Khaama: World Chess Day celebrates chess’s global benefits in education, peace, and inclusion, while the game remains banned in Afghanistan, risking its cultural loss. On July 20, the United Nations celebrated World Chess Day, highlighting chess as a powerful tool for education, sustainable development, peace, and social inclusion globally. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan likely to meet Bangladesh for white-ball series in October
Ariana: Afghanistan is expected to host Bangladesh for a white-ball series comprising three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in the United Arab Emirates this October, pending final confirmation of dates. Click here to read more (external link).
Arrests Of Women Will Not Go Unanswered, Warn Anti-Taliban Resistance Groups
Nazary
Afghanistan International: Senior figures from two major Afghan opposition groups have condemned the recent wave of arrests of women and girls by the Taliban in Kabul, warning that the actions will not go unanswered. Dawood Naji, head of the political committee of the Afghanistan Freedom Front, and Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front, both criticised the Taliban’s ongoing crackdown on women, calling it part of a wider campaign of repression. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban once again arrest several women in Kabul: Sources
Amu: Taliban on Saturday detained several women in central and western Kabul, witnesses and local sources told Amu. This happens just days after dozens of women were detained by the Taliban in Shahr-e-Naw neighborhood in downtown Kabul. Saturday’s arrests occurred in Qala-e-Fathullah, an area near downtown Kabul, and Dasht-e-Barchi in the western part of the capital. The exact number of those detained remains unclear. Click here to read more (external link).
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Richard Bennett: Deportations from Germany to Afghanistan Violate International Law
Khaama: Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, condemned Germany’s deportation of 81 Afghan citizens, warning of more deportations and urging a halt to the process. Human rights organizations have repeatedly raised alarms about the forced return of Afghan refugees, citing the hazardous conditions under Taliban rule. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – July 19, 2025
Shpageeza Cricket League’s 10th season kicks off in Kabu
Ariana: The much‑anticipated 10th edition of the Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL) was inaugurated on Saturday at the Kabul International Cricket Stadium, marking a major highlight in Afghanistan’s domestic cricket calendar. Click here to read more (external link).
Other Sports News
Former Faryab Provincial Council Member Assassinated In Maimana
Afghanistan International: Mohebullah Mirzad Bandari, a former commander aligned with Abdul Rashid Dostum and a former member of the Faryab Provincial Council, was killed in an armed attack by unidentified gunmen in the city of Maimana, sources told Afghanistan International. Click here to read more (external link).
UN experts urge immediate halt to deportations of Afghan migrants
Amu: UN human rights experts, including special rapporteur Richard Bennett, on Friday condemned the mass forced returns of Afghan nationals from Iran and Pakistan, calling the scale of deportations “staggering” and warning that Afghanistan remains unsafe for returnees, nearly four years after the Taliban seized power. “Returns must be halted immediately,” the experts said. “Afghanistan is not a safe country for returnees, given the constantly deteriorating human rights situation since the Taliban seized control.” The experts warned that returnees—many of them refugees—face real threats of persecution, violent reprisals, and severe hardship. They pointed to growing dangers for former government employees, security personnel, human rights defenders, journalists, and members of ethnic and religious minorities. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Moscow’s Recognition of the Taliban Will Backfire
Niloar Sakhi via FP: Recognizing Afghanistan’s extremist leaders will fuel radicalism. Nearly four years after the Taliban’s reconquest of Afghanistan, Moscow has formally recognized the Taliban regime as the legitimate government of Afghanistan—a move that has been welcomed by China. Moscow’s decision is an invitation for other states in the region, from China to India to Iran, to follow suit in recognizing the Taliban. But it may also backfire on Russia. Click here to read more (external link).