Afghanistan International: Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada attempted to block the use of smartphones in Afghanistan before ordering the shutdown of wireless internet, sources told Afghanistan International. According to the sources, about a year ago in Kandahar, Akhundzada asked the Taliban’s council of clerics to find a “religious justification” for banning smartphones. The aim, they
Afghanistan International: Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is reportedly angry with Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar for meeting a US delegation without his approval and without the presence of his trusted aides, sources told Afghanistan International. The sources said Akhundzada insists that his loyal representatives must attend all meetings between Taliban officials and foreign envoys.
Afghanistan International: Thousands of Afghan schoolchildren and university students have been unable to attend online classes after the Taliban cut internet services in several provinces, sources said Tuesday. A female student told Afghanistan International that the shutdown had effectively closed the last remaining door to education for girls. “With the internet cut, the Taliban has
Afghanistan International: Mohammad Naseem Haqqani, head of the Taliban-appointed Sheikh Zayed University in Khost, has declared that waging jihad against Pakistan is an individual obligation. The cleric labelled the Pakistani government as “puppets” and its laws as influenced by “Jews and Christians.” Haqqani’s comments follow sharp criticism from Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, head of
Amu: Internet services provided by Afghan Telecom, the state-owned operator, were cut in Kandahar province on Tuesday afternoon, local sources told Amu TV. The disruption comes days after Afghan Telecom’s fiber-optic services were shut down in Balkh province in northern Afghanistan. Taliban officials there confirmed the blackout, saying it was ordered by the Taliban’s supreme
Amu: Mullah Shirin, the Taliban governor of Kandahar, has become one of the most powerful figures within the Taliban, wielding influence that in some cases surpasses the authority of their chief minister, multiple sources told Amu TV. Six sources familiar with the matter said Shirin plays a central role in major decisions, often recommending ministerial
Afghanistan International: Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered the collection of mentally ill patients across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, the group announced. The announcement has raised concerns, given the Taliban’s previous treatment of vulnerable people. Last October, Taliban members shot dead a 22-year-old mentally ill man who had blocked them from entering his
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi September 14, 2025 Afghanistan’s de-facto Taliban rulers said they have reached an agreement with visiting US officials on an exchange of prisoners, although no details were given and Washington has not yet confirmed that a deal has been struck. Following the September 13 meeting, the Taliban released photos of the meeting in
8am: Women and girls in the country say that foreign women tourists, by portraying a distorted and unrealistic picture of Afghanistan, ignore the gender apartheid and, in effect, help reinforce the Taliban’s crimes. These women said that the Taliban allow images, voices, and even public dances of foreign women tourists to be freely broadcast, while
Amu: A U.S. delegation led by Adam Boehler, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, met on Saturday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, to discuss the fate of prisoners held in both countries and broader bilateral relations, according to a statement from the Taliban Foreign Ministry. The delegation includes Zalmay Khalilzad, the