Afghanistan International: The incident took place in Chah Ab district of Takhar province, where Taliban forces and personnel connected to a gold mining company entered the area to launch an extraction operation. Several people on both sides were injured, according to the sources. A video obtained by Afghanistan International shows residents throwing stones at Taliban
Amu: Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has appointed 15 Taliban officials to new positions, including their provincial governors, deputy governors and senior security officials, according to a statement. According to a notice released by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, Gul Haidar Shafaq, previously Taliban governor of Jawzjan, was appointed governor of Bamiyan, while Abdullah Sarhadi, the Taliban
Daily Mail (UK): Some young men are also reportedly being beaten up and ‘humiliated’ for defying strict cultural laws by daring to pick a Western-style haircut. Offending hairdressers will be referred to the Taliban’s feared judicial authorities and could face up for 15 months in prison. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: Mehmood Khan Achakzai, chairman of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), has said that Afghanistan currently enjoys greater security and justice than Pakistan, asserting that Islamabad cannot impose its demands on the Afghan people. Achakzai also criticized Pakistan’s policy toward Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), calling it misguided. He said Pakistan militarized religious seminaries in the
Amu: Former vice president Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum has said that the Taliban are “taking their last breaths” and only understand force, as criticism intensified over the killing of a former police chief in Iran. Speaking during an online memorial gathering for Gen. Ikramuddin Saree on Sunday, Dostum said the Taliban do not understand diplomacy
Afghanistan International: Yunus Qanuni, a former Afghan vice president, said Taliban intelligence was responsible for the assassination of Ikramuddin Sari, a former Afghan security commander, in Tehran. He added that there is no doubt the group’s intelligence bodies conduct cross-border operations. Click here to read more (external link). More UN Rapporteur Calls for Probe Into
8am: Sources from the Afghanistan Analysts Network say that important subjects such as human rights, democracy, electoral systems, constitutional law, sociology, and ethics philosophy are no longer being taught, and many books written by women or Iranian authors are also on the banned list. Additionally, books about Afghanistan’s contemporary history, the Taliban, Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, and
Amu: Taliban collected and burned dozens of musical instruments in the eastern province of Nangarhar, saying the move was aimed at enforcing Islamic principles and reforming society. Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on music, banning it from public events, weddings, radio and television broadcasts, and many public
Afghanistan International: Eyewitnesses told Afghanistan International that Mawlawi Noman, an aide to Taliban intelligence chief, was killed in a targeted drone or rocket attack in Kabul. Sources close to the Taliban had initially said Mawlawi Noman died when a gas cylinder exploded at his home. However, an eyewitness living near the residence said a second-floor
By Abubakar Siddique, Farhad Shinwari and Norias Nori December 27, 2025 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty For nearly two months, Sayed Wali, a young Afghan truck driver, has watched the sun rise, and the sun set in the fabled Khyber Pass, which connects western Pakistan to eastern Afghanistan. But he’s not here for the view. He’s