in 2023
8am: At the same time, some human traffickers in Nimruz say that Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban Supreme Leader, issued a decree banning human trafficking, but local Taliban officials continue to take money from traffickers. According to them, some Taliban commanders are involved in human trafficking and make huge sums of money through this business. Click
8am: Previously, the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) reported that of the 1,137 senior Taliban officials, 891 were Pashtun, 53 Tajik, 28 Uzbek, and 6 Hazara. According to this research, 40 of the top-tier Taliban Supreme Leaders, including the Supreme Leader, prime minister, and ministers of defense, higher education, education, culture, rural development, labor and
8am: Several former military personnel and their family members have complained about extortion, torture, and retaliation by the Taliban. Some relatives of these ex-soldiers report that in recent weeks, the Taliban have harassed former security forces and their families in various ways. In less than a month, the group has accused at least ten former
Amu: Afghanistan’s vast mineral wealth, which includes copper, lithium, and rare earth elements, has long been viewed as a potential driver of economic growth. However, the secrecy surrounding mining revenues under Taliban rule has raised fears of resource mismanagement. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Ashraf Ghani was just another passport holder who had spent most of his life in the West and was married to a Christian woman from Lebanon. Despite spending his childhood in Kabul, he was alien to Afghanistan and its people. His obvious mistakes in performing namaz (Prayer) and reciting Farsi poems became subjects of